Chemical analysis of rainfall and throughfall in primary forest in the Tapajós National Forest, Belterra, Pará, Brazil

Science.gov (United States)

R.C. Oliveira Junior; M. Keller; J. F. da F. Ramos; T.P. Beldini; P.M Crill; P.B. de Camargo; J. van Haren

2015-01-01

The Tapajós National Forest (FLONA Tapajós) has 600,000 hectares of protected forest, and is situated 50 km south of the city of Santarém, Pará, Brazil, a port city of 250,000 inhabitants that is located at the confluence of the Tapajós and Amazon Rivers. There is a lot of farmland in the region, which offers many opportunities to study changes in land use. Selective...

Oldman river dam mitigation program downstream vegetation project report, Volume II: The potential effects of an operating plan for the Oldman River dam on Riparian cottonwood forests

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahoney, J.M.

1993-01-01

Extensive cottonwood (poplar) forests exist in the Oldman River valley downstream of the Oldman River dam. Studies of similar forests in nearby river valleys and elsewhere on the western prairies have found significant declines of some riparian forests following river damming. This investigation was initiated to determine the causes of cottonwood forest decline downstream from existing dams in southern Alberta; inventory the existing river valley forests in the Oldman Basin; establish study sites in the Oldman River forests to monitor changes in forest status following commissioning of the Oldman River dam, and evaluate the probable impact of proposed operating plans for the Oldman River dam and associated water control structures on downstream forests. This report summarizes the progress made in the analyses of the probable effects on the survival of the forests, including a discussion of the hydrological conditions essential for cottonwood forest regeneration and an explanation of the effects of altering these characteristics on riparian forests; the hydrological alterations expected along various river reaches in the Oldman Basin with the implementation of the proposed OD05 Oldman Dam operating plan; and preliminary analyses of the problem impacts of the OD05 operating plan on the cottonwood forests along these reaches.

Quantifying flooding regime in floodplain forests to guide river restoration

Science.gov (United States)

Christian O. Marks; Keith H. Nislow; Francis J. Magilligan

2014-01-01

Determining the flooding regime needed to support distinctive floodplain forests is essential for effective river conservation under the ubiquitous human alteration of river flows characteristic of the Anthropocene Era. At over 100 sites throughout the Connecticut River basin, the largest river system in New England, we characterized species composition, valley and...

Simulation Tools for Forest Health Analysis: An Application in the Red River Watershed, Idaho

Science.gov (United States)

Andrew J. McMahan; Eric L. Smith

2006-01-01

Software tools for landscape analyses--including FVS model extensions, and a number of FVS-related pre- and post-processing “tools”--are presented, using an analysis in the Red River Watershed, Nez Perce National Forest as an example. We present (1) a discussion of pre-simulation data analysis; (2) the Physiographic Information Extraction System (PIES), a tool that can...

A national assessment of physical activity on US national forests

Science.gov (United States)

Jeffrey D. Kline; Randall S. Rosenberger; Eric M. White

2011-01-01

In an era of declining timber harvests on federal lands, the US Forest Service has sought to better describe the public benefits associated with the nation's continued investment in managing the national forests. We considered how national forests contribute to public health by providing significant outdoor recreation opportunities. Physical inactivity has become...

Scaling properties reveal regulation of river flows in the Amazon through a forest reservoir

Science.gov (United States)

Salazar, Juan Fernando; Villegas, Juan Camilo; María Rendón, Angela; Rodríguez, Estiven; Hoyos, Isabel; Mercado-Bettín, Daniel; Poveda, Germán

2018-03-01

Many natural and social phenomena depend on river flow regimes that are being altered by global change. Understanding the mechanisms behind such alterations is crucial for predicting river flow regimes in a changing environment. Here we introduce a novel physical interpretation of the scaling properties of river flows and show that it leads to a parsimonious characterization of the flow regime of any river basin. This allows river basins to be classified as regulated or unregulated, and to identify a critical threshold between these states. We applied this framework to the Amazon river basin and found both states among its main tributaries. Then we introduce the forest reservoir hypothesis to describe the natural capacity of river basins to regulate river flows through land-atmosphere interactions (mainly precipitation recycling) that depend strongly on the presence of forests. A critical implication is that forest loss can force the Amazonian river basins from regulated to unregulated states. Our results provide theoretical and applied foundations for predicting hydrological impacts of global change, including the detection of early-warning signals for critical transitions in river basins.

Ecological modeling for forest management in the Shawnee National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Richard G. Thurau; J.F. Fralish; S. Hupe; B. Fitch; A.D. Carver

2008-01-01

Land managers of the Shawnee National Forest in southern Illinois are challenged to meet the needs of a diverse populace of stakeholders. By classifying National Forest holdings into management units, U.S. Forest Service personnel can spatially allocate resources and services to meet local management objectives. Ecological Classification Systems predict ecological site...

78 FR 38287 - Bitterroot National Forest, Darby Ranger District, Como Forest Health Project

Science.gov (United States)

2013-06-26

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Bitterroot National Forest, Darby Ranger District, Como Forest Health Project AGENCY: Forest Service. ACTION: Notice; Correction. SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Bitterroot National Forest, Darby Ranger District published a document in...

Coevolution of floodplain and riparian forest dynamics on large, meandering rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Stella, J. C.; Riddle, J. D.; Battles, J. J.

2012-12-01

On large meandering rivers, riparian forests coevolve with the floodplains that support them. Floodplain characteristics such as local disturbance regime, deposition rates and sediment texture drive plant community dynamics, which in turn feed back to the abiotic processes. We investigated floodplain and riparian forest coevolution along the along the Sacramento River (California, USA), a large, mediterranean-climate river that has been extensively regulated for 70 years, but whose 160-km middle reach (Red Bluff to Colusa) retains some channel mobility and natural forest stands. Guided by maps of floodplain change over time and current vegetation cover, we conducted an extensive forest inventory and chronosequence analysis to quantify how abiotic conditions and forest structural characteristics such as tree density, basal area and biomass vary with floodplain age. We inventoried 285 fixed-area plots distributed across 19 large point bars within vegetation patches ranging in age from 4 to 107 years. Two successional trajectories were evident: (1) shifting species dominance over time within forested areas, from willow to cottonwood to walnut, boxelder and valley oak; and (2) patches of shrub willow (primarily Salix exigua) that maintained dominance throughout time. Sediment accretion was reduced in the persistent willow plots compared to the successional forest stands, suggesting an association between higher flood energy and arrested succession. Forested stands 40-60 years old were the most extensive across the chronosequence in terms of floodplain area, and supported the highest biomass, species diversity, and functional wildlife habitat. These stands were dominated by Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii) and reached their maxima in terms of tree size and biomass at age 50 years. The persistent willow stands reached their structural maxima earlier (32 years) and supported lower biomass. Basal area and abundance of large trees decreased in stands >90 years old

Scaling properties reveal regulation of river flows in the Amazon through a forest reservoir

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. F. Salazar

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Many natural and social phenomena depend on river flow regimes that are being altered by global change. Understanding the mechanisms behind such alterations is crucial for predicting river flow regimes in a changing environment. Here we introduce a novel physical interpretation of the scaling properties of river flows and show that it leads to a parsimonious characterization of the flow regime of any river basin. This allows river basins to be classified as regulated or unregulated, and to identify a critical threshold between these states. We applied this framework to the Amazon river basin and found both states among its main tributaries. Then we introduce the forest reservoir hypothesis to describe the natural capacity of river basins to regulate river flows through land–atmosphere interactions (mainly precipitation recycling that depend strongly on the presence of forests. A critical implication is that forest loss can force the Amazonian river basins from regulated to unregulated states. Our results provide theoretical and applied foundations for predicting hydrological impacts of global change, including the detection of early-warning signals for critical transitions in river basins.

76 FR 70955 - Helena Nation Forest: Dalton Mountain Forest Restoration & Fuels Reduction Project

Science.gov (United States)

2011-11-16

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Helena Nation Forest: Dalton Mountain Forest Restoration & Fuels Reduction Project AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. SUMMARY: The Helena National Forest (HNF) is proposing on the Lincoln Ranger...

The Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystems Project: inception, objectives, and progress

Science.gov (United States)

Jared Verner; Mark T. Smith

2002-01-01

The Kings River Sustainable Forest Ecosystems Project, a formal administrative study involving extensive and intensive collaboration between Forest Service managers and researchers, is a response to changes in the agency’s orientation in favor of ecosystem approaches and to recent concern over issues associated with maintenance of late successional forest attributes...

H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Art McKee; Pamela. Druliner

1998-01-01

The H.J. Andrews Experimental Forest is a world renowned center for research and education about the ecology and management of forests and streams. Located about 50 miles (80 km) east of Eugene, Oregon, the Andrews Experimental Forest lies in the Blue River Ranger District of the Willamette National Forest. Established in 1948, the Experimental Forest is administered...

Trees of Our National Forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Forest Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

Presented is a description of the creation of the National Forests system, how trees grow, managing the National Forests, types of management systems, and managing for multiple use, including wildlife, water, recreation and other uses. Included are: (1) photographs; (2) line drawings of typical leaves, cones, flowers, and seeds; and (3)…

Range management on the National Forests

Science.gov (United States)

James T. Jardine; Mark Anderson

1919-01-01

In the administration of the National Forests the aim is to convey to the greatest possible number the full benefit of all the resources which the Forests contain and at the same time to perpetuate these resources by regulating their use. Accordingly, grazing on the National Forests is regulated with the object of using the grazing resources to the fullest extent...

National Report on Sustainable Forests--2010

Science.gov (United States)

Guy Robertson; Peter Gaulke; Ruth McWilliams; Sarah LaPlante; Richard Guldin

2011-01-01

The United States is richly endowed with forests, and their care and conservation have been a national concern for more than a century. This report, the National Report on Sustainable Forests—2010, provides data and analysis aimed at addressing this concern by enhancing dialogue and decisions in pursuit of the goal of forest sustainability. The report relies on the...

Performance measures for a Mississippi River reintroduction into the forested wetlands of Maurepas Swamp

Science.gov (United States)

Krauss, Ken W.; Shaffer, Gary P.; Keim, Richard F.; Chambers, Jim L.; Wood, William B.; Hartley, Stephen B.

2017-06-09

The use of freshwater diversions (river reintroductions) from the Mississippi River as a restoration tool to rehabilitate Louisiana coastal wetlands has been promoted widely since the first such diversion at Caernarvon became operational in the early 1990s. To date, aside from the Bonnet Carré Spillway (which is designed and operated for flood control), there are only four operational Mississippi River freshwater diversions (two gated structures and two siphons) in coastal Louisiana, and they all target salinity intrusion, shellfish management, and (or) the enhancement of the integrity of marsh habitat. River reintroductions carry small sediment loads for various design reasons, but they can be effective in delivering fresh­water to combat saltwater intrusion and increase the delivery of nutrients and suspended fine-grained sediments to receiving wetlands. River reintroductions may be an ideal restoration tool for targeting coastal swamp forest habitat; much of the area of swamp forest habitat in coastal Louisiana is undergo­ing saltwater intrusion, high rates of submergence, and lack of riverine flow leading to reduced concentrations of important nutrients and suspended sediments, which sustain growth and regeneration, help to aerate swamp soils, and remove toxic compounds from the rhizosphere.The State of Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restora­tion Authority (CPRA) has made it a priority to establish a small freshwater river diversion into a coastal swamp forest located between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Louisiana, to reintroduce Mississippi River water to Maurepas Swamp. While a full understanding of how a coastal swamp forest will respond to new freshwater loading through a Mississippi River reintroduction is unknown, this report provides guidance based on the available literature for establishing performance measures that can be used for evaluating the effectiveness of a Mississippi River reintroduction into the forested wetlands of Maurepas Swamp

Ecological setting of the Wind River old-growth forest.

Science.gov (United States)

David C. Shaw; Jerry F. Franklin; Ken Bible; Jeffrey Klopatek; Elizabeth Freeman; Sarah Greene; Geoffrey G. Parker

2004-01-01

The Wind River old-growth forest, in the southern Cascade Range of Washington State, is a cool (average annual temperature, 8.7°C), moist (average annual precipitation, 2223 mm), 500-year-old Douglas-fir-western hemlock forest of moderate to low productivity at 371-m elevation on a less than 10% slope. There is a seasonal snowpack (November-March), and rain-on-snow and...

Forest health monitoring: 2009 national technical report

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2012-01-01

The annual national technical report of the Forest Health Monitoring Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

The Role of Forests in Regulating the River Flow Regime of Large Basins of the World

Science.gov (United States)

Salazar, J. F.; Villegas, J. C.; Mercado-Bettin, D. A.; Rodríguez, E.

2017-12-01

Many natural and social phenomena depend on river flow regimes that are being altered by global change. Understanding the mechanisms behind such alterations is crucial for predicting river flow regimes in a changing environment. Here we explore potential linkages between the presence of forests and the capacity of river basins for regulating river flows. Regulation is defined here as the capacity of river basins to attenuate the amplitude of the river flow regime, that is to reduce the difference between high and low flows. We first use scaling theory to show how scaling properties of observed river flows can be used to classify river basins as regulated or unregulated. This parsimonious classification is based on a physical interpretation of the scaling properties (particularly the scaling exponents) that is novel (most previous studies have focused on the interpretation of the scaling exponents for floods only), and widely-applicable to different basins (the only assumption is that river flows in a given river basin exhibit scaling properties through well-known power laws). Then we show how this scaling framework can be used to explore global-change-induced temporal variations in the regulation capacity of river basins. Finally, we propose a conceptual hypothesis (the "Forest reservoir concept") to explain how large-scale forests can exert important effects on the long-term water balance partitioning and regulation capacity of large basins of the world. Our quantitative results are based on data analysis (river flows and land cover features) from 22 large basins of the world, with emphasis in the Amazon river and its main tributaries. Collectively, our findings support the hypothesis that forest cover enhances the capacity of large river basins to maintain relatively high mean river flows, as well as to regulate (ameliorate) extreme river flows. Advancing towards this quantitative understanding of the relation between forest cover and river flow regimes is

36 CFR 261.55 - National Forest System trails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National Forest System trails... PROHIBITIONS Prohibitions in Areas Designated by Order § 261.55 National Forest System trails. When provided by... National Forest System trail: (a) Being on a trail. (b) Using any type of vehicle prohibited by the order...

National Satellite Forest Monitoring systems for REDD+

Science.gov (United States)

Jonckheere, I. G.

2012-12-01

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. "REDD+" goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. In the framework of getting countries ready for REDD+, the UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries to prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies. For the monitoring, reporting and verification, FAO supports the countries to develop national satellite forest monitoring systems that allow for credible measurement, reporting and verification (MRV) of REDD+ activities. These are among the most critical elements for the successful implementation of any REDD+ mechanism. The UN-REDD Programme through a joint effort of FAO and Brazil's National Space Agency, INPE, is supporting countries to develop cost- effective, robust and compatible national monitoring and MRV systems, providing tools, methodologies, training and knowledge sharing that help countries to strengthen their technical and institutional capacity for effective MRV systems. To develop strong nationally-owned forest monitoring systems, technical and institutional capacity building is key. The UN-REDD Programme, through FAO, has taken on intensive training together with INPE, and has provided technical help and assistance for in-country training and implementation for national satellite forest monitoring. The goal of the support to UN-REDD pilot countries in this capacity building effort is the training of technical forest people and IT persons from interested REDD+ countries, and to set- up the national satellite forest monitoring systems. The Brazilian forest monitoring system, TerraAmazon, which is used as a basis for this initiative, allows

77 FR 13625 - Notice of Inventory Completion: USDA Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest, Winchester, KY

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-07

... Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest, Winchester, KY AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Daniel Boone National Forest... culturally affiliated with the human remains may contact the Daniel Boone National Forest, Winchester, KY...

Effects of national forest-management regimes on unprotected forests of the Himalaya.

Science.gov (United States)

Brandt, Jodi S; Allendorf, Teri; Radeloff, Volker; Brooks, Jeremy

2017-12-01

Globally, deforestation continues, and although protected areas effectively protect forests, the majority of forests are not in protected areas. Thus, how effective are different management regimes to avoid deforestation in non-protected forests? We sought to assess the effectiveness of different national forest-management regimes to safeguard forests outside protected areas. We compared 2000-2014 deforestation rates across the temperate forests of 5 countries in the Himalaya (Bhutan, Nepal, China, India, and Myanmar) of which 13% are protected. We reviewed the literature to characterize forest management regimes in each country and conducted a quasi-experimental analysis to measure differences in deforestation of unprotected forests among countries and states in India. Countries varied in both overarching forest-management goals and specific tenure arrangements and policies for unprotected forests, from policies emphasizing economic development to those focused on forest conservation. Deforestation rates differed up to 1.4% between countries, even after accounting for local determinants of deforestation, such as human population density, market access, and topography. The highest deforestation rates were associated with forest policies aimed at maximizing profits and unstable tenure regimes. Deforestation in national forest-management regimes that emphasized conservation and community management were relatively low. In India results were consistent with the national-level results. We interpreted our results in the context of the broader literature on decentralized, community-based natural resource management, and our findings emphasize that the type and quality of community-based forestry programs and the degree to which they are oriented toward sustainable use rather than economic development are important for forest protection. Our cross-national results are consistent with results from site- and regional-scale studies that show forest-management regimes that

Effects of dams and geomorphic context on riparian forests of the Elwha River, Washington

Science.gov (United States)

Shafroth, Patrick B.; Perry, Laura G; Rose, Chanoane A; Braatne, Jeffrey H

2016-01-01

Understanding how dams affect the shifting habitat mosaic of river bottomlands is key for protecting the many ecological functions and related goods and services that riparian forests provide and for informing approaches to riparian ecosystem restoration. We examined the downstream effects of two large dams on patterns of forest composition, structure, and dynamics within different geomorphic contexts and compared them to upstream reference conditions along the Elwha River, Washington, USA. Patterns of riparian vegetation in river segments downstream of the dams were driven largely by channel and bottomland geomorphic responses to a dramatically reduced sediment supply. The river segment upstream of both dams was the most geomorphically dynamic, whereas the segment between the dams was the least dynamic due to substantial channel armoring, and the segment downstream of both dams was intermediate due to some local sediment supply. These geomorphic differences were linked to altered characteristics of the shifting habitat mosaic, including older forest age structure and fewer young Populus balsamifera subsp. trichocarpa stands in the relatively static segment between the dams compared to more extensive early-successional forests (dominated by Alnus rubra and Salix spp.) and pioneer seedling recruitment upstream of the dams. Species composition of later-successional forest communities varied among river segments as well, with greater Pseudotsuga menziesii and Tsuga heterophylla abundance upstream of both dams, Acer spp. abundance between the dams, and P. balsamifera subsp. trichocarpa and Thuja plicata abundance below both dams. Riparian forest responses to the recent removal of the two dams on the Elwha River will depend largely on channel and geomorphic adjustments to the release, transport, and deposition of the large volume of sediment formerly stored in the reservoirs, together with changes in large wood dynamics.

Natural Propagation and Habitat Improvement Idaho: Lolo Creek and Upper Lochsa, Clearwater National Forest.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Espinosa, F.A. Jr.; Lee, Kristine M.

1991-01-01

In 1983, the Clearwater National Forest and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) entered into a contractual agreement to improve anadromous fish habitat in selected tributaries of the Clearwater River Basin. This agreement was drawn under the auspices of the Northwest Power Act of 1980 and the Columbia River basin Fish and Wildlife Program (section 700). The Program was completed in 1990 and this document constitutes the Final Report'' that details all project activities, costs, accomplishments, and responses. The overall goal of the Program was to enhance spawning, rearing, and riparian habitats of Lolo Creek and major tributaries of the Lochsa River so that their production systems could reach full capability and help speed the recovery of salmon and steelhead within the basin.

Natural propagation and habitat improvement Idaho: Lolo Creek and Upper Lochsa, Clearwater National Forest

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Espinosa, F.A. Jr.; Lee, K.M.

1991-01-01

In 1983, the Clearwater National Forest and the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) entered into a contractual agreement to improve anadromous fish habitat in selected tributaries of the Clearwater River Basin. This agreement was drawn under the auspices of the Northwest Power Act of 1980 and the Columbia River basin Fish and Wildlife Program (section 700). The Program was completed in 1990 and this document constitutes the ''Final Report'' that details all project activities, costs, accomplishments, and responses. The overall goal of the Program was to enhance spawning, rearing, and riparian habitats of Lolo Creek and major tributaries of the Lochsa River so that their production systems could reach full capability and help speed the recovery of salmon and steelhead within the basin

Aspen Delineation - Klamath National Forest [ds370

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — The database represents polygons of aspen stands in the Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The Klamath National Forest Region 5 Vegetation aspen...

Forest health monitoring: 2005 national technical report

Science.gov (United States)

Mark J. Ambrose; Barbara L. Conkling

2007-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring program's annual national technical report presents results of forest health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. The report is organized according to the Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests of the Santiago Declaration. The results...

Forest health monitoring: 2006 national technical report

Science.gov (United States)

Mark J. Ambrose; Barbara L. Conkling

2009-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring Program’s annual national technical report presents results of forest health analyses from a national perspective using data from a variety of sources. The report is organized according to the Criteria and Indicators for the Conservation and Sustainable Management of Temperate and Boreal Forests of the...

76 FR 78234 - Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, Campbell County, WY...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-16

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin... Supervisor, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and Thunder Basin National Grassland, 2250 East Richards.... Responsible Official Richard Cooksey, Deputy Forest Supervisor, Medicine Bow-Routt National Forests and...

Forest health monitoring: 2007 national technical report

Science.gov (United States)

Barbara L. Conkling

2011-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring Program produces an annual technical report that has two main objectives. The first objective is to present information about forest health from a national perspective. The second objective is to present examples of useful techniques for analyzing forest health data new to the annual national reports and new applications of techniques...

36 CFR 212.10 - Maximum economy National Forest System roads.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Forest System roads. 212.10 Section 212.10 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT... economy National Forest System roads. The Chief may acquire, construct, reconstruct, improve, and maintain National Forest System roads within and near the National Forests and other lands administered by the...

77 FR 21161 - National Forest System Land Management Planning

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-09

... 219 National Forest System Land Management Planning; Final Rule #0;#0;Federal Register / Vol. 77 , No... Forest Service 36 CFR Part 219 RIN 0596-AD02 National Forest System Land Management Planning AGENCY... Agriculture is adopting a new National Forest System land management planning rule (planning rule). The new...

Changing patterns of fire occurrence in proximity to forest edges, roads and rivers between NW Amazonian countries

Science.gov (United States)

Armenteras, Dolors; Barreto, Joan Sebastian; Tabor, Karyn; Molowny-Horas, Roberto; Retana, Javier

2017-06-01

Tropical forests in NW Amazonia are highly threatened by the expansion of the agricultural frontier and subsequent deforestation. Fire is used, both directly and indirectly, in Brazilian Amazonia to propagate deforestation and increase forest accessibility. Forest fragmentation, a measure of forest degradation, is also attributed to fire occurrence in the tropics. However, outside the Brazilian Legal Amazonia the role of fire in increasing accessibility and forest fragmentation is less explored. In this study, we compared fire regimes in five countries that share this tropical biome in the most north-westerly part of the Amazon Basin (Venezuela, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Brazil). We analysed spatial differences in the timing of peak fire activity and in relation to proximity to roads and rivers using 12 years of MODIS active fire detections. We also distinguished patterns of fire in relation to forest fragmentation by analysing fire distance to the forest edge as a measure of fragmentation for each country. We found significant hemispheric differences in peak fire occurrence with the highest number of fires in the south in 2005 vs. 2007 in the north. Despite this, both hemispheres are equally affected by fire. We also found difference in peak fire occurrence by country. Fire peaked in February in Colombia and Venezuela, whereas it peaked in September in Brazil and Peru, and finally Ecuador presented two fire peaks in January and October. We confirmed the relationship between fires and forest fragmentation for all countries and also found significant differences in the distance between the fire and the forest edge for each country. Fires were associated with roads and rivers in most countries. These results can inform land use planning at the regional, national and subnational scales to minimize the contribution of road expansion and subsequent access to the Amazonian natural resources to fire occurrence and the associated deforestation and carbon emissions.

Forest health monitoring: 2008 national technical report

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2012-01-01

The Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program’s annual national technical report has three objectives: (1) to present forest health status and trends from a national or a multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, (2) to introduce new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and (3) to report results of recently completed evaluation monitoring...

Quantifying flooding regime in floodplain forests to guide river restoration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christian O. Marks

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Determining the flooding regime needed to support distinctive floodplain forests is essential for effective river conservation under the ubiquitous human alteration of river flows characteristic of the Anthropocene Era. At over 100 sites throughout the Connecticut River basin, the largest river system in New England, we characterized species composition, valley and channel morphology, and hydrologic regime to define conditions promoting distinct floodplain forest assemblages. Species assemblages were dominated by floodplain-associated trees on surfaces experiencing flood durations between 4.5 and 91 days/year, which were generally well below the stage of the two-year recurrence interval flood, a widely-used benchmark for floodplain restoration. These tree species rarely occurred on surfaces that flooded less than 1 day/year. By contrast abundance of most woody invasive species decreased with flooding. Such flood-prone surfaces were jointly determined by characteristics of the hydrograph (high discharges of long duration and topography (low gradient and reduced valley constraint, resulting in increased availability of floodplain habitat with increasing watershed area and/or decreasing stream gradient. Downstream mainstem reaches provided the most floodplain habitat, largely associated with low-energy features such as back swamps and point bars, and were dominated by silver maple (Acer saccharinum. However, we were able to identify a number of suitable sites in the upper part of the basin and in large tributaries, often associated with in-channel islands and bars and frequently dominated by sycamore (Platanus occidentalis and flood disturbance-dependent species. Our results imply that restoring flows by modifying dam operations to benefit floodplain forests on existing surfaces need not conflict with flood protection in some regional settings. These results underscore the need to understand how flow, geomorphology, and species traits

VT Green Mountain National Forest National Recreation Areas

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) This dataset includes National Recreation Areas (NRAs) designated by Congress on the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) as of 2006. There are...

75 FR 16719 - Information Collection; Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National Forest...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-02

... Collection; Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National Forest Planning AGENCY: Forest... on the new information collection, Forest Landscape Value and Special Place Mapping for National Forest Planning. DATES: Comments must be received in writing on or before June 1, 2010 to be assured of...

DETECTING FOREST STRESS AND DECLINE IN RESPONSE TO INCREASING RIVER FLOW IN SOUTHWEST FLORIDA, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Forest stress and decline resulting from increased river flows were investigated in Myakka River State Park (MRSP), Florida, USA. Since 1977, land-use changes around the upper Myakka River watershed have resulted in significant increases in water entering the river, which have...

Harmonizing national forest inventories

Science.gov (United States)

Ronald E. McRoberts; Erkki O. Tomppo; Klemens Schadauer; Göran. Ståhl

2012-01-01

International agreements increasingly require that countries report estimates of national forest resources. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change requires that countries submit annual reports of greenhouse gas emissions and removals by sources and sinks. The Convention on Biological Diversity requires that countries identify and monitor components...

78 FR 73187 - Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-05

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: The Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board... all members of the Advisory Board; (2) provide orientation to Board Members on Basic Laws governing...

36 CFR 261.57 - National Forest wilderness.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

...-burnable food or beverage containers, including deposit bottles, except for non-burnable containers... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National Forest wilderness. 261.57 Section 261.57 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE...

VT Green Mountain National Forest - Roads

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) GMNFTRAILS contains minor Forest Service roads and all trails within the proclamation boundary of the Green Mountain National Forest and many of...

VT Green Mountain National Forest - Trails

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) GMNFTRAILS contains minor Forest Service roads and all trails within the proclamation boundary of the Green Mountain National Forest and many of...

The Brazilian national system of forest permanent plots

Science.gov (United States)

Yeda Maria Malheiros de Oliveira; Maria Augusta Doetzer Rosot; Patricia Povoa de Mottos; Joberto Veloso de Freitas; Guilherme Luis Augusto Gomide; < i> et al< /i>

2009-01-01

The Brazilian National System of Forest Permanent Plots (SisPP) is a governmental initiative designed and being implemented in partnership by the Ministry of Environment (MMA), represented by the National Forest Programme (PNF) and the Brazilian Forest Service (SFB) and the Embrapa Forestry (a research center of the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation - Embrapa...

Spatial Pattern of Populus euphratica Forest Change as Affected by Water Conveyance in the Lower Tarim River

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shuhong Peng

2014-01-01

Full Text Available To restore declining species, including Populus euphratica and other riparian communities, in the river ecosystem of the lower Tarim River, the ecological water conveyance project (EWCP, as a part of an integrated water resource management plan, was implemented in 2000. The EWCP aims to schedule and manage the water resources in the upper reaches and transfer water to the lower reaches by a series of intermittent water deliveries. The delivered water flows along a modified river channel and nourishes riparian communities by river overflow flooding. Since it began, it has caused a fierce debate over the response of riparian vegetation to the water conveyance scheme. This study focuses on the lower Tarim River, where Populus euphratica forests have undergone watering, due to the EWCP. Twelve Landsat sensor images and one IKONOS satellite imagery acquired between 1999 and 2009 were used to monitor the change in Populus euphratica forests. Bi-temporal change detection and temporal trajectory analysis were employed to represent the spatial pattern of the forest change. Field investigations were used to analyze the driving forces behind forest change from the perspectives of anthropogenic activities and natural forces. The results showed that Populus euphratica forest have been declining in area, which implies that ecological risks have been increased during the watering process. However, forests areas have increased in the regions where the water supply is abundant, and vice versa.

36 CFR 261.54 - National Forest System roads.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false National Forest System roads... PROHIBITIONS Prohibitions in Areas Designated by Order § 261.54 National Forest System roads. When provided by...) Use by any type of traffic prohibited by the order. (c) Using a road for commercial hauling without a...

Two-dimensional simulation of the June 11, 2010, flood of the Little Missouri River at Albert Pike Recreational Area, Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas

Science.gov (United States)

Wagner, Daniel M.

