http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/gtrs.shtml Pacific Northwest Research Station - Resource Inventory Publications en-us http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr870.pdf This report is a scientific assessment of the current condition and likely future condition of forest resources in the United States relative to climatic variability and change. It serves as the U.S. Forest Service forest sector technical report for the National Climate Assessment and includes descriptions of key regional issues and examples of a risk-based framework for assessing climate-change effects. By the end of the 21st century, forest ecosystems in the United States will differ from those of today as a result of changing climate. Although increases in temperature, changes in precipitation, higher atmospheric concentrations of carbon dioxide (CO₂), and higher nitrogen (N) deposition may change ecosystem structure and function, the most rapidly visible and most significant short-term effects on forest ecosystems will be caused by altered disturbance regimes. For example, wildfires, insect infestations, pulses of erosion and flooding, and drought-induced tree mortality are all expected to increase during the 21st century. These direct and indirect climate-change effects are likely to cause losses of ecosystem services in some areas, but may also improve and expand ecosystem services in others. Some areas may be particularly vulnerable because current infrastructure and resource production are based on past climate and steady-state conditions. The ability of communities with resource-based economies to adapt to climate change is linked to their direct exposure to these changes, as well as to the social and institutional structures present in each environment. Human communities that have diverse economies and are resilient to change today will also be prepared for future climatic stresses. Vose, James M.; Peterson, David L.; Patel-Weynand, Toral Fri, 15 Mar 2013 12:01:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-870. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 265 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr873.pdf This guidebook describes Fox Hollow Research Natural Area (RNA), a 66-ha (163-ac) area that supports dry-site Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)–ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forest within the Oregon Coast Range ecoregion. Major forest plant associations represented at Fox Hollow RNA include Douglas-fir/salal/western swordfern (Pseudotsuga menziesii/Gaultheria shallon/Polystichum munitum) forest and Douglas-fir/Oregongrape (Pseudotsuga menziesii/Berberis nervosa) forest. Other forested communities are represented within the RNA in minor amounts including: Douglas-fir/poison oak (Pseudotsuga menziesii/ Toxicodendron diversilobum) forest, ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir/California fescue (Pinus ponderosa-Pseudotsuga menziesii/Festuca californica) woodland, and ponderosa pine-Douglas-fir-California black oak (Pinus ponderosa-Pseudotsuga menziesii-Quercus kelloggii) woodland. Schuller, Reid Fri, 18 Feb 2013 12:01:36 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-873. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 29 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb264.pdf Provides current information on lumber and plywood production and prices; employment in the forest industries; international trade in logs, lumber, and plywood; volume and average prices of stumpage sold by public agencies; and other related items. Warren, Debra D.;Zhou, Xiaoping Fri 28 Dec 2012 10:06:00 PDT Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-264. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 161 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rp589.pdf To increase timber production and manage other forest resource values, some land managers have undertaken logging debris and vegetation control treatments after forest harvest. We explored the roles of clearcutting on plant community composition and structure at three sites where logging debris was dispersed, piled, or removed and vegetation was annually treated or not treated with herbicides for 5 years. Without vegetation control, a competitive relation was identified between exotic and native ruderal (i.e., disturbance-associated) species. When exotic ruderal cover changed by 4 percent, native ruderal cover changed by 10 percent in the opposite direction. This relation was independent of site, but site was important in determining the overall dominance of ruderals. Five annual vegetation control treatments increased Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) growth, but decreased richness and cover of other species at the rate of one species per 10 percent reduction in cover. Debris treatment effects were small and found on only one site. Peter, David H.; Harrington, Timothy B. Thur, 20 Dec. 2012 11:34:00 PST Res. Pap. PNW-RP-589. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 37 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr862.pdf Forest managers are seeking practical guidance on how to adapt their current practices and, if necessary, their management goals, in response to climate change. Science-management collaboration was initiated on national forests in eastern Washington where resource managers showed a keen interest in science-based options for adapting to climate change at a 2-day workshop. Scientists and managers reviewed current climate change science and identified resources vulnerable to expected climate change. Vulnerabilities related to vegetation and habitat management included potential reductions in forest biodiversity and low forest resilience to changing disturbance regimes. The vulnerabilities related to aquatic and infrastructure resources included changing water quality and quantity, the risk to roads and other facilities from changes to hydrologic regimes, and the potential loss of at-risk aquatic species and habitats. Managers then worked in facilitated groups to identify adaptations that could be implemented through management and planning to reduce the vulnerability of key resources to climate change. The identified adaptations were grouped under two major headings: Increasing Ecological Resiliency to Climate Change, and Increasing Social and Economic Resiliency to Climate Change. The information generated from the science-management collaborative represents an initial and important step in identifying and prioritizing tangible steps to address climate change in forest management. Next would be the development of detailed implementation strategies that address the identified management adaptations.. Gaines, William L.; Peterson, David W.; Thomas, Cameron A.; Harrod, Richy J. Mon., 15 Oct 2012 13:50:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-862. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 34 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr867.pdf Cofiring of biomass and coal at electrical generation facilities is gaining in importance as a means of reducing fossil fuel consumption, and more than 40 facilities in the United States have conducted test burns. Given the large size of many coal plants, cofiring at even low rates has the potential to utilize relatively large volumes of biomass. This could have important forest management implications if harvest residues or salvage timber are supplied to coal plants. Other feedstocks suitable for cofiring include wood products manufacturing residues, woody municipal wastes, agricultural residues, short-rotation intensive culture forests, or hazard fuel removals. Cofiring at low rates can often be done with minimal changes to plant handling and processing equipment, requiring little capital investment. Cofiring at higher rates can involve repowering entire burners to burn biomass in place of coal, or in some cases, repowering entire powerplants. Our research evaluates the current status of biomass cofiring in North America, identifying current trends and success stories, types of biomass used, coal plant sizes, and primary cofiring regions. We also identify potential barriers to cofiring. Results are presented for more than a dozen plants that are currently cofiring or have recently announced plans to cofire. Nicholls, David; Zerbe, John Fri., 31 Aug 2012 8:55:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-867. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 22 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr860.pdf Principal findings of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate (FFS) study are presented in an annotated bibliography and summarized in tabular form by site, discipline (ecosystem component), treatment type, and major theme. Composed of 12 sites, the FFS is a comprehensive multidisciplinary experiment designed to evaluate the costs and ecological consequences of alternative fuel reduction treatments in seasonally dry forests of the United States. The FFS has a common experimental design across the 12-site network, with each site a fully replicated experiment that compares four treatments: prescribed fi re, mechanical treatments, mechanical + prescribed fire, and an unmanipulated control. We measured treatment cost and variables within several components of the ecosystem, including vegetation, the fuel bed, soils, bark beetles, tree diseases, and wildlife in the same 10-ha experimental units. This design allowed us to assemble a fairly comprehensive picture of ecosystem response to treatment at the site scale, and to compare treatment response across a wide variety of conditions. McIver, James; Erickson, Karen; Youngblood, Andrew Wed., 04 Apr 2012 12:40:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-860. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 210 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr858.pdf We describe a food-based system for quantitatively evaluating habitat quality for deer called the Forage Resource Evaluation System for Habitat and provide its rationale and suggestions for use. The system was developed as a tool for wildlife biologists and other natural resource managers and planners interested in evaluating habitat quality and, especially, comparing two or more patches of habitat or the same patch at different seasons or under different conditions. It is based on the quantity (of biomass) and quality (digestible energy and digestible protein) of the habitat's food resources in relation to user-specified metabolic requirements of deer (which differ with species, age, sex, season, and reproductive status). It uses a linear programming algorithm to determine the suitable forage that can sustain deer at the specified requirements. Hanley, Thomas A.; Spalinger, Donald E.; Mock, Kenrick J.; Weaver, Oran L.; Harris, Grant M. Wed., 14 Mar 2012 14:50:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-858. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 64 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr856.pdf We used two data sets to evaluate stream and watershed condition for sixth-field watersheds in each aquatic province within the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) area: stream data and upslope data. The stream evaluation was based on inchannel data (e.g., substrate, pieces of large wood, water temperature, pool frequency, and macroinvertebrates) we sampled from 2002 to 2009 (193 watersheds) as part of a repeating sample design. We just completed our first round of sampling, so only current condition was calculated for this data set. When condition scores for the inchannel data were grouped into categories, relatively few fell into the low (10 percent) and very low (1 percent) categories. The majority of inchannel attribute scores fell into the moderate (35 percent) and high (41 percent) condition ranges, with relatively few (12 percent) in the very high category. For low-scoring watersheds, water temperature was often the most influential factor. Aquatic invertebrate scores also appeared influential in producing the low scores. Lanigan, Steven H.; Gordon, Sean N.; Eldred, Peter; Isley, Mark; Wilcox, Steve; Moyer, Chris; Andersen, Heidi Fri 24 Feb 2012 10:35 PDT Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-856. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 155 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr849.pdf The past decade has seen resurgence in interest in gathering wild plants and fungi in cities. In addition to gathering by individuals, dozens of groups have emerged in U.S., Canadian, and European cities to facilitate access to nontimber forest products (NTFPs), particularly fruits and nuts, in public and private spaces. Recent efforts within cities to encourage public orchards and food forests, and to incorporate more fruit and nut trees into street tree planting programs indicate a growing recognition among planners that gathering is an important urban activity. McLain, R.J.; MacFarland, K.; Brody, L.; Hebert, J.; Hurley, P.; Poe, M.; Buttolph, L.P.; Gabriel, N.; Dzuna, M.; Emery, M.R.; Charnley, S Thu, 23 Feb 2012 14:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-849. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 107 p Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr859.pdf The Landscape Treatment Designer (LTD) is a multicriteria spatial prioritization and optimization system to help design and explore landscape fuel treatment scenarios. The program fills a gap between fire model programs such as FlamMap, and planning systems such as ArcFuels, in the fuel treatment planning process. The LTD uses inputs on spatial treatment objectives, activity constraints, and treatment thresholds, and then identifies optimal fuel treatment locations with respect to the input parameters. Chung, Woodam; Dykstra, Dennis; Bower, Fred; O'Brien, Stephen; Abt, Richard; and Sessions, John Fri, 10 Jan 2012 10:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-859. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 11 p Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr855.pdf This guidebook contains science-based principles, processes, and tools necessary to assist with developing adaptation options for national forest lands. The adaptation process is based on partnerships between local resource managers and scientists who work collaboratively to understand potential climate change effects, identify important resource issues, and develop management options that can capitalize on new opportunities and reduce deleterious effects. Because management objectives and sensitivity of resources to climate change differ among national forests, appropriate processes and tools for developing adaptation options may also differ. Peterson, David L.; Millar, Connie I.; Joyce, Linda A.; Furniss, Michael J.; Halofsky, Jessica E.; Neilson, Ronald P.; Morelli, Toni Lyn Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-855. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 109 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr850.pdf This is the second in a series of periodic monitoring reports on northern spotted owl (Strix occidentalis caurina) population and habitat trends on federally administered lands since implementation of the Northwest Forest Plan in 1994. Here we summarize results from a population analysis that included data from longterm demographic studies during 1985–2008. This data was analyzed separately by study area, and also in a meta-analysis across all study areas to assess temporal and spatial patterns in fecundity, apparent survival, recruitment, and annual rates of population change. Davis, Raymond J.; Dugger, Katie M.; Mohoric, Shawne; Evers, Louisa; Aney, William C. Fri 04 Nov 2011 10:02 PDT Gen. Tech. Rep. PNWGTR-850. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 147 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb263.pdf The Forest Inventory and Analysis program collected, analyzed, and summarized field data on 44 forested field plots for the 10 largest atoll groups in the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI): Ailinglaplap, Arno, Jaluit, Kwajalein, Likiep, Majuro, Maloelap, Mili, Rongelap, and Wotje. Donnegan, Joseph A.; Butler, Sarah L.; Kuegler, Olaf; Hiserote, Bruce A. Wed 26 Oct 2011 08:18:00 PDT Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-263. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 161 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb262.pdf The Forest Inventory and Analysis program collected, analyzed, and summarized field data on 73 forested field plots on the islands of Kosrae, Chuuk, Pohnpei, and Yap in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM). Donnegan, Joseph A.; Butler, Sarah L.; Kuegler, Olaf; Hiserote, Bruce A. Wed 26 Oct 2011 08:15:00 PDT Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-262. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 161 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb261.pdf The Forest Inventory and Analysis program collected, analyzed, and summarized field data on 37 field plots on the islands of Rota, Tinian, and Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI). Donnegan, Joseph A.; Butler, Sarah L.; Kuegler, Olaf; Hiserote, Bruce A. Wed 26 Oct 2011 08:00:00 PDT Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-261. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 161 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr848.pdf The primary objectives of the effectiveness monitoring plan for the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) include mapping baseline nesting habitat (at the start of the Northwest Forest Plan [the Plan]) and estimating changes in that habitat over time. Using vegetation data derived from satellite imagery, we modeled habitat suitability by using a maximum entropy model. We used Maxent software to compute habitat suitability scores from vegetation and physiographic attributes based on comparisons of conditions at 342 sites that were occupied by marbled murrelets (equal numbers of confirmed nest sites and likely nest sites) and average conditions over all forested lands in which the murrelets occurred. We estimated 3.8 million acres of higher suitability nesting habitat over all lands in the murrelet's range in Washington, Oregon, and California at the start of the Plan (1994/96). Most (89 percent) baseline habitat on federally administered lands occurred within reserved-land allocations. A substantial amount (36 percent) of baseline habitat occurred on nonfederal lands. Over all lands, we observed a net loss of about 7 percent of higher suitability potential nesting habitat from the baseline period to 2006/07. If we focus on losses and ignore gains, we estimate a loss of about 13 percent of the higher suitability habitat present at baseline, over this same period. Fire has been the major cause of loss of nesting habitat on federal lands since the Plan was implemented; timber harvest is the primary cause of loss on nonfederal lands. We also found that murrelet population size is strongly and positively correlated with amount of nesting habitat, suggesting that conservation of remaining nesting habitat and restoration of currently unsuitable habitat is key to murrelet recovery. Raphael, Martin G.; Falxa, Gary A.; Dugger, Katie M.; Galleher, Beth M.; Lynch, Deanna; Miller, Sherri L.; Nelson, S. Kim; Young, Richard D. Mon, 29 Aug 2011 13:39:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-848. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 52 p Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr839.pdf Traditionally, there has been a strong forest products trade between Alaska and Asia. This trade relationship has developed owing to Alaska's proximity to Asia and, in the past, an abundance of high-quality timber. Although forest products markets in North America remain soft, markets in Asia are growing. However, to benefit from Asia's growing forest products market, it is important to understand the concepts of global shipping including containerization, intermodal transport, non vessel operating common carriers, and freight forwarders. One key development that could have a major impact on Alaska's forest products trade is the opening of the Port of Prince Rupert (British Columbia) in 2007. The Port of Prince Rupert ships lumber, logs, and wood pellets to Asia and is much closer to southeast Alaska than are the ports of Seattle and Tacoma. The Prince Rupert port is also 1 day closer to Asia. Despite Prince Rupert's proximity to Alaska, however, there is still no regularly scheduled barge service between the Port of Prince Rupert and southeast Alaska. Potential connections that may develop are examined in this paper. This paper also examines the changing concepts of global shipping and how they affect Alaska's forest products industry. Roos, Joseph A.; Brackley, Allen M.; Sasatani, Daisuke. Mon 29 Aug 2011 1350:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-839. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 30p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb260.pdf Provides current information on lumber and plywood production and prices; employment in the forest industries; international trade in logs, lumber, and plywood; volume and average prices of stumpage sold by public agencies; and other related items. Warren, Debra D. Mon 15 Aug 2011 10:16:00 PDT Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-260. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 161 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr846.pdf Transportation corridors (notably roads) affect wildlife habitat, populations, and entire ecosystems. Considerable effort has been expended to quantify direct effects of roads on wildlife populations and ecological communities and processes. Much less effort has been expended toward quantifying indirect effects. In this report, we provide a comprehensive review of road/transportation corridor ecology; in particular, how this new field of ecology has advanced worldwide. Further, we discuss how research thus far has shaped our understanding and views of the ecological implications of transportation infrastructures, and, in turn, how this has led to the current guidance, policies, and management options. We learned that the impacts of transportation infrastructures are a global issue, with the potential to affect a wide variety of taxonomically diverse species and ecosystems. Because the majority of research to date has focused on the direct and more aesthetic and anthropocentric implications of transportation corridors, mainly wildlife-vehicle collisions, it is a fairly standard practice to incorporate underpasses, green bridges (i.e., overpasses), fencing, and barriers into road corridors to alleviate such impacts. Few studies, however, have been able to demonstrate the efficiency of these structures. Furthermore, it is becoming increasingly evident that the indirect implications of transportation infrastructures (i.e., behavioral responses of wildlife individuals to roads) may be more pervasive, at least from the standpoint of biological diversity. Understanding how road corridors influence the functional connectivity of landscapes is crucial if we are to effectively manage species of concern. With these issues in mind, we propose a program of study that addresses the indirect and cumulative implications of transportation infrastructure on species distributions, community structure and ecosystem function Bennett, Victoria J.; Smith, Winston P.; Betts, Matthew G. Thu, 14 Jul 2011 10:25:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-846. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 40 p Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rp584.pdf This study presents results of statistical tests for stumpage market integration on 62 national forests in the Western United States. Quarterly stumpage prices from 1984 to 2007 obtained from cut and sold reports for USDA Forest Service Regions 1, 4, 5, and 6 (Northern, Intermountain, Pacific Southwest, and Pacific Northwest, respectively) were analyzed to establish the presence and extent of national forest timber markets. Zhou, Xiaoping; Hemstrom, Miles A. Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:10:00 PST Res. Pap. PNW-RP-584. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 18 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr800.pdf This report highlights key findings from the most recent (2002-2006) data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program across all ownerships in Washington. Campbell, Sally; Waddell, Karen; Gray, Andrew. Mon, 13 Jun 2011 09:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-800. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 189 p. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb258.pdf Provides current information on lumber and plywood production and prices; employment in the forest industries; international trade in logs, lumber, and plywood; volume and average prices of stumpage sold by public agencies; and other related items. Warren, Debra D. Tue, 21 Jul 2009 16:00:00 PDT Resour. Bull. PNW-RB-258. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 163 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr785.pdf The Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory (CAFI) is a comprehensive database of boreal forest conditions and dynamics in Alaska. The CAFI consists of fieldgathered information from numerous permanent sample plots distributed across interior and south-central Alaska including the Kenai Peninsula. The CAFI currently has 570 permanent sample plots on 190 sites representing a wide variety of growing conditions. New plots are being added to the inventory annually. To date, over 60 percent of the permanent sample plots have been remeasured and approximately 20 percent have been remeasured three times. Repeated periodic inventories on CAFI permanent sample plots provide valuable long-term information for modeling of forest dynamics such as growth and yield. Periodic remeasurements can also be used to test and monitor large-scale environmental and climate change. Malone, Thomas; Liang, Jingjing; Packee, Edmond C. Tue, 12 May 2009 16:00:00 PDT Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-785. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 42 p. Keiko Williams http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rn560.pdf This publication provides estimates of total softwood harvest by owner for Alaska for 1910-2006. This information is a mix of reported and estimated data. These data are being used to develop assumptions needed in forest planning by both public and private forest managers. Brackley, Allen M.; Haynes, Richard W.; Alexander, Susan J. Tue, 3 Feb 2009 13:27:00 PST Research Note. PNW-RN-560. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 24 p. Keiko Williams http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb257.pdf This report uses data from a network of forest inventory plots sampled at two points in time, annual aerial insect and disease surveys, and specialized pest damage surveys to quantify the incidence and impact of insects, diseases, and other damaging agents on Oregon's forests. Dunham, Paul A. Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-RB-257. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 89 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/gtr765/ This report highlights key findings from the most recent (2001-2005) data collected by the Pacific Northwest Forest Inventory and Analysis (PNW-FIA) Program across all ownerships in Oregon. Donnegan, Joseph; Campbell, Sally; Azuma, Dave, tech. eds. Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-765. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 186 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/gtr763/ This report highlights key findings from the most recent (2001-2005) data collected by the Forest Inventory and Analysis Program across all forest land in California. Christensen, Glenn A.; Campbell, Sally J.; Fried, Jeremy S., tech. eds. Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-763. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 183 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr768.pdf Light detection and ranging (LIDAR) is an emerging remote-sensing technology with promising potential to assist in mapping, monitoring, and assessment of forest resources. Continuous technological advancement and substantial reductions in data acquisition cost have enabled acquisition of laser data over entire states and regions. Gatziolis, Demetrios; Andersen, Hans-Erik. Thu, 06 Nov 2008 08:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-768. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 32 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr770.pdf Provides historical information on log harvest; employment in the forest industries; international trade in logs, lumber, and chips; and volume and average prices of sawtimber stumpage sold by national forests. Warren, Debra D. Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-770. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 17 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rn559.pdf Updated projections of demand for Alaska timber were published July 2006. Their application in land management planning for the Tongass National Forest has resulted in numerous questions and requests for clarification. This note discusses a broad range of these questions from the context of why we do projections, the model we used, the assumptions that determine the levels of timber harvest, our use of scenario planning, comments about how producers in Alaska compete with other North American producers, and the potential that some significant changes in southeast Alaska markets have changed the demand projections. Brackley, Allen M.; Haynes, Richard W. Thu, 11 Sep 2008 08:00:00 PST Research Note. PNW-RN-559. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 41 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb254.pdf Provides current information on lumber and plywood production and prices; employment in the forest industries; international trade in logs, lumber, and plywood; volume and average prices of stumpage sold by public agencies; and other related items. Warren, Debra D. Mon, 29 Oct 2007 10:19:00 PST Res. Bull. PNW-RB-254. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 165 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb253.pdf Current resource statistics for the Umatilla National Forest, based on two separate inventories conducted in 1993-96 and in 1997-2002, are presented in this report. Currently on the Umatilla National Forest, 89 percent of the land area is classified as forest land. The predominant forest type is grand fir (26 percent of forested acres) followed by the interior Douglas-fir (25 percent) and ponderosa pine (17 percent) types. The majority of net cubic foot wood volume (55 percent) comes from trees ranging in size from 11 to 23 inches diameter at breast height. The most commonly recorded cause of tree death was bark beetle (primarily Dendroctonus spp.) attack, with over half of the mortality volume attributed to these insects. Christensen, Glenn A.; Dunham, Paul; Powell, David C.; Hiserote, Bruce Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:45:00 PST Res. Bull. PNW-RB-253. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 38 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr719.pdf Two series of single and stereo photographs display a range of natural conditions and fuel loadings in sagebrush with grass and ponderosa pinejuniper types in central Montana. Each group of photos includes inventory information summarizing vegetation composition, structure, and loading; woody material loading and density by size class; forest floor depth and loading; and various site characteristics. The natural fuels photo series is designed to help land managers appraise fuel and vegetation conditions in natural settings. Ottmar, Roger D.; Vihnanek, Robert E.; Wright, Clinton S. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-719. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr717.pdf This study gives an overview of the current inventory status and the projection of future forest inventories on other public timberland. Other public lands are lands administered by state, local, and federal government but excluding National Forest System lands. These projections were used as part of the 2005 USDA Forest Service Resource Planning Act timber assessment update. The projections were made by region and forest type by using the modified Aggregated Timberland Assessment System and the forest inventory data with methods and procedures consistent with the methods used for private and national forest inventory projections. Although the projected inventory volume differs by region, both softwood and hardwood inventories on other public timberlands in the United States are projected to increase over 60 percent during the next 50 years. Forest net growth exceeds harvest in most regions pushing inventory volumes up. The one exception is the Pacific Northwest East (ponderosa pine region) where the softwood inventory is expected to decrease until 2030 owing to lower softwood net growth and then slowly increase. The mature and old mature stands for both softwood and hardwood are projected to increase significantly for all regions especially in the South region where proportion of mature and old mature increases from 9 to 54 percent for softwood and 4 to 55 percent for hardwood. Zhou, Xiaoping; Mills, John R.; Haynes, Richard W. Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-717. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr716.pdf The marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) ranges from Alaska to California and is listed under the Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in Washington, Oregon, and California. Marbled murrelet recovery depends, in large part, on conservation and restoration of breeding habitat on federally managed lands. A major objective of the Northwest Forest Plan (the Plan) is to conserve and restore nesting habitat that will sustain a viable marbled murrelet population. Under the Plan, monitoring is an essential component and is designed to help managers understand the degree to which the Plan is meeting this objective. This report describes methods used to assess the status and trend of marbled murrelet populations under the Plan. Raphael, Martin G.; Baldwin, Jim; Falxa, Gary A.; Huff, Mark H.; Lance, Monique; Miller, Sherri L.; Pearson, Scott F.; Ralph, C. John; Strong, Craig; Thompson, Chris Thu, 16 Aug 2007 09:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-716. