Treesearch

A forester set up a large-scale, 1600-m fire-break trial with red alder (Alnus rubraBong.) inter-planted between Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesiiMirb Franco), after the extensive 1927 Yacolt Burn in the Columbia Gorge. This now 90-year-old trial demonstrates dramatic effects of alder on soils and growth of Douglas-fir; it also provides a timely lesson for foresters deciding what to do after recent similar fires in western Oregon and Washington. We used 2015 airborne lidar to re-examine the trial effects. Douglas-fir trees in stands mixed with alder (Strip) continue to grow taller than...

We present PNW-Cnet v4, a deep neural net with an associated Shiny-based application designed to facilitate efficient data processing to detect terrestrial wildlife species through passive acoustic monitoring. PNW-Cnet v4 is a deep convolutional neural network that detects audio signatures of 37 focal species of birds and mammals that inhabit forests of the Pacific Northwest, USA, along with other commonly occurring forest sounds. The primary objective of developing PNW-Cnet v4 was to support a long-term northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) monitoring program. By incorporating...

High-resolution microscopy of deep tissue with large field-of-view (FOV) is critical for elucidating organization of cellular structures in plant biology. Microscopy with an implanted probe offers an effective solution. However, there exists a fundamental trade-off between the FOV and probe diameter arising from aberrations inherent in conventional imaging optics (typically, FOV < 30% of diameter). Here, we demonstrate the use of microfabricated non-imaging probes (optrodes) that when combined with a trained machine-learning algorithm is able to achieve FOV of 1x to 5x the probe diameter....

Past experiences influence choices, and people’s preferences for more similar (habit-forming) or different (variety-seeking) experiences are reflected in these choices. We develop a structural estimation framework to capture whether people are habit forming or variety seeking and apply it to the choice of recreation site. This research contributes to the revealed preference literature by demonstrating how to account for habit or variety-seeking behavior in recreation site choice models in a two-stage framework. Using this framework, we estimate similarity weights that reflect the birders...

Objective The literature on thermal refuges has focused on when fish use what kinds of refuge, but we address how refuge availability and characteristics affect population abundance and persistence under warming. Methods Population benefits of thermal refuges are very difficult to assess empirically, so we used InSTREAM, an individual-based trout population model. InSTREAM represents several ways temperature affects survival and growth, as mediated by behaviors such as deciding when and where to feed. The model’s credibility was established by showing that it closely reproduced 10 observed...

Estimation of hydrological processes is critical to water resource management, water supply planning, ecological protection, and climate change impact assessment. Mountains in Central Asia are the major source of water for rivers and agricultural practices. The disturbance of mountain forests in the region has altered the hydrological processes and accelerated soil erosion, mudflow, landslides, and flooding. We used the SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model calibrated and validated with remote sensing data to quantify the mountainous hydrological processes in the Aktash River...

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) has experienced rapid population declines and is listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in the United States. Whitebark pine in the Sierra Nevada of California represents the southernmost end of the species' distribution and, like other portions of its range, faces threats from an introduced pathogen, native bark beetles, and a rapidly warming climate. Beyond these chronic stressors, there is also concern about how this species will respond to acute stressors, such as drought. We present patterns of stem growth from 766 large...

Moisture-selective polymer-based membranes can be a promising method for energy saving in drying systems of different industries that vent moisture vapor-rich air to the atmosphere, such as wood drying, biorefinery, food processing, and pharmaceutical industry. Developing a sustainable product with bio-based materials reduces the environmental impacts. This study assessed the techno-economic feasibility and life-cycle environmental impacts of producing a novel cellulose nanocrystal/polydimethylsiloxane hybrid moisture-selective membrane. The cradle-to-gate assessment was facilitated by...

Anthropogenic fire exclusion has contributed to forest structural and compositional shifts, resulting in the encroachment of shade-tolerant, often fire-sensitive and/or opportunistic species throughout forest ecosystems. In the central and eastern U.S., encroaching species often exhibit fire-suppressing leaf litter and crown traits, reducing prescribed fire efficacy to restore and maintain fire-dependent mixed pine (Pinus spp.) and oak (Quercus spp.) forests. Despite fire’s natural role in these forests, management using prescribed fire alone is unlikely to reverse encroachment impacts due...

Pruning or the physical removal of lower branches, in combination with wider tree spacing, offers an alternative management scheme for small nonindustrial private forest landowners in areas lacking markets for small diameter wood. A 5-year-old loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantation was thinned to 495 trees/ha (200 trees/ac). Four crown-lifting treatments of 35%, 40%, 45%, and 50% live crown ratio (LCR) were then implemented. An additional unmanaged plot was established in an unthinned, unpruned area. Two replications were established for all pruning treatments. The target LCR was maintained...