2013-01-01

In the early morning hours of June 11, 2010, substantial flooding occurred at Albert Pike Recreation Area in the Ouachita National Forest of west-central Arkansas, killing 20 campers. The U.S. Forest Service needed information concerning the extent and depth of flood inundation, the water velocity, and flow paths throughout Albert Pike Recreation Area for the flood and for streamflows corresponding to annual exceedence probabilities of 1 and 2 percent. The two-dimensional flow model Fst2DH, part of the Federal Highway Administration’s Finite Element Surface-water Modeling System, and the graphical user interface Surface-water Modeling System (SMS) were used to perform a steady-state simulation of the flood in a 1.5-mile reach of the Little Missouri River at Albert Pike Recreation Area. Peak streamflows of the Little Missouri River and tributary Brier Creek served as inputs to the simulation, which was calibrated to the surveyed elevations of high-water marks left by the flood and then used to predict flooding that would result from streamflows corresponding to annual exceedence probabilities of 1 and 2 percent. The simulated extent of the June 11, 2010, flood matched the observed extent of flooding at Albert Pike Recreation Area. The mean depth of inundation in the camp areas was 8.5 feet in Area D, 7.4 feet in Area C, 3.8 feet in Areas A, B, and the Day Use Area, and 12.5 feet in Lowry’s Camp Albert Pike. The mean water velocity was 7.2 feet per second in Area D, 7.6 feet per second in Area C, 7.2 feet per second in Areas A, B, and the Day Use Area, and 7.6 feet per second in Lowry’s Camp Albert Pike. A sensitivity analysis indicated that varying the streamflow of the Little Missouri River had the greatest effect on simulated water-surface elevation, while varying the streamflow of tributary Brier Creek had the least effect. Simulated water-surface elevations were lower than those modeled by the U.S. Forest Service using the standard-step method, but the

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2017-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introducesnew techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed...

Simulations of forest mortality in Colorado River basin

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, L.; Xu, C.; Johnson, D. J.; Zhou, H.; McDowell, N.

2017-12-01

The Colorado River Basin (CRB) had experienced multiple severe forest mortality events under the recent changing climate. Such forest mortality events may have great impacts on ecosystem services and water budget of the watershed. It is hence important to estimate and predict the forest mortality in the CRB with climate change. We simulated forest mortality in the CRB with a model of plant hydraulics within the FATES (the Functionally Assembled Terrestrial Ecosystem Simulator) coupled to the DOE Earth System model (ACME: Accelerated Climate Model of Energy) at a 0.5 x 0.5 degree resolution. Moreover, we incorporated a stable carbon isotope (δ13C) module to ACME(FATE) and used it as a new predictor of forest mortality. The δ13C values of plants with C3 photosynthetic pathway (almost all trees are C3 plants) can indicate the water stress plants experiencing (the more intensive stress, the less negative δ13C value). We set a δ13C threshold in model simulation, above which forest mortality initiates. We validate the mortality simulations with field data based on Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, which were aggregated into the same spatial resolution as the model simulations. Different mortality schemes in the model (carbon starvation, hydraulic failure, and δ13C) were tested and compared. Each scheme demonstrated its strength and the plant hydraulics module provided more reliable simulations of forest mortality than the earlier ACME(FATE) version. Further testing is required for better forest mortality modelling.

Forest Health Monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2014

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2015-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2013

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2015-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi-State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Prescribed burning in the Kings River Ecosystem Project Area: lessons learned

Science.gov (United States)

David S. McCandliss

2002-01-01

The prescribed fire program on the Sierra National Forest is in its infancy. Prescription burning was initiated in 1994 in two 32,000-acre watersheds in the Kings River District of the Sierra National Forest. Primary objectives are to return fire to a more historical role in forest ecosystems and to provide opportunities for scientists from the Pacific Southwest...

Satellite-derived temperature data for monitoring water status in a floodplain forest of the Upper Sabine River, Texas

Science.gov (United States)

Lemon, Mary Grace T.; Allen, Scott T.; Edwards, Brandon L.; King, Sammy L.; Keim, Richard F.

2016-01-01

Decreased water availability due to hydrologic modifications, groundwater withdrawal, and climate change threaten bottomland hardwood (BLH) forest communities. We used satellite-derived (MODIS) land-surface temperature (LST) data to investigate spatial heterogeneity of canopy temperature (an indicator of plant-water status) in a floodplain forest of the upper Sabine River for 2008–2014. High LST pixels were generally further from the river and at higher topographic locations, indicating lower water-availability. Increasing rainfall-derived soil moisture corresponded with decreased heterogeneity of LST between pixels but there was weaker association between Sabine River stage and heterogeneity. Stronger dependence of LST convergence on rainfall rather than river flow suggests that some regions are less hydrologically connected to the river, and vegetation may rely on local precipitation and other contributions to the riparian aquifer to replenish soil moisture. Observed LST variations associated with hydrology encourage further investigation of the utility of this approach for monitoring forest stress, especially with considerations of climate change and continued river management.

Impacts of forest changes on hydrology: a case study of large watersheds in the upper reaches of Minjiang River watershed in China

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, X.; Liu, S.; Wei, X.

2012-11-01

Quantifying the effects of forest changes on hydrology in large watersheds is important for designing forest or land management and adaptation strategies for watershed ecosystem sustainability. Minjiang River watershed, located in the upper reach of the Yangtze River basin, plays a strategic role in the environmental protection and economic and social well-being for both the watershed and the entire Yangtze River basin. The watershed lies in the transition zone from Sichuan Basin to Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with a size of 24 000 km2. Due to its strategic significance, severe historic deforestation and high sensitivity to climate change, the watershed has long been recognized as one of the highest priority watersheds in China for scientific research and resource management. The purpose of this review paper is to provide a state-of-the-art summary on what we have learned from several recently completed research programs (one of them known as "973 of the China National Major Fundamental Science" from 2002 to 2008). This summary paper focused on how land cover or forest change affected hydrology at both forest stand and watershed scales in this large watershed. Inclusion of two different spatial scales is useful, because the results from a small spatial scale (e.g. forest stand level) can help interpret the findings on a large spatial scale. Our review suggests that historic forest harvesting or land cover change has caused significant water yield increase due to reduction of forest canopy interception and evapotranspiration caused by removal of forest vegetation on both spatial scales. The impact magnitude caused by forest harvesting indicates that the hydrological effects of forest or land cover changes can be as important as those caused by climate change, while the opposite impact directions suggest their offsetting effects on water yield in the Minjiang River watershed. In addition, different types of forests have different magnitudes of evapotranspiration (ET), with

Impacts of forest changes on hydrology: a case study of large watersheds in the upper reaches of Minjiang River watershed in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

X. Cui

2012-11-01

Full Text Available Quantifying the effects of forest changes on hydrology in large watersheds is important for designing forest or land management and adaptation strategies for watershed ecosystem sustainability. Minjiang River watershed, located in the upper reach of the Yangtze River basin, plays a strategic role in the environmental protection and economic and social well-being for both the watershed and the entire Yangtze River basin. The watershed lies in the transition zone from Sichuan Basin to Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with a size of 24 000 km². Due to its strategic significance, severe historic deforestation and high sensitivity to climate change, the watershed has long been recognized as one of the highest priority watersheds in China for scientific research and resource management. The purpose of this review paper is to provide a state-of-the-art summary on what we have learned from several recently completed research programs (one of them known as "973 of the China National Major Fundamental Science" from 2002 to 2008. This summary paper focused on how land cover or forest change affected hydrology at both forest stand and watershed scales in this large watershed. Inclusion of two different spatial scales is useful, because the results from a small spatial scale (e.g. forest stand level can help interpret the findings on a large spatial scale. Our review suggests that historic forest harvesting or land cover change has caused significant water yield increase due to reduction of forest canopy interception and evapotranspiration caused by removal of forest vegetation on both spatial scales. The impact magnitude caused by forest harvesting indicates that the hydrological effects of forest or land cover changes can be as important as those caused by climate change, while the opposite impact directions suggest their offsetting effects on water yield in the Minjiang River watershed. In addition, different types of forests have different magnitudes of

Genetic and Phenotype [Phenotypic] Catalog of Native Resident Trout of the interior Columbia River Basin : FY-99 Report : Populations of the Pend Oreille, Kettle, and Sanpoil River Basins of Colville National Forest.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Trotter, Patrick C.

2001-05-01

The 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program of the Northwest Power Planning Council specifies the recovery and preservation of population health of native resident fishes of the Columbia River Basin. Among the native resident species of concern are interior rainbow trout of the Columbia River redband subspecies Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri 1 and westslope cutthroat trout O. clarki lewisi. The westslope cutthroat trout has been petitioned for listing under the U. S. Endangered Species Act (American Wildlands et al. 1997). Before at-risk populations can be protected, their presence and status must be established. Where introgression from introduced species is a concern, as in the case of both westslope cutthroat trout and redband rainbow trout, genetic issues must be addressed as well. As is true with native trout elsewhere in the western United States (Behnke 1992), most of the remaining pure populations of these species in the Columbia River Basin are in relatively remote headwater reaches. The objective of this project is to photo-document upper Columbia Basin native resident trout populations in Washington, and to ascertain their species or subspecies identity and relative genetic purity using a nonlethal DNA technique. FY-99 was year two of a five-year project in which we conducted field visits to remote locations to seek out and catalog these populations. In FY-99 we worked in collaboration with the Colville National Forest and Kalispel Indian Tribe to catalog populations in the northeastern corner of Washington State.

Evapotranspiration Rates of Riparian Forests, Platte River, Nebraska, 2002-06

Science.gov (United States)

Landon, Matthew K.; Rus, David L.; Dietsch, Benjamin J.; Johnson, Michaela R.; Eggemeyer, Kathleen D.

2009-01-01

Evapotranspiration (ET) in riparian areas is a poorly understood component of the regional water balance in the Platte River Basin, where competing demands have resulted in water shortages in the ground-water/surface-water system. From April 2002 through March 2006, the U.S. Geological Survey, Nebraska Platte River Cooperative Hydrology Study Group, and Central Platte Natural Resources District conducted a micrometeorological study of water and energy balances at two sites in central Nebraska near Odessa and Gothenburg to improve understanding of ET rates and factors affecting them in Platte River riparian forests. A secondary objective of the study was to constrain estimates of ground-water use by riparian vegetation to satisfy ET consumptive demands, a useful input to regional ground-water flow models. Both study sites are located on large islands within the Platte River characterized by a cottonwood-dominated forest canopy on primarily sandy alluvium. Although both sites are typical of riparian forests along the Platte River in Nebraska, the Odessa understory is dominated by deciduous shrubs, whereas the Gothenburg understory is dominated by eastern redcedars. Additionally, seasonal ground-water levels fluctuated more at Odessa than at Gothenburg. The study period of April 2002 through March 2006 encompassed precipitation conditions ranging from dry to wet. This study characterized the components of the water balance in the riparian zone of each site. ET was evaluated from eddy-covariance sensors installed on towers above the forest canopy at a height of 26.1 meters. Precipitation was measured both above and below the forest canopy. A series of sensors measured soil-moisture availability within the unsaturated zone in two different vertical profiles at each site. Changes in ground-water altitude were evaluated from piezometers. The areal footprint represented in the water balance extended up to 800 meters from each tower. During the study, ET was less variable

Savannah River Plant environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dukes, E.K.

1984-03-01

On June 20, 1972, the Atomic Energy Commission designated 192,323 acres of land near Aiken, SC, as the nation's first National Environmental Research Park. The designated land surrounds the Department of Energy's Savannah River Plant production complex. The site, which borders the Savannah River for 17 miles, includes swampland, pine forests, abandoned town sites, a large man-made lake for cooling water impoundment, fields, streams, and watersheds. This report is a description of the geological, hydrological, meteorological, and biological characteristics of the Savannah River Plant site and is intended as a source of information for those interested in environmental research at the site. 165 references, 68 figures, 52 tables

Columbia River ESI: MGT (Management Area Polygons)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains sensitive human-use data for Wildlife Refuges, National Forests, and State Parks for the Columbia River area. Vector polygons in this data set...

National forest change monitoring system in South Korea: an analysis of forest tree species distribution shifts

Science.gov (United States)

Eun-Sook Kim; Cheol-Min Kim; Jisun Lee; Jong-Su. Yim

2015-01-01

Since 1971, South Korea has implemented national forest inventory (NFI) in pursuance of understanding current state and change trend of national forest resources. NFI1 (1971~1975), NFI2 (1978~1981), NFI3 (1986~1992) and NFI4 (1996~2005) were implemented in order to produce national forest resources statistics. However, since the early 1990s, international conventions...

Impacts of forest changes on hydrology: a case study of large watersheds in the upper reach of Yangtze River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Cui, X.; Liu, S.; Wei, X.

2012-05-01

Quantifying the effects of forest changes on hydrology in large watersheds is important for designing forest or land management and adaptation strategies for watershed ecosystem sustainability. Minjiang River watershed located in the upper reach of the Yangtze River Basin plays a strategic role in environmental protection and economic and social wellbeing for both the watershed and the entire Yangtze Basin. The watershed lies in the transition zone from Sichuan Basin to Qinghai-Tibet Plateau with a size of 24 000 km2. Due to its strategic significance, severe historic deforestation and high sensitivity to climate change, the watershed has long been one of the highest priority watersheds in China for scientific research and resource management. The purpose of this review paper is to provide a state-of-the-art summary on what we have learned from several recently-completed research programs (one of them known as "973 of the China National Major Fundamental Science" with funding of 3.5 million USD in 2002 to 2008). This summary paper focused on how land cover or forest change affected hydrology at both forest stand and watershed scales in this large watershed. Inclusion of two different spatial scales is useful because the results from a small spatial scale (e.g. forest stand level) can help interpret the findings at a large spatial scale. Our review suggests that historic forest harvesting or land cover change has caused significant water increase due to reduction of forest canopy interception and evapotranspiration caused by removal of forest vegetation at both spatial scales. The impact magnitudes caused by forest harvesting indicate that the hydrological effects of forest or land cover changes can be as important as those caused by climate change, while the opposite impact directions suggest their offsetting effects on water yields in the Minjiang River watershed. In addition, different types of forests have different magnitudes of ET with old-growth natural

Marketing a national forest: the resource manager's dilemma

Science.gov (United States)

Howard A. Clonts; Jeffrey R. Hibbert

1995-01-01

National Forests throughout the United States are facing critical management decisions regarding optimal resource use amidst strong countervailing pressures for access. Visitors to Talladega National Forest in Alabama were surveyed to develop appropriate marketing strategies. Cluster analysis showed that separate homogeneous user groups exist. This information was...

Influences on wood load in mountain streams of the Bighorn National Forest, Wyoming, USA.

Science.gov (United States)

Nowakowski, Amy L; Wohl, Ellen

2008-10-01

We documented valley and channel characteristics and wood loads in 19 reaches of forested headwater mountain streams in the Bighorn National Forest of northern Wyoming. Ten of these reaches were in the Upper Tongue River watershed, which has a history of management including timber harvest, tie floating, and road construction. Nine reaches were in the North Rock Creek watershed, which has little history of management activities. We used these data to test hypotheses that (i) valley geometry correlates with wood load, (ii) stream gradient correlates with wood load, and (iii) wood loads are significantly lower in managed watersheds than in otherwise similar unmanaged watersheds. Statistical analyses of the data support the first and third hypotheses. Stream reaches with steeper valley side slopes tend to have higher wood loads, and reaches in managed watersheds tend to have lower wood loads than reaches in unmanaged watersheds. Results do not support the second hypothesis. Shear stress correlated more strongly with wood load than did stream gradient, but statistical models with valley-scale variables had greater explanatory power than statistical models with channel-scale variables. Wood loads in stream reaches within managed watersheds in the Bighorn National Forest tend to be two to three times lower than wood loads in unmanaged watersheds.

32 CFR 644.409 - Procedures for Interchange of National Forest Lands.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 4 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 true Procedures for Interchange of National Forest... Interests § 644.409 Procedures for Interchange of National Forest Lands. (a) General. The interchange of national forest lands is accomplished in three steps: first, agreement must be reached between the two...

77 FR 472 - National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-05

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule; Correction AGENCY: USDA Forest Service. ACTION... for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1 (800) 877-8339 between 8...

Forest health conditions on the Allegheny National Forest (1989-1999): Analysis of forest health monitoring surveys

Science.gov (United States)

R.S. Morin; A.M. Liebhold; K.W. Gottschalk; D.B. Twardus; R.E. Acciavatti; R.L. White; S.B. Horsley; W.D. Smith; E.R. Luzader

2001-01-01

This publication describes the forest vegetation and health conditions of the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). During the past 15 years, the ANF has experienced four severe droughts, several outbreaks of exotic and native insect defoliators, and the effects of other disturbance agents. An increase in tree mortality has raised concerns about forest health. Historical...

77 FR 18997 - Rim Lakes Forest Restoration Project; Apache-Sitgreavese National Forest, Black Mesa Ranger...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-29

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Rim Lakes Forest Restoration Project; Apache-Sitgreavese National Forest, Black Mesa Ranger District, Coconino County, AZ AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. SUMMARY: The U.S. Forest Service (FS) will...

75 FR 64617 - National Forest Products Week, 2010

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-20

... our stewardship and efforts to further their conservation. Our Nation's forests provide us with clean... 21st-century conservation agenda that will reconnect Americans with the outdoors and protect our Nation... sectors. They not only help bring forest products to market, but also spur innovative ways to move our...

Forest types of the "Argentino River Valley" Natural Reserve

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bagnato S

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Forest classification is a fundamental target for understanding forest stand dynamics and for sustainable management strategy applications. In this paper the methodological approach of forest types, already used in other Italians region, was applied for the classification of the RNO "Argentino River Valley" (southern Apennine, Italy. This study has been organized in 4 steps: 1 bibliographic analysis and collection of the acquired knowledge; 2 preliminary verification of forest types in the field; 3 description of the different units; 4 final validation of typological units. Using this approach we have characterized 9 categories and 12 forest types units. The description of each units has been filed as cards, where information of different nature is summarized and related to the organization of the typological units, to its location, to the description of the qualitative indicators (disturbances, cohort, mortality, natural dynamic tendencies, SDT, CWD etc. and quantitative indicators (dbh, average height, current annual increment, etc., to the functioning and the current management. For a better understanding of types functioning, "sylvology models" based on the "Spatial Pattern of Relative Collective Interaction" (PSICR and on the principal characteristics influencing and characterizing forest stand dynamics (availability of resources, type and frequency of disturbances, stand development, etc. have been singled out and proposed. The "forest types map" and other maps useful for the management of forest resources have been obtained. Moreover, data collected did allow to formulate several hypotheses on sustainable management.

A national and international analysis of changing forest density.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aapo Rautiainen

Full Text Available Like cities, forests grow by spreading out or by growing denser. Both inventories taken steadily by a single nation and other inventories gathered recently from many nations by the United Nations confirm the asynchronous effects of changing area and of density or volume per hectare. United States forests spread little after 1953, while growing density per hectare increased national volume and thus sequestered carbon. The 2010 United Nations appraisal of global forests during the briefer span of two decades after 1990 reveals a similar pattern: A slowing decline of area with growing volume means growing density in 68 nations encompassing 72% of reported global forest land and 68% of reported global carbon mass. To summarize, the nations were placed in 5 regions named for continents. During 1990-2010 national density grew unevenly, but nevertheless grew in all regions. Growing density was responsible for substantially increasing sequestered carbon in the European and North American regions, despite smaller changes in area. Density nudged upward in the African and South American regions as area loss outstripped the loss of carbon. For the Asian region, density grew in the first decade and fell slightly in the second as forest area expanded. The different courses of area and density disqualify area as a proxy for volume and carbon. Applying forestry methods traditionally used to measure timber volumes still offers a necessary route to measuring carbon stocks. With little expansion of forest area, managing for timber growth and density offered a way to increase carbon stocks.

77 FR 65095 - National Forest Products Week, 2012

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-24

... October 27, 2012, as National Forest Products Week. I call on the people of the United States to join me... National Forest Products Week, 2012 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation Since... tourism and recreation that create jobs and growth in our rural communities. They provide the raw...

Ground-water quality of the surficial aquifer system and the upper Floridan Aquifer, Ocala National Forest and Lake County, Florida, 1990-99

Science.gov (United States)

Adamski, J.C.; Knowles, Leel

2001-01-01

Data from 217 ground-water samples were statistically analyzed to assess the water quality of the surficial aquifer system and Upper Floridan aquifer in the Ocala National Forest and Lake County, Florida. Samples were collected from 49 wells tapping the surficial aquifer system, 141 wells tapping the Upper Floridan aquifer, and from 27 springs that discharge water from the Upper Floridan aquifer. A total of 136 samples was collected by the U.S. Geological Survey from 1995 through 1999. These data were supplemented with 81 samples collected by the St. Johns River Water Management District and Lake County Water Resources Management from 1990 through 1998. In general, the surficial aquifer system has low concentrations of total dissolved solids (median was 41 milligrams per liter) and major ions. Water quality of the surficial aquifer system, however, is not homogeneous throughout the study area. Concentrations of total dissolved solids, many major ions, and nutrients are greater in samples from Lake County outside the Ocala National Forest than in samples from within the Forest. These results indicate that the surficial aquifer system in Lake County outside the Ocala National Forest probably is being affected by agricultural and (or) urban land-use practices. High concentrations of dissolved oxygen (less than 0.1 to 8.2 milligrams per liter) in the surficial aquifer system underlying the Ocala National Forest indicate that the aquifer is readily recharged by precipitation and is susceptible to surface contamination. Concentrations of total dissolved solids were significantly greater in the Upper Floridan aquifer (median was 182 milligrams per liter) than in the surficial aquifer system. In general, water quality of the Upper Floridan aquifer was homogeneous, primarily being a calcium or calciummagnesium- bicarbonate water type. Near the St. Johns River, the water type of the Upper Floridan aquifer is sodium-chloride, corresponding to an increase in total dissolved

Timber resource statistics for all forest land, except national forests, in eastern Oregon.

Science.gov (United States)

Donald R. Gedney; Patricia M. Bassett; Mary A. Mei

1989-01-01

This report summarizes a 1987 timber resource inventory of all forest land, except National Forests, in the 17 counties (Baker, Crook, Deschutes, Gilliam, Grant, Harney, Jefferson, Klamath, Lake, Malheur, Morrow, Sherman, Umatilla, Union, Wallowa, Wasco, and Wheeler Counties) in eastern Oregon. Detailed tables of forest area, timber volume, growth, mortality, and...

Forest health monitoring: national status, trends, and analysis 2015

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin M. Potter; Barbara L. Conkling

2016-01-01

The annual national report of the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, presents forest health status and trends from a national or multi- State regional perspective using a variety of sources, introduces new techniques for analyzing forest health data, and summarizes results of recently completed Evaluation...

Values, Ethics, and Attitudes Toward National Forest Management: An Empirical Study

Science.gov (United States)

Robert Manning; William Valliere; Ben Minteer

1999-01-01

This study measures environmental values and ethics and explores their relationships to attitudes toward national forest management. The principal research methods were literature review and a survey of Vermont residents concerning management of the Green Mountain National Forest. Descriptive findings suggest respondents (1) favor nonmaterial values of national forests...

The new Brazilian national forest inventory

Science.gov (United States)

Joberto V. de Freitas; Yeda M. M. de Oliveira; Doadi A. Brena; Guilherme L.A. Gomide; Jose Arimatea Silva; < i> et al< /i>

2009-01-01

The new Brazilian national forest inventory (NFI) is being planned to be carried out through five components: (1) general coordination, led by the Brazilian Forest Service; (2) vegetation mapping, which will serve as the basis for sample plot location; (3) field data collection; (4) landscape data collection of 10 x 10-km sample plots, based on high-resolution...

Analysis of forest health monitoring surveys on the Allegheny National Forest (1998-2001)

Science.gov (United States)

Randall S. Morin; Andrew M Liebhold; K.W. Gottschalk; Chris W. Woodall; Daniel B. Twardus; Robert L. White; Stephen B. Horsley; Todd E. Ristau

2006-01-01

Describes forest vegetation and health conditions on the Allegheny National Forest (ANF). During the past 20 years, the ANF has experienced four severe droughts, several outbreaks of exotic and native insect defoliators, and the effects of other disturbance agents. An increase in tree mortality has raised concerns about forest health. Historical aerial surveys (1984-98...

Relationships of vascular epiphytes with environmental factors along the Tibagi River forests, Paraná, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Annete Bonnet

2010-09-01

Full Text Available The aim of this work was to evaluate the relationships of vascular epiphyte richness with climatic, geomorphologic, pedologic and forest structural factors, that change along the Tibagi River. The floristic turnover of the 188 registered species was high, indicating the singularity and importance of the communities to the conservation of epiphytes in the river basin. The similarity was greater between geographically closer areas, which made possible the creation of three groups of epiphytic communities distributed along the river. The greatest richness of epiphytes was registered in the medium Tibagi, where the phytogeographic units are in liaison and the forests present the best conservation status. The increase of epiphytic richness is only significantly and positively related to the maximal diameter of trees, an important environmental factor of the enlargement of alpha diversity. The beta diversity results, probably, from environmental heterogeneity which is principally represented by distinctive geomorphologic patterns and climatic conditions between study areas and different environmental regions of the river.

Floristic and structural status of forests in permanent preservation areas of Moju river basin, Amazon region.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, J C; Vieira, I C G; Almeida, A S; Silva, C A

2016-01-01

The goal of this study is to analyze the floristic patterns and the structure of disturbed and undisturbed upland forests, in Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs) along the Moju river, in the Brazilian state of Pará. Trees with a diameter equal to or larger than 10cm at 1.30m from the ground (DBH) ≥10cm were analyzed for the upper stratum. For the middle stratum, individuals with DBH between 4.99 and 9.99cm were sampled. Forty-five families and 221 species were found in disturbed forests, and 43 families and 208 species in undisturbed forests. Floristic similarity was high between strata and between forest types, with values above 50%. Similarity was highest between middle strata. The most species-abundant families in undisturbed forests were Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, Chrysobalanaceae and Myrtaceae; the species with the highest density there were Eschweilera grandiflora, Licania sclerophylla and Zygia cauliflora. In disturbed forests, the dominant families were Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, Lecythidaceae and Melastomataceae. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was 3.21 for undisturbed forests and 2.85 for disturbed forests. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS) analysis did not group the forests by their floristic composition in both upper and middle strata. Overall, the PPA forests along the Moju river, even if disturbed, did not show major floristic changes but substantially change their structural characteristics.

Floristic and structural status of forests in permanent preservation areas of Moju river basin, Amazon region

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. C. Oliveira

Full Text Available Abstract The goal of this study is to analyze the floristic patterns and the structure of disturbed and undisturbed upland forests, in Permanent Preservation Areas (PPAs along the Moju river, in the Brazilian state of Pará. Trees with a diameter equal to or larger than 10cm at 1.30m from the ground (DBH ≥10cm were analyzed for the upper stratum. For the middle stratum, individuals with DBH between 4.99 and 9.99cm were sampled. Forty-five families and 221 species were found in disturbed forests, and 43 families and 208 species in undisturbed forests. Floristic similarity was high between strata and between forest types, with values above 50%. Similarity was highest between middle strata. The most species-abundant families in undisturbed forests were Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, Chrysobalanaceae and Myrtaceae; the species with the highest density there were Eschweilera grandiflora, Licania sclerophylla and Zygia cauliflora. In disturbed forests, the dominant families were Fabaceae, Sapotaceae, Lecythidaceae and Melastomataceae. The Shannon-Wiener diversity index was 3.21 for undisturbed forests and 2.85 for disturbed forests. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (MDS analysis did not group the forests by their floristic composition in both upper and middle strata. Overall, the PPA forests along the Moju river, even if disturbed, did not show major floristic changes but substantially change their structural characteristics.

The igapó of the Negro River in central Amazonia: Linking late-successional inundation forest with fluvial geomorphology

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Montero, Juan Carlos; Latrubesse, Edgardo M.

2013-10-01

Despite important progress on Amazonian floodplain research, the flooded forest of the Negro River "igapó" has been little investigated. In particular, no study has previously focused the linkage between fluvial geomorphology and the floristic variation across the course of the river. In this paper we describe and interpret relations between igapó forest, fluvial geomorphology and the spatial evolution of the igapó forest through the Holocene. Therefore, we investigate the effect of geomorphological units of the floodplain and channel patterns on tree diversity, composition and structural parameters of the late-successional igapó forest. Our results show that sites sharing almost identical flooding regime, exhibit variable tree assemblages, species richness and structural parameters such as basal area, tree density and tree heights, indicating a trend in which the geomorphologic styles seem to partially control the organization of igapó's tree communities. This can be also explained by the high variability of well-developed geomorphologic units in short distances and concentrated in small areas. In this dynamic the inputs from the species pool of tributary rivers play a crucial role, but also the depositional and erosional processes associated with the evolution of the floodplain during the Holocene may control floristic and structural components of the igapó forests. These results suggest that a comprehensive approach integrating floristic and geomorphologic methods is needed to understand the distribution of the complex vegetation patterns in complex floodplains such as the igapó of the Negro River. This combination of approaches may introduce a better comprehension of the temporal and spatial evolutionary analysis and a logic rationale to understand the vegetation distribution and variability in function of major landforms, soil distributions and hydrology. Thus, by integrating the past into macroecological analyses will sharpen our understanding of the

Special Forest Products on the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests: a research-based approach to management

Science.gov (United States)

Marla R. Emery; Clare. Ginger

2014-01-01

Special forest products (SFPs) are gathered from more than 200 vascular and fungal species on the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF) and Finger Lakes National Forest (FLNF). This report documents those SFPs and proposes an approach to managing them in the context of legislation directing the U.S. Forest Service to institute a program of active SFP management. Based...

Projecting national forest inventories for the 2000 RPA timber assessment.

Science.gov (United States)

John R. Mills; Xiaoping. Zhou

2003-01-01

National forest inventories were projected in a study that was part of the 2000 USDA Forest Service Resource Planning Act (RPA) timber assessment. This paper includes an overview of the status and structure of timber inventory of the National Forest System and presents 50-year projections under several scenarios. To examine a range of possible outcomes, results are...

Risk of impaired condition of watersheds containing National Forest lands

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas C Brown; Pamela Froemke

2010-01-01

We assessed the risk of impaired condition of the nearly 3700 5th-level watersheds in the contiguous 48 states containing the national forests and grasslands that make up the U.S. Forest Service's National Forest System (NFS). The assessment was based on readily available, relatively consistent nationwide data sets for a series of indicators representing watershed...

