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Site index is a species-specific indirect measure of forest productivity expressed as the average height of dominant and codominant trees in a stand of a specified base age. It is widely used by forest managers to make informed decisions regarding forest management practices. Unfortunately, forest managers have difficulty in determining site index for southern US bottomland hardwood stands because of a lack of available information for many tree species, outdated information for several techniques, and a lack of knowledge in the application of other techniques for specific site conditions....

Laboratory mechanical softwood pulps (MSP) and commercial bleached softwood kraft pulps (BSKP) were mechanically fibrillated by stone grinding with a SuperMassColloider®. The extent of fibrillation was evaluated by SEM imaging, water retention value (WRV) and cellulase adsorption. Both lignin content and mechanical treatment significantly affected deconstruction and enzymatic saccharification of fibrillated MSP and BSKP. Fibrillation of MSP and BSKP cell walls occurs rapidly and then levels off; further fibrillation has only limited effect on cell wall breakdown as measured by water...

Standing stress wave measurements were taken on 274 small-diameter Douglas-fir trees in western Montana. Stand, site, and soil measurements collected in the field and remotely through geographical information system (GIS) data layers were used to model dynamic modulus of elasticity (DMOE) in those trees. The best fit linear model developed resulted in an adjusted R2 = 0.52 for predictions of individual tree DMOE and an R2 = 0.85 for predictions averaged on a stand basis. The linear model used was mean annual increment1, total tree height, and a GIS-based estimate of soil bulk density....

We estimated the population density of the globally threatened Elfin-woods Warbler Setophaga angelae within two forest types at different elevations in the Luquillo Experimental Forest in north-eastern Puerto Rico. Population densities ranged from 0.01 to 0.02 individuals/ha in elfin woodland and 0.06–0.26 individuals/ha in palo colorado forest in 2006, with average rates of decline since 1989 of 0.002–0.01 and 0.003–0.06 individuals/ha respectively. These estimates show a significant general declining trend from c.0.2 individuals/ha in 1989 in elfin woodland to c . 0.02/ha in 2006, and...

This report updates the findings of Chapter 16 of the Southern Forest Resource Assessment (Wear and Greis 2002), based on 2010 report year data. Analysis focuses on changes in the South’s forest resources since 1999 using annual inventory, mapped-plot design data available for the first time for all 13 Southern States (excluding west Oklahoma and west Texas). The recently implemented inventory design is a drastic departure from the traditional periodic, variable-radius survey design used to collect past resource estimates. The authors advise caution when making direct comparisons to past...

Research conducted in a variety of hardwood regions across the United States has indicated that utilization of small-diameter roundwood is hindered by a lack of markets. Efficient removal of such material could enable silvicultural practices to improve stand conditions and economic return for landowners. However, evidence from other studies has suggested that markets alone may not be enough to encourage small-diameter utilization, and that management decisions are important as well. This study sought to compare roundwood utilization at the stump and top for different ownership categories...

Smoke from biomass fires makes up a substantial portion of global greenhouse gas, aerosol, and black carbon (GHG/A/BC) emissions. Understanding how fuel characteristics and conditions affect fire occurrence and extent, combustion dynamics, and fuel consumption is critical for making accurate, reliable estimates of emissions production at local, regional, national, and global scales. The type, amount, characteristics, and condition of wildland fuels affect combustion and emissions during wildland and prescribed fires. Description of fuel elements has focused on those needed for fire spread...

The role of water vapor, originated from the moisture content in vegetation, on the combustion process was investigated via simulating an opposed diffusion flame and a laminar premixed flame with pyrolysis gases as the fuel and air as the oxidizer. The fuel was mixed with water vapor, and the simulation was repeated for various water mole fractions. In both of the diffusion and premixed flames, the smaller the water mole fraction, the higher the maximum temperature. No reactions occurred when the water mole fraction was 0.65 or larger in the diffusion flame, and 0.70 or larger in the...

This publication provides an overview of forest resource attributes for North Dakota based on an annual inventory conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service. These estimates, along with Web-posted core tables, will be updated annually. For more information, please refer to page 4 of this report.

This publication provides an overview of forest resource attributes for Illinois based on an annual inventory conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the Northern Research Station (NRS) of the U.S. Forest Service. These estimates, along with Web-posted core tables, will be updated annually. For more information, please refer to page 4 of this report.