Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-09-07DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae028
Andrew S Nelson, Joshua A Mullane
{"title":"Selective Postplanting Forb Control Increased Growth of Douglas-Fir but Not Western Larch Seedlings in Idaho","authors":"Andrew S Nelson, Joshua A Mullane","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae028","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae028","url":null,"abstract":"Weeding (commonly referred to as release) is a common practice in major timber-producing regions of the United States, yet the effects have not been well examined in recently established plantations in northern Idaho. This study tested the effects of selective postplanting forb control with clopyralid herbicide applied 1 year after planting on the growth and survival of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca) and western larch (Larix occidentalis) for 5 years across a site productivity gradient in northern Idaho. Forb cover was reduced in Douglas-fir plots but not western larch plots. The result was an increase in diameter, height, and stem volume of Douglas-fir seedlings 5 years after treatment at low and high productivity sites, but no effect on western larch. Survival of both species was unaffected by the treatment and remained high, likely because of the generally high productivity of all sites. Results suggest that postplanting forb control with clopyralid may be best suited to Douglas-fir plantations in the region. The early gains in size are likely to persist into the future given the divergent growth trajectories observed, potentially shortening rotations and increasing final stand volume production. Study Implications: Clopyralid is an effective tool for selectively controlling forbs after planting in recently established plantations in northern Idaho. The response was species-specific. Results showed Douglas-fir had positive gains in size 5 years after treatment, whereas western larch growth was unaffected. Results can help guide operational decisions regarding whether and in which situations clopyralid may be applied to accelerate stand growth by reducing postplanting competition.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"166 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142201149","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-09-05DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae024
James A Westfall, Mark D Nelson, Christopher B Edgar
{"title":"Applying Ratio-of-Means Estimation for Annualized Components of Volume Change in Forest Resource Monitoring","authors":"James A Westfall, Mark D Nelson, Christopher B Edgar","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae024","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae024","url":null,"abstract":"Forest inventory estimates of annualized net growth, removals, and mortality provide a standardized metric for a wide range of management and policy assessments. Commonly, plot-level annualized values are determined by dividing the periodic change by the length of the time interval. Subsequent estimation of means constitutes a mean-of-ratios (MOR) estimation approach. However, due to potential bias concerns for the MOR estimator, the ratio-of-means (ROM) estimator is generally preferred by forestry practitioners. National forest inventory data from six states in the United States were used to compare MOR and ROM annualized change estimation. Generally, MOR and ROM performed similarly when there was little variation among plot measurement intervals. Differences between MOR and ROM increased as variability among measurement intervals increased, with the largest observed differences being in the 3%–4% range. The ROM estimator also resulted in more precise estimates than MOR, although in many cases the differences were trivial. ROM estimation can be negatively affected if the mean of the measurement intervals assigned to unvisited nonforest plots is incongruent with the mean for forested field–visited plots. Nonetheless, if this complication is not present or can be ameliorated, the ROM estimator appears to perform better than MOR across various populations. Study Implications: Forest inventory volume change results are usually reported on a per-year basis to make them more interpretable by data users. This study compared the use of the typical mean-of-ratios (MOR) approach with an alternative ratio-of-means (ROM) concept. In a simulation study that examined six different populations of forest inventory plots, the ROM method generally had smaller bias and uncertainty statistics than the MOR approach. Thus, the ROM estimation offers forest inventory practitioners a more robust method for calculating annualized change statistics. The use of accurate estimations to inform management and policy decisions is critical to effective stewardship of forest resources.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142201152","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-09-05DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae027
Shayla R Williams, James E Steed, Jeremy Morrone, Sara A Goeking, Matt Lavin, Erich Kyle Dodson, Rachel E Simons