36 CFR 261.56 - Use of vehicles off National Forest System roads.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... Forest System roads. 261.56 Section 261.56 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT... National Forest System roads. When provided by an order, it is prohibited to possess or use a vehicle off National Forest System roads. [42 FR 2957, Jan. 14, 1977, as amended at 66 FR 3218, Jan. 12, 2001] ...

Fire history in the Ohio River Valley and its relation to climate

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel A. Yaussy; Elaine Kennedy. Sutherland

1994-01-01

Annual wildfire records (1926-77) from the national forests in states bordering the Ohio River (lllinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio, and West Virginia) were compared to climate records to assess relationships. Summaries of spring and fall fire seasons obtained for the Daniel Boone National Forest in Kentucky (1970-92) and for the State of Ohio (1969-84,...

Harmonizing estimates of forest land area from national-level forest inventory and satellite imagery

Science.gov (United States)

Bonnie Ruefenacht; Mark D. Nelson; Mark Finco

2009-01-01

Estimates of forest land area are derived both from national-level forest inventories and satellite image-based map products. These estimates can differ substantially within subregional extents (e.g., states or provinces) primarily due to differences in definitions of forest land between inventory- and image-based approaches. We present a geospatial modeling approach...

Seed bank composition in a secondary forest in the Lower Delta of the Paraná River (Argentina

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Fábio Kalesnik

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The native forests once occupying the coastal levees of the Lower Delta islands of the Paraná River (in Argentina have been replaced by commercial forests. Many of those forests have been abandoned, resulting in secondary forest formation that is subject to numerous invasive exotic species. A priori observations suggest that successional trends do not lead to recovery of the original forest. The aim of the present study was to analyze the role of invasive exotic species in these environments and the likelihood of recovery of the original forest cover. Therefore, we examined the composition of the seed bank and of the standing vegetation, as well as the population structure of tree species. Secondary forests are described as being in an intermediate successional stage, with few exotic species (mainly trees but with a high abundance of standing vegetation and seed banks. These exotic species will likely continue to successfully predominate in different forest strata over the next stages. Because of the low density of native tree species, it is difficult to predict their future persistence. In conclusion, ecological restoration strategies will be needed in order to increase native tree species richness and biodiversity of the forests in the Lower Delta of the Paraná River.

Genetic and phenotype catalog of native resident trout of the interior Columbia River Basin: FY-99 report: populations of the Pend Oreille, Kettle, and Sanpoil River Basins of Colville National Forest/ fiscal year 1999 report; ANNUAL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trotter, Patrick C.

2001-01-01

The 1994 Fish and Wildlife Program of the Northwest Power Planning Council specifies the recovery and preservation of population health of native resident fishes of the Columbia River Basin. Among the native resident species of concern are interior rainbow trout of the Columbia River redband subspecies Oncorhynchus mykiss gairdneri 1 and westslope cutthroat trout O. clarki lewisi. The westslope cutthroat trout has been petitioned for listing under the U. S. Endangered Species Act (American Wildlands et al. 1997). Before at-risk populations can be protected, their presence and status must be established. Where introgression from introduced species is a concern, as in the case of both westslope cutthroat trout and redband rainbow trout, genetic issues must be addressed as well. As is true with native trout elsewhere in the western United States (Behnke 1992), most of the remaining pure populations of these species in the Columbia River Basin are in relatively remote headwater reaches. The objective of this project is to photo-document upper Columbia Basin native resident trout populations in Washington, and to ascertain their species or subspecies identity and relative genetic purity using a nonlethal DNA technique. FY-99 was year two of a five-year project in which we conducted field visits to remote locations to seek out and catalog these populations. In FY-99 we worked in collaboration with the Colville National Forest and Kalispel Indian Tribe to catalog populations in the northeastern corner of Washington State

EPA's National Reassessment of Contaminants in Fish from U.S. Rivers

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Multiple EPA offices collaborated to conduct a reassessment of fish contamination in U.S. rivers as part of the Agency’s 2013-14 National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA). This is the first national assessment of contamination in river fish that will generate probabili...

U.S. National forests adapt to climate change through science-management partnerships

Science.gov (United States)

Jeremy S. Littell; David L. Peterson; Constance I. Millar; Kathy A. O' Halloran

2011-01-01

Developing appropriate management options for adapting to climate change is a new challenge for land managers, and integration of climate change concepts into operational management and planning on United States national forests is just starting. We established science-management partnerships on the Olympic National Forest (Washington) and Tahoe National Forest (...

The multi-objective Spanish National Forest Inventory

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alberdi, I.; Vallejo, R.; Álvarez-González, J.G.; Condés, S.; González-Ferreiro, E.; Guerrero, S.

2017-11-01

Aim of study: To present the evolution of the current multi-objective Spanish National Forest Inventory (SNFI) through the assessment of different key indicators on challenging areas of the forestry sector. Area of study: Using information from the Second, Third and Fourth SNFI, this work provides case studies in Navarra, La Rioja, Galicia and Balearic Island regions and at national Spanish scale. Material and methods: These case studies present an estimation of reference values for dead wood by forest types, diameter-age modeling for Populus alba and Populus nigra in riparian forest, the invasiveness of alien species and the invasibility of forest types, herbivore preferences and effects on trees and shrub species, the methodology for estimating cork production , and the combination of SNFI4 information and Airborne Laser Scanning datasets with the aim of updating forest-fire behavior assessment information with a high degree of accuracy. Main results: The results show the suitability and feasibility of the proposed methodologies to estimate the indicators using SNFI data with the exception of the estimation of cork production. In this case, additional field variables were suggested in order to obtain robust estimates. Research highlights: By broadening the variables recorded, the SNFI has become an even more important source of forest information for the development of support tools for decision-making and assessment in diverse strategic fields such as those analyzed in this study.

The multi-objective Spanish National Forest Inventory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alberdi, I.; Vallejo, R.; Álvarez-González, J.G.; Condés, S.; González-Ferreiro, E.; Guerrero, S.

2017-01-01

Aim of study: To present the evolution of the current multi-objective Spanish National Forest Inventory (SNFI) through the assessment of different key indicators on challenging areas of the forestry sector. Area of study: Using information from the Second, Third and Fourth SNFI, this work provides case studies in Navarra, La Rioja, Galicia and Balearic Island regions and at national Spanish scale. Material and methods: These case studies present an estimation of reference values for dead wood by forest types, diameter-age modeling for Populus alba and Populus nigra in riparian forest, the invasiveness of alien species and the invasibility of forest types, herbivore preferences and effects on trees and shrub species, the methodology for estimating cork production , and the combination of SNFI4 information and Airborne Laser Scanning datasets with the aim of updating forest-fire behavior assessment information with a high degree of accuracy. Main results: The results show the suitability and feasibility of the proposed methodologies to estimate the indicators using SNFI data with the exception of the estimation of cork production. In this case, additional field variables were suggested in order to obtain robust estimates. Research highlights: By broadening the variables recorded, the SNFI has become an even more important source of forest information for the development of support tools for decision-making and assessment in diverse strategic fields such as those analyzed in this study.

Songbird use of floodplain and upland forests along the Upper Mississippi River corridor during spring migration

Science.gov (United States)

Kirsch, Eileen M.; Heglund, Patricia J.; Gray, Brian R.; Mckann, Patrick

2013-01-01

The Upper Mississippi River is thought to provide important stopover habitat for migrating landbirds because of its north-south orientation and floodplain forests. The river flows through the Driftless Area of southwestern Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota where forests are plentiful, yet forests of the floodplain and Driftless Area uplands differ greatly in landscape setting, tree species composition, and topography. We compared landbird assemblages in these upland and floodplain forests over three springs, 2005–2007, using line-transect surveys at randomly selected areas in and within 16 km of the floodplain. We found more species of both transient and locally breeding migrants per survey in floodplain than in upland forest. Detections of transient neotropical migrants did not differ statistically by habitat. Detections of locally breeding neotropical and temperate-zone migrants and transient temperate-zone migrants were greater in floodplain than in upland forest. Between floodplain and upland forest, assemblages of locally breeding species, including neotropical and temperate-zone migrants (of which some individuals were in transit), differed substantially, but assemblages of transients (including both neotropical and temperate-zone migrants) did not differ as much. Only two species of transient migrants had clear affinities for floodplain forest, and none had an affinity for upland forest, whereas most locally breeding migrants had an affinity for either upland or floodplain forest. Within each spring, however, detections of transient neotropical migrants shifted from being greater in floodplain to greater in upland forests. This intraseasonal shift may be related to the phenology of certain tree species.

Stumpage market integration in western national forests

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Jean M. Daniels

2011-01-01

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...

Approaches to restoration of oak forests on farmed lowlands of the Mississippi River and its tributaries

Science.gov (United States)

Emile S. Gardiner; Daniel C. Dey; John A. Stanturf; Brian Roy. Lockhart

2010-01-01

The lowlands associated with the Mississippi River and its tributaries historically supported extensive broadleaf forests that were particularly rich in oak (Quercus spp.) species. Beginning in the 1700s, deforestation for agriculture substantially reduced the extent of the original forest, and fragmented the remainder into small parcels. More...

Mapping Forest Biomass Using Remote Sensing and National Forest Inventory in China

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Ling Du

2014-06-01

Full Text Available Quantifying the spatial pattern of large-scale forest biomass can provide a general picture of the carbon stocks within a region and is of great scientific and political importance. The combination of the advantages of remote sensing data and field survey data can reduce uncertainty as well as demonstrate the spatial distribution of forest biomass. In this study, the seventh national forest inventory statistics (for the period 2004–2008 and the spatially explicit MODIS Land Cover Type product (MCD12C1 were used together to quantitatively estimate the spatially-explicit distribution of forest biomass in China (with a resolution of 0.05°, ~5600 m. Our study demonstrated that the calibrated forest cover proportion maps allow proportionate downscaling of regional forest biomass statistics to forest cover pixels to produce a relatively fine-resolution biomass map. The total stock of forest biomass in China was 11.9 Pg with an average of 76.3 Mg ha−1 during the study period; the high values were located in mountain ranges in northeast, southwest and southeast China and were strongly correlated with forest age and forest density.

Standing crop and aboveground biomass partitioning of a dwarf mangrove forest in Taylor River Slough, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Coronado-Molina, C.; Day, J.W.; Reyes, E.; Perez, B.C.

2004-01-01

The structure and standing crop biomass of a dwarf mangrove forest, located in the salinity transition zone ofTaylor River Slough in the Everglades National Park, were studied. Although the four mangrove species reported for Florida occurred at the study site, dwarf Rhizophora mangle trees dominated the forest. The structural characteristics of the mangrove forest were relatively simple: tree height varied from 0.9 to 1.2 meters, and tree density ranged from 7062 to 23 778 stems haa??1. An allometric relationship was developed to estimate leaf, branch, prop root, and total aboveground biomass of dwarf Rhizophora mangle trees. Total aboveground biomass and their components were best estimated as a power function of the crown area times number of prop roots as an independent variable (Y = B ?? Xa??0.5083). The allometric equation for each tree component was highly significant (pRhizophora mangle contributed 85% of total standing crop biomass. Conocarpus erectus, Laguncularia racemosa, and Avicennia germinans contributed the remaining biomass. Average aboveground biomass allocation was 69% for prop roots, 25% for stem and branches, and 6% for leaves. This aboveground biomass partitioning pattern, which gives a major role to prop roots that have the potential to produce an extensive root system, may be an important biological strategy in response to low phosphorus availability and relatively reduced soils that characterize mangrove forests in South Florida.

Japanese national forest inventory and its spatial extension by remote sensing

Science.gov (United States)

Yasumasa Hirata; Mitsuo Matsumoto; Toshiro Iehara

2009-01-01

Japan has two independent forest inventory systems. One forest inventory is required by the forest planning system based on the Forest Law, in which forest registers and forest planning maps are prepared. The other system is a forest resource monitoring survey, in which systematic sampling is done at 4-km grid intervals. Here, we present these national forest inventory...

Building National Capacity To Implement National Forest Monitoring System In Africa By GLAD

Science.gov (United States)

Lola Amani, P. K.

2017-12-01

Earth Observation data provide numerous information on the earth and its phenomena from space/satellite. They also offer the ability to compile and analyze information at global or local scales in a timely manner. However, to use them, it is important to develop methods that can enable the extraction of the desired information. Such methods should be robust and consistent enough to be considered for national monitoring systems. At the University of Maryland, the Global Land Analysis and Discovery (GLAD) Laboratory, led by Dr. Hansen, has developed automatic methods using Landsat data that have been applied for the Global Forest Change (GFC) in collaboration with the World Resources Institute (WRI), Google and others to providing information on tree cover loss throughout the global on a yearly basis, and on a daily basis a tree cover loss alert system to improve transparency and accessible at GFW Initiative (Global Forest Watch) website. Following the increasing interest in utilizing the GFC data, the GLAD Laboratory is working closely with national governments of different countries to reinforce their capacities in using the data in the best way and implementing the methodological framework for supporting their national forest monitoring, notification, and reporting (MNV) system. More precisely, the Lab supports step by step the countries in developing their reference emission levels and/or forest reference levels based on the country-specific needs, goals, and requirements, including the definition of the forest. Once in place, the methodology can easily be extended to different applications, such as monitoring the droughts events, etc. Here, we present the work accomplished with the national agencies of some countries in Africa, like Cameroon, Republic of Congo and Madagascar with the support of the Silva-Carbon and USAID-CARPE Programs and WRI. These countries are mainly engaged at different levels of the REDD+ process. Keywords: Earth Observation, Landsat data

A method for explaining trends in river recreation demand

Science.gov (United States)

George L. Peterson; David W. Lime; Dorothy H. Anderson

1980-01-01

Data being collected by The National River Recreation Study (NRRS) (U.S. Forest Service, St. Paul) includes origin-destination information for recreational visits to a variety of rivers nationwide. Such data are being collected over several years during a time of rapidly changing energy costs, economic conditions and consumer attitudes. This presents an opportunity to...

Geochemical survey maps of the wildernesses and roadless areas in the White Mountains National Forest, Coos, Grafton, and Carroll counties, New Hampshire

Science.gov (United States)

Canney, F.C.; Howd, F.H.; Domenico, J.A.; Nakagawa, H.M.

1987-01-01

The Wilderness Act (Public Law 88-577, September 3, 1964) and related acts require the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Bureau of Mines to survey certain areas on Federal lands to determine what mineral values, if any, may be present. Results must be made available to the public and be submitted to the President and the Congress. This report presents the results a geochemical survey of the Great Gulf and Presidential Range-Dry River Wilderness Areas; the Dartmouth Range, Wild River, Pemigewasset, Kinsman Mountain, Mount Wolf-Gordon Pond, Jobildunk, Carr Mountain, Sandwich Range, and the Dry River Extention (2 parcels) Roadless Areas; and the intervening and immediately surrounding areas in the White Mountain National Forest, Coos, Grafton, and Carroll Counties, New Hampshire. The Great Gulf Wilderness was established when the Wilderness Act was passed in 1964, and the Presidential Range-Dray Wiver Wilderness was established by Public Law 93-622, January 3, 1975. The Dartmouth Range, Wild River, Pemigewasset, Kinsman Mountain, Mount Wolf-Gordon Pond, Carr Mountain, and Jobildunk areas were classified as a further planning area during the Second Roadless Area Review and Evaluation (RARE II) by the U.S. Forest Service, January 1979.

The multi-objective Spanish National Forest Inventory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iciar Alberdi

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: To present the evolution of the current multi-objective Spanish National Forest Inventory (SNFI through the assessment of different key indicators on challenging areas of the forestry sector. Area of study: Using information from the Second, Third and Fourth SNFI, this work provides case studies in Navarra, La Rioja, Galicia and Balearic Island regions and at national Spanish scale. Material and methods: These case studies present an estimation of reference values for dead wood by forest types, diameter-age modeling for Populus alba and Populus nigra  in riparian forest, the invasiveness of alien species and the invasibility of forest types, herbivore preferences and effects on trees and shrub species, the methodology for estimating cork production , and the combination of SNFI4 information and Airborne Laser Scanning datasets with the aim of updating forest-fire behavior assessment information with a high degree of accuracy. Main results: The results show the suitability and feasibility of the proposed methodologies to estimate the indicators using SNFI data with the exception of the estimation of cork production. In this case, additional field variables were suggested in order to obtain robust estimates. Research highlights: By broadening the variables recorded, the SNFI has become an even more important source of forest information for the development of support tools for decision-making and assessment in diverse strategic fields such as those analyzed in this study.

Forest health monitoring in the United States: focus on national reports

Science.gov (United States)

Kurt Riitters; Kevin Potter

2013-01-01

The health and sustainability of United States forests have been monitored for many years from several different perspectives. The national Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) Program was established in 1990 by Federal and State agencies to develop a national system for monitoring and reporting on the status and trends of forest ecosystem health. We describe and illustrate...

Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) Report : Oleson Tracts of the Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge, 2001-2002 Technical Report.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Allard, Donna; Smith, maureen; Schmidt, Peter

2004-09-01

Located in the northern Willamette River basin, Tualatin River National Wildlife Refuge (Refuge) was established in 1992 with an approved acquisition boundary to accommodate willing sellers with potentially restorable holdings within the Tualatin River floodplain. The Refuge's floodplain of seasonal and emergent wetlands, Oregon ash riparian hardwood, riparian shrub, coniferous forest, and Garry oak communities are representative of remnant plant communities historically common in the Willamette River valley and offer an opportunity to compensate for wildlife habitat losses associated with the Willamette River basin federal hydroelectric projects. The purchase of the Oleson Units as additions to the Refuge using Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) funds will partially mitigate for wildlife habitat and target species losses incurred as a result of construction and inundation activities at Dexter and Detroit Dams. Lands acquired for mitigation of Federal Columbia River Power System (FCRPS) impacts to wildlife are evaluated using the Habitat Evaluation Procedures (HEP) methodology, which quantifies how many Habitat Units (HUs) are to be credited to BPA. HUs or credits gained lessen BPA's debt, which was formally tabulated in the FCRPS Loss Assessments and adopted as part of the Northwest Power and Conservation Council's Fish and Wildlife Program as a BPA obligation (NWPCC, 1994 and 2000). There are two basic management scenarios to consider for this evaluation: (1) Habitats can be managed without restoration activities to benefit wildlife populations, or (2) Habitats can be restored using a number of techniques to improve habitat values more quickly. Without restoration, upland and wetland areas may be periodically mowed and disced to prevent invasion of exotic vegetation, volunteer trees and shrubs may grow to expand forested areas, and cooperative farming may be employed to provide forage for migrating and wintering waterfowl. Abandoned cropland

75 FR 48359 - Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission: Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-10

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Blackstone River Valley National Heritage..., United States Code, that a meeting of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage..., Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission, One Depot Square, Woonsocket, RI 02895, Tel...

Preliminary inventory and classification of indigenous afromontane forests on the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve, Mpumalanga, South Africa

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Beck Hans T

2004-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Mixed evergreen forests form the smallest, most widely distributed and fragmented biome in southern Africa. Within South Africa, 44% of this vegetation type has been transformed. Afromontane forest only covers 0.56 % of South Africa, yet it contains 5.35% of South Africa's plant species. Prior to this investigation of the indigenous forests on the Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve (BRCNR, very little was known about the size, floristic composition and conservation status of the forest biome conserved within the reserve. We report here an inventory of the forest size, fragmentation, species composition and the basic floristic communities along environmental gradients. Results A total of 2111 ha of forest occurs on Blyde River Canyon Nature Reserve. The forest is fragmented, with a total of 60 forest patches recorded, varying from 0.21 ha to 567 ha in size. On average, patch size was 23 ha. Two forest communities – high altitude moist afromontane forest and low altitude dry afromontane forest – are identified. Sub-communities are recognized based on canopy development and slope, respectively. An altitudinal gradient accounts for most of the variation within the forest communities. Conclusion BRCNR has a fragmented network of small forest patches that together make up 7.3% of the reserve's surface area. These forest patches host a variety of forest-dependent trees, including some species considered rare, insufficiently known, or listed under the Red Data List of South African Plants. The fragmented nature of the relatively small forest patches accentuates the need for careful fire management and stringent alien plant control.

75 FR 17756 - Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission: Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-07

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Blackstone River Valley National Heritage..., United States Code, that a meeting of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage... the meeting to: Jan H. Reitsma, Executive Director, John H. Chafee, Blackstone River Valley National...

Estimation of forest resources from a country wide laser scanning survey and national forest inventory data

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nord-Larsen, Thomas; Schumacher, Johannes

2012-01-01

Airborne laser scanning may provide a means for assessing local forest biomass resources. In this study, national forest inventory (NFI) data was used as reference data for modeling forest basal area, volume, aboveground biomass, and total biomass from laser scanning data obtained in a countrywid...

LBA-ECO CD-10 Forest Litter Data for km 67 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set contains a single text file which reports litter type and mass in the old-growth upland forest at the Para Western (Santarem) - km 67, Primary Forest...

Assessing the Potential for Renewable Energy on National Forest System Lands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2005-01-01

This technical report and CD for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service (USFS), evaluates the potential for renewable energy resource development on National Forest System (NFS) lands. USFS can use the report findings to consider potential for development of solar and wind energy resources on NFS lands, in land management decisions. The Geographical Information System (GIS) based analysis resulted in the following findings: (1) Ninety-nine National Forest Units have high potential for power production from one or more of these solar and wind energy sources; and (2) Twenty National Forest Units in nine states have high potential for power production from two or more of these solar and wind energy sources.

75 FR 45089 - Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Oregon; Motorized Vehicle Use on the Rogue River-Siskiyou...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-02

... include access to private property, a mining claim or a communication site. In June 2007, the Forest... individuals, groups and neighboring land management agencies to gather information for the project. The Forest.... Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Environmental Review A Draft SEIS will be prepared...

A reconnaissance of the effects of a forest fire on water quality in Kings Canyon National Park, California

Science.gov (United States)

Hoffman, Ray J.; Ferreira, Rodger F.

1976-01-01

Following two forest fires in the Roaring River drainage basin, Kings Canyon National Park, Calif., water samples were collected from May to July 1974 to determine water-quality changes resulting from the fires. Field measurements included alkalinity , pH, specific conductance, temperature, and discharge. Samples were analyzed in the laboratory for major dissolved chemical constituents, selected plant nutrients, trace metals, suspended sediment, total organic carbon, and seston. Periphytic algae and benthic invertebrate samples were collected. A noticeable increase in the concentration of nitrogen was found in Roaring River immediately downstream from the Moraine Creek fire. The increase in the concentration of inorganic nitrogen compounds, however, was not great enough to pose a serious threat to the aquatic ecosystem. High total organic nitrogen concentrations may have been due, in part, to factors other than the effect of fire. The results of other water-quality measurements were typical of dilute Sierra Nevada streams and indicate that Roaring River was not adversely affected by the fires. (Woodard-USGS)

Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site: Teacher's Guide.

Science.gov (United States)

National Park Service (Dept. of Interior), Washington, DC. National Register of Historic Places.

This guide provides history and social studies teachers, at all grade levels, with information and activities about the American Indians of the Northern Plains who lived in the area of the Knife River where it enters the Missouri River. Located in what is now North Dakota, this area is the Knife River Indian Villages National Historic Site. The…

The spatial distribution and temporal variation of desert riparian forests and their influencing factors in the downstream Heihe River basin, China

Science.gov (United States)

Ding, Jingyi; Zhao, Wenwu; Daryanto, Stefani; Wang, Lixin; Fan, Hao; Feng, Qiang; Wang, Yaping

2017-05-01

Desert riparian forests are the main restored vegetation community in Heihe River basin. They provide critical habitats and a variety of ecosystem services in this arid environment. Since desert riparian forests are also sensitive to disturbance, examining the spatial distribution and temporal variation of these forests and their influencing factors is important to determine the limiting factors of vegetation recovery after long-term restoration. In this study, field experiment and remote sensing data were used to determine the spatial distribution and temporal variation of desert riparian forests and their relationship with the environmental factors. We classified five types of vegetation communities at different distances from the river channel. Community coverage and diversity formed a bimodal pattern, peaking at the distances of 1000 and 3000 m from the river channel. In general, the temporal normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) trend from 2000 to 2014 was positive at different distances from the river channel, except for the region closest to the river bank (i.e. within 500 m from the river channel), which had been undergoing degradation since 2011. The spatial distribution of desert riparian forests was mainly influenced by the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties (e.g. soil moisture, bulk density and soil particle composition). Meanwhile, while the temporal variation of vegetation was affected by both the spatial heterogeneity of soil properties (e.g. soil moisture and soil particle composition) and to a lesser extent, the temporal variation of water availability (e.g. annual average and variability of groundwater, soil moisture and runoff). Since surface (0-30 cm) and deep (100-200 cm) soil moisture, bulk density and the annual average of soil moisture at 100 cm obtained from the remote sensing data were regarded as major determining factors of community distribution and temporal variation, conservation measures that protect the soil structure

Carbon uptake by mature Amazon forests has mitigated Amazon nations' carbon emissions.

Science.gov (United States)

Phillips, Oliver L; Brienen, Roel J W

2017-12-01

Several independent lines of evidence suggest that Amazon forests have provided a significant carbon sink service, and also that the Amazon carbon sink in intact, mature forests may now be threatened as a result of different processes. There has however been no work done to quantify non-land-use-change forest carbon fluxes on a national basis within Amazonia, or to place these national fluxes and their possible changes in the context of the major anthropogenic carbon fluxes in the region. Here we present a first attempt to interpret results from ground-based monitoring of mature forest carbon fluxes in a biogeographically, politically, and temporally differentiated way. Specifically, using results from a large long-term network of forest plots, we estimate the Amazon biomass carbon balance over the last three decades for the different regions and nine nations of Amazonia, and evaluate the magnitude and trajectory of these differentiated balances in relation to major national anthropogenic carbon emissions. The sink of carbon into mature forests has been remarkably geographically ubiquitous across Amazonia, being substantial and persistent in each of the five biogeographic regions within Amazonia. Between 1980 and 2010, it has more than mitigated the fossil fuel emissions of every single national economy, except that of Venezuela. For most nations (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, French Guiana, Guyana, Peru, Suriname) the sink has probably additionally mitigated all anthropogenic carbon emissions due to Amazon deforestation and other land use change. While the sink has weakened in some regions since 2000, our analysis suggests that Amazon nations which are able to conserve large areas of natural and semi-natural landscape still contribute globally-significant carbon sequestration. Mature forests across all of Amazonia have contributed significantly to mitigating climate change for decades. Yet Amazon nations have not directly benefited from providing this global scale

Aspen Characteristics - Plumas National Forest [ds373

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — The database represents point locations and associated stand assessment data collected within aspen stands in the Plumas National Forest, Beckwourth Ranger District...

Aspen Characteristics - Klamath National Forest [ds369

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — The database represents point locations and associated stand assessment data collected with known aspen stands in the Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County,...

Strategies for job creation through national forest management

Science.gov (United States)

Susan Charnley

2014-01-01

This chapter explores the ways in which national forest managers may contribute to community well-being by designing projects that accomplish forest management in ways that not only meet their ecological goals, but also create economic opportunities for nearby communities. The chapter summarizes a number of strategies for enhancing the economic benefits to communities...

Aspen Delineation - Inyo National Forest [ds366

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — The database represents delineations of known aspen stands where aspen assessments were collected in the Inyo National Forest, Inyo County, California. The Inyo...

76 FR 80875 - Los Padres National Forest: California; Environmental Impact Statement for the Removal of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-27

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Los Padres National Forest: California; Environmental Impact Statement for the Removal of the Noxious Weed Tamarisk on the Los Padres National Forest AGENCY... USDA, Forest Service, Los Padres National Forest, gives notice of intent to conduct analysis and...

The Finnish multisource national forest inventory: small-area estimation and map production

Science.gov (United States)

Erkki Tomppo

2009-01-01

A driving force motivating development of the multisource national forest inventory (MS-NFI) in connection with the Finnish national forest inventory (NFI) was the desire to obtain forest resource information for smaller areas than is possible using field data only without significantly increasing the cost of the inventory. A basic requirement for the method was that...

Economics of forest and forest carbon projects. Translating lessons learned into national REDD+ implementation

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Zaballa Romero, Mauricio Ernesto; Trærup, Sara Lærke Meltofte; Wieben, Emilie

The financial implications of implementing a new forest management paradigm have not been well understood and have often been underestimated. Resource needs for e.g., stakeholder consultation, capacity building and addressing the political economy are seldom fully accounted for in the resource...... but also the testing of advanced market commitments as a finance option for sustainable forest management. The findings in the report underline the fact that only through sound and transparent financial information will forest projects and national forest initiatives become interesting for private...... needs estimates put forward in connection to REDD+. This report investigates the economics of implementing forest and REDD+ projects through eight case studies from Africa, Latin America and Asia, analyzing real forest and REDD+ investments. The report is part of efforts to share financial experiences...

36 CFR 261.12 - National Forest System roads and trails.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... and trails. 261.12 Section 261.12 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE PROHIBITIONS General Prohibitions § 261.12 National Forest System roads and trails. The following... by a sign. (c) Damaging and leaving in a damaged condition any such road, trail, or segment thereof...

COMPLEX NETWORK SIMULATION OF FOREST NETWORK SPATIAL PATTERN IN PEARL RIVER DELTA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Zeng

2017-09-01

Full Text Available Forest network-construction uses for the method and model with the scale-free features of complex network theory based on random graph theory and dynamic network nodes which show a power-law distribution phenomenon. The model is suitable for ecological disturbance by larger ecological landscape Pearl River Delta consistent recovery. Remote sensing and GIS spatial data are available through the latest forest patches. A standard scale-free network node distribution model calculates the area of forest network’s power-law distribution parameter value size; The recent existing forest polygons which are defined as nodes can compute the network nodes decaying index value of the network’s degree distribution. The parameters of forest network are picked up then make a spatial transition to GIS real world models. Hence the connection is automatically generated by minimizing the ecological corridor by the least cost rule between the near nodes. Based on scale-free network node distribution requirements, select the number compared with less, a huge point of aggregation as a future forest planning network’s main node, and put them with the existing node sequence comparison. By this theory, the forest ecological projects in the past avoid being fragmented, scattered disorderly phenomena. The previous regular forest networks can be reduced the required forest planting costs by this method. For ecological restoration of tropical and subtropical in south China areas, it will provide an effective method for the forest entering city project guidance and demonstration with other ecological networks (water, climate network, etc. for networking a standard and base datum.

