Treesearch

As part of a Joint Fire Science Program project, a team of social scientists reviewed existing fire social science literature to develop a targeted synthesis of scientific knowledge on the following questions: 1. What is the public's understanding of fire's role in the ecosystem? 2. Who are trusted sources of information about fire? 3. What are the public's views of fuels reduction methods, and how do those views vary depending on citizens' location in the wildland-urban interface or elsewhere? 4. What is the public's understanding of smoke effects on human health, and what shapes the...

This chapter describes projects on three diseases impacting Southern forests: oak decline in the Ozark Mountains, loblolly pine decline, and dogwood anthracnose.

Contains 14 full-length papers and 40 abstracts of posters that were presented at the 4th Fire in Eastern Oak Forests conference, held in Springfield, MO, May 17-19, 2011. The conference was attended by over 250 people from 65 different organizations and entities, representing 22 states and 1 Canadian province.

Furan monomers are produced when wood is heated at high temperatures. To understand the process conditions for production of furfural (FF) and hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) from wood, samples of milled aspen wood were subjected to autohydrolyzis by microwave heating in a sealed Teflon reactor. The experiments were designed to simulate temperature and pressure variables of a fiberboard press and their effect on production of furans from the hemicelluloses that have the potential for promoting self-bonding of the wood fibers. The effect of a Lewis acid catalyst, AlCl3•6H2O on the formation of...

To quantify the benefits and costs of modifying forest management for additional climate benefits, Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific demonstration forest was used to test the Climate Action Reserve's protocol and identify management strategies for both wood and carbon markets. Residing in the Southern Sub-district with its clearcutting restrictions, Swanton offers an ideal test site for landowners transitioning from even-aged to uneven-aged management. However, the increased minimum baseline condition for the region effectively precludes joint production of wood and additional carbon. The much...

For more than 30 years, Redwood National Park has been working to establish a Forest Restoration Program to rehabilitate its impaired, second-growth forests. This case study outlines the Park’s history of using silviculture as a restoration tool, which began in 1978 after the Park's expansion. The most recent effort was the 1,700 acre South Fork of Lost Man Creek Forest Restoration Project where two silvicultural prescriptions were used. Low thinning on ridge-top sites reduced basal area by 40-percent, and wood generated was sold as forest products. Crown thinning on steep mid-slope sites...

Multi-decadal studies of commercial and precommercial thinning in redwood stands are rare and consequently of value. The Whiskey Springs study at Jackson Demonstration State Forest has a data set spanning 35 years. In addition to growth and yield response to commercial thinning, the results provide important information for evaluating regeneration and alternative silviculture treatments. In 1970, the original treatment thinned a 40 year-old redwood forest from below to densities representing 25, 50, and 75 percent of the initial basal area (approximately 400 ft2/ac). Three 0.2-ac plot...

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) a valued species for use in appearance grade applications, such as decking, exterior siding and interior paneling, because of its dimensional stability. It is also valued for certain exterior-use applications because of its natural decay resistance. Studies have found that young-growth redwood is less resistant to decay fungi, and also exhibits greater shrinkage and swelling than old-growth redwood. Differences in natural decay resistance and dimensional stability between old-growth and young-growth could be accounted for by changes in the extractives found...

A standardized, interactive, interview process was used with practicing Registered Professional Foresters asking a suite of questions to ascertain their management approaches to coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) stands that could best be transferred to other projects and lands interested in recruiting older forest characteristics. The assimilated results provided management insights that provide comparisons of similarities and vagrancies between properties, management styles and approaches. The survey included the properties and practitioners along the north-south...