{"title":"Accuracy of Whitebark Pine and Limber Pine Identification by Forest Inventory and Analysis Field Crews","authors":"Shayla R Williams, James E Steed, Jeremy Morrone, Sara A Goeking, Matt Lavin, Erich Kyle Dodson, Rachel E Simons","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae027","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae027","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate identification of whitebark and limber pine has become increasingly important following the 2022 listing of whitebark pine as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. However, morphological similarities make identification of the two species difficult where ranges overlap. Using a genetic test that differentiates whitebark and limber pine, we compared field identification by Forest Inventory and Analysis field crews with genetic identification for needle samples from 371 trees. Field identifications were 100% correct for the 76 samples collected from outside regions of species’ range overlap. A total of 83% of the field identifications were correct in regions of range overlap (89% for large trees, 88% for saplings, and 78% for seedlings). Field-identified samples were correct 60% of the time for limber pine and >99% for whitebark pine. Random forests analysis revealed that identification accuracy is influenced by crew experience, large (≥ 12.7cm diameter) limber or whitebark pines recorded by field crews on the plot, elevation, Julian day of sample collection, and habitat type. We found that whitebark pine has likely been underestimated, and limber pine overestimated, within their overlapping ranges. We provide insights on improving accuracy of future monitoring where these species overlap. Study Implications: Accurate identification of whitebark pine is critical for monitoring this threatened species, yet distinguishing whitebark from limber pine can be difficult. Genetic analysis determined accuracy of field identification by Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) crews was 83% where the species’ ranges overlap. Virtually all individuals identified as whitebark pine were genetically confirmed to be whitebark pine, although nearly 40% of individuals identified as limber pine were actually whitebark pine. Thus, previous data underestimated whitebark and overestimated limber pine abundance in the species’ range overlap. These results quantify reliability of FIA data for whitebark pine assessments and identify areas for improvement.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"48 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142201150","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-08-30DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae026
Larissa França de Sá, Gabriele Taís Lohmann, Fabiana Schmidt Bandeira Peres, Evandro Vagner Tambarussi
{"title":"Genetic Variability for Clonal Propagation of Acacia mearnsii","authors":"Larissa França de Sá, Gabriele Taís Lohmann, Fabiana Schmidt Bandeira Peres, Evandro Vagner Tambarussi","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae026","url":null,"abstract":"Plantations of Acacia mearnsii established from seeds often exhibit low levels of productivity due to significant differences in plant growth. Therefore, the aim of this study was to assess the genetic control associated with clonal propagation of A. mearnsii and use a selection index to quantify gains for traits related to vegetative propagation. Data collected from nurseries for 2 years included mini-cutting productivity per mini-stump (PD), percentage of adventitious rooting (ENR), and ramet productivity index (PI). For clone production traits, PD (r = 0.36) and PI (r = 0.24) demonstrated moderate repeatability, whereas ENR (r = 0.06) exhibited low repeatability. Tree height (H2 = 0.20), and diameter at breast height (H2 = 0.13) showed moderate and low heritability, respectively. Genotype selection for vegetative propagation supported by PI-generated selection gains of over 50%, suggesting the efficacy of using this criterion in early evaluation and selection of genotypes for nursery propagation. The additive selection index considering PI and Ht traits can be used for early selection of superior A. mearnsii genotypes, promoting estimated gains of up to 2.5%. Given the importance of these parameters, these findings provide crucial insights for A. mearnsii breeders, addressing a notable gap in the literature concerning these traits. Study Implications: The moderate heritability of traits such as mini-cutting productivity, propagule productivity index (PI), height, and diameter at breast height, except for the percentage of adventitious rooting, which showed low heritability, suggests that these traits are influenced by genetic factors to a considerable extent. The study suggests that the selection of genotypes based on PI can significantly improve vegetative propagation outcomes, with potential selection gains of more than 50%. This indicates that nurseries can achieve higher productivity and efficiency by implementing genotype selection processes based on this criterion.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"166 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142201151","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-05-31DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae018
Michael G McIntosh, Daowei Zhang