Mississippi National River and Recreation Area Water Trail Plan.

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-05

The Water Trail Plan describes the current conditions of and future plans for the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (NRRA), a 72-mile stretch of the Mississippi River running through the Twin Cities region of Minnesota. In 2012, the NRRA...

Raw data from the Italian National Forest Inventory are on-line and publicly available

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Borghetti M

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Raw data from the Italian National Forest Inventory are on-line and publicly available. The National Forest Service in cooperation with the Forest Monitoring and Management Research Unit of the Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA released the raw data from the National Inventory of Forests and forest Carbon pools - INFC2005 project, the second Italian national forest inventory. Data are available together with metadata information at http://www.inventarioforestale.org/. Users, after registration, can download data from 230.874 living tree stems, 16.472 dead tree stems, 31.083 stumps, from a total of 7.272 field plots (for 1.384 of them additional data on fine woody debris and soil carbon pools are also available.

Forest carbon accounting methods and the consequences of forest bioenergy for national greenhouse gas emissions inventories

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McKechnie, Jon; Colombo, Steve; MacLean, Heather L.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Forest carbon accounting influences the national GHG inventory impacts of bioenergy. • Current accounting rules may overlook forest carbon trade-offs of bioenergy. • Wood pellet trade risks creating an emissions burden for exporting countries. - Abstract: While bioenergy plays a key role in strategies for increasing renewable energy deployment, studies assessing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from forest bioenergy systems have identified a potential trade-off of the system with forest carbon stocks. Of particular importance to national GHG inventories is how trade-offs between forest carbon stocks and bioenergy production are accounted for within the Agriculture, Forestry and Other Land Use (AFOLU) sector under current and future international climate change mitigation agreements. Through a case study of electricity produced using wood pellets from harvested forest stands in Ontario, Canada, this study assesses the implications of forest carbon accounting approaches on net emissions attributable to pellets produced for domestic use or export. Particular emphasis is placed on the forest management reference level (FMRL) method, as it will be employed by most Annex I nations in the next Kyoto Protocol Commitment Period. While bioenergy production is found to reduce forest carbon sequestration, under the FMRL approach this trade-off may not be accounted for and thus not incur an accountable AFOLU-related emission, provided that total forest harvest remains at or below that defined under the FMRL baseline. In contrast, accounting for forest carbon trade-offs associated with harvest for bioenergy results in an increase in net GHG emissions (AFOLU and life cycle emissions) lasting 37 or 90 years (if displacing coal or natural gas combined cycle generation, respectively). AFOLU emissions calculated using the Gross-Net approach are dominated by legacy effects of past management and natural disturbance, indicating near-term net forest carbon increase but

Communicating old-growth forest management on the Allegheny National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Brad Nelson; Chris Nowak; Dave deCalesta; Steve Wingate

1997-01-01

Successful communication of old-growth management, including the role of silviculture, is achieved by integrating as a working whole the topics addressed in this workshop. We have used research, technology transfer and adaptive management to achieve this integration on the Allegheny National Forest. Program success depends on scientists and practitioners working...

VT Green Mountain National Forest - Long Trail and Appalachian Trail

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) GMNFTRAILS contains minor Forest Service roads and all trails within the proclamation boundary of the Green Mountain National Forest and many of...

Hydraulic characteristics of the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

Science.gov (United States)

Wiley, J.B.; Appel, David H.

1989-01-01

Traveltime, dispersion, water-surface and streambed profiles, and cross-section data were collected for use in application of flow and solute-transport models to the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia. Dye clouds subjected to increasing and decreasing flow rates (unsteady flow) showed that increasing flows shorten the cloud and decreasing flows lengthen the cloud. After the flow rate was changed and the flow was again steady, traveltime and dispersion characteristics were determined by the new rate of flow. Seven stage/streamflow relations identified the general changes of stream geometry throughout the study reach. Channel cross sections were estimated for model input. Low water and streambed profiles were developed from surveyed water surface elevations and water depths. (USGS)

How the eastern US National Forests were formed [Book review

Science.gov (United States)

Louis R. Iverson

2014-01-01

As a landscape ecologist conducting research on eastern forests for the US Forest Service (e.g., www.nrs.fs.fed.us/atlas), I was eager to learn about how the eastern National Forests came to be, as these forests now play such an important part of the natural world and provide a large carbon sink. The book did not disappoint and I'm confident that it will be...

Bat habitat use in White Mountain National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Rachel A. Krusic; Mariko Yamasaki; Christopher D. Neefus; Peter J. Pekins

1996-01-01

In 1992 and 1993, we surveyed the foraging and feeding activity of bat species with broadband bat detectors at 2 foliage heights in 4 age classes of northern hardwood and spruce/fir forest stands in White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire and Maine. The association of bat activity with trails and water bodies and the effect of elevation were measured. Mist nets,...

Fluvial sediment inputs to upland gravel bed rivers draining forested catchments: potential ecological impacts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. D. Marks

1997-01-01

Full Text Available As identified by the detailed long-term monitoring networks at Plynlimon, increased sediment supply to upland fluvial systems is often associated with forestry land-use and practice. Literature is reviewed, in the light of recent results from Plynlimon sediment studies, to enable identification of the potential ecological impacts of fluvial particulate inputs to upland gravel bed rivers draining forested catchments similar to the headwaters of the River Severn. Both sediment transport and deposition can have significant impacts upon aquatic vertebrates, invertebrates and plants.

Effectiveness of China's National Forest Protection Program and nature reserves.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Guopeng; Young, Stephen S; Wang, Lin; Wang, Wei; Long, Yongcheng; Wu, Ruidong; Li, Junsheng; Zhu, Jianguo; Yu, Douglas W

2015-10-01

There is profound interest in knowing the degree to which China's institutions are capable of protecting its natural forests and biodiversity in the face of economic and political change. China's 2 most important forest-protection policies are its National Forest Protection Program (NFPP) and its national-level nature reserves (NNRs). The NFPP was implemented in 2000 in response to deforestation-caused flooding. We undertook the first national, quantitative assessment of the NFPP and NNRs to examine whether the NFPP achieved its deforestation-reduction target and whether the NNRs deter deforestation altogether. We used MODIS data to estimate forest cover and loss across mainland China (2000-2010). We also assembled the first-ever polygon dataset for China's forested NNRs (n = 237, 74,030 km(2) in 2000) and used both conventional and covariate-matching approaches to compare deforestation rates inside and outside NNRs (2000-2010). In 2000, 1.765 million km(2) or 18.7% of mainland China was forested (12.3% with canopy cover of ≥70%)) or woodland (6.4% with canopy cover <70% and tree plus shrub cover ≥40%). By 2010, 480,203 km(2) of forest and woodland had been lost, an annual deforestation rate of 2.7%. Forest-only loss was 127,473 km(2) (1.05% annually). In the NFPP provinces, the forest-only loss rate was 0.62%, which was 3.3 times lower than in the non-NFPP provinces. Moreover, the Landsat data suggest that these loss rates are overestimates due to large MODIS pixel size. Thus, China appears to have achieved, and even exceeded, its target of reducing deforestation to 1.1% annually in the NFPP provinces. About two-thirds of China's NNRs were effective in protecting forest cover (prevented loss 4073 km(2) unmatched approach; 3148 km(2) matched approach), and within-NNR deforestation rates were higher in provinces with higher overall deforestation. Our results indicate that China's existing institutions can protect domestic forest cover. © 2015 The Authors

76 FR 65097 - National Forest Products Week, 2011

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-20

... National Forest Products Week, 2011 By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation America... access clean water and air, drive discovery as natural laboratories, and make our communities more... and preservation of these national treasures. Through the America's Great Outdoors Initiative, my...

Social assessment for the Colville National Forest CROP program.

Science.gov (United States)

Angela J. Findley; Matthew S. Carroll; Keith A. Blatner

2000-01-01

A qualitative social assessment targeted salient issues connected to the Colville National Forest creating opportunities (CROP) research program that examines forest management alternatives for small-diameter stands in northeastern Washington. Research spanned various communities in three counties and investigated the diversity of fundamental values people attach to...

Evaluation of the use of scientific information in developing the 1997 Forest plan for the Tongass National Forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Fred H. Everest; Douglas N. Swanston; Charles G. Shaw; Winston P. Smith; Kent R. Julin; Stewart D. Allen

1997-01-01

The Tongass National Forest is the largest remaining relatively unaltered coastal temperate rain forest in the world. The Forest consists of 16.9 million acres of land distributed across more that 22,000 islands and a narrow strip of mainland in southeast Alaska. The Forest contains abundant timber, wildlife, fisheries, mineral, and scenic resources. The authors...

Translating National Level Forest Service Goals to Local Level Land Management: Carbon Sequestration

Science.gov (United States)

McNulty, S.; Treasure, E.

2017-12-01

The USDA Forest Service has many national level policies related to multiple use management. However, translating national policy to stand level forest management can be difficult. As an example of how a national policy can be put into action, we examined three case studies in which a desired future condition is evaluated at the national, region and local scale. We chose to use carbon sequestration as the desired future condition because climate change has become a major area of concern during the last decade. Several studies have determined that the 193 million acres of US national forest land currently sequester 11% to 15% of the total carbon emitted as a nation. This paper provides a framework by which national scale strategies for maintaining or enhancing forest carbon sequestration is translated through regional considerations and local constraints in adaptive management practices. Although this framework used the carbon sequestration as a case study, this framework could be used with other national level priorities such as the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) or the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Utilizing Forest Inventory and Analysis Data, Remote Sensing, and Ecosystem Models for National Forest System Carbon Assessments

Science.gov (United States)

Alexa J. Dugan; Richard A. Birdsey; Sean P. Healey; Christopher Woodall; Fangmin Zhang; Jing M. Chen; Alexander Hernandez; James B. McCarter

2015-01-01

Forested lands, representing the largest terrestrial carbon sink in the United States, offset 16% of total U.S. carbon dioxide emissions through carbon sequestration. Meanwhile, this carbon sink is threatened by deforestation, climate change and natural disturbances. As a result, U.S. Forest Service policies require that National Forests assess baseline carbon stocks...

Economics of forest and forest carbon projects. Translating lessons learned into national REDD+ implementation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zaballa Romero, M.; Traerup, S.; Wieben, E.; Ravnkilde Moeller, L.; Koch, A.

2013-01-15

The financial implications of implementing a new forest management paradigm have not been well understood and have often been underestimated. Resource needs for e.g., stakeholder consultation, capacity building and addressing the political economy are seldom fully accounted for in the resource needs estimates put forward in connection to REDD+. This report investigates the economics of implementing forest and REDD+ projects through eight case studies from Africa, Latin America and Asia, analyzing real forest and REDD+ investments. The report is part of efforts to share financial experiences and lessons learned with policymakers, project developers and stakeholders, with the objective to inform forest project and strategy development. It presents experiences and advice on the risks, costs and revenues of forest projects, thereby informing not only the development of future REDD+ initiatives but also the testing of advanced market commitments as a finance option for sustainable forest management. The findings in the report underline the fact that only through sound and transparent financial information will forest projects and national forest initiatives become interesting for private financial institutions and comparable with other investment opportunities. It is therefore important to include robust analysis of the operations business case and its financial attractiveness to commercial investors, early in the design process. As for the economics of forest and forest carbon projects, it appears that REDD+ payments alone, especially at current prices, will not deliver the revenues that cover all expenses of transparent and long-term mitigation of forest carbon emissions. Instead the findings underline the importance of building up forest operations which effectively manages risk and delivers several revenue streams. These findings are aligned with the advocacy efforts of UNEP and the UN-REDD Programme on multiple benefits and the combination of various funding and

Controls on the size and occurrence of pools in coarse-grained forest rivers

Science.gov (United States)

John M. Buffington; Thomas E. Lisle; Richard D. Woodsmith; Sue Hilton

2002-01-01

Controls on pool formation are examined in gravel- and cobble-bed rivers in forest mountain drainage basins of northern California, southern Oregon, and southeastern Alaska. We demonstrate that the majority of pools at our study sites are formed by flow obstructions and that pool geometry and frequency largely depend on obstruction characteristics (size, type, and...

Photo series for quantifying forest residues in managed lands of the Medicine Bow National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

John B. Popp; John E. Lundquist

2006-01-01

This photo series presents a visual representation of a range of fuel loading conditions specifically found on the Medicine Bow National Forest. The photos are grouped by forest type and past management practices. This field guide describes the distribution of different types of woody fuels and includes some vegetation data.

Motivations for recreating on farmlands, private forests, and state or national parks.

Science.gov (United States)

Sotomayor, Sandra; Barbieri, Carla; Wilhelm Stanis, Sonja; Aguilar, Francisco X; Smith, Jordan W

2014-07-01

This study explores the importance of different motivations to visit three types of recreational settings--farms, private forests, and state or national parks. Data were collected via a mail-back questionnaire administered to a stratified random sample of households in Missouri (USA). Descriptive and inferential statistics reveal both similarities and discontinuities in motivations for visiting farms, private forests, and state or national parks for recreation. Being with family, viewing natural scenery, and enjoying the smells and sounds of nature were all highly important motivations for visiting the three types of settings. However, all 15 motivations examined were perceived to be significantly more important for visits to state or national parks than to farms or private forests. Findings suggest that individuals are more strongly motivated to recreate at state and national parks relative to farmlands or forests. Post hoc paired t tests comparing motivations between both agricultural settings (farms and private forests) revealed significant differences in eight different recreational motivations. Individuals tended to place more importance on the ability to use equipment and test their skills when considering recreating on private forests. Conversely, social motivations (e.g., doing something with the family) were more important when individuals were considering recreating on farmland. Collectively, the findings suggest individuals expect distinctly different outcomes from their visits to farmlands, private forests, or state or national parks. Consequently, all three types of recreational settings have competitive advantages that their managers could capitalize on when making decisions about how to attract new visitors or produce the most desirable experiences for current recreationists.

43 CFR 19.8 - Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-01

... patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness. 19.8 Section 19.8 Public Lands: Interior... § 19.8 Prospecting, mineral locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest... locations, mineral patents, and mineral leasing within National Forest Wilderness are contained in parts...

Location and description of transects for ecological studies in floodplain forests of the lower Suwannee River, Florida

Science.gov (United States)

Lewis, L.J.; Light, H.M.; Darst, M.R.

2001-01-01

Twelve transects were established in floodplain forests along the lower Suwannee River, Florida, as the principal data collection sites for a comprehensive study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey and the Suwannee River Water Management District from 1996 to 2001. Data collected along the 12 transects included hydrologic conditions, land-surface elevations, soils, and vegetation of floodplain forests in relation to river flow. Transect locations are marked in the field with permanent markers at approximately 30 meter intervals. Detailed descriptions of the 12 transects and their locations are provided so that they can be used for future ecological studies. Descriptions of the transects include contact information necessary for access to the property on which the transects are located, maps showing transect locations and routes from the nearest city or major road, small scale maps of each transect showing marker locations, latitude and longitude of each marker, compass bearings of each transect line and graphs showing land-surface elevations of the transect with marker locations.

76 FR 81911 - National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-29

...; and 7. Offer recommendations for integrating the land management planning process with landscape scale... National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule AGENCY: USDA Forest Service. ACTION: Notice of intent... Management Planning Rule (Committee). In accordance with provisions of the Federal Advisory Committee Act...

Hydrologic Connectivity Estimated throughout the Nation's River Corridors

Science.gov (United States)

Harvey, J. W.; Gomez-Velez, J. D.

2015-12-01

Hydrologic connectivity is a key concept that integrates longitudinal transport in rivers with vertical and lateral exchanges between rivers and hyporheic zones, riparian wetlands, floodplains, and ponded aquatic ecosystems. Desirable levels of connectivity are thought to be associated with rivers that are well-connected longitudinally while also being well connected vertically and laterally with marginal waters where carbon and nutrients are efficiently transformed, and where aquatic organisms feed, or are reared, or take refuge during floods. But what is the proper balance between longitudinal and vertical and lateral connectivity? We took a step towards quantifying hydrologic connectivity using the model NEXSS (Gomez-Velez and Harvey, 2014, GRL) applied throughout the nation's rivers. NEXSS simulates vertical and lateral connectivity and compares it with longitudinal transport along the river's main axis. It uses as inputs measured network topology for first to eighth order channels, river hydraulic geometry, sediment grain size, bedform types and sizes, estimated hydraulic conductivity of sediments, and estimates of reaction rates such as denitrification. Results indicate that hyporheic flow is large enough to exchange a river's entire volume many times within a river network, which increases biogeochemical opportunities for nutrient processing and attenuation of contaminants. Also, the analysis demonstrated why and where (i.e., in which physiographic regions of the nation) are hyporheic flow and solute reactions the greatest. The cumulative influence of hydrologic connectivity on water quality is expressed by a dimensionless index of reaction significance. Our quantification of hydrologic connectivity adds a physical basis that supports water quality modeling, and also supports scientifically based prioritization of management actions (e.g. stream restoration) and may support other types of actions (e.g. legislative actions) to help conserve healthy functional

Spatially explicit analysis of field inventories for national forest carbon monitoring

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

David C. Marvin

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Tropical forests provide a crucial carbon sink for a sizable portion of annual global CO2 emissions. Policies that incentivize tropical forest conservation by monetizing forest carbon ultimately depend on accurate estimates of national carbon stocks, which are often based on field inventory sampling. As an exercise to understand the limitations of field inventory sampling, we tested whether two common field-plot sampling approaches could accurately estimate carbon stocks across approximately 76 million ha of Perúvian forests. A 1-ha resolution LiDAR-based map of carbon stocks was used as a model of the country’s carbon geography. Results Both field inventory sampling approaches worked well in estimating total national carbon stocks, almost always falling within 10 % of the model national total. However, the sampling approaches were unable to produce accurate spatially-explicit estimates of the carbon geography of Perú, with estimates falling within 10 % of the model carbon geography across no more than 44 % of the country. We did not find any associations between carbon stock errors from the field plot estimates and six different environmental variables. Conclusions Field inventory plot sampling does not provide accurate carbon geography for a tropical country with wide ranging environmental gradients such as Perú. The lack of association between estimated carbon errors and environmental variables suggests field inventory sampling results from other nations would not differ from those reported here. Tropical forest nations should understand the risks associated with primarily field-based sampling approaches, and consider alternatives leading to more effective forest conservation and climate change mitigation.

Paths more traveled: Predicting future recreation pressures on America’s national forests and grasslands - a Forests on the Edge report

Science.gov (United States)

Donald B. K. English; Pam Froemke; Kathleen Hawkos

2014-01-01

Populations near many national forests and grasslands are rising and are outpacing growth elsewhere in the United States. We used National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) data and U.S. census data to examine growth in population and locally based recreation visits within 50 and 100 miles of National Forest System (NFS) boundaries. From 1990 to 2010, the population living...

An Experience of Statistical Method Application in Forest Survey at Angara River Region in 1932

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

L. N. Vashchuk

2014-10-01

Full Text Available Report of the Angara forest economic expedition of forest economic survey in 1932 on the left bank of the Angara River has been found. The survey covered a part of Krasnoyarsk Territory and Irkutsk region, a total area of 18641.8 thousand ha. The report describes technology of forest inventory and achievements that have not previously been published. The survey was conducted by statistical method, which consisted of a sample by a continuous forest inventory enumeration of trees on sample plots (SP, arranged in an array on a particular system, followed by mathematical-statistical recalculation of the sample results to the entire survey. To do this, strip finders (sights were cut in the latitudinal direction at a distance from one another at 16 km. On the hacked sights, by every 2 km, 0.1 ha (10 × 100 m SP were established. In total 32 forest inventory sights were hacked, with total length of 9931 km, which incorporated 4817 SP. The accuracy of forest resources’ inventory characteristics determining also was investigated using smaller sample plots. For this purpose, each of the SP were cut to smaller area of 0.01 ha (10 × 10 m, where independent continuous enumeration of trees was conducted, andsample trees were cut, measured and bucked to the assortments, to explore the tree stand assortment structure. At each «sample cutting area» all the trees were felled out from 44 cm and above DBH. At half of the sample plot with 5 × 10 m size, located in the eastern end, all the trees were felled out and measured from 24 cm and above DBH. Every four «sample cutting area» in the fifth, all the trees with 12 cm and above DBH were cut down and measured. According to the results of the work, a detailed description of forest resources in the whole Angara river basin, and across 17 forest exploitation areas was completed.

78 FR 23491 - National Forest System Land Management Planning; Correction

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-19

... Management Planning; Correction AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Correcting amendment. SUMMARY: This..., revising, and monitoring land management plans (the planning rule). The National Forest Management Act... Land Management Planning Rule Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement of January 2012. List...

LBA-ECO CD-04 Dendrometry, km 83 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest, Brazil

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — A dendrometry study was conducted at the logged forest tower site, km 83 site, Tapajos National Forest, Para, Brazil over a period of 4 years following the...

Strontium concentrations and isotope ratios in a forest-river system in the South Qinling Mts., China.

Science.gov (United States)

Bu, Hongmei; Song, Xianfang; Zhang, Quanfa; Burford, Michele A

2016-04-15

The concentrations of dissolved strontium (Sr) and isotope ratios ((87)Sr/(86)Sr) in rainwater, river water, and water from forest soil are measured to investigate the contributions of these sources to a river during base flow conditions in the relatively pristine South Qinling Mountains, China. Dissolved Sr concentrations and (87)Sr/(86)Sr ratios vary significantly between different water types (p water samples including Ca(2+), Mg(2+), EC, and TDS (p water chemistry in the river water. Using the three-source mixing model, atmospheric inputs, carbonate, and silicate weathering contribute 74%, 20%, and 6% respectively to the dissolved Sr in the river water. This research has provided new insights into the contribution of sources of Sr to a river system in a mountainous catchment. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Use of Current 2010 Forest Disturbance Monitoring Products for the Conterminous United States in Aiding a National Forest Threat Early Warning System

Science.gov (United States)

Spruce, Joseph P.; Hargrove, William; Gasser, J.; Smoot, J.; Kuper, P.

2010-01-01

This presentation discusses contributions of near real time (NRT) MODIS forest disturbance detection products for the conterminous United States to an emerging national forest threat early warning system (EWS). The latter is being developed by the USDA Forest Service s Eastern and Western Environmental Threat Centers with help from NASA Stennis Space Center and the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Building off work done in 2009, this national and regional forest disturbance detection and viewing capability of the EWS employs NRT MODIS NDVI data from the USGS eMODIS group and historical NDVI data from standard MOD13 products. Disturbance detection products are being computed for 24 day composites that are refreshed every 8 days. Products for 2010 include 42 dates of the 24 day composites. For each compositing date, we computed % change in forest maximum NDVI products for 2010 with respect to each of three historical baselines of 2009, 2007-2009, and 2003-2009,. The three baselines enable one to view potential current, recent, and longer term forest disturbances. A rainbow color table was applied to each forest change product so that potential disturbances (NDVI drops) were identified in hot color tones and growth (NDVI gains) in cold color tones. Example products were provided to end-users responsible for forest health monitoring at the Federal and State levels. Large patches of potential forest disturbances were validated based on comparisons with available reference data, including Landsat and field survey data. Products were posted on two internet mapping systems for US Forest Service internal and collaborator use. MODIS forest disturbance detection products were computed and posted for use in as little as 1 day after the last input date of the compositing period. Such products were useful for aiding aerial disturbance detection surveys and for assessing disturbance persistence on both inter- and intra-annual scales. Multiple 2010 forest disturbance events were

76 FR 56471 - Meeting of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-13

...] Meeting of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission AGENCY: National Heritage Corridor Commission, John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley, National Park Service... Advisory Committee Act, 5 U.S.C. Appendix, that the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National...

Aspen Delineation - Klamath National Forest, EUI [ds368

Data.gov (United States)

California Natural Resource Agency — The database represents delineations of known aspen stands where aspen assessments were collected in the Klamath National Forest, Siskiyou County, California. The...

Spatial scaling of core and dominant forest cover in the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River floodplains, USA

Science.gov (United States)

De Jager, Nathan R.; Rohweder, Jason J.

2011-01-01

Different organisms respond to spatial structure in different terms and across different spatial scales. As a consequence, efforts to reverse habitat loss and fragmentation through strategic habitat restoration ought to account for the different habitat density and scale requirements of various taxonomic groups. Here, we estimated the local density of floodplain forest surrounding each of ~20 million 10-m forested pixels of the Upper Mississippi and Illinois River floodplains by using moving windows of multiple sizes (1–100 ha). We further identified forest pixels that met two local density thresholds: 'core' forest pixels were nested in a 100% (unfragmented) forested window and 'dominant' forest pixels were those nested in a >60% forested window. Finally, we fit two scaling functions to declines in the proportion of forest cover meeting these criteria with increasing window length for 107 management-relevant focal areas: a power function (i.e. self-similar, fractal-like scaling) and an exponential decay function (fractal dimension depends on scale). The exponential decay function consistently explained more variation in changes to the proportion of forest meeting both the 'core' and 'dominant' criteria with increasing window length than did the power function, suggesting that elevation, soil type, hydrology, and human land use constrain these forest types to a limited range of scales. To examine these scales, we transformed the decay constants to measures of the distance at which the probability of forest meeting the 'core' and 'dominant' criteria was cut in half (S 1/2, m). S 1/2 for core forest was typically between ~55 and ~95 m depending on location along the river, indicating that core forest cover is restricted to extremely fine scales. In contrast, half of all dominant forest cover was lost at scales that were typically between ~525 and 750 m, but S 1/2 was as long as 1,800 m. S 1/2 is a simple measure that (1) condenses information derived from multi

78 FR 68811 - National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-15

... following business will be conducted: 1. Present finalized recommendations; 2. Look back on what has been... National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of... Management Planning Rule will meet in Arlington, VA, on November 21, 2013. Attendees may also participate via...

77 FR 50985 - National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-23

... following business will be conducted: (1) Determine the scope and initial tasks of the committee, (2) ethics... National Forest System Land Management Planning Rule AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of... Management Planning Rule will meet in Washington, DC. The committee operates in compliance with the Federal...

Quantifying geomorphic controls on riparian forest dynamics using a linked physical-biological model: implications for river corridor conservation

Science.gov (United States)

Stella, J. C.; Harper, E. B.; Fremier, A. K.; Hayden, M. K.; Battles, J. J.

2009-12-01

In high-order alluvial river systems, physical factors of flooding and channel migration are particularly important drivers of riparian forest dynamics because they regulate habitat creation, resource fluxes of water, nutrients and light that are critical for growth, and mortality from fluvial disturbance. Predicting vegetation composition and dynamics at individual sites in this setting is challenging, both because of the stochastic nature of the flood regime and the spatial variability of flood events. Ecological models that correlate environmental factors with species’ occurrence and abundance (e.g., ’niche models’) often work well in infrequently-disturbed upland habitats, but are less useful in river corridors and other dynamic zones where environmental conditions fluctuate greatly and selection pressures on disturbance-adapted organisms are complex. In an effort to help conserve critical riparian forest habitat along the middle Sacramento River, CA, we are taking a mechanistic approach to quantify linkages between fluvial and biotic processes for Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), a keystone pioneer tree in dryland rivers ecosystems of the U.S. Southwest. To predict the corridor-wide population effects of projected changes to the disturbance regime from flow regulation, climate change, and landscape modifications, we have coupled a physical model of channel meandering with a patch-based population model that incorporates the climatic, hydrologic, and topographic factors critical for tree recruitment and survival. We employed these linked simulations to study the relative influence of the two most critical habitat types--point bars and abandoned channels--in sustaining the corridor-wide cottonwood population over a 175-year period. The physical model uses discharge data and channel planform to predict the spatial distribution of new habitat patches; the population model runs on top of this physical template to track tree colonization and survival on

Annual Forest Monitoring as part of Indonesia's National Carbon Accounting System

Science.gov (United States)

Kustiyo, K.; Roswintiarti, O.; Tjahjaningsih, A.; Dewanti, R.; Furby, S.; Wallace, J.

2015-04-01

Land use and forest change, in particular deforestation, have contributed the largest proportion of Indonesia's estimated greenhouse gas emissions. Indonesia's remaining forests store globally significant carbon stocks, as well as biodiversity values. In 2010, the Government of Indonesia entered into a REDD+ partnership. A spatially detailed monitoring and reporting system for forest change which is national and operating in Indonesia is required for participation in such programs, as well as for national policy reasons including Monitoring, Reporting, and Verification (MRV), carbon accounting, and land-use and policy information. Indonesia's National Carbon Accounting System (INCAS) has been designed to meet national and international policy requirements. The INCAS remote sensing program is producing spatially-detailed annual wall-to-wall monitoring of forest cover changes from time-series Landsat imagery for the whole of Indonesia from 2000 to the present day. Work on the program commenced in 2009, under the Indonesia-Australia Forest Carbon Partnership. A principal objective was to build an operational system in Indonesia through transfer of knowledge and experience, from Australia's National Carbon Accounting System, and adaptation of this experience to Indonesia's requirements and conditions. A semi-automated system of image pre-processing (ortho-rectification, calibration, cloud masking and mosaicing) and forest extent and change mapping (supervised classification of a 'base' year, semi-automated single-year classifications and classification within a multi-temporal probabilistic framework) was developed for Landsat 5 TM and Landsat 7 ETM+. Particular attention is paid to the accuracy of each step in the processing. With the advent of Landsat 8 data and parallel development of processing capability, capacity and international collaborations within the LAPAN Data Centre this processing is being increasingly automated. Research is continuing into improved

Trends in national forest values among forestry professionals, environmentalists, and the news media, 1982-1993

Science.gov (United States)

Zhi Xu; David N. Bengston

1997-01-01

This study empirically analyzes the evolution of national forest values in recent years. Four broad categories of forest values are distinguished: economic/utilitarian, life support, aesthetic, and moral/spiritual. A computerized content analysis procedure was developed to identify expressions of these four forest values related to the national forests. With this...