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr714.pdf A series of single and stereo photographs display a range of natural conditions and fuel loadings in evergreen and deciduous oak/juniper woodland and savannah ecosystems in southern Arizona and New Mexico. This group of photos includes inventory data summarizing vegetation composition, structure, and loading; woody material loading and density by size class; forest floor coverage and loading; and various site characteristics. The natural fuels photo series is designed to help land managers appraise fuel and vegetation conditions in natural settings. Ottmar, Roger D.; Vihnanek, Robert E.; Wright, Clinton S.; Seymour, Geoffrey B. Mon, 30 Aug 2010 10:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-714. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Douglas Beebe http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/pnw_gtr699/ This update reports changes in the Nation's timber resource since the Analysis of the Timber Situation in the United States was completed in 2003. Prospective trends in demands for and supplies of timber, and the factors that affect these trends are examined. These trends include changes in the U.S. economy, increased salvage of British Columbia beetle-killed timber, and a stronger U.S. dollar. Other prospective trends that might alter the future timber situation are discussed including changes in U.S. timberland area, reductions in southern pine plantation establishment, impacts of climate change on forest productivity, increased restoration thinning on Western public lands, and the impact of programs to increase carbon sequestration through afforestation. Various management implications such as the influence of prices on forest management, concerns about changes in forest area, the emerging open space issue, forests as a set of commons, seeking to find greater compatibility in forest management, and the stewardship agenda are discussed. Haynes, Richard W.; Adams, Darius M.; Alig, Ralph J.; Ince, Peter J.; Mills, John R.; Zhou, Xiaoping. Fri, 20 Apr 2007 10:40:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-699. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_rb252.pdf The Forest Inventory and Analysis Program collected, analyzed, and summarized field data on 54 forested plots on the islands in the Republic of Palau. Estimates of forest area, tree stem volume and biomass, the numbers of trees, tree damages, and the distribution of tree sizes were summarized for this statistical sample. Detailed tables and graphical highlights provide a summary of Palau's forest resources and a comparison to 1987 data. Donnegan, Joseph A.; Butler, Sarah L.; Kuegler, Olaf; Stroud, Brent J.; Hiserote, Bruce A.; Rengulbai, Kashgar Fri, 02 Feb 2007 10:34:36 PST Res. Bull. PNW-RB-252. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 58 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr680.pdf Participatory (collaborative, multiparty, citizen, volunteer) monitoring is a process that has been increasing in popularity and use in both developing and industrialized societies over the last several decades. It reflects the understanding that natural resource decisions are more effective and less controversial when stakeholders who have an interest in the results are involved in the process. An adequate number of such projects have now been organized, tried, and evaluated such that sufficient information exists to recommend a comprehensive approach to implementing such processes. This handbook was written for managers and scientists in the United States who are contemplating a participatory approach to monitoring biological resources, especially biodiversity. It is designed as a how-to manual with discussions of relevant topics, checklists of important considerations to address, and resources for further information. Worksheets for developing, implementing, and evaluating a monitoring plan are posted on a companion Web site. The subject matter is divided into 3 stages of a monitoring project encompassing a total of 22 topical modules. These modules can be used in any sequence on an ongoing basis. Stages and modules include (1) planning-documentation, goals, indicators, collaboration, decisions, context, organization, participants, communication, incentives, design, and resources; (2) implementation-training, safety, fieldwork, sampling, data, and quality; and (3) followthrough-analysis, reporting, evaluation, and celebrations. Collaboration always involves colearning, so documenting choices, plans, and activities with the Web site worksheets is integral to the manual's effectiveness. Pilz, David; Ballard, Heidi L.; Jones, Eric T. Fri, 08 Sep 2006 12:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-680. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 142 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr678.pdf Integrated research is about achieving holistic understanding of complex biophysical and social issues and problems. It is driven by the need to improve understanding about such systems and to improve resource management by using the results of integrated research processes. Traditional research tends to fragment complex problems, focusing more on the pieces of problems rather than the whole that comprises multiple interrelationships and interactions. The outcome is that a lot is known about the parts (e.g., recreation, fish, and wildlife) but relatively little about how they are interrelated. There seems to be general agreement that integrated questions must drive the search for integrated understanding, but tradition, inertia, institutional culture,budgets, training, and lack of effective leadership foster reductionism (at worst) or minimal degrees of integration (at best) rather than any substantial, sustainable effort toward integrated research. In this paper, a phased approach to framing integrated research questions and addressing the substantial barriers that impede integrated efforts are discussed. A key conclusion is that to make any significant progress toward comprehensive integrated research will require more than rhetoric. Progress must begin with more effective leadership throughout various levels of research organizations. Clark, Roger N.; Stankey, George H. Fri, 28 Jul 2006 12:00:00 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-678. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 70 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/publications/pnw_gtr669/ In March 23-25, 2005, an international symposium on red alder was held at the University of Washington Center for Urban Horticulture in Seattle, WA. The symposium was entitled “Red Alder: A State of Knowledge” and brought together regional experts to critically examine the economic, ecological and social values of red alder. The primary goal of the symposium was to discuss new advances in the understanding of red alder biology and silviculture, changing market and nonmarket values, and the current regulatory climate for management of alder. This proceedings includes 14 papers based on oral presentations given at the symposium. These papers highlight some of the key findings from the history, ecology, biology, silviculture and economics sessions presented at the red alder symposium. Deal, Robert L.; Harrington, Constance A., eds. Wed, 12 Apr 2006 15:25:36 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-669. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 150 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr670.pdf The Pacific Northwest Research Station launched a Biodiversity Initiative to assist natural resource professionals in integrating complex biodiversity concepts into natural resource management processes. We canvassed clients from various affiliations to determine the main challenges they face in biodiversity management, to define their information needs, and to understand how best to deliver biodiversity information within a collaborative framework. The biodiversity management challenges that emerged included (1) the lack of well-defined biodiversity management policies, (2) understanding and quantifying the interaction effects between a number of factors (e.g., disturbance types, management practices) and biodiversity, (3) the lack of applied biodiversity monitoring strategies, (4) difficulty in locating and accessing biodiversity information, and (5) balancing conflicting values relating to biodiversity. We also list the biodiversity information product needs of clients, as well as preferred technology transfer methods, and we discuss the future direction of the Biodiversity Initiative. Nelson, Peter; White, Rachel; Molina, Randy Wed, 05 Apr 2006 15:25:36 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-670. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 32 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr657.pdf Once gathered only for subsistence and cultural purposes, wild huckleberries are now also harvested commercially. Drawing on archival research as well as harvester and producer interview and survey data, an inventory of North American wild huckleberry plant genera is presented, and the wild huckleberry harvesting patterns of early Native Americans and nonindigenous settlers are described. The social, technological, and environmental changes that gave rise to the commercial industry in the Pacific Northwest by the 1920s and the industry's demise after World War II are explained. The resurgence of the commercial wild huckleberry industry in the mid-1980s and national forest management issues related to the industry are presented as are possible strategies that land managers could develop to ensure wild huckleberry, wildlife, and cultural sustainability. Richards, Rebecca T.; Alexander, Susan J. Thu, 23 Mar 2006 15:25:36 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-657. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 113 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr666.pdf Oregon white oak savannas and woodlands represent a biological and cultural legacy in the Pacific Northwest. Many Oregon white oak stands are deteriorating owing to invasion and eventual overtopping by Douglas-fir or other conifers. Releasing the shade-intolerant oak trees from overtopping conifers can often restore these oak stands. When planning a release operation, there are many factors to consider such as timing and intensity of release, which trees to select for release, and management of the understory. A carefully executed oak release can minimize damage to oak trees, and followup treatments may reduce the spread of invasive plants. This guide answers the most commonly asked questions related to oak release. Harrington, Constance A.; Devine, Warren D. Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:25:36 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-666. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 24 p. Tiffany Dong http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/pubs/pnw_gtr668.pdf The Fuel Reduction Cost Simulator (FRCS) spreadsheet application is publicdomain software used to estimate costs for fuel reduction treatments involving removal of trees of mixed sizes in the form of whole trees, logs, or chips from a forest. Equipment production rates were developed from existing studies. Equipment operating cost rates are from December 2002 prices for new equipment and wage rates for the Pacific Northwest. These cost assumptions can be modified by the user. There are four ground-based systems, four cable systems, and two helicopter systems. Cost estimates are in U.S. dollars per 100 cubic feet, per green ton, and per acre. Fight, Roger D.; Hartsough, Bruce R.; Noordijk, Peter Tue, 28 Feb 2006 15:25:36 PST Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-668. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 23 p. Tiffany Dong