Treesearch

This report has been reviewed in draft form by persons chosen for their diverse perspectives and technical expertise in accordance with procedures approved by the National Research Council’s Report Review Committee. The purpose of this independent review is to provide candid and critical comments that will assist the institution in making the published report as sound as possible and to ensure that it meets institutional standards of objectivity, evidence, and responsiveness to the study charge. The review comments and draft manuscript remain confidential to protect the integrity of the...

It is well documented that temperature and humidity can influence formaldehyde emissions from composite panels that are produced using urea-formaldehyde (UF)–type adhesives. This work investigates the effect of temperature and humidity on newer commercial California Air Resources Board (CARB) phase II–compliant particleboard produced with UF-type adhesives. These results were compared with laboratory particleboards prepared with the no-added-formaldehyde (NAF) Soyad adhesive technology. A modified version of EN 717-3 (‘‘Formaldehyde Release by the Flask Method,’’ ÖNORM 1996) was used to...

Shear-based film casting methods were used to cast neat films from wood-based cellulose nanocrystal (CNC) suspensions. The degree of CNC alignment in dried films was characterized using the Hermans order parameter (S), and the film elastic modulus (E), ultimate tensile strength (σf ), elongation at failure (εf), and work of fracture (WF) were measured with respect to casting direction and CNC alignment. The degree of CNC alignment in dried films was found to increase with higher casting shear rates (0, 10∙s-1, and 100∙s-1) and at higher suspension pH (~3 versus ~7). The maximum orientation...

In an attempt to improve semiochemical-based treatments for protecting forest stands from bark beetle attack, we compared push-pull versus push-only tactics for protecting lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon) and whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) stands from attack by mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) in two studies. The first was conducted on replicated 4.04-ha plots in lodgepole pine stands (California, 2008) and the second on 0.81-ha plots in whitebark pine stands (Washington, 2010). In both studies, D. ponderosae population levels were moderate...

Fire is increasingly being used in oak forests to promote oak regeneration, improve wildlife habitat, and reduce hazardous fuel loads. Although recent research has begun to shed light on the relationships among fire, bats, and bat habitat, these interactions are not yet fully understood. Fire may affect bats directly through heat and smoke during the burning process or indirectly through modifications in habitat. Studies suggest fire generally has beneficial effects on bat habitat by creating snags, reducing understory and midstory clutter, creating more open forests, and possibly increasin...

The Gram-positive bacterium Paenibacillus sp. JDR-2 (PbJDR2) has been shown to have novel properties in the utilization of the abundant but chemically complex hemicellulosic sugar glucuronoxylan. Xylanase A1 of PbJDR2 (PbXynA1) has been implicated in an efficient process in which extracellular depolymerization of this polysaccharide is coupled to assimilation and intracellular metabolism. PbXynA1is a 154 kDa cell wall anchored multimodular glycosyl hydrolase family 10 (GH10) xylanase. In this work, the 38 kDa catalytic module of PbXynA1 has been structurally characterized revealing several...

This publication provides an overview of forest resource attributes for Minnesota 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.

The Fire Effects Information System (FEIS, www.fs.fed.us/database/feis/) has been providing reviews of scientific knowledge about fire effects since 1986. FEIS is an online collection of literature reviews on more than 1,100 species and their relationships with fire. Reviews cover plants and animals throughout the United States, providing a wealth of information for landowners and resource managers.

Aligning a rancher's business plan goals with the capability of the ranch's rangeland resources improves the viability and sustainability of family ranches. Strategically monitoring the condition of soil, water, vegetation, wildlife, livestock production, and economics helps inform business plan goals. Business planning and resource monitoring help keep ranchers on the land, support the well-being of rangeland-dependent communities, and conserve the rural way of life. To work toward this goal, the Sustainable Rangelands Roundtable (SRR)i, Wyoming Business Council (WBC), Wyoming State...

Recent research has indicated that in most of the western United States, fire size is increasing, large fires are becoming more frequent, and in at least some locations percentage of high-severity fire is also increasing. These changes in the contemporary fire regime are largely attributed to both changing climate and land management practices, including suppression of fires and past timber harvesting, over the last century. Fire management, including suppression and using wildfire for resource benefits, varies among federal land management agencies, yet no published studies have directly...