Biomass Carbon Sequestration Potential by Riparian Forest in the Tarim River Watershed, Northwest China: Implication for the Mitigation of Climate Change Impact

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tayierjiang Aishan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Carbon management in forests has become the most important agenda of the first half of the 21st century in China in the context of the mitigation of climate change impact. As the main producer of the inland river basin ecosystem in arid region of Northwest China, the desert riparian forest maintains the regional environment and also holds a great significance in regulating the regional/global carbon cycle. In this study, we estimated the total biomass, carbon storage, as well as monetary ecosystem service values of desert riparian Populus euphratica Oliv. in the lower reaches of the Tarim River based on terrestrial forest inventory data within an area of 100 ha (100 plots with sizes of 100 m × 100 m and digitized tree data within 1000 ha (with 10 m × 10 m grid using a statistical model of biomass estimation against tree height (TH and diameter at breast height (DBH data. Our results show that total estimated biomass and carbon storage of P. euphratica within the investigated area ranged from 3.00 to 4317.00 kg/ha and from 1.82 to 2158.73 kg/ha, respectively. There was a significant negative relationship (p < 0.001 between biomass productivity of these forests and distance to the river and groundwater level. Large proportions of biomass (64% of total biomass are estimated within 200 m distance to the river where groundwater is relatively favorable for vegetation growth and biomass production. However, our data demonstrated that total biomass showed a sharp decreasing trend with increasing distance to the river; above 800 m distance, less biomass and carbon storage were estimated. The total monetary value of the ecosystem service “carbon storage” provided by P. euphratica was estimated to be $6.8 × 104 USD within the investigated area, while the average monetary value was approximately $70 USD per ha, suggesting that the riparian forest ecosystem in the Tarim River Basin should be considered a relevant regional carbon sink. The findings of

Dynamics of Plains Cottonwood ( Populus deltoides) Forests and Historical Landscape Change along Unchannelized Segments of the Missouri River, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Dixon, Mark D.; Johnson, W. Carter; Scott, Michael L.; Bowen, Daniel E.; Rabbe, Lisa A.

2012-05-01

Construction of six large dams and reservoirs on the Missouri River over the last 50-75 years has resulted in major landscape changes and alterations in flow patterns, with implications for riparian forests dominated by plains cottonwood ( Populus deltoides). We quantified changes in land cover from 1892-1950s and the 1950s-2006 and the current extent and age structure of cottonwood forests on seven segments (two reservoir and five remnant floodplain) comprising 1127 km (53 %) of the unchannelized upper two-thirds of the Missouri River. Riparian forest area declined by 49 %; grassland 61 %; shrubland 52 %; and sandbar habitat 96 %; while agricultural cropland increased six-fold and river/reservoir surface area doubled from 1892 to 2006. Net rates of erosion and accretion declined between the 1892-1950s and 1950s-2006 periods. Accretion exceeded erosion on remnant floodplain segments, resulting in declines in active channel width, particularly in 1950s-2006. Across all study segments in 2006, most cottonwood stands (67 %) were >50 years old, 22 % were 25-50 years old, and only 10 % were <25 years old. Among stands <50 years old, the higher proportion of 25-50 year old stands represents recruitment that accompanied initial post-dam channel narrowing; while declines in sandbar and shrubland area and the low proportion of stands <25 years old suggest declines in geomorphic dynamism and limited recruitment under recent river management. Future conservation and restoration efforts should focus both on limiting further loss of remnant cottonwood stands and developing approaches to restore river dynamics and cottonwood recruitment processes.

The “Forest Fire Project”, National cartographic portal of the Italian Environmental Department: an example of management of cartographic data to support forest fires fighting plans in national parks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Petrucci B

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The “Forest Fire Project” on the National cartographic portal (http://www.pcn.minambiente.it has been created by the Italian Ministry of Environment Territory and Sea (METS. The project is intended to support forest fire fighting plans in national protected areas as provided for by article 8 of the law November 21th 2000, no. 353 “Framework law on forest fires”. The project brings out the results of previous projects carried out in collaboration with several research institutes. Cartographic information is made available as free and reliable knowledge base in order to facilitate the draw up and implementation of the “Forest Fire Plans”, including the actual activity of forest fire extinction. Map information can be further implemented by various subjects such as researchers, land planning programmers or managers. The National cartographic portal gives the opportunity of overlaying various cartographic information and base maps supporting the “Forest Fire Project”; moreover it is possible to add other layers from other sources, through URL. Adequate “personalised” overlaps - which can be saved on one’s own GIS - allow in depth analysis and deductions aimed at specific objectives of territorial planning and management and in particular of Forest Fire Fighting Plans.

Using Multi-Isotope Tracer Methods to Understand the Sources of Nitrate in Aerosols, Fog and River Water in Podocarpus National Forest, Ecuador

Science.gov (United States)

Brothers, L. A.; Dominguez, G.; Fabian, P.; Thiemens, M. H.

2008-12-01

The eastern slopes of the Andean rainforests of Ecuador possess some of the highest plant biodiversity found on the planet; however, these ecosystems are in jeopardy because region is experiences one of the highest deforestation rates in South America. This rainforest characterized by high acidity and low nutrient soils and experiences natural process which are both destabilizing and stabilizing to biodiversity rendering this a unique, though sensitive environment. There is increased concern that anthropogenic activities especially biomass burning are affecting the rainforests and could lead to higher extinction rates, changes in the biodiversity and far reaching effects on the global troposphere. Measurements of nitrate and sulfate in rain and fog water have shown periods of elevated concentrations in the Podocarpus National Park near Loja, Ecuador. These high episodes contribute to annual deposition rates that are comparable to polluted regions of North America and Europe. Significant anthropogenic sources such as large scale industry or a major city, near this forest are lacking. It is believed that the majority of the nitrate and sulfate pollution is due to the large amount of biomass burning during the dry season in the Amazon Basin. In recent years it has been shown that large amount of dust is transported across the Atlantic from Africa which reaches South America. Concentration measurements do not elucidate the source of high nitrate and sulfate pollution; however, by measuring all three stable isotopes of oxygen in nitrate and sulfate from fog and river water provides a new way to examine the impacts of biomass burning on the region. By using stable isotope techniques atmospheric nitrate and sulfate can be resolved from terrestrial sources. This provides a unique way to trace the contributions from the biomass burning and farming sources. Current research at the field station, Estación Científica San Francisco in the Podocarpus National Forest monitors

76 FR 36896 - Salmon-Challis National Forest, ID; Forestwide Invasive Plant Treatment Environmental Impact...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-23

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Salmon-Challis National Forest, ID; Forestwide Invasive... to the biological diversity and ecological integrity within and outside the Salmon-Challis National... loss of recreational opportunities. Within the 3,108,904 acres of the of the Salmon-Challis National...

Current Distributional Information on Freshwater Mussels (family Unionidae) in Mississippi National Forests

Science.gov (United States)

Wendell R. Haag; Melvin L. Warren

1995-01-01

Little is known about the distribution of freshwater mussels in Mississippi national forests. Review of the scant available information revealed that the national forests harbor a diverse mussel fauna of possibly 46 or more species (including confirmed, probable, and potential occurrences). Occurrence of 33 species is confirmed. Because of the geographic, physiographic...

Columbia River ESI: NWI (National Wetlands Inventory - Polygons)

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — This data set contains vector polygons representing the wetlands of Columbia River classified according to the Environmental Sensitivity Index (ESI) classification...

77 FR 13072 - Salmon-Challis National Forest, Butte, Custer and Lemhi Counties, ID, Supplemental Environmental...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-03-05

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Salmon-Challis National Forest, Butte, Custer and Lemhi Counties, ID, Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement to the 2009 Salmon- Challis National Forest... of intent to prepare a supplemental environmental impact statement. SUMMARY: The Salmon-Challis...

Landowner and visitor response to forest landscape restoration: the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Northeast Sands Project

Science.gov (United States)

Kristin Floress; Anna Haines; Emily Usher; Paul Gobster; Mike. Dockry

2018-01-01

This report is intended to support the ongoing pine barrens restoration on work in the Lakewood-Laona Ranger District on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF). The report provides the results from 2016 surveys and focus groups examining landowner and visitor attitudes toward forest management treatments, communication, and restoration project outcomes; their...

77 FR 30352 - Forest River, Inc., Denial of Petition for Decision of Inconsequential Noncompliance

Science.gov (United States)

2012-05-22

...: Forest River estimates that a total of approximately 2,741 model year 2009-2011 R-Pod model travel..., to exempt it from providing recall notification of noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C. 30118 and remedying the recall noncompliance as required by 49 U.S.C. 30120, should be granted. Comments The agency...

Influences on Prescribed Burning Activity and Costs in the National Forest System

Science.gov (United States)

David A. Cleaves; Jorge Martinez; Terry K. Haines

2000-01-01

The results of a survey concerning National Forest System prescribed burning activity and costs from 1985 to 1995 are examined. Ninety-five of one hundred and fourteen national forests responded. Acreage burned and costs for conducting burns are reported for four types of prescribed fires slash reduction; management-ignited fires; prescribed natural fires; and brush,...

VT Green Mountain National Forest Map - Northern Section

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) The BasemapOther_GMNFMAPN is a cartographic map product depicting the northern half of the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The paper map...

VT Green Mountain National Forest Map - Southern Section

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) The BasemapOther_GMNFMAPS is a cartographic map product depicting the southern half of the Green Mountain National Forest (GMNF). The paper map...

Management perceptions of off-highway vehicle use on national forest system lands in Appalachia

Science.gov (United States)

Katherine A. Thompson; Chad D. Pierskalla; Michael A. Schuett

2008-01-01

In 2005, the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) issued new standards for dealing with unmanaged recreation. All National Forest System units are to develop travel management plans by 2009. The purpose of this study was to determine differences in perceptions between USFS managers of national forests in Appalachia with low and high levels of offhighway vehicle (OHV) use...

National Scale Monitoring Reporting and Verification of Deforestation and Forest Degradation in Guyana

Science.gov (United States)

Bholanath, P.; Cort, K.

2015-04-01

Monitoring deforestation and forest degradation at national scale has been identified as a national priority under Guyana's REDD+ Programme. Based on Guyana's MRV (Monitoring Reporting and Verification) System Roadmap developed in 2009, Guyana sought to establish a comprehensive, national system to monitor, report and verify forest carbon emissions resulting from deforestation and forest degradation in Guyana. To date, four national annual assessments have been conducted: 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Monitoring of forest change in 2010 was completed with medium resolution imagery, mainly Landsat 5. In 2011, assessment was conducted using a combination of Landsat (5 and 7) and for the first time, 5m high resolution imagery, with RapidEye coverage for approximately half of Guyana where majority of land use changes were taking place. Forest change in 2013 was determined using high resolution imagery for the whole of Guyana. The current method is an automated-assisted process of careful systematic manual interpretation of satellite imagery to identify deforestation based on different drivers of change. The minimum mapping unit (MMU) for deforestation is 1 ha (Guyana's forest definition) and a country-specific definition of 0.25 ha for degradation. The total forested area of Guyana is estimated as 18.39 million hectares (ha). In 2012 as planned, Guyana's forest area was reevaluated using RapidEye 5 m imagery. Deforestation in 2013 is estimated at 12 733 ha which equates to a total deforestation rate of 0.068%. Significant progress was made in 2012 and 2013, in mapping forest degradation. The area of forest degradation as measured by interpretation of 5 m RapidEye satellite imagery in 2013 was 4 352 ha. All results are subject to accuracy assessment and independent third party verification.

Crime in woods: role of law enforcement officers in national forests

Science.gov (United States)

Joanne F. Tynon; Deborah J. Chavez; Joshua W. R. Baur

2010-01-01

This first nationwide study of US Forest Service (USFS) law enforcement officers (LEOs) examined respondents’ roles in the USFS, what they perceived as their highest work priority, and what their relationship with the rest of the USFS should be. Results show that LEOs believe they have a high priority for protecting forest users and they believe that National Forest...

Spatial Information Needs on the Fishlake National Forest: Can FIA Help?

Science.gov (United States)

Robert B., Jr. Campbell; Renee A. O' Brien

2005-01-01

National forest staff members are frequently challenged to make assessments with existing information. They rarely have the time or resources to go to the field to gather new data specific to the question at hand. Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data have proved useful in the past, but there is an increasing need for spatial depictions of forest resources to...

The Spanish National Forest Inventory: history, development, challenges and perspectives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Iciar Alberdi

2017-09-01

Full Text Available It is important to have a statistically robust forest information data base which can be updated and can provide long-term information. National Forest Inventories (NFI provide one of the best large-scale sources of information, and therefore are a cornerstone of forest policies. The scopes of NFIs, which are the primary source of data for national and large-area assessments, has been broadened to include new variables to meet increasing information requirements. This paper describes the history, methodology and guidance of Spanish NFI and international requirements. The current objectives are determined by analysing future perspectives and possible direction of future assessments. These objectives include harmonization of NFI, open data source and to broaden the number of field variables monitored (multi-objective inventory in order to effectively fulfil information requirements.

Mapping of forest disturbance magnitudes across the US National Forest System

Science.gov (United States)

Hernandez, A. J.; Healey, S. P.; Ramsey, R. D.; McGinty, C.; Garrard, C.; Lu, N.; Huang, C.

2013-12-01

A precise record in conjunction with ongoing monitoring of carbon pools constitutes essentials inputs for the continuous modernization of an ever- dynamic science such as climate change. This is particularly important in forested ecosystems for which accurate field archives are available and can be used in combination with historic satellite imagery to obtain spatially explicit estimates of several indicators that can be used in the assessment of said carbon pools. Many forest disturbance processes limit storage of carbon in forested ecosystems and thereby reduce those systems' capacity to mitigate changes in the global climate system. A component of the US National Forest System's (NFS) comprehensive plan for carbon monitoring includes accounting for mapped disturbances, such as fires, harvests, and insect activity. A long-term time series of maps that show the timing, extent, type, and magnitude of disturbances going back to 1990 has been prepared for the United States Forest Service (USFS) Northern Region, and is currently under preparation for the rest of the NFS regions covering more than 75 million hectares. Our mapping approach starts with an automated initial detection of annual disturbances using imagery captured within the growing season from the Landsat archive. Through a meticulous process, the initial detections are then visually inspected, manually corrected and labeled using various USFS ancillary datasets and Google Earth high-resolution historic imagery. We prepared multitemporal models of percent canopy cover and live tree carbon (T/ha) that were calibrated with extensive (in excess of 2000 locations) field data from the US Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis program (FIA). The models were then applied to all the years of the radiometrically corrected and normalized Landsat time series in order to provide annual spatially explicit estimates of the magnitude of change in terms of these two attributes. Our results provide objective, widely

National satellite-based humid tropical forest change assessment in Peru in support of REDD+ implementation

Science.gov (United States)

Potapov, P. V.; Dempewolf, J.; Talero, Y.; Hansen, M. C.; Stehman, S. V.; Vargas, C.; Rojas, E. J.; Castillo, D.; Mendoza, E.; Calderón, A.; Giudice, R.; Malaga, N.; Zutta, B. R.

2014-12-01

Transparent, consistent, and accurate national forest monitoring is required for successful implementation of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) programs. Collecting baseline information on forest extent and rates of forest loss is a first step for national forest monitoring in support of REDD+. Peru, with the second largest extent of Amazon basin rainforest, has made significant progress in advancing its forest monitoring capabilities. We present a national-scale humid tropical forest cover loss map derived by the Ministry of Environment REDD+ team in Peru. The map quantifies forest loss from 2000 to 2011 within the Peruvian portion of the Amazon basin using a rapid, semi-automated approach. The available archive of Landsat imagery (11 654 scenes) was processed and employed for change detection to obtain annual gross forest cover loss maps. A stratified sampling design and a combination of Landsat (30 m) and RapidEye (5 m) imagery as reference data were used to estimate the primary forest cover area, total gross forest cover loss area, proportion of primary forest clearing, and to validate the Landsat-based map. Sample-based estimates showed that 92.63% (SE = 2.16%) of the humid tropical forest biome area within the country was covered by primary forest in the year 2000. Total gross forest cover loss from 2000 to 2011 equaled 2.44% (SE = 0.16%) of the humid tropical forest biome area. Forest loss comprised 1.32% (SE = 0.37%) of primary forest area and 9.08% (SE = 4.04%) of secondary forest area. Validation confirmed a high accuracy of the Landsat-based forest cover loss map, with a producer’s accuracy of 75.4% and user’s accuracy of 92.2%. The majority of forest loss was due to clearing (92%) with the rest attributed to natural processes (flooding, fires, and windstorms). The implemented Landsat data processing and classification system may be used for operational annual forest cover loss updates at the national level for REDD

National satellite-based humid tropical forest change assessment in Peru in support of REDD+ implementation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Potapov, P V; Dempewolf, J; Talero, Y; Hansen, M C; Stehman, S V; Vargas, C; Rojas, E J; Calderón, A; Giudice, R; Malaga, N; Zutta, B R; Castillo, D; Mendoza, E

2014-01-01

Transparent, consistent, and accurate national forest monitoring is required for successful implementation of reducing emissions from deforestation and forest degradation (REDD+) programs. Collecting baseline information on forest extent and rates of forest loss is a first step for national forest monitoring in support of REDD+. Peru, with the second largest extent of Amazon basin rainforest, has made significant progress in advancing its forest monitoring capabilities. We present a national-scale humid tropical forest cover loss map derived by the Ministry of Environment REDD+ team in Peru. The map quantifies forest loss from 2000 to 2011 within the Peruvian portion of the Amazon basin using a rapid, semi-automated approach. The available archive of Landsat imagery (11 654 scenes) was processed and employed for change detection to obtain annual gross forest cover loss maps. A stratified sampling design and a combination of Landsat (30 m) and RapidEye (5 m) imagery as reference data were used to estimate the primary forest cover area, total gross forest cover loss area, proportion of primary forest clearing, and to validate the Landsat-based map. Sample-based estimates showed that 92.63% (SE = 2.16%) of the humid tropical forest biome area within the country was covered by primary forest in the year 2000. Total gross forest cover loss from 2000 to 2011 equaled 2.44% (SE = 0.16%) of the humid tropical forest biome area. Forest loss comprised 1.32% (SE = 0.37%) of primary forest area and 9.08% (SE = 4.04%) of secondary forest area. Validation confirmed a high accuracy of the Landsat-based forest cover loss map, with a producer’s accuracy of 75.4% and user’s accuracy of 92.2%. The majority of forest loss was due to clearing (92%) with the rest attributed to natural processes (flooding, fires, and windstorms). The implemented Landsat data processing and classification system may be used for operational annual forest cover loss updates at the national level

Wild Ungulate Distribution in the Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve, Southwest China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.C. Treydte

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Southeast Asia´s tropical forests harbour a unique diversity of wildlife but species and numbers are rapidly declining under current land use. To improve conservation strategies in these biodiversity hotspots, knowledge of animal species present and their distribution is crucial. We wanted to identify the ungulate community composition and distribution of a ‘Man and Biosphere’ reserve, the Naban River Watershed National Nature Reserve (NRWNNR, Yunnan, Southwest China. Using camera traps, transects, and spoor-plots we identified wild ungulate species and corresponding habitat properties. We compared two study sites of different protection status – the buffer and experimental zones – on an overall transect length of 32 km and analysed relationships between wildlife activity, forest vegetation structure, and human disturbance. We documented six ungulate species, all of which occurred in the buffer zone while only three species were found in the experimental zone. Wild boar sign density was about 10 times higher in the buffer than in the experimental zone. Overall wildlife sign density increased with distance away from human settlements and closer to the core zone. Hence, human disturbance strongly influenced wild ungulate abundance but the NRWNNR was found to host a diverse ungulate community, considering its small size and compared to other conservation areas in the region. The combination of various methods proved to be successful in identifying and locating forest wildlife. The NRWNNR, particularly the more strongly protected zones, could greatly contribute to future ecotourism activities in Yunnan if a strict preservation of buffer and core zones can be maintained.

The personal-use firewood program on three national forests: a cost analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Floyd G. Timson

1983-01-01

The national forests provide a substantial volume of firewood for America's households. The 17 national forest districts studied spent over $148,000 to provide over 25,000 personal-use firewood permits during the calendar year 1981; 86 percent of the permits were for freewood mostly in the form of dead or down wood. The remaining 14 percent were for greenwood sold...

75 FR 64741 - Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission: Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-20

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Blackstone River Valley National Heritage..., United States Code, that a meeting of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage... should be made prior to the meeting to: Jan H. Reitsma, Executive Director, John H. Chafee, Blackstone...

75 FR 2885 - Blackstone River Valley National Heritage Corridor Commission: Notice of Meeting

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-19

... DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR Office of the Secretary Blackstone River Valley National Heritage..., United States Code, that a meeting of the John H. Chafee Blackstone River Valley National Heritage... should be made prior to the meeting to: Jan H. Reitsma, Executive Director, John H. Chafee Blackstone...

Characterizing forest carbon stocks at tropical biome and landscape level in Mount Apo National Park, Philippines

Science.gov (United States)

Rubas, L. C.

2012-12-01

Forest resources sequester and store carbon, and serve as a natural brake on climate change. In the tropics, the largest source of greenhouse emission is from deforestation and forest degradation (Gibbs et al 2007). This paper attempts to compile sixty (60) existing studies on using remote sensing to measure key environmental forest indicators at two levels of scales: biome and landscape level. At the tropical forest biome level, there is not as much remote sensing studies that have been done as compared to other forest biomes. Also, existing studies on tropical Asia is still sparse compared to other tropical regions in Latin America and Africa. Biomass map is also produced for the tropical biome using keyhole macro language (KML) which is projected on Google Earth. The compiled studies showed there are four indicators being measured using remote sensors in tropical forest. These are biomass, landcover classification, deforestation and cloud cover. The landscape level will focus on Mount Apo National Park in the Philippines which is encompassing a total area of 54,974.87 hectares. It is one of the ten priority sites targeted in the World Bank-assisted Biodiversity Conservation Program. This park serves as the major watershed for the three provinces with 19 major rivers emanating from the montane formations. Only a small fraction of the natural forest that once covered the country remains. In spite of different policies that aim to reduce logging recent commercial deforestation, illegal logging and agricultural expansion pose an important threat to the remaining forest areas. In some locations in the country, these hotspots of deforestation overlap with the protected areas (Verburg et al 2006). The study site was clipped using ArcGIS from the forest biomass carbon density map produced by Gibbs and Brown (2007). Characterization on this national park using vegetation density, elevation, slope, land cover and precipitation will be conducted to determine factors that

Preparing for the gypsy moth - design and analysis for stand management Dorr Run, Wayne National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

J. J. Colbert; Phil Perry; Bradley Onken

1997-01-01

As the advancing front of the gypsy moth continues its spread throughout Ohio, silviculturists on the Wayne National Forest are preparing themselves for potential gypsy moth outbreaks in the coming decade. Through a cooperative effort between the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station and Northeastern Area, Forest Health Protection, the Wayne National Forest, Ohio, is...

Imputing forest carbon stock estimates from inventory plots to a nationally continuous coverage

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wilson Barry Tyler

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract The U.S. has been providing national-scale estimates of forest carbon (C stocks and stock change to meet United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC reporting requirements for years. Although these currently are provided as national estimates by pool and year to meet greenhouse gas monitoring requirements, there is growing need to disaggregate these estimates to finer scales to enable strategic forest management and monitoring activities focused on various ecosystem services such as C storage enhancement. Through application of a nearest-neighbor imputation approach, spatially extant estimates of forest C density were developed for the conterminous U.S. using the U.S.’s annual forest inventory. Results suggest that an existing forest inventory plot imputation approach can be readily modified to provide raster maps of C density across a range of pools (e.g., live tree to soil organic carbon and spatial scales (e.g., sub-county to biome. Comparisons among imputed maps indicate strong regional differences across C pools. The C density of pools closely related to detrital input (e.g., dead wood is often highest in forests suffering from recent mortality events such as those in the northern Rocky Mountains (e.g., beetle infestations. In contrast, live tree carbon density is often highest on the highest quality forest sites such as those found in the Pacific Northwest. Validation results suggest strong agreement between the estimates produced from the forest inventory plots and those from the imputed maps, particularly when the C pool is closely associated with the imputation model (e.g., aboveground live biomass and live tree basal area, with weaker agreement for detrital pools (e.g., standing dead trees. Forest inventory imputed plot maps provide an efficient and flexible approach to monitoring diverse C pools at national (e.g., UNFCCC and regional scales (e.g., Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest

Successional changes in forest vegetation of National Nature Reserve Dubnik

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hrabovsky, A.; Balkovic, J.; Kollar, J.

2011-01-01

The aim of this is paper is phyto-sociological assessment of the current status of forest vegetation in the National Nature Reserve Dubnik (Slovakia) towards state documented in 1965. The observed state is assigned to progressive succession, which resulted in regression of large group of light-requiring species and extinction of oak forest community Quercetum pubescenti-roboris. During the reporting period there was a shift towards mezophilest types of forest with relative homogenization of habitat conditions on the major environmental gradients. (authors)

Regeneration in bottomland forest canopy gaps 6 years after variable retention harvests to enhance wildlife habitat

Science.gov (United States)

Daniel J. Twedt; Scott G. Somershoe

2013-01-01

To promote desired forest conditions that enhance wildlife habitat in bottomland forests, managers prescribed and implemented variable-retention harvest, a.k.a. wildlife forestry, in four stands on Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, LA. These treatments created canopy openings (gaps) within which managers sought to regenerate shade-intolerant trees. Six years after...

Adaptations to climate change: Colville and Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forests

Science.gov (United States)

William L. Gaines; David W. Peterson; Cameron A. Thomas; Richy J. Harrod

2012-01-01

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...

National forest cover monitoring in mainland South and Southeast Asia: method development and capacity building

Science.gov (United States)

Tyukavina, A.; Potapov, P.; Hansen, M.; Talero, Y.; Turubanova, S.; Pickering, J.; Pickens, A. H.; Quyen, N. H.; Spirovska Kono, M.

2017-12-01

Timely forest monitoring data produced following good practice guidance are required for national reporting on greenhouse gas emissions, national forest resource assessments, and monitoring for REDD+ projects. Remote sensing provides a cost-efficient supplement to national forest inventories, and is often the single viable source of data on forest extent for countries still in the process of establishing field-based inventories. Operational forest monitoring using remotely sensed data requires technical capacity to store, process, and analyze high volumes of satellite imagery. The University of Maryland Global Land Analysis and Discovery (UMD GLAD) lab possesses such technical capacity and is seeking to transfer it to national agencies responsible for forest reporting, national academic institutions, and NGOs. Our projects in South and Southeast Asia include regional forest monitoring in the lower Mekong region in support of the Regional Land Cover Monitoring System (funded by the NASA SERVIR program) and building capacity for forest monitoring in Nepal, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand (funded by the SilvaCarbon program). Our forest monitoring approach is a regional scale adaptation of methods developed for the global analysis (Hansen et al. 2013). The methodology to track large-scale clearing of natural forests (e.g. in Brazil and Indonesia) is well established; however, the methods for small-scale disturbance mapping and tree cover rotation assessment are still in development. In Bangladesh our mapping of tree cover change between 2000-2014 revealed that 54% of the tree canopy cover was outside forests, and the majority of canopy changes were smaller than 0.1 ha. Landsat's 30-m resolution was therefore insufficient to monitor changes in tree cover. By using a probability sample of high resolution (circa 1 m) imagery we were able to quantify change in tree canopy cover outside forests (including village woodlots, tree plantations and agroforestry

The Public Debate about Roads on the National Forest: An Analysis of the News Media

Science.gov (United States)

David N. Bengston; David P. Fan

1999-01-01

Roads and road building on the US national forests have become the focus of intense public debate in recent years. Timber companies and others argued that forest roads are an essential transportation system for the production of commodities that society needs. Environmentalists and others reply that national forest roads constitute ecologically destructive "...

Estimating the Net Economic Value of National Forest Recreation: An Application of the National Visitor Use Monitoring Database

Science.gov (United States)

J.M. Bowker; C.M. Starbuck; D.B.K. English; J.C. Bergstrom; R.S. Rosenburger; D.C. McCollum

2009-01-01

The USDA Forest Service (FS) manages 193 million acres of public land in the United States. These public resources include vast quantities of natural resources including timber, wildlife, watersheds, air sheds, and ecosystems. The Forest Service was established in 1905, and the FS has been directed by Congress to manage the National Forests and Grasslands for the...

The economic and geographic impact of national forest land on counties in southern Illinois.

Science.gov (United States)

David Spencer; Ronald I. Beazley

1979-01-01

Analyzes the impact of the Shawnee National Forest on the socioeconomic structure of 11 counties in southern Illinois. Includes a factor analysis model as well as an assessment of tax losses to local government as a result of the National Forest.

76 FR 6114 - Lincoln National Forest, New Mexico, North Fork Eagle Creek Wells Special Use Authorization

Science.gov (United States)

2011-02-03

... National Forest, New Mexico, North Fork Eagle Creek Wells Special Use Authorization AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement. SUMMARY: The Lincoln National Forest will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to document and publicly disclose...

Forest insects and diseases in Fundy National Park in 1994. Technical note No. 310

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meikle, O.A.

1995-11-01

Personnel of the Forest Insect and Disease Survey regularly survey national parks for forest insect and disease conditions. This document discusses briefly some of the conditions encountered in Fundy National Park during the year, including insects and diseases found throughout the Park that are likely to recur: Gypsy moth, winter drying, sirococcus shoot blight, forest tent caterpillar, balsam fir needle cast and yellow witches` broom, birch decline, and hemlock looper.

Forest insects and diseases in Fundy National Park in 1993. Technical note No. 296

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meikle, O.A.

1994-01-01

Personnel of the Forest Insect and Disease Survey regularly survey national parks for forest insect and disease conditions. This document discusses briefly some of the conditions encountered in Fundy National Park during the year, including insects and diseases found throughout the Park that are likely to recur: Gypsy moth, winter drying, sirococcus shoot blight, forest tent caterpillar, balsam fir needle cast and yellow witches' broom, birch decline, and hemlock looper.

77 FR 62214 - Travel Management Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS), Eldorado National Forest...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-10-12

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Travel Management Supplemental Environmental Impact....S. Forest Service completed the Eldorado National Forest Public Wheeled Motorized Travel Management... travel. In 2009 a complaint was filed with the Eastern District Federal Court (Court Case No. 2:09-CV...