{"title":"Cointegration of Timberland Value in the United States, South and Central America, and Oceania","authors":"Michael G McIntosh, Daowei Zhang","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae018","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae018","url":null,"abstract":"In this article, we examine whether the United States, South and Central America, and Oceania timberland markets have integrated per acre timberland values. The vector error correction model and orthogonal impulse response functions provide strong evidence of a long-run relationship regarding per acre timberland value between South and Central America, the United States, and Oceania. The comovement of per acre timberland values and lack of arbitrage opportunities among regions may induce investors to invest locally or diversify portfolios through other industries. Study Implications: This article explores the relationship between timberland price/value in geographically separate timberland markets to help timberland investors in their portfolio decisions.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-05-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141189495","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-04-17DOI: 10.1093/forsci/fxae016
Trevor D Walker, Jessica A Maynor, Fikret Isik, Austin J Heine, Ross W Whetten, Kitt G Payn, T Austin Quate, Steven E McKeand
{"title":"Stem Defect Rates and Ice Storm Damage for Families of Pinus taeda from Coastal and Piedmont Provenances Planted on a North Carolina Piedmont Site","authors":"Trevor D Walker, Jessica A Maynor, Fikret Isik, Austin J Heine, Ross W Whetten, Kitt G Payn, T Austin Quate, Steven E McKeand","doi":"10.1093/forsci/fxae016","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forsci/fxae016","url":null,"abstract":"Twenty Pinus taeda L. families from both the Coastal Plain and Piedmont provenances in the southeastern United States were planted on an upper Piedmont site that experienced a severe ice storm at age 3 years. Storm damage and defect rates through age 11 years were compared with the seed transfer distance and the seed parents’ breeding values to develop prediction models for storm damage and rates of forking, stem break, and sawtimber potential. Warmer-source families had higher probability of limb or stem breaks and foliage injury from the storm. Taller trees were more likely to experience breaks and foliage injury, even after accounting for seed transfer distance. Trees with forks or fusiform rust (Cronartium quercuum f. sp. fusiforme) infection had a higher probability of breaks. Trees with limb breaks or foliage injury did not have reduced sawtimber potential, but broken stems reduced sawtimber potential. The storm did not cause immediate mortality, but trees with major limb breaks, stem breaks, or foliage injury were less likely to be alive at age 8 years. At age 11 years, families with the best combination of breeding values for forking, straightness, and rust resistance had a predicted 60% of stems having sawtimber potential, whereas families with the worst combination had 30%. Study Implications: Planting warmer-source Pinus taeda (loblolly pine) families farther north and inland may lead to greater growth but poses a risk of damage from cold temperatures and ice storms. Trees grown for solid-wood products must be relatively defect-free and require a longer rotation, whereas bioenergy and pulpwood can use smaller, defective trees. This analysis presents predictions of defect rates through age 11 years based on the seed source and breeding values using data from a planting in the upper Piedmont of North Carolina. Land managers can use these models to weigh the benefits and risks when choosing families for reforestation.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"228 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140613481","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-04-10DOI: 10.1093/forestscience/44.3.421
Donald F. Dennis
{"title":"Analyzing Public Inputs to Multiple Objective Decisions on National Forests Using Conjoint Analysis","authors":"Donald F. Dennis","doi":"10.1093/forestscience/44.3.421","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestscience/44.3.421","url":null,"abstract":"Faced with multiple objectives, national forest managers and planners need a means to solicit and analyze public preferences and values. A conjoint ranking survey was designed to solicit public preferences for various levels of timber harvesting, wildlife habitats, hiking trails, snowmobile use, and off-road-vehicle (ORV) access on the Green Mountain National Forest. The survey was completed by 76 respondents during public involvement meetings. An ordered probit model was used to estimate linear and quadratic main effects. Respondents preferred moderate levels of timber harvesting and snowmobile access and lower levels of ORV access. They favored a mixture of mature closed canopy and younger more open forests over either extreme and were somewhat indifferent toward extending the network of hiking trails. For. Sci. 44(3):421-428.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"249 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140566080","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-04-10DOI: 10.1093/forestscience/35.2.401
Darius M. Adams, Richard W. Haynes