Classificação fitogeográfica das florestas do Alto Rio Xingu Phytogeographical classification of the Upper Xingu River forest

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Natália Macedo Ivanauskas

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho propõe a inclusão da categoria Floresta Estacional Perenifólia no sistema oficial de classificação da vegetação brasileira, devido às particularidades florísticas e fisionômicas da floresta da borda sul-amazônica, que atinge maior amplitude geográfica na região do Alto Rio Xingu. Para justificar essa inclusão são apresentadas as características ambientais (clima, solo, hidrologia e diferenças fisionômicas e florísticas entre as florestas do Alto Xingu e demais florestas ombrófilas da Bacia do Amazonas e estacionais do Planalto Central.This paper proposes the inclusion of the "Evergreen Seasonal Forest" category in the official system used to classify Brazilian forests. This proposal is based upon the floristic and physiognomic particularities of the Southern Amazonian forest, which reach a greater magnitude around the Upper Xingu River. In order to justify the inclusion, the paper reports environmental characteristics (climate, soil and hydrology as well as floristic and physiognomic differences between the Upper Xingu River forest and both the Ombrophilous Forest from the Amazon Basin and the Seasonal Forest of the Central Plateau.

Riparian soil development linked to forest succession above and below dams along the Elwha River, Washington, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Perry, Laura G; Shafroth, Patrick B.; Perakis, Steven

2017-01-01

Riparian forest soils can be highly dynamic, due to frequent fluvial disturbance, erosion, and sediment deposition, but effects of dams on riparian soils are poorly understood. We examined soils along toposequences within three river segments located upstream, between, and downstream of two dams on the Elwha River to evaluate relationships between riparian soil development and forest age, succession, and channel proximity, explore dam effects on riparian soils, and provide a baseline for the largest dam removal in history. We found that older, later-successional forests and geomorphic surfaces contained soils with finer texture and greater depth to cobble, supporting greater forest floor mass, mineral soil nutrient levels, and cation exchange. Forest stand age was a better predictor than channel proximity for many soil characteristics, though elevation and distance from the channel were often also important, highlighting how complex interactions between fluvial disturbance, sediment deposition, and biotic retention regulate soil development in this ecosystem. Soils between the dams, and to a lesser extent below the lower dam, had finer textures and higher mineral soil carbon, nitrogen, and cation exchange than above the dams. These results suggested that decreased fluvial disturbance below the dams, due to reduced sediment supply and channel stabilization, accelerated soil development. In addition, reduced sediment supply below the dams may have decreased soil phosphorus. Soil δ15N suggested that salmon exclusion by the dams had no discernable effect on nitrogen inputs to upstream soils. Recent dam removal may alter riparian soils further, with ongoing implications for riparian ecosystems.

Italian National Forest Inventory: methods, state of the project, and future developments

Science.gov (United States)

Giovanni Tabacchi; Flora De Natale; Antonio Floris; Caterina Gagliano; Patrizia Gasparini; Gianfranco Scrinzi; Vittorio Tosi

2007-01-01

A primary objective of the Italian National Forest Inventory (NFI) is to provide information required by the Kyoto Protocol and the Ministerial Conference on the Protection of Forests in Europe in relation to sustainable forest management practices. For this reason, the second Italian NFI was aimed at providing data in a way that is consistent with the international...

77 FR 46375 - Chippewa National Forest Resource Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2012-08-03

... Schools and Community Self-Determination Act (Pub. L. 110-343) (the Act) and operates in compliance with... review with the Chippewa National Forest Resource Advisory Committee members their roles and...

The Greek National Observatory of Forest Fires (NOFFi)

Science.gov (United States)

Tompoulidou, Maria; Stefanidou, Alexandra; Grigoriadis, Dionysios; Dragozi, Eleni; Stavrakoudis, Dimitris; Gitas, Ioannis Z.

2016-08-01

Efficient forest fire management is a key element for alleviating the catastrophic impacts of wildfires. Overall, the effective response to fire events necessitates adequate planning and preparedness before the start of the fire season, as well as quantifying the environmental impacts in case of wildfires. Moreover, the estimation of fire danger provides crucial information required for the optimal allocation and distribution of the available resources. The Greek National Observatory of Forest Fires (NOFFi)—established by the Greek Forestry Service in collaboration with the Laboratory of Forest Management and Remote Sensing of the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and the International Balkan Center—aims to develop a series of modern products and services for supporting the efficient forest fire prevention management in Greece and the Balkan region, as well as to stimulate the development of transnational fire prevention and impacts mitigation policies. More specifically, NOFFi provides three main fire-related products and services: a) a remote sensing-based fuel type mapping methodology, b) a semi-automatic burned area mapping service, and c) a dynamically updatable fire danger index providing mid- to long-term predictions. The fuel type mapping methodology was developed and applied across the country, following an object-oriented approach and using Landsat 8 OLI satellite imagery. The results showcase the effectiveness of the generated methodology in obtaining highly accurate fuel type maps on a national level. The burned area mapping methodology was developed as a semi-automatic object-based classification process, carefully crafted to minimize user interaction and, hence, be easily applicable on a near real-time operational level as well as for mapping historical events. NOFFi's products can be visualized through the interactive Fire Forest portal, which allows the involvement and awareness of the relevant stakeholders via the Public Participation GIS

A floristic analysis of forest and thicket vegetation of the Marakele National Park

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P.J. van Staden

2006-12-01

Full Text Available One of the major plant communities identified in the Marakele National Park was forest. It became clear that this major forest community contained various forest and thicket communities. Relevés compiled in the forest were classified by TWINSPAN and Braun-Blanquet procedures identified six communities that are hierarchically classified. The forests dominated by Podocarpus latifolius and Widdringtonia nodiflora represent Afromontane Forests, whereas the Buxus macowanii-dominated dry forests and Olea europaea subsp. africana represent Northern Highveld Forests. A further group of communities represent thickets on termitaria with floristic affinities to both savanna and forest. The floristic composition and relationships of the forest and thicket communities are discussed.

Flood characteristics for the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

Science.gov (United States)

Wiley, J.B.; Cunningham, M.K.

1994-01-01

The frequency and magnitude of flooding of the New River in the New River Gorge National River was studied. A steady-state, one-dimensional flow model was applied to the study reach. Rating curves, cross sections, and Manning's roughness coefficients that were used are presented in this report. Manning's roughness coefficients were evaluated by comparing computed elevations (from application of the steady-state, one-dimensional flow model) to rated elevations at U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) streamflow-gaging stations and miscellaneous-rating sites. Manning's roughness coefficients ranged from 0.030 to 0.075 and varied with hydraulic depth. The 2-, 25-, and 100-year flood discharges were esti- mated on the basis of information from flood- insurance studies of Summers County, Fayette County, and the city of Hinton, and flood-frequency analysis of discharge records for the USGS streamflow-gaging stations at Hinton and Thurmond. The 100-year discharge ranged from 107,000 cubic feet per second at Hinton to 150,000 cubic feet per second at Fayette.

Recent advances in applying decision science to managing national forests

Science.gov (United States)

Marcot, Bruce G.; Thompson, Matthew P.; Runge, Michael C.; Thompson, Frank R.; McNulty, Steven; Cleaves, David; Tomosy, Monica; Fisher, Larry A.; Andrew, Bliss

2012-01-01

Management of federal public forests to meet sustainability goals and multiple use regulations is an immense challenge. To succeed, we suggest use of formal decision science procedures and tools in the context of structured decision making (SDM). SDM entails four stages: problem structuring (framing the problem and defining objectives and evaluation criteria), problem analysis (defining alternatives, evaluating likely consequences, identifying key uncertainties, and analyzing tradeoffs), decision point (identifying the preferred alternative), and implementation and monitoring the preferred alternative with adaptive management feedbacks. We list a wide array of models, techniques, and tools available for each stage, and provide three case studies of their selected use in National Forest land management and project plans. Successful use of SDM involves participation by decision-makers, analysts, scientists, and stakeholders. We suggest specific areas for training and instituting SDM to foster transparency, rigor, clarity, and inclusiveness in formal decision processes regarding management of national forests.

Integrating ecosystem services into national Forest Service policy and operations

Science.gov (United States)

Robert Deal; Lisa Fong; Erin Phelps; Emily Weidner; Jonas Epstein; Tommie Herbert; Mary Snieckus; Nikola Smith; Tania Ellersick; Greg Arthaud

2017-01-01

The ecosystem services concept describes the many benefits people receive from nature. It highlights the importance of managing public and private lands sustainably to ensure these benefits continue into the future, and it closely aligns with the U.S. Forest Service (USFS) mission to “sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and...

77 FR 53839 - Shasta-Trinity National Forest; California; East McCloud Plantations Thinning Project

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-04

... actions include road maintenance and reconstruction of National Forest System, new road construction and... maintenance and 36 miles of reconstruction on National Forest System (NFS) roads. Existing unauthorized routes... be rehabilitated when no longer needed for this project. Maintenance Level 1 (intermittent use) roads...

National Level Assessment of Mangrove Forest Cover in Pakistan

Science.gov (United States)

Abbas, S.; Qamer, F. M.; Hussain, N.; Saleem, R.; Nitin, K. T.

2011-09-01

Mangroves ecosystems consist of inter tidal flora and fauna found in the tropical and subtropical regions of the world. Mangroves forest is a collection of halophytic trees, shrubs, and other plants receiving inputs from regular tidal flushing and from freshwater streams and rivers. A global reduction of 25 % mangroves' area has been observed since 1980 and it is categorized as one of to the most threatened and vulnerable ecosystems of the world. Forest resources in Pakistan are being deteriorating both quantitatively and qualitatively due to anthropogenic activities, climatic v and loose institutional management. According to the FAO (2007), extent of forest cover of Pakistan in 2005 is 1,902,000 ha, which is 2.5% of its total land area. Annual change rate during 2000-2005 was -2.1% which is highest among all the countries in Asia. The Indus delta region contains the world's fifth-largest mangrove forest which provides a range of important ecosystem services, including coastal stabilisation, primary production and provision of nursery habitat for marine fish. Given their ecological importance in coastal settings, mangroves receive special attention in the assessment of conservation efforts and sustainable coastal developments. Coastline of Pakistan is 1050km long shared by the provinces, Sind (350km) and Baluchistan (700 km). The coastline, with typical arid subtropical climate, possesses five significant sites that are blessed with mangroves. In the Sindh province, mangroves are found in the Indus Delta and Sandspit. The Indus Delta is host to the most extensive mangroves areas and extends from Korangi Creek in the West to Sir Creek in the East, whereas Sandspit is a small locality in the West of Karachi city. In the Balochistan province, mangroves are located at three sites, Miani Hor, Kalmat Khor and Jiwani. Contemporary methods of Earth observation sciences are being incorporated as an integral part of environmental assessment related studies in coastal areas

LBA-ECO CD-04 Leaf Litter Data, km 83 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest, Brazil

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Above-ground litter productivity was measured in a 18 ha plot adjacent to the eddy flux tower at the logged forest tower site, km 83, Tapajos National Forest, Para,...

Quality of water resources of the Ouachita National Forest, Arkansas

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Elizabeth F.; Morris, E.E.

1986-01-01

Surface water and groundwater quality was documented in the Ouachita National Forest by collecting surface water quality data at 15 points and groundwater quality data at 11 sites from April 1984 through August 1985. The data were compared to drinking water standards and the results are tabulated. Surface water in the Ouachita National Forest is relatively abundant. It is low in mineralization and chemically suitable for most uses with minimal treatment. Groundwater is relatively scarce. The low yields of wells limit the use of groundwater primarily to domestic use. The water is chemically suitable for most purposes but may require treatment for the removal of iron. (Peters-PTT)

The International Finance Corporation and Forest Loss: A Cross-National Analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

John Shandra

2015-08-01

Full Text Available We conduct the first cross-national study to consider the impact of the World Bank’s International Finance Corporation loans on forests. In doing so, we analyze data for a sample of sixty-one low and middle income nations for the period of 1990 to 2005. We find substantial support for dependency theory that low and middle income nations that receive an International Finance Corporation loan tend to have higher rates of deforestation than low and middle income nations that do not receive such a loan. We also find that other aspects of World Bank lending affect forest loss including structural adjustment and investment lending. We conclude with a discussion of the findings, theoretical implications, methodological implications, policy implications, and possible directions for future research.

Distribution and Source Apportionment of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Forest Soils from Urban to Rural Areas in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China

Science.gov (United States)

Xiao, Yihua; Tong, Fuchun; Kuang, Yuanwen; Chen, Bufeng

2014-01-01

The upper layer of forest soils (0–20 cm depth) were collected from urban, suburban, and rural areas in the Pearl River Delta of Southern China to estimate the distribution and the possible sources of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Total concentrations of PAHs in the forest soils decreased significantly along the urban–suburban–rural gradient, indicating the influence of anthropogenic emissions on the PAH distribution in forest soils. High and low molecular weight PAHs dominated in the urban and rural forest soils, respectively, implying the difference in emission sources between the areas. The values of PAH isomeric diagnostic ratios indicated that forest soil PAHs were mainly originated from traffic emissions, mixed sources and coal/wood combustion in the urban, suburban and rural areas, respectively. Principal component analysis revealed that traffic emissions, coal burning and residential biomass combustion were the three primary contributors to forest soil PAHs in the Pearl River Delta. Long range transportation of PAHs via atmosphere from urban area might also impact the PAHs distribution in the forest soils of rural area. PMID:24599040

LBA-ECO CD-04 Leaf Area Index, km 83 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest, Brazil

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: Leaf area index was estimated in an 18 ha plot at the logged forest tower site, km 83, Tapajos National Forest, Para, Brazil. The plot was adjacent to the...

78 FR 21098 - Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-09

... Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board) will meet in Rapid City South Dakota. The Board is... staff before the meeting. The agenda will include time for people to make oral statements of three...

VT Ecological Land Types - Green Mountain National Forest - lines

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) The EcologicOther_ELT (Ecological Land Type) data layer was developed by the Green Mountain National Forest in the early 1980's from aerial...

VT Ecological Land Types - Green Mountain National Forest - polygons

Data.gov (United States)

Vermont Center for Geographic Information — (Link to Metadata) The EcologicOther_ELT (Ecological Land Type) data layer was developed by the Green Mountain National Forest in the early 1980's from aerial...

LBA-ECO CD-10 Forest Litter Data for km 67 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: This data set contains a single text file which reports litter type and mass in the old-growth upland forest at the Para Western (Santarem) - km 67,...

LBA-ECO CD-04 Leaf Area Index, km 83 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest, Brazil

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Leaf area index was estimated in an 18 ha plot at the logged forest tower site, km 83, Tapajos National Forest, Para, Brazil. The plot was adjacent to the eddy flux...

Red River Stream Improvement Final Design Nez Perce National Forest.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Watershed Consulting, LLC

2007-03-15

This report details the final stream improvement design along the reach of Red River between the bridge below Dawson Creek, upstream for approximately 2 miles, Idaho County, Idaho. Geomorphic mapping, hydrologic profiles and cross-sections were presented along with existing fish habitat maps in the conceptual design report. This information is used to develop a stream improvement design intended to improve aquatic habitat and restore riparian health in the reach. The area was placer mined using large bucket dredges between 1938 and 1957. This activity removed most of the riparian vegetation in the stream corridor and obliterated the channel bed and banks. The reach was also cut-off from most valley margin tributaries. In the 50 years since large-scale dredging ceased, the channel has been re-established and parts of the riparian zone have grown in. However, the recruitment of large woody debris to the stream has been extremely low and overhead cover is poor. Pool habitat makes up more than 37% of the reach, and habitat diversity is much better than the project reach on Crooked River. There is little large woody debris in the stream to provide cover for spawning and juvenile rearing, because the majority of the woody debris does not span a significant part of the channel, but is mainly on the side slopes of the stream. Most of the riparian zone has very little soil or subsoil left after the mining and so now consists primarily of unconsolidated cobble tailings or heavily compacted gravel tailings. Knapweed and lodgepole pine are the most successful colonizers of these post mining landforms. Tributary fans which add complexity to many other streams in the region, have been isolated from the main reach due to placer mining and road building.

A GIS based study on bank erosion by the river Brahmaputra around Kaziranga National Park, Assam, India

Science.gov (United States)

Sarma, J. N.; Acharjee, S.

2012-09-01

The Kaziranga National Park is a forest-edged riverine grassland inhabited by the world's largest population of one-horned rhinoceroses, as well as a wide diversity of animals. The park is situated on the southern bank of the Brahmaputra River at the foot of the Mikir Hills. National Highway 37 forms the southern boundary and the northern boundary is the river Brahmaputra and covers an area of about 430 km2. The Brahmaputra River flows by Kaziranga National Park in a braided course for about 53 km. Sequential changes in the position of banklines of the river due to consistent bank erosion have been studied from Survey of India topographic maps of 1912-1916 and 1972, satellite IRS LISS III images from 1998 to 2008 using GIS. Study of bank line shift due to the bank erosion around Kaziranga has been carried out for the periods 1912-1916 to 1972, 1972 to 1998 and 1998 to 2008. The amounts of the bank area lost due to erosion and gained due to sediment deposition are estimated separately. The total area eroded during 1912-1916 to 1972 was more (84.87 km2) as compared to accretion due to sediment deposition (24.49 km2), the total area eroded was also more in 1972-1998 (44.769 km2) as compared to accretion (29.47 km2) and the total area eroded was again more in 1998-2008 (20.41 km2) as compared to accretion (7.89 km2). The rates of erosion during 1912-1916 to 1970, 1970 to 1998, and 1998 to 2008 were 1.46, 1.59 and 1.021 km2 per year, respectively. During the entire period (1912-1916 to 2008) of study the erosion on the whole was 150.04 km2 and overall accretion was 61.86 km2 resulting in a loss of 88.188 km2 area of the park. The maximum amounts of shift of the bankline during 1912-1916 to 1970, 1970 to 1998, and 1998 to 2008 were 4.58 km, 3.36 km, and 1.92 km, respectively, which amount to the rates of shift as 0.078, 0.12 and 0.096 km per year, respectively. A lineament and a few faults have controlled the trend of the course of the Brahmaputra around Kaziranga area

Effects of lakes and reservoirs on annual river nitrogen, phosphorus, and sediment export in agricultural and forested landscapes

Science.gov (United States)

Powers, Stephen M.; Robertson, Dale M.; Stanley, Emily H.

2014-01-01

Recently, effects of lakes and reservoirs on river nutrient export have been incorporated into landscape biogeochemical models. Because annual export varies with precipitation, there is a need to examine the biogeochemical role of lakes and reservoirs over time frames that incorporate interannual variability in precipitation. We examined long-term (~20 years) time series of river export (annual mass yield, Y, and flow-weighted mean annual concentration, C) for total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and total suspended sediment (TSS) from 54 catchments in Wisconsin, USA. Catchments were classified as small agricultural, large agricultural, and forested by use of a cluster analysis, and these varied in lentic coverage (percentage of catchment lake or reservoir water that was connected to river network). Mean annual export and interannual variability (CV) of export (for both Y and C) were higher in agricultural catchments relative to forested catchments for TP, TN, and TSS. In both agricultural and forested settings, mean and maximum annual TN yields were lower in the presence of lakes and reservoirs, suggesting lentic denitrification or N burial. There was also evidence of long-term lentic TP and TSS retention, especially when viewed in terms of maximum annual yield, suggesting sedimentation during high loading years. Lentic catchments had lower interannual variability in export. For TP and TSS, interannual variability in mass yield was often >50% higher than interannual variability in water yield, whereas TN variability more closely followed water (discharge) variability. Our results indicate that long-term mass export through rivers depends on interacting terrestrial, aquatic, and meteorological factors in which the presence of lakes and reservoirs can reduce the magnitude of export, stabilize interannual variability in export, as well as introduce export time lags.

Joining Criteria for Harmonizing European Forest Available for Wood Supply Estimates. Case Studies from National Forest Inventories

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christoph Fischer

2016-05-01

Full Text Available For national and international reporting on forest available for wood supply (FAWS, harmonized data are needed. This information is required as forests provide goods for various sectors like the timber industry or the bioenergy sector. The effect of applying different thresholds to the three restriction classes (environmental, social and economic restriction within the proposed reference definition for FAWS was evaluated. We applied the reference definition for FAWS to national data sets provided by five European National Forest Inventories using harmonized thresholds. The effects on FAWS area and growing stock were evaluated for each restriction and threshold. All countries within this study could report on protected areas. Social restrictions were not applied in any country, data on other restrictions are available but definitions vary. The application of common thresholds for restrictions proved difficult as effects vary between countries. The economic restriction is the most challenging to assess as many countries do not have corresponding data for direct calculation of, e.g., harvesting costs. Using proxies for harvesting costs was difficult, as common thresholds may not be applied in different countries. For standardized reporting, a FAWS definition should be developed that utilizes existing, harmonized indicators to describe restrictions.

An optimization approach to selecting research natural areas in National Forests

Science.gov (United States)

Stephanie A. Snyder; Lucy E. Tyrrell; Robert G. Haight

1999-01-01

The USDA Forest Service has a long-established program to identify areas in national forests for designation as protected Research Natural Areas (RNAs). One of the goals is to protect high quality examples of regional ecosystems for the purposes of maintaining biological diversity, conducting nonmanipulative research and monitoring, and fostering education. When RNA...

Methods for estimating private forest ownership statistics: revised methods for the USDA Forest Service's National Woodland Owner Survey

Science.gov (United States)

Brenton J. ​Dickinson; Brett J. Butler

2013-01-01

The USDA Forest Service's National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) is conducted to better understand the attitudes and behaviors of private forest ownerships, which control more than half of US forestland. Inferences about the populations of interest should be based on theoretically sound estimation procedures. A recent review of the procedures disclosed an error in...

Interagency Collaborators Develop and Implement ForWarn, a National, Near Real Time Forest Monitoring Tool

Science.gov (United States)

Underwood, Lauren

2013-01-01

ForWarn is a satellite-based forest monitoring tool that is being used to detect and monitor disturbances to forest conditions and forest health. It has been developed through the synergistic efforts, capabilities and contributions of four federal agencies, including the US Forest Service Eastern Forest and Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Centers, NASA Stennis Space Center (SSC), Department of Energy's (DOE) Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) and US Geological Survey Earth (USGS) Earth Research Observation System (EROS), as well as university partners, including the University of North Carolina Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC). This multi-organizational partnership is key in producing a unique, path finding near real-time forest monitoring system that is now used by many federal, state and local government end-users. Such a system could not have been produced so effectively by any of these groups on their own. The forests of the United States provide many societal values and benefits, ranging from ecological, economic, cultural, to recreational. Therefore, providing a reliable and dependable forest and other wildland monitoring system is important to ensure the continued health, productivity, sustainability and prudent use of our Nation's forests and forest resources. ForWarn does this by producing current health indicator maps of our nation's forests based on satellite data from NASA's MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) sensors. Such a capability can provide noteworthy value, cost savings and significant impact at state and local government levels because at those levels of government, once disturbances are evident and cause negative impacts, a response must be carried out. The observations that a monitoring system like ForWarn provide, can also contribute to a much broader-scale understanding of vegetation disturbances.

Spatially explicit estimation of aboveground boreal forest biomass in the Yukon River Basin, Alaska

Science.gov (United States)

Ji, Lei; Wylie, Bruce K.; Brown, Dana R. N.; Peterson, Birgit E.; Alexander, Heather D.; Mack, Michelle C.; Rover, Jennifer R.; Waldrop, Mark P.; McFarland, Jack W.; Chen, Xuexia; Pastick, Neal J.

2015-01-01

Quantification of aboveground biomass (AGB) in Alaska’s boreal forest is essential to the accurate evaluation of terrestrial carbon stocks and dynamics in northern high-latitude ecosystems. Our goal was to map AGB at 30 m resolution for the boreal forest in the Yukon River Basin of Alaska using Landsat data and ground measurements. We acquired Landsat images to generate a 3-year (2008–2010) composite of top-of-atmosphere reflectance for six bands as well as the brightness temperature (BT). We constructed a multiple regression model using field-observed AGB and Landsat-derived reflectance, BT, and vegetation indices. A basin-wide boreal forest AGB map at 30 m resolution was generated by applying the regression model to the Landsat composite. The fivefold cross-validation with field measurements had a mean absolute error (MAE) of 25.7 Mg ha−1 (relative MAE 47.5%) and a mean bias error (MBE) of 4.3 Mg ha−1(relative MBE 7.9%). The boreal forest AGB product was compared with lidar-based vegetation height data; the comparison indicated that there was a significant correlation between the two data sets.

75 FR 52713 - Nationwide Aerial Application of Fire Retardant on National Forest System Lands

Science.gov (United States)

2010-08-27

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Nationwide Aerial Application of Fire Retardant on... statement for the continued nationwide aerial application of fire retardant on National Forest System lands... Forest Service is working to restore fire-adapted ecosystems through prescribed fire, other fuel...

77 FR 33158 - Plumas National Forest, California, Sugarloaf Hazardous Fuels Reduction Project

Science.gov (United States)

2012-06-05

... Fuels Reduction Project AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an... National Forest (PNF) will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Sugarloaf Hazardous Fuels... to the economic stability of rural communities through: fuels treatments; group selections (GS); area...

75 FR 23666 - Huron-Manistee National Forests, White Pines Wind Farm Project, Mason County, MI

Science.gov (United States)

2010-05-04

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Huron-Manistee National Forests, White Pines Wind Farm Project, Mason County, MI AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Cancellation Notice of notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. SUMMARY: The Forest Service proposed to prepare an...

Channel mapping river miles 29–62 of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona, May 2009

Science.gov (United States)

Kaplinski, Matt; Hazel, Joseph E.; Grams, Paul E.; Kohl, Keith; Buscombe, Daniel D.; Tusso, Robert B.

2017-03-23

Bathymetric, topographic, and grain-size data were collected in May 2009 along a 33-mi reach of the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona. The study reach is located from river miles 29 to 62 at the confluence of the Colorado and Little Colorado Rivers. Channel bathymetry was mapped using multibeam and singlebeam echosounders, subaerial topography was mapped using ground-based total-stations, and bed-sediment grain-size data were collected using an underwater digital microscope system. These data were combined to produce digital elevation models, spatially variable estimates of digital elevation model uncertainty, georeferenced grain-size data, and bed-sediment distribution maps. This project is a component of a larger effort to monitor the status and trends of sand storage along the Colorado River in Grand Canyon National Park. This report documents the survey methods and post-processing procedures, digital elevation model production and uncertainty assessment, and procedures for bed-sediment classification, and presents the datasets resulting from this study.

76 FR 2878 - Six Rivers National Forest, Mad River Ranger District, CA; Buck Mountain Vegetation and Fuel...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-18

... with high fuel loadings. (2) The majority of the planning area occurs within the Wildland Urban... extend the availability of forage and reduce the rate of spread of wildfire. (4) The Van Duzen River... cutting, mastication, road-side chipping, prescribed fire, hand piling, biomass/fuelwood utilization...

78 FR 58270 - Cleveland National Forest, California, SDG&E Master Special Use Permit and Permit To Construct...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-23

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Cleveland National Forest, California, SDG&E Master... Environmental Impact Statement (EIR/EIS), for the San Diego Gas & Electric Company (SDG&E) Master Special Use... authorize SDG&E to upgrade and/or relocate certain electric powerlines on National Forest System lands...

Phytosociology of planted and natural mangrove forests in the estuary of the Ostras River, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elaine Bernini

2014-03-01

Full Text Available The phytosociology of planted and natural mangrove forests were compared in the estuary of the Ostras River, Rio de Janeiro State, Brazil. Vegetation sampling was performed by the plot method, and the diameter at breast height (DBH and height of individuals > 1 m tall were recorded. The results indicated that the planted forest had lower average DBH and basal area and higher density of trunks in relation to natural forest. The distribution of individuals by height class and the distribution of stems per diameter class showed that the planted forest was younger. Laguncularia racemosa and Rhizophora mangle occurred in both forests, while Avicennia schaueriana was found only in the planted forest. Laguncularia racemosa showed greater dominance and relative density at all sites analyzed, probably because it is characteristic of sites with less marine influence and the fact that the estuary had been altered by human disturbance.

Continuing fire regimes in remote forests of Grand Canyon National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Peter Z. Fule; Thomas A. Heinlein; W. Wallace Covington; Margaret H. Moore

2000-01-01

Ponderosa pine forests in which frequent fire regimes continue up to the present would be invaluable points of reference for assessing natural ecological attributes. A few remote forests on the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park come close to this ideal: never-harvested, distant from human communities and fire suppression resources, and with several low-intensity...

SUBMONTANE FOREST AT BANTIMURUNG BULUSARAUNG NATIONAL PARK: HOTSPOT OF BIRD DIVERSITY AND ITS MANAGEMENT CONSERVATION

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Indra A.S.L.P. Putri

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Submontane forest is considered as one of the biodiversity hotspot.  Scientific information on bird diversity in this forest, however are lacking.  The aim of this research was to find out submontane forest bird diversity and its conservation management.  The research was carried out in three forests areas at Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park submontane forest.  Point Count method was used to observe bird population. Data were analyzed using Shannon-Weiner diversity index, Pielou Evenness index, Simpson dominance index, Margalef species richness index, and Sorensen Similarity index. The significance different between the number of individual bird was tested using Kolmogorov-Smirnov test.  The result showed that submontane forest at Bantimurung Bulusaraung National Park is rich in bird diversity, bird endemic species and protected bird species.  There was a significant different on the number of individual bird at several human disturbance levels.  Based on these conditions, it is important to enhance understanding of the local people regarding zonation and develop cooperation with many stakeholders to increase the local community awareness concerning forest conservation. It is also necessary to ensure the sustainability of the National Park’s conservation program to maintain the submontane forest conservation.

Impact of Forest Harvesting and Forest Regeneration on Runoff Dynamics at Watersheds of Central Siberia

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A. A. Onuchin

2014-02-01

Full Text Available In the paper disturbance of Angara river region forests were estimated and peculiarities of forest regeneration after logging and wild fires were analyzed. According to the landscape classification of the regional study, three groups of landscapes differencing on types of forest successions were developed. It was shown that water protective and water regulate functions of the Angara river region forests change under commercial forest harvesting. Comparisons of the inventory and hydrological data detected that hydrological consequences of commercial forest harvesting are dependent on climatic parameters and forest regeneration peculiarities. In the continental climate conditions, when forest regeneration is delayed, snow storms are more active, snow evaporation increases and runoff reduces. In the process of logging sites overgrown with secondary small-leaved forest, snow accumulation increases and runoff increases, exceeding the value of annual runoff at undisturbed watersheds.

Simulated flow and solute transport, and mitigation of a hypothetical soluble-contaminant spill for the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia

Science.gov (United States)

Wiley, J.B.

1993-01-01

This report presents the results of a study by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the National Park Service, to investigate the transport and factors affecting mitigation of a hypothetical spill of a soluble contaminant into the New River in the New River Gorge National River, West Virginia. The study reach, 53 miles of the lower New River between Hinton and Fayette, is characterized as a pool-and-riffle stream that becomes narrower, steeper, and deeper in the downstream direction. A USGS unsteady-flow model, DAFLOW (Diffusion Analogy FLOW), and a USGS solute-transport model, BLTM (Branch Lagrangian Transport Model), were applied to the study reach. Increases in discharge caused decreases in peak concentration and traveltime of peak concentration. Decreases in discharge caused increases in peak concentration and traveltime of peak concentration. This study indicated that the effects of an accidental spill could be mitigated by regulating discharge from Bluestone Dam. Knowledge of the chemical characteristics of the spill, location and time of the spill, and discharge of the river can aid in determining a mitigation response.

National forest trail users: planning for recreation opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

John J. Daigle; Alan E. Watson; Glenn E. Haas

1994-01-01

National forest trail users in four geographical regions of the United States are described based on participation in clusters of recreation activities. Visitors are classified into day hiking, undeveloped recreation, and two developed camping and hiking activity clusters for the Appalachian, Pacific, Rocky Mountain, and Southwestern regions. Distance and time traveled...

76 FR 54196 - Public Meeting, Cherokee National Forest Secure Rural Schools Resource Advisory Committee

Science.gov (United States)

2011-08-31

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Public Meeting, Cherokee National Forest Secure Rural Schools Resource Advisory Committee AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of meeting. SUMMARY: In accordance with the Secure Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act of 2000 (Pub. L. 106-393), [as...

Natural cavity characteristics and cavity bird abundance on West Virginia forested islands of the Ohio River

Science.gov (United States)

James T. Anderson; Karen A. Riesz

2013-01-01

Wildlife habitats connected with forested islands and their back channels (areas where commercial traffic is prohibited) on the Ohio River are valuable to diverse species. However, quantitative data on the importance of these areas to cavity-nesting birds are lacking. We compared cavity-nesting bird use and habitat between back and navigational channel sides of islands...

PAST AND PRESENT FOREST FIRES IN ITATIAIA NATIONAL PARK

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Izar Aximoff

2011-03-01

Full Text Available This study was conducted with the aim of evaluating the fire reports occurring in the Itatiaia National Park (INP between 1937 and 2008 and aiming to show information about the total number of fires occurred, and the annual burnt areas, in relation with climate and biodiversity, the months of highest occurrence, the origins and causes of fires. A survey of 323 reports of forest fires showed the highest incidence of forest fires in the months of winter, during the dry season, between July and October. The most affected vegetation was that of the “campos de altitude” (high-altitude grasslands, a native ecosystem of Atlantic Rainforest restricted to the isolated southeastern high peaks and plateaus. Most of the fires had unknown origins and causes, and only twice were examinations by experts carried out. Data revealed INP fragility against forest fires and the importance and the need of Forest Fire Privation and Control Plans for effective biodiversity protection.

Environmental accounting of natural capital and ecosystem services for the US National Forest System

Science.gov (United States)

Elliot T. Campbell; Mark T. Brown; NO-VALUE

2012-01-01

The National Forests of the United States encompass 192.7 million acres (78 million hectares) of land, which is nearly five percent of the total land area of the nation. These lands are managed by the US Forest Service (USFS) for multiple uses, including extraction of timber, production of fossil fuels and minerals, public recreation, and the preservation of...

76 FR 3015 - Prohibitions in Areas Designated by Order; Closure of National Forest System Lands To Protect...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-19

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service 36 CFR Part 261 RIN 0596-AC93 Prohibitions in Areas Designated by Order; Closure of National Forest System Lands To Protect Privacy of Tribal Activities AGENCY... regarding special closures to provide for closure of National Forest System lands to protect the privacy of...

Implementation of the Forest Service Open Space Conservation Strategy in Washington State: Exploring the Role of the National Forest System

Science.gov (United States)

Richard J. Pringle; Lee K. Cerveny; Gordon A. Bradley

2015-01-01

The loss of open space was declared one of the “four threats to the health of our nation’s forests” by former USDA Forest Service Chief Dale Bosworth in 2004. Since then, the agencywide Open Space Conservation Strategy (OSCS) was released and the “four threats” were incorporated into the agency’s National Strategic Plan. These actions indicate that the OSCS is in the...

INDICATED SPECIES TO RESTORATION OF RIPARIAN FORESTS IN SUBWATERSHED OF PEIXE-BOI RIVER, PARÁ STATE

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Igor do Vale

2014-09-01

Full Text Available http://dx.doi.org/10.5902/1980509815736This study aims to indicate native species to be used in the restoration of degraded riparian forests in the subwatershed of Peixe-Boi river. All trees and shrubs with diameter at breast height (DBH > 5 cm were inventoried in ten areas of secondary forest and six areas of igapó forest. The results were analyzed by Principal Component Analysis and the silviculture of the species was assessed by literature review. In Igapó areas 66 species were found; the areas had low richness and low diversity index of Shannon, when compared with data from the secondary forests. The floristic composition was heterogeneous, and the floristic similarity is higher between areas that are closer geographically. In the secondary forests were found 175 species; the areas showed high abundance of individuals, high species richness, diversity and evenness. Secondary forests were separated according to geographic proximity and age, which is directly linked to the successional stage. The PCA analysis established the ecological importance of 29 tree species; however only ten species had enough silvicultural information. Due to a greater ecological importance and viable silvicultural techniques available in the literature, Carapa guianensis, Pachira aquatica, Spondias mombin, Tapirira guianensis and Virola guianensis are the most suitable species to restore the degraded areas, in association with Inga edulis, Jacaranda copaia, Pseudopiptadenia psilostachya, Simarouba amara and Vismia guianensis of the secondary forests, that can be planted in the borders and in the nearby areas of igapó forests.

An enhanced forest classification scheme for modeling vegetation-climate interactions based on national forest inventory data

Science.gov (United States)

Majasalmi, Titta; Eisner, Stephanie; Astrup, Rasmus; Fridman, Jonas; Bright, Ryan M.

2018-01-01

Forest management affects the distribution of tree species and the age class of a forest, shaping its overall structure and functioning and in turn the surface-atmosphere exchanges of mass, energy, and momentum. In order to attribute climate effects to anthropogenic activities like forest management, good accounts of forest structure are necessary. Here, using Fennoscandia as a case study, we make use of Fennoscandic National Forest Inventory (NFI) data to systematically classify forest cover into groups of similar aboveground forest structure. An enhanced forest classification scheme and related lookup table (LUT) of key forest structural attributes (i.e., maximum growing season leaf area index (LAImax), basal-area-weighted mean tree height, tree crown length, and total stem volume) was developed, and the classification was applied for multisource NFI (MS-NFI) maps from Norway, Sweden, and Finland. To provide a complete surface representation, our product was integrated with the European Space Agency Climate Change Initiative Land Cover (ESA CCI LC) map of present day land cover (v.2.0.7). Comparison of the ESA LC and our enhanced LC products (https://doi.org/10.21350/7zZEy5w3) showed that forest extent notably (κ = 0.55, accuracy 0.64) differed between the two products. To demonstrate the potential of our enhanced LC product to improve the description of the maximum growing season LAI (LAImax) of managed forests in Fennoscandia, we compared our LAImax map with reference LAImax maps created using the ESA LC product (and related cross-walking table) and PFT-dependent LAImax values used in three leading land models. Comparison of the LAImax maps showed that our product provides a spatially more realistic description of LAImax in managed Fennoscandian forests compared to reference maps. This study presents an approach to account for the transient nature of forest structural attributes due to human intervention in different land models.

Looking back to move forward: collaborative planning to revise the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests land and resource management plans

Science.gov (United States)

Michael J. Dockry

2015-01-01

The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service) manages 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico. National Forest Land and Resource Management Plans (forest plans) form the basis for land and resource management of national forests in the United States. For more than a decade the Forest Service has been attempting...

77 FR 1716 - James River National Wildlife Refuge, Prince George County, VA

Science.gov (United States)

2012-01-11

... River National Wildlife Refuge, Prince George County, VA AGENCY: Fish and Wildlife Service, Interior... (the refuge, NWR), which is located in Prince George County, Virginia. We provide this notice in... River NWR, in Prince George County, Virginia. This notice complies with our CCP policy to advise other...

Effects of streamflows on stream-channel morphology in the eastern Niobrara National Scenic River, Nebraska, 1988–2010

Science.gov (United States)

Schaepe, Nathaniel J.; Alexander, Jason S.; Folz-Donahue, Kiernan

2016-03-09

The Niobrara River is an important and valuable economic and ecological resource in northern Nebraska that supports ecotourism, recreational boating, wildlife, fisheries, agriculture, and hydroelectric power. Because of its uniquely rich resources, a 122-kilometer reach of the Niobrara River was designated as a National Scenic River in 1991, which has been jointly managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Park Service. To assess how the remarkable qualities of the National Scenic River may change if consumptive uses of water are increased above current levels, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the National Park Service, initiated an investigation of how stream-channel morphology might be affected by potential decreases in summer streamflows. The study included a 65-kilometer segment in the wide, braided eastern stretch of the Niobrara National Scenic River that provides important nesting habitat for migratory bird species of concern to the Nation.

Determination of minimum flood flow for regeneration of floodplain forest from inundated forest width-stage curve

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Song-hao Shang

2010-09-01

Full Text Available Floods are essential for the regeneration and growth of floodplain forests in arid and semiarid regions. However, river flows, and especially flood flows, have decreased greatly with the increase of water diversion from rivers and/or reservoir regulation, resulting in severe deterioration of floodplain ecosystems. Estimation of the flood stage that will inundate the floodplain forest is necessary for the forest's restoration or protection. To balance water use for economic purposes and floodplain forest protection, the inundated forest width method is proposed for estimating the minimum flood stage for floodplain forests from the inundated forest width-stage curve. The minimum flood stage is defined as the breakpoint of the inundated forest width-stage curve, and is determined directly or analytically from the curve. For the analytical approach, the problem under consideration is described by a multi-objective optimization model, which can be solved by the ideal point method. Then, the flood flow at the minimum flood stage (minimum flood flow, which is useful for flow regulation, can be calculated from the stage-discharge curve. In order to protect the forest in a river floodplain in a semiarid area in Xinjiang subject to reservoir regulation upstream, the proposed method was used to determine the minimum flood stage and flow for the forest. Field survey of hydrology, topography, and forest distribution was carried out at typical cross sections in the floodplain. Based on the survey results, minimum flood flows for six typical cross sections were estimated to be between 306 m3/s and 393 m3/s. Their maximum, 393 m3/s, was considered the minimum flood flow for the study river reach. This provides an appropriate flood flow for the protection of floodplain forest and can be used in the regulation of the upstream reservoir.

The contemporary geomorphology of the Letaba River in the Kruger National Park

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B.P. Moon

2001-07-01

Full Text Available The Letaba River drains part of Northern Province in north-east South Africa. Its catchment has been modified significantly by human activity which has affected the flow regime; it experiences only ephemeral flows through the Kruger National Park to its confluence with the Olifants River. Although the Letaba is similar to the other rivers in the Kruger National Park in that it displays some bedrock influenced channel features, increased sediment delivery from the degraded catchment upstream has resulted in extensive alluviation within the channel. Sections of channel flowing over bedrock with no sediment covering are rare, and the river comprises a series of channel types: mixed anastomosing, alluvial braided, mixed pool-rapid and alluvial single thread. Each is characterised by a different combination of morphological units which relate to the degree of alluviation in the channel. These channel types are described in detail and inferences are made concerning their formation and maintenance from field observation and measurement.

Changing Social and Legal Forces Affecting the Management of National Forests

Science.gov (United States)

Daina Dravnieks Apple

1996-01-01

The U.S.D.A. Forest Service has been cited as one of the best managed agencies in the government. The Forest Service gained national respect during the Great Depression and emerged from World War II expanding its mission from primarily custodial management to supplier of natural resource commodities such as timber. Its budget grew and so did its numbers of employees (...

Forest insects and diseases in Kouchibouguac National Park in 1994. Technical note No. 306

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemieux, G.R.

1995-11-01

Personnel of the Forest Insect and Disease Survey regularly survey national parks for forest insect and disease conditions. This document presents some of the conditions encountered in Kouchibouguac National Park in 1992, including balsam twig aphids, gypsy moth, whitespotted sawyer bettle, white pine weevil, frost damage, Eastern tent caterpiller, uglynest caterpillar, hypoxylon canker, spruce budmoth, Eastern spruce gall adelgid, and other pests encountered.

Forest insects and diseases in Kouchibouguac National Park in 1993. Technical note No. 295

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemieux, G.R.

1994-01-01

Personnel of the Forest Insect and Disease Survey regularly survey national parks for forest insect and disease conditions. This document presents some of the conditions encountered in Kouchibouguac National Park in 1992, including balsam twig aphids, gypsy moth, whitespotted sawyer bettle, white pine weevil, frost damage, Eastern tent caterpiller, uglynest caterpillar, hypoxylon canker, spruce budmoth, Eastern spruce gall adelgid, and other pests encountered.

The public debate about roads on the National Forests : an analysis of the new media : 1994-98

Science.gov (United States)

David N. Bengston; David P. Fan

1999-01-01

Roads and road building on the US national forests have become the focus of intense public debate in recent years. Timber companies and others argue that forest roads are an essential transportation system for the production of commodities that society needs. Environmentalists and others reply that national forest roads constitute ecologically destructive "...

Effects of human activities on rivers located in protected areas of the Atlantic Forest

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Mônica Luisa Kuhlmann

2014-03-01

Full Text Available AIM: This study evaluated the impacts of anthropogenic activities upstream of conservation areas on the Paraibuna river and its implications for freshwater biodiversity. METHODS: The study was carried out in two units, Cunha and Santa Virginia, of the Serra do Mar State Park (SP, located in the Atlantic Rain Forest. Five sampling sites were defined, four along the Paraibuna river and one in the Ipiranga river, the latter fully inserted into the protected area. Physical, chemical, microbiological and ecotoxicological data were obtained from surface water as well as aquatic macroinvertebrates. RESULTS: The results showed that the waters of the Paraibuna river have low anthropogenic interference. However, conductivity, turbidity, coliforms, iron, total phosphorus and nitrate showed a gradient improving its water quality from upstream to downstream, indicating the existence of erosion and introduction of organic debris in the basin. The BMWP index, varying from 58 to 190, also showed the good condition of the river to aquatic biota, with predominant Excellent quality diagnosis. The values of this index and the richness index (S outlined a similar gradient but with the lowest values recorded in P3. CONCLUSIONS: The results showed that the upstream activities alter the natural condition of the Paraibuna river and its biota and that the protected areas provides environmental services reducing these impacts. The ideal situation in order to ensure the conservation of the freshwater biota of the Paraibuna river would be the incorporation of parts of the upstream area into the protected area and convert occupied areas into Sustainable Use Area, that guarantee the adoption of sustainable techniques to the existing land uses and the application of aquatic life protection indicators for monitoring the water quality of the river.

Local and Regional Economic Benefits from Forest Products Production Activities at the Savannah River Site: 1955-Present

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Teeter, L.; Blake, J.I.

2002-01-01

SRS was established in 1951 as a nuclear materials production facility; however, decline in the defense mission budget at SRS has created a major economic impact on the community in the Central Savannah River Area. SRS has been offsetting these effects by producing revenue (80 million dollars to date) from the sale of forest products since 1955 primarily trees, but also pine straw. Revenue has been re-invested into the infrastructure development, restoration and management of natural resources. Total asset value of the forest-land has increased from 21 million to over 500 million dollars in the same period

The Role of Satellite Data for the National Forest Monitoring Systems in the Context of REDD+

Science.gov (United States)

Jonckheere, Inge

2012-04-01

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. “REDD+” goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. In the framework of getting countries ready for REDD+, the UN-REDD Programme assists developing countries to prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies. For the monitoring, reporting and verification (MRV), FAO supports the countries to develop national forest monitoring systems (NFMS) based on satellite data that allow for credible MRV of REDD+ activities through time. The UN-REDD Programme through a joint effort of FAO and Brazil's National Space Agency, INPE, is supporting countries to develop cost- effective, robust and compatible national monitoring and MRV systems, providing tools, methodologies, training and knowledge sharing that help countries to strengthen their technical and institutional capacity for effective MRV systems. The Brazilian forest monitoring system, TerraAmazon, which is used as a multi-user basis, allows countries to adapt it to country needs. With the technical assistance of FAO, INPE and other stakeholders, the countries will set up an autonomous operational satellite forest monitoring systems. A beta version and the methodologies of the system for DRC and PNG are launched in Durban (SA) during COP 17, while Paraguay, Zambia and Viet Nam are in development in 2012.

Evaluating the quality of riparian forest vegetation: the Riparian Forest Evaluation (RFV index

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernando Magdaleno

2014-08-01

Full Text Available Aim of study: This paper presents a novel index, the Riparian Forest Evaluation (RFV index, for assessing the ecological condition of riparian forests. The status of riparian ecosystems has global importance due to the ecological and social benefits and services they provide. The initiation of the European Water Framework Directive (2000/60/CE requires the assessment of the hydromorphological quality of natural channels. The Directive describes riparian forests as one of the fundamental components that determine the structure of riverine areas. The RFV index was developed to meet the aim of the Directive and to complement the existing methodologies for the evaluation of riparian forests.Area of study: The RFV index was applied to a wide range of streams and rivers (170 water bodies inSpain.Materials and methods: The calculation of the RFV index is based on the assessment of both the spatial continuity of the forest (in its three core dimensions: longitudinal, transversal and vertical and the regeneration capacity of the forest, in a sampling area related to the river hydromorphological pattern. This index enables an evaluation of the quality and degree of alteration of riparian forests. In addition, it helps to determine the scenarios that are necessary to improve the status of riparian forests and to develop processes for restoring their structure and composition.Main results: The results were compared with some previous tools for the assessment of riparian vegetation. The RFV index got the highest average scores in the basins of northernSpain, which suffer lower human influence. The forests in central and southern rivers got worse scores. The bigger differences with other tools were found in complex and partially altered streams and rivers.Research highlights: The study showed the index’s applicability under diverse hydromorphological and ecological conditions and the main advantages of its application. The utilization of the index allows a

Timber supply and demand assessment of the Green and White Mountain National Forests' market area

Science.gov (United States)

Chris B. LeDoux; Paul E. Sendak; William H. McWilliams; Neil Huyler; Thomas Malecek; Worthen Muzzey; Toni Jones

2001-01-01

This report describes a timber supply and demand assessment of the Green and White Mountain National Forests' market area using USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis data, production information provided by forest industry, and a stump-to-mill logging cost-prediction model. Nonavailable timberland that includes reserve and steep-terrain lands is...

78 FR 65962 - Revision of the Land Management Plan for the Flathead National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-04

... conditions, available data, and feedback needed to support a strategic, efficient planning process. As public... Montana, is initiating the forest planning process pursuant to the 2012 Forest Planning Rule. This process... information on the planning process can also be found on the Flathead National Forest Web site at www.fs.usda...

Landscape elements and river chemistry as affected by river regulation – a 3-D perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Smedberg

2009-09-01

Full Text Available We tested the hypothesis whether individual land classes within a river catchment contribute equally to river loading with dissolved constituents or whether some land classes act as "hot spots" to river loading and if so, are these land classes especially affected by hydrological alterations. The amount of land covered by forests and wetlands and the average soil depth (throughout this paper soil refers to everything overlying bedrock i.e. regolith of a river catchment explain 58–93% of the variability in total organic carbon (TOC and dissolved silicate (DSi concentrations for 22 river catchments in Northern Sweden. For the heavily regulated Luleälven, with 7 studied sub-catchments, only 3% of the headwater areas have been inundated by reservoirs, some 10% of the soils and aggregated forest and wetland areas have been lost due to damming and further hydrological alteration such as bypassing entire sub-catchments by headrace tunnels. However, looking at individual forest classes, our estimates indicate that some 37% of the deciduous forests have been inundated by the four major reservoirs built in the Luleälven headwaters. These deciduous forest and wetlands formerly growing on top of alluvial deposits along the river corridors forming the riparian zone play a vital role in loading river water with dissolved constituents, especially DSi. A digital elevation model draped with land classes and soil depths which highlights that topography of various land classes acting as hot spots is critical in determining water residence time in soils and biogeochemical fluxes. Thus, headwater areas of the Luleälven appear to be most sensitive to hydrological alterations due to the thin soil cover (on average 2.7–4.5 m and only patchy appearance of forest and wetlands that were significantly perturbed. Hydrological alterations of these relatively small headwater areas significantly impacts downstream flux of dissolved constituents and their delivery to

78 FR 4377 - Idaho Panhandle National Forests, Coeur d'Alene River Ranger District, Shoshone County, ID...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-22

... Ranger District, Shoshone County, ID; Beaver Creek Project AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on a proposal to accomplish vegetation management in the Beaver Creek...

Post-frontier forest change adjacent to Braulio Carrillo National Park, Costa Rica

Science.gov (United States)

John Schelhas; G. Arturo Sanchez-Azofeifa

2006-01-01

Effective biodiversity conservation in national parks depends to a large extent on adjacent forest cover. While deforestation and forest fragmentation as a result of colonization and agriculture have been widespread in neotropical countries over the past few decades, in some places agricultural intensification, wage labor, and rural to urban migration are becoming the...

Looking Back to Move Forward: Collaborative Planning to Revise the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests Land and Resource Management Plans

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Michael J Dockry

2015-07-01

Full Text Available The United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service manages 154 national forests and 20 grasslands in 44 states and Puerto Rico. National Forest Land and Resource Management Plans (forest plans form the basis for land and resource management of national forests in the United States. For more than a decade the Forest Service has been attempting to incorporate innovative, collaborative public involvement strategies into the process for revising forest plans. In 2012 and 2015 the Forest Service codified new regulations for developing, revising, and amending forest plans. Collaboration and public involvement are explicit goals of the new regulations. This paper briefly reviews the literature on collaborative planning on national forests and explores a successful collaborative planning process used by the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests, located in Vermont and New York respectively, to develop their 2006 forest plans. This paper shows how the Green Mountain and Finger Lakes National Forests developed parallel public and internal collaborative processes to build trust, relationships, and partnership, and discusses the implications for process design, capacity building, and facilitating agreements. By looking back at this successful case of collaborative forest planning, key lessons can provide ideas for developing collaborative processes for future planning efforts.

Population viability of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Steed, Amber C.; Zale, Alexander V.; Koel, Todd M.; Kalinowski, Steven T.

2010-01-01

The fluvial Arctic grayling Thymallus arcticus is restricted to less than 5% of its native range in the contiguous United States and was relisted as a category 3 candidate species under the U.S. Endangered Species Act in 2010. Although fluvial Arctic grayling of the lower Gibbon River, Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming, were considered to have been extirpated by 1935, anglers and biologists have continued to report catching low numbers of Arctic grayling in the river. Our goal was to determine whether a viable population of fluvial Arctic grayling persisted in the Gibbon River or whether the fish caught in the river were downstream emigrants from lacustrine populations in headwater lakes. We addressed this goal by determining relative abundances, sources, and evidence for successful spawning of Arctic grayling in the Gibbon River. During 2005 and 2006, Arctic grayling comprised between 0% and 3% of the salmonid catch in riverwide electrofishing (mean Back-calculated lengths at most ages were similar among all fish, and successful spawning within the Gibbon River below the headwater lakes was not documented. Few Arctic grayling adults and no fry were detected in the Gibbon River, implying that a reproducing fluvial population does not exist there. These findings have implications for future Endangered Species Act considerations and management of fluvial Arctic grayling within and outside of Yellowstone National Park. Our comprehensive approach is broadly applicable to the management of sparsely detected aquatic species worldwide.

Crepuscular activity of culicids (Diptera, Culicidae in the peridomicile and in the remaining riparian forest in Tibagi river, State of Paraná, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gerson A. Müller

2012-03-01

Full Text Available Crepuscular activity of culicids (Diptera, Culicidae in the peridomicile and in the remaining riparian forest in Tibagi river, State of Paraná, Brazil. Human-attracted mosquitoes were collected for one hour, around sunset time (half hour before and half after, from April to December 2006, in two environments (riparian forest and near houses, in Tibagi river basin, Palmeira municipality, State of Paraná. Seven-hundred forty-nine mosquitoes, belonging to 13 species, were collected. Psorophora champerico Dyar & Knab, 1906 (42.86% and Psorophora discrucians (Walker, 1856 (40.59% were the most frequent species. No significant differences between quantities of Ps. champerico (t = -0.792; d.f. = 16; p = 0.43 and Ps. discrucians (t = 0.689; d.f. = 16; p = 0.49 obtained in riparian forest and near houses were observed, indicating similar conditions for crepuscular activity of these species in both environments. Psorophora champerico and Ps. discrucians responded (haematophagic activity to environmental stimuli associated with the twilight hours differently in distinct habitats studied. The former species is registered for the first time in the Atlantic forest biome.

USDA Forest Service National Woodland Owner Survey, 2011-2013: design, implementation, and estimation methods

Science.gov (United States)

Brett J. Butler; Brenton J. Dickinson; Jaketon H. Hewes; Sarah M. Butler; Kyle Andrejczyk; Marla. Markowski-Lindsay

2016-01-01

The National Woodland Owner Survey (NWOS) is conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis program to increase the understanding of the attitudes, behaviors, and demographics of private forest and woodland ownerships across the United States. The information is intended to help policy makers, resource managers, educators, service providers, and...

Soil organic matter formation and sequestration across a forested floodplain chronosequence

Science.gov (United States)

John D. Wigginton; B. Graeme Lockaby; Carl C. Trettin

2000-01-01

Successional changes in soil organic matter formation and carbon sequestration across a forested floodplain chronosequence were studied at the Savannah river site, National Environmental Research Park, SC, US. Four floodplain sites were selected for study, three of which are in various stages of recovery from impact due to thermal effluent discharge. The fourth is a...

The contribution of trees outside forests to national tree biomass and carbon stocks--a comparative study across three continents.

Science.gov (United States)

Schnell, Sebastian; Altrell, Dan; Ståhl, Göran; Kleinn, Christoph

2015-01-01

In contrast to forest trees, trees outside forests (TOF) often are not included in the national monitoring of tree resources. Consequently, data about this particular resource is rare, and available information is typically fragmented across the different institutions and stakeholders that deal with one or more of the various TOF types. Thus, even if information is available, it is difficult to aggregate data into overall national statistics. However, the National Forest Monitoring and Assessment (NFMA) programme of FAO offers a unique possibility to study TOF resources because TOF are integrated by default into the NFMA inventory design. We have analysed NFMA data from 11 countries across three continents. For six countries, we found that more than 10% of the national above-ground tree biomass was actually accumulated outside forests. The highest value (73%) was observed for Bangladesh (total forest cover 8.1%, average biomass per hectare in forest 33.4 t ha(-1)) and the lowest (3%) was observed for Zambia (total forest cover 63.9%, average biomass per hectare in forest 32 t ha(-1)). Average TOF biomass stocks were estimated to be smaller than 10 t ha(-1). However, given the large extent of non-forest areas, these stocks sum up to considerable quantities in many countries. There are good reasons to overcome sectoral boundaries and to extend national forest monitoring programmes on a more systematic basis that includes TOF. Such an approach, for example, would generate a more complete picture of the national tree biomass. In the context of climate change mitigation and adaptation, international climate mitigation programmes (e.g. Clean Development Mechanism and Reduced Emission from Deforestation and Degradation) focus on forest trees without considering the impact of TOF, a consideration this study finds crucial if accurate measurements of national tree biomass and carbon pools are required.

Hardwoods for timber bridges : a national program emphasis by the USDA Forest Service

Science.gov (United States)

James P. Wacker; Ed Cesa

2005-01-01

This paper describes the joint efforts of the Forest Service and the FHWA to administer national programs including research, demonstration bridges, and technology transfer components. Summary information on a number of Forest Service-WIT demonstration bridges constructed with hardwoods is also provided.

36 CFR 293.16 - Special provisions governing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-01

... 36 Parks, Forests, and Public Property 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Special provisions governing the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness, Superior National Forest, Minnesota. 293.16 Section 293.16 Parks, Forests, and Public Property FOREST SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE WILDERNESS-PRIMITIVE AREAS...

75 FR 64243 - Umatilla National Forest, Walla Walla Ranger District; Oregon Tollgate Fuels Reduction Project

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-19

.... This project was planned and will be implemented using Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA) of 2004... actions will be conducted in accordance with the Healthy Forest Restoration Act (HFRA), National Forest... (fiber optic lines, telephone lines, power transmission lines, and communication equipment) is...

Dependence of hydropower energy generation on forests in the Amazon Basin at local and regional scales.

Science.gov (United States)

Stickler, Claudia M; Coe, Michael T; Costa, Marcos H; Nepstad, Daniel C; McGrath, David G; Dias, Livia C P; Rodrigues, Hermann O; Soares-Filho, Britaldo S

2013-06-04

Tropical rainforest regions have large hydropower generation potential that figures prominently in many nations' energy growth strategies. Feasibility studies of hydropower plants typically ignore the effect of future deforestation or assume that deforestation will have a positive effect on river discharge and energy generation resulting from declines in evapotranspiration (ET) associated with forest conversion. Forest loss can also reduce river discharge, however, by inhibiting rainfall. We used land use, hydrological, and climate models to examine the local "direct" effects (through changes in ET within the watershed) and the potential regional "indirect" effects (through changes in rainfall) of deforestation on river discharge and energy generation potential for the Belo Monte energy complex, one of the world's largest hydropower plants that is currently under construction on the Xingu River in the eastern Amazon. In the absence of indirect effects of deforestation, simulated deforestation of 20% and 40% within the Xingu River basin increased discharge by 4-8% and 10-12%, with similar increases in energy generation. When indirect effects were considered, deforestation of the Amazon region inhibited rainfall within the Xingu Basin, counterbalancing declines in ET and decreasing discharge by 6-36%. Under business-as-usual projections of forest loss for 2050 (40%), simulated power generation declined to only 25% of maximum plant output and 60% of the industry's own projections. Like other energy sources, hydropower plants present large social and environmental costs. Their reliability as energy sources, however, must take into account their dependence on forests.