{"title":"A Model of National Forest Timber Supply and Stumpage Markets in the Western United States","authors":"Darius M. Adams, Richard W. Haynes","doi":"10.1093/forestscience/35.2.401","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestscience/35.2.401","url":null,"abstract":"This paper presents an aggregate regional model of the National Forest timber supply process and the interaction of National Forest and non-National Forest supply in the determination of regional stumpage prices and harvest volumes. Endogenous elements of National Forest supply include establishment of the appraised price, bid price, volumes sold and unsold, the uncut volume under contract, volumes harvested, and harvest price. Components of the model describe the distribution of volumes sold and harvested by bid price and contract duration classes. Estimation results for bid price relations in several western regions indicate that prices bid for stumpage depend on a short (one-year) distributed lag in product prices and production costs. Application of the full model in the Douglas-fir region suggests that short-term National Forest supply may be more elastic with respect to harvest price than industrial private supply. Model simulations track actual behavior in the Douglas-fir region stumpage market with reasonable accuracy over the period of extreme price and volume movements during 1977-1985. Model projections also appear reasonable and internally consistent in a projection to the year 2000 under a less volatile product market scenario. For. Sci. 35(2):401-424.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140566185","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-04-10DOI: 10.1093/forestscience/40.2.221
Jeffrey S. Ward, George R. Stephens
{"title":"Crown Class Transition Rates of Maturing Northern Red Oak (Quercus rubra L.)","authors":"Jeffrey S. Ward, George R. Stephens","doi":"10.1093/forestscience/40.2.221","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestscience/40.2.221","url":null,"abstract":"Crown classes and diameters of 704 northern red oaks on medium quality sites were measured at 10-yr intervals between 1927-1987. Nominal age of northern red oaks at the beginning of the study was 25 yr. Mortality rates between ages 25-55 and between ages 55-85 decreased with each increase in crown class (i.e., mortality of dominant is < codominant is < intermediate is < suppressed). Ascension rates into higher crown classes increased with each increase in crown class between ages 25-55 and between ages 55-85. Mortality rates of dominant, codominant, and intermediate trees were higher between ages 55-85 than between ages 25-55. The cause of the increased mortality was likely periodic episodes of defoliation which began after age 55. Within several diameter classes at age 25, survival through age 55 and the proportion found in upper canopy at age 55 increased with crown class. Mortality rates between ages 25-55 were lower for the largest northern red oak in a sprout clump than for lesser sprouts and for those trees which were not part of a sprout clump. There was no significant difference in canopy position transition rates between ages 55-85 for the largest red oaks in a sprout clump and those trees which were not part of a sprout clump. However, mortality rates between ages 55-85 of lesser trees in a sprout clump were significantly higher than for either the largest sprout in a clump or for those trees which were not part of a sprout clump. Survival of suppressed and intermediate 25-yr-old red oak was negatively related to the number of oaks in dominant and codominant crown classes. Crown class can be a powerful tool for determining the future status of maturing northern red oaks in southern New England. For. Sci. 40(2): 221-237.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"52 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140566064","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Forest SciencePub Date : 2024-04-10DOI: 10.1093/forestscience/33.4.872
Barry J. Seldon, David H. Newman
{"title":"Marginal Productivity of Public Research in the Softwood Plywood Industry: A Dual Approach","authors":"Barry J. Seldon, David H. Newman","doi":"10.1093/forestscience/33.4.872","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1093/forestscience/33.4.872","url":null,"abstract":"The production function approach commonly used in agricultural studies is modified to estimate returns from publicly funded forestry research. The method indirectly estimates production function coefficients using a simultaneous, constrained supply and demand system. From these estimates the value of the marginal product (VMP) of public research involving softwood plywood is used to calculate a marginal internal rate of return (MIRR) on publicly funded research. Whereas similar studies in the agricultural literature use a short-run VMP based solely on the initial impact of R&D, we develop a long-run VMP, which incorporates research impacts over time. A short-run VMP is also defined, however, and compared to the results reported in the agricultural literature. Estimates of the short-run VMP for softwood plywood are similar to other aggregate research cases, such as corn and poultry. The estimated long-run VMP, however, is large; the most conservative assumptions yield an estimated VMP of public research in softwood plywood of $33.11 in 1967 dollars. The MIRR is also large with a lower estimate of 236%. For. Sci. 33(4):872-888.","PeriodicalId":12749,"journal":{"name":"Forest Science","volume":"85 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2024-04-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140566378","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}