76 FR 43718 - Notice of Inventory Completion: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-07-21

... Reservation, New Mexico (hereinafter referred to as ``The Tribes''). History and Description of the Remains... History, Chicago, IL AGENCY: National Park Service, Interior. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Gila National Forest and the Field Museum of Natural History have...

Fishes in paleochannels of the Lower Mississippi River alluvial valley: A national treasure

Science.gov (United States)

Miranda, Leandro E.

2016-01-01

Fluvial geomorphology of the alluvial valley of the Lower Mississippi River reveals a fascinating history. A prominent occupant of the valley was the Ohio River, estimated to have flowed 25,000 years ago over western Tennessee and Mississippi to join the Mississippi River north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, 750–800 km south of the present confluence. Over time, shifts in the Mississippi and Ohio rivers toward their contemporary positions have left a legacy of abandoned paleochannels supportive of unique fish assemblages. Relative to channels abandoned in the last 500 years, paleochannels exhibit harsher environmental conditions characteristic of hypereutrophic lakes and support tolerant fish assemblages. Considering their ecological, geological, and historical importance, coupled with their primordial scenery, the hundreds of paleochannels in the valley represent a national treasure. Altogether, these waterscapes are endangered by human activities and would benefit from the conservation attention afforded to our national parks and wildlife refuges.

The status of whitebark pine along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail on the Umpqua National Forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Ellen Michaels Goheen; Donald J. Goheen; Katy Marshall; Robert S. Danchok; John A. Petrick; Diane E. White

2002-01-01

Because of concern over widespread population declines, the distribution, stand conditions, and health of whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis Englem.) were evaluated along the Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail on the Umpqua National Forest. Whitebark pine occurred on 76 percent of the survey transects. In general, whitebark pine was found in stands...

How livestock and flooding mediate the ecological integrity of working forests in Amazon River floodplains.

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Christine M; Sheikh, Pervaze; Gagnon, Paul R; Mcgrath, David G

2016-01-01

The contribution of working forests to tropical conservation and development depends upon the maintenance of ecological integrity under ongoing land use. Assessment of ecological integrity requires an understanding of the structure, composition, and function and major drivers that govern their variability. Working forests in tropical river floodplains provide many goods and services, yet the data on the ecological processes that sustain these services is scant. In flooded forests of riverside Amazonian communities, we established 46 0.1-ha plots varying in flood duration, use by cattle and water buffalo, and time since agricultural abandonment (30-90 yr). We monitored three aspects of ecological integrity (stand structure, species composition, and dynamics of trees and seedlings) to evaluate the impacts of different trajectories of livestock activity (alleviation, stasis, and intensification) over nine years. Negative effects of livestock intensification were solely evident in the forest understory, and plots alleviated from past heavy disturbance increased in seedling density but had higher abundance of thorny species than plots maintaining low activity. Stand structure, dynamics, and tree species composition were strongly influenced by the natural pulse of seasonal floods, such that the defining characteristics of integrity were dependent upon flood duration (3-200 d). Forests with prolonged floods ≥ 140 d had not only lower species richness but also lower rates of recruitment and species turnover relative to forests with short floods flooding hindered forest regeneration, but overall forest integrity was largely related to the hydrological regime and age. Given this disjunction between factors mediating canopy and understory integrity, we present a subset of metrics for regeneration and recruitment to distinguish forest condition by livestock trajectory. Although our study design includes confounded factors that preclude a definitive assessment of the major

Anuran community composition along two large rivers in a tropical disturbed landscape

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauricio Almeida-Gomes

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In this study we evaluated how anuran species were distributed in riparian habitats along two large rivers. Sampling was carried out between January and March 2012 in the municipality of Cachoeiras de Macacu, state of Rio de Janeiro. We delimited 20 plots along each river, ten in portions inside the forest of the Reserva Ecológica de Guapiaçu (REGUA, and with comparatively greater amount of forest cover, and ten outside REGUA, with comparatively lesser forest cover surrounding the rivers. We recorded 70 individuals from 14 frog species in the Manoel Alexandre River and 63 individuals from 15 frog species in the Guapiaçu River. The most abundant species in both rivers was Cycloramphus brasiliensis (Steindachner, 1864, and it was more abundant in sections with greater amount of forest cover. This information, coupled with the occurrence of species that are more adapted to open and more disturbed habitats in river sections that harbor lesser riparian vegetation, help to explain differences in amphibian species composition between river sections with greater and lesser forest cover. The results of our study highlight the importance of preserving riparian vegetation associated with rivers in the Atlantic Forest for the conservation of amphibians.

76 FR 13600 - Payette National Forest, Idaho, Golden Hand #3 and #4 Lode Mining Claims, Plan of Operations

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-14

...: The USDA Forest Service is withdrawing the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for The Golden Hand No... Beaver Creek, which flows into Big Creek, a tributary of the Salmon River. The Record of Decision will...

77 FR 9200 - Los Padres National Forest: California; Environmental Impact Statement for the Removal of the...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-16

... Los Padres National Forest (LPNF) proposes to control the invasive species tamarisk in portions of the... infestations become any larger. Successful invasive species control programs are implemented at the landscape... Impact Statement for the Removal of the Noxious Weed Tamarisk on the Los Padres National Forest AGENCY...

LiDAR and DTM Data from Tapajos National Forest in Para, Brazil, 2008

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set provides LiDAR point clouds and digital terrain models (DTM) from surveys over the Tapajos National Forest in Belterra municipality, Para, Brazil...

Two decades of stability and change in old-growth forest at Mount Rainier National Park.

Science.gov (United States)

Steven A. Acker; Jerry F. Franklin; Sarah E. Greene; Ted B. Thomas; Robert Van Pelt; Kenneth J. Bible

2006-01-01

We examined how composition and structure of old-growth and mature forests at Mount Rainier National Park changed between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s. We assessed whether the patterns of forest dynamics observed in lower elevation old-growth forests in the Pacific Northwest held true for the higher-elevation forests of the Park. We used measurements of tree recruitment...

The contemporary geomorphology of the Sabie River in the Kruger National Park

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

G.L. Heritage

2000-07-01

Full Text Available The Sabie River in the Kruger National Park has been described as the most pristine in South Africa. It has remained largely free of direct alteration along its 110 km length within the reserve and as such displays a high geomorphic diversity. This physical vari- ability supports a great diversity of flora and fauna including a number of species endemic to the river. The diversity in fluvial form is the result of a high degree of bedrock influence coupled with a rapidly changing energy regime. Steeper bedrockinfluenced areas alternate with more gently sloping alluvial segments to create a series of channel types ranging from bedrock anastomosing through to alluvial single thread and braided sections. Each channel type is part of a continuum that relates to the degree of alluviation of the river on the bedrock template. Descriptions of the characteristic channel types associated with the Sabie River, together with associated morphologic units are given together with the areal extent of the changing morphology in the Kruger National Park. Each morphologic unit is characterised by size, shape, sedimentology and flow influence. Recent research into the degree and direction of morphologic change in the Sabie River is also summarised in the light of possible catchment management.

Forest vegetation simulation tools and forest health assessment

Science.gov (United States)

Richard M. Teck; Melody Steele

1995-01-01

A Stand Hazard Rating System for Central ldaho forests has been incorporated into the Central ldaho Prognosis variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator to evaluate how insects, disease and fire hazards within the Deadwood River Drainage change over time. A custom interface, BOISE.COMPUTE.PR, has been developed so hazard ratings can be electronically downloaded...

Climate-driven disturbances in the San Juan River sub-basin of the Colorado River

Science.gov (United States)

Bennett, Katrina E.; Bohn, Theodore J.; Solander, Kurt; McDowell, Nathan G.; Xu, Chonggang; Vivoni, Enrique; Middleton, Richard S.

2018-01-01

Accelerated climate change and associated forest disturbances in the southwestern USA are anticipated to have substantial impacts on regional water resources. Few studies have quantified the impact of both climate change and land cover disturbances on water balances on the basin scale, and none on the regional scale. In this work, we evaluate the impacts of forest disturbances and climate change on a headwater basin to the Colorado River, the San Juan River watershed, using a robustly calibrated (Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency 0.76) hydrologic model run with updated formulations that improve estimates of evapotranspiration for semi-arid regions. Our results show that future disturbances will have a substantial impact on streamflow with implications for water resource management. Our findings are in contradiction with conventional thinking that forest disturbances reduce evapotranspiration and increase streamflow. In this study, annual average regional streamflow under the coupled climate-disturbance scenarios is at least 6-11 % lower than those scenarios accounting for climate change alone; for forested zones of the San Juan River basin, streamflow is 15-21 % lower. The monthly signals of altered streamflow point to an emergent streamflow pattern related to changes in forests of the disturbed systems. Exacerbated reductions of mean and low flows under disturbance scenarios indicate a high risk of low water availability for forested headwater systems of the Colorado River basin. These findings also indicate that explicit representation of land cover disturbances is required in modeling efforts that consider the impact of climate change on water resources.

Effects of disturbance and climate change on ecosystem performance in the Yukon River Basin boreal forest

Science.gov (United States)

Wylie, Bruce K.; Rigge, Matthew B.; Brisco, Brian; Mrnaghan, Kevin; Rover, Jennifer R.; Long, Jordan

2014-01-01

A warming climate influences boreal forest productivity, dynamics, and disturbance regimes. We used ecosystem models and 250 m satellite Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) data averaged over the growing season (GSN) to model current, and estimate future, ecosystem performance. We modeled Expected Ecosystem Performance (EEP), or anticipated productivity, in undisturbed stands over the 2000–2008 period from a variety of abiotic data sources, using a rule-based piecewise regression tree. The EEP model was applied to a future climate ensemble A1B projection to quantify expected changes to mature boreal forest performance. Ecosystem Performance Anomalies (EPA), were identified as the residuals of the EEP and GSN relationship and represent performance departures from expected performance conditions. These performance data were used to monitor successional events following fire. Results suggested that maximum EPA occurs 30–40 years following fire, and deciduous stands generally have higher EPA than coniferous stands. Mean undisturbed EEP is projected to increase 5.6% by 2040 and 8.7% by 2070, suggesting an increased deciduous component in boreal forests. Our results contribute to the understanding of boreal forest successional dynamics and its response to climate change. This information enables informed decisions to prepare for, and adapt to, climate change in the Yukon River Basin forest.

Terrestrial condition assessment for national forests of the USDA Forest Service in the continental US

Science.gov (United States)

David Cleland; Keith Reynolds; Robert Vaughan; Barbara Schrader; Harbin Li; Larry Laing

2017-01-01

The terrestrial condition assessment (TCA) evaluates effects of uncharacteristic stressors and disturbance agents on land-type associations (LTAs) to identify restoration opportunities on national forest system (NFS) lands in the United States. A team of agency scientists and managers, representing a broad array of natural resource disciplines, developed a logic...

Managing for multiple resources under climate change: national forests.

Science.gov (United States)

Joyce, Linda A; Blate, Geoffrey M; McNulty, Steven G; Millar, Constance I; Moser, Susanne; Neilson, Ronald P; Peterson, David L

2009-12-01

This study explores potential adaptation approaches in planning and management that the United States Forest Service might adopt to help achieve its goals and objectives in the face of climate change. Availability of information, vulnerability of ecological and socio-economic systems, and uncertainties associated with climate change, as well as the interacting non-climatic changes, influence selection of the adaptation approach. Resource assessments are opportunities to develop strategic information that could be used to identify and link adaptation strategies across planning levels. Within a National Forest, planning must incorporate the opportunity to identify vulnerabilities to climate change as well as incorporate approaches that allow management adjustments as the effects of climate change become apparent. The nature of environmental variability, the inevitability of novelty and surprise, and the range of management objectives and situations across the National Forest System implies that no single approach will fit all situations. A toolbox of management options would include practices focused on forestalling climate change effects by building resistance and resilience into current ecosystems, and on managing for change by enabling plants, animals, and ecosystems to adapt to climate change. Better and more widespread implementation of already known practices that reduce the impact of existing stressors represents an important "no regrets" strategy. These management opportunities will require agency consideration of its adaptive capacity, and ways to overcome potential barriers to these adaptation options.

Communicating the role of silviculture in managing the national forests: Proceedings of the National Silviculture Workshop

Science.gov (United States)

Northeastern Forest Experiment Station

1997-01-01

Contains 32 articles on communicating the values and benefits of silviculture in managing the national forests. Specific topics addressed are how communications affect: policymakers, inventory and monitoring, resource management, research, education and demonstration, and partnerships.

75 FR 8297 - Tongass National Forest, Thorne Bay Ranger District, Thorne Bay, AK

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-24

..., Thorne Bay, AK AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Cancellation of Notice of intent to prepare an... Roberts, Zone Planner, Thorne Bay Ranger District, Tongass National Forest, P.O. Box 19001, Thorne Bay, AK 99919, telephone: 907-828-3250. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The 47,007-acre Kosciusko Project Area is...

Grapevine dynamics after manual tending of juvenile stands on the Hoosier National Forest, Indiana

Science.gov (United States)

Robert C. Morrissey; Martin-Michel Gauthier; John A., Jr. Kershaw; Douglass F. Jacobs; Burnell C. Fischer; John R. Siefert

2008-01-01

Large woody vines, most notably grapevines, are a source of great concern for forest and wildlife managers in many parts of the Central Hardwood Forest Region of the United States. We examined grapevine dynamics in stands aged 21 - 35 years. The plots, located in regenerated clearcuts in the Hoosier National Forest (HNF), were evaluated for vine control, site, and tree...

78 FR 76100 - Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board

Science.gov (United States)

2013-12-16

...: The Black Hills National Forest Advisory Board (Board) will meet in Rapid City, South Dakota. The... Ranger District, 8221 South Highway 16, Rapid City, South Dakota. Written comments may be submitted as... the public. The agenda will include time for people to make oral statements of three minutes or less...

Caraboidea distribution in different forest stands Chrea National Park, Algeria

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belhadid, Z.; Gahdeb, C.; Ghalem, M.; Haddar, L.; Boughrara, H.

2013-01-01

T he distribution of the ground beetles in different forests of the national park of Chrea (Blida, Algerie) using pitfall traps was investigated . A total of 29 species of Caraboidea , in seven families, were collected, with the chestnut and holm oak forests were the most diversified sites with 16 species each. The family Pterostichidae is the richest with nine specie s. The distribution of the species of Caraboidea was influenced by the site altitude, since the site vegetation composition and fluctuations are dependent on several ecological parameters. (author)

Parker River National Wildlife Refuge : Annual Narrative Report : Calendar Year 2006

Data.gov (United States)

Department of the Interior — This annual narrative report for Parker River National Wildlife Refuge summarizes refuge activities during 2006. The report begins with information about the year’s...

Conceptualizing and measuring demand for recreation on national forests: a review and synthesis.

Science.gov (United States)

Brian E. Garber-Yonts

2005-01-01

This analysis examines the problem of measuring demand for recreation on national forests and other public lands. Current measures of recreation demand in Forest Service resource assessments and planning emphasize population-level participation rates and activity-based economic values for visitor days. Alternative measures and definitions of recreation demand are...

The population dynamics of goldenseal by habitat type on the Hoosier National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

S. P. Meyer; G. R. Parker

2003-01-01

Goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis L.) is an herbaceous species found throughout the central hardwood forest ecosystem that is harvested from the wild for the medicinal herb trade. A total of 147 goldenseal populations were classified according to the Ecological Classification Guide developed for the Hoosier National Forest, and change in population...

Use of forest products by the local people of the Salonga National Park in the Congo

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose Mbenga Ibesoa

2009-01-01

Full Text Available This article attempted to define a compromise making it possible the satisfaction of the material needs of the populations living within the National park of Salonga while ensuring the conservation of long-term forest resources. The management of the forests requires deepened knowledge of the resources and the participation of the local communities, which are the better, informed on of the forest resources. The implementing of a policy on sustainable forest management would be possible by a better integration and participation of the local populations. A survey was carried out in four villages of the National park of Salonga. The results of the investigation show clearly a positive attitude of the rural populations with regard to the forest resources. The diversity of the needs for the population corresponds to the choice of the products and services of the forest. Overall, the potential of the park’s forests is superior in comparison with the needs of the population. The exploitation of the forest products is vast and is included in the category of a system of an economy of collection.

Using Count Data and Ordered Models in National Forest Recreation Demand Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Simões, Paula; Barata, Eduardo; Cruz, Luis

2013-11-01

This research addresses the need to improve our knowledge on the demand for national forests for recreation and offers an in-depth data analysis supported by the complementary use of count data and ordered models. From a policy-making perspective, while count data models enable the estimation of monetary welfare measures, ordered models allow for the wider use of the database and provide a more flexible analysis of data. The main purpose of this article is to analyse the individual forest recreation demand and to derive a measure of its current use value. To allow a more complete analysis of the forest recreation demand structure the econometric approach supplements the use of count data models with ordered category models using data obtained by means of an on-site survey in the Bussaco National Forest (Portugal). Overall, both models reveal that travel cost and substitute prices are important explanatory variables, visits are a normal good and demographic variables seem to have no influence on demand. In particular, estimated price and income elasticities of demand are quite low. Accordingly, it is possible to argue that travel cost (price) in isolation may be expected to have a low impact on visitation levels.

A century of changing flows: Forest management changed flow magnitudes and warming advanced the timing of flow in a southwestern US river.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marcos D Robles

Full Text Available The continued provision of water from rivers in the southwestern United States to downstream cities, natural communities and species is at risk due to higher temperatures and drought conditions in recent decades. Snowpack and snowfall levels have declined, snowmelt and peak spring flows are arriving earlier, and summer flows have declined. Concurrent to climate change and variation, a century of fire suppression has resulted in dramatic changes to forest conditions, and yet, few studies have focused on determining the degree to which changing forests have altered flows. In this study, we evaluated changes in flow, climate, and forest conditions in the Salt River in central Arizona from 1914-2012 to compare and evaluate the effects of changing forest conditions and temperatures on flows. After using linear regression models to remove the influence of precipitation and temperature, we estimated that annual flows declined by 8-29% from 1914-1963, coincident with a 2-fold increase in basal area, a 2-3-fold increase in canopy cover, and at least a 10-fold increase in forest density within ponderosa pine forests. Streamflow volumes declined by 37-56% in summer and fall months during this period. Declines in climate-adjusted flows reversed at mid-century when spring and annual flows increased by 10-31% from 1964-2012, perhaps due to more winter rainfall. Additionally, peak spring flows occurred about 12 days earlier in this period than in the previous period, coincident with winter and spring temperatures that increased by 1-2°C. While uncertainties remain, this study adds to the knowledge gained in other regions that forest change has had effects on flow that were on par with climate variability and, in the case of mid-century declines, well before the influence of anthropogenic warming. Current large-scale forest restoration projects hold some promise of recovering seasonal flows.

Forest Fires Darken Snow for Years following Disturbance: Magnitude, Duration, and Composition of Light Absorbing Impurities in Seasonal Snow across a Chronosequence of Burned Forests in the Colorado River Headwaters

Science.gov (United States)

Gleason, K. E.; Arienzo, M. M.; Chellman, N.; McConnell, J.

2017-12-01

Charred forests shed black carbon and burned debris, which accumulates and concentrates on winter snowpack, reducing snow surface albedo, and subsequently increasing snowmelt rates, and advancing the date of snow disappearance. Forest fires have occurred across vast areas of the seasonal snow zone in recent decades, however we do not understand the long-term implications of burned forests in montane headwaters to snow hydrology and downstream water resources. Across a chronosequence of nine burned forests in the Colorado River Headwaters, we sampled snow throughout the complete snowpack profile to conserve the composition, properties, and vertical stratigraphy of impurities in the snowpack during maximum snow accumulation. Using state-of-the-art geochemical analyses, we determined the magnitude, composition, and particle size distribution of black carbon, dust, and other impurities in the snowpack relative to years-since fire. Forest fires continue to darken snow for many years following fire, however the magnitude, composition, and particle size distribution of impurities change through time, altering the post-fire radiative forcing on snow as a burned forest ages.

Mapping Fuels on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests

Science.gov (United States)

Crystal L. Raymond; Lara-Karena B. Kellogg; Donald McKenzie

2006-01-01

Resource managers need spatially explicit fuels data to manage fire hazard and evaluate the ecological effects of wildland fires and fuel treatments. For this study, fuels were mapped on the Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forests (OWNF) using a rule-based method and the Fuels Characteristic Classification System (FCCS). The FCCS classifies fuels based on their...

Facility siting as a decision process at the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wike, L.D.

1995-01-01

Site selection for new facilities at Savannah River Site (SRS) historically has been a process dependent only upon specific requirements of the facility. While this approach is normally well suited to engineering and operational concerns, it can have serious deficiencies in the modern era of regulatory oversight and compliance requirements. There are many issues related to the site selection for a facility that are not directly related to engineering or operational requirements; such environmental concerns can cause large schedule delays and budget impact,s thereby slowing or stopping the progress of a project. Some of the many concerns in locating a facility include: waste site avoidance, National Environmental Policy Act requirements, Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, wetlands conservation, US Army Corps of Engineers considerations, US Fish and Wildlife Service statutes including threatened and endangered species issues, and State of South Carolina regulations, especially those of the Department of Health and Environmental Control. In addition, there are SRS restrictions on research areas set aside for National Environmental Research Park (NERP), Savannah River Ecology Laboratory, Savannah River Forest Station, University of South Carolina Institute of Archaeology and Anthropology, Southeastern Forest Experimental Station, and Savannah River Technology Center (SRTC) programs. As with facility operational needs, all of these siting considerations do not have equal importance. The purpose of this document is to review recent site selection exercises conducted for a variety of proposed facilities, develop the logic and basis for the methods employed, and standardize the process and terminology for future site selection efforts

Tree mortality based fire severity classification for forest inventories: A Pacific Northwest national forests example

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas R. Whittier; Andrew N. Gray

2016-01-01

Determining how the frequency, severity, and extent of forest fires are changing in response to changes in management and climate is a key concern in many regions where fire is an important natural disturbance. In the USA the only national-scale fire severity classification uses satellite image changedetection to produce maps for large (>400 ha) fires, and is...

75 FR 55736 - Mark Twain National Forest; Missouri; Integrated Non-Native Invasive Plant Project

Science.gov (United States)

2010-09-14

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Mark Twain National Forest; Missouri; Integrated Non... notice of intent initiates the scoping process, which guides the development of the environmental impact... information to MTNF world wide Web site. Four comment letters were received in response to that solicitation...

78 FR 13315 - Bridger-Teton National Forest; Wyoming; Teton to Snake Fuels Management Project

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-27

... Fuels Management Project AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an...) to document the potential effects of the Teton to Snake Fuels Management Project. The analysis will... Caribou-Targhee National Forest. The Teton to Snake Fuels Management Project was previously scoped and...

78 FR 49723 - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forests; Ely Ranger District; Ely Westside Rangeland Project

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-15

... Month (AUM) production for the Humboldt National Forest while improving the gap between existing and...: 1. Current Management Alternative: Continue current grazing management. 2. No Grazing Alternative... documents. (Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, Section 21) Dated: August...

76 FR 21329 - Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Nevada; Environmental Impact Statement for Geothermal Leasing...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-15

... at 1340 Financial Blvd, Reno, NV 89502, is a cooperating agency for this NEPA analysis. Responsible... Impact Statement for Geothermal Leasing on the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an environmental impact statement. SUMMARY: The Humboldt...

Lower Red River Meadow Stream Restoration Project

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1996-05-01

As part of a continuing effort to restore anadromous fish populations in the South Fork Clearwater River basin of Idaho, Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) proposes to fund the Lower Red River Meadow Restoration Project (Project). The Project is a cooperative effort with the Idaho Soil and Water Conservation District, Nez Perce National Forest, Idaho Department of Fish and Game (IDFG), and the Nez Perce Tribe of Idaho. The proposed action would allow the sponsors to perform stream bank stabilization, aquatic and riparian habitat improvement activities on IDFG's Red River Management Area and to secure long-term conservation contracts or agreements for conducting streambank and habitat improvement activities with participating private landowners located in the Idaho County, Idaho, study area. This preliminary Environmental Assessment (EA) examines the potential environmental effects of stabilizing the stream channel, restoring juvenile fish rearing habitat and reestablishing a riparian shrub community along the stream

75 FR 21577 - Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, Powers Ranger District, Coos County, OR; Eden Ridge Timber...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-26

... Plan, page C-39). Specifically for the Eden Ridge Timber Sales project, Needs include: Improvement of... District, Coos County, OR; Eden Ridge Timber Sales AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent... Forest's Probable Sale Quantity. The planning area is located approximately four (4) air miles southeast...

78 FR 46565 - National Advisory Committee for Implementation of the National Forest System Land Management...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-01

... INFORMATION: The following business will be conducted: 1. Continue formulation of advice to the Secretary for... this meeting is to continue the formulation of advice to the Secretary on the Proposed Land Management... case-by-case basis. Dated: July 25, 2013. Greg Smith, Acting Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest...

75 FR 33239 - Rangeland Allotment Management Planning on the Fall River West and Oglala Geographic Areas, Fall...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-11

...The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact statement (EIS) analyzing the management of rangeland vegetation resources, which includes livestock grazing, on the National Forest System (NFS) lands within the Oglala Geographic Area (OGA) of the Oglala National Grassland on the Pine Ridge Ranger District and the West Geographic Area (WGA) of the Buffalo Gap National Grassland on the Fall River Ranger District of the Nebraska National Forest (Analysis Area) areas as mapped by the 2001 Nebraska National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). A Notice of Intent (NOI) for this project was published February 22, 2008 (73 No. 36 FR 9760- 9762). More than six months have elapsed since the projected draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) date in that original NOI. This revised NOI is being issued to update the project schedule. There will be a record of decision (ROD) for each geographic area. Proposed management actions would be implemented beginning in the year 2012. The agency gives notice of the full environmental analysis and decision-making process that will occur on the proposal so interested and affected people may become aware of how they may participate in the process and contribute to the final decision.

Changes in forest cover in the Foresta della Lama (Casentino Forests National Park from Karl Siemon’s and Anton Seeland’s 1837 forest management plan

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vazzano E

2011-05-01

Full Text Available Forest estates with a long history of forest management plans are quite rare in Italy. In such cases, the analysis of historical documents combined with the use of GIS technology, can provide useful information on the evolution of forest cover and silvicultural and management techniques. Based on two unpublished documents by Karl Siemon and Anton Seeland dating back to 1837 and 1850, an archive of historical maps for the Lama Forest (Foreste Casentinesi, Monte Falterona and Campigna National Park was created using GIS techniques. This archive outlines the evolution of the Lama Forest over the last 170 years. Particular attention was given to silver fir plantations, which have strongly characterized silviculture and local economics in the Foreste Casentinesi area. The results of our analysis show that changes in different historical periods have been caused both by silvicultural interventions prescribed by the management plans and by external causes such as changes in forest property or war periods, which have markedly influenced forest area and stand characteristics. Furthermore, our analysis confirms that the work of Karl Siemon and Anton Seeland, carried out between 1835 and 1837, is the oldest forest management plan for an Italian forest. It is interesting to note that the aim of the plan, i.e., a regulated (or “normal” even-aged forest, and the way the plan was laid out, typical of classic forest management originated in Germany at the end of the XVIIIth century, served as model for the forest management plans drawn out by the Florence Forestry School almost until the end of the XXth century.

Examining the Role of Voluntary Associations in Environmental Management: The Case of the Sam Houston National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Jiaying; Schuett, Michael A.

2012-02-01

The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of voluntary associations involved in forest management. The specific areas examined in this study include organizational attributes, membership profile, attitudes toward forest-management priorities, and concerns about forest-management issues. To achieve this purpose, data were collected using a case study approach with mixed-methods (document reviews, personal interviews, and a Web survey) at a national forest in Texas, USA. Overall, the voluntary associations in this study can be described as place-based, small to moderate in scale, activity-oriented, and active groups that are adaptive to sociopolitical and environmental changes. General group members placed high importance on aesthetic, ecological, and recreation management of the national forest. In addition, this study showed five key forest management issues: (1) limited recreation access; (2) financial challenges for forest management; (3) conflict among recreation user groups; (4) inadequate communication by the United States Forest Service to the general public, and (5) sustainability of the forest. Theoretical and managerial implications of the results are discussed.

Social science and the Bitterroot National Forest: A synthesis

Science.gov (United States)

Stephen F. McCool; James Burchfield; Wayne Freimund

2000-01-01

The objective of this research was to synthesize a number of studies focusing on human dimensions of public land management in the Bitterroot National Forest. While 35-40 such studies have been conducted, their cumulative knowledge is limited by use of a variety of approaches, scales and frameworks. Four themes emerged from the synthesis: public attitudes toward...

More dams planned for Nitassinan Rivers : Innu Nation backgrounder on the proposed Churchill River hydro projects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The Labrador Innu have expressed their concerns regarding the proposed development of a huge hydroelectric project for the Nitassinan Rivers. The Innu people were not consulted regarding the negotiations which will take place between Newfoundland and Quebec. The biggest concern of the Innu people is the cumulative environmental and social effects of the proposed development and how it will contribute to opening up their territory to further development. For example, access roads, transmission corridors and large-scale clear-cut forestry operations would all impact on their traditional way of life. This paper also described the impacts that the Innu have already experienced as a result of hydroelectric development on the Nitassinan Rivers during the 1970s, when the government of Newfoundland gave the rights to develop and exploit water resources, forests and minerals to a private company. At that time, large areas of hunting and trapping territories were flooded, belongings were lost and burial sites were flooded. The flooding also resulted in increased levels of methyl mercury in fish in the reservoirs as well as downstream. The losses suffered by the Innu people have yet to be addressed by the governments

Differences in breeding bird assemblages related to reed canary grass cover cover and forest structure on the Upper Mississippi River

Science.gov (United States)

Kirsch, Eileen M.; Gray, Brian R.

2017-01-01

Floodplain forest of the Upper Mississippi River provides habitat for an abundant and diverse breeding bird community. However, reed canary grass Phalaris arundinacea invasion is a serious threat to the future condition of this forest. Reed canary grass is a well-known aggressive invader of wetland systems in the northern tier states of the conterminous United States. Aided by altered flow regimes and nutrient inputs from agriculture, reed canary grass has formed dense stands in canopy gaps and forest edges, retarding tree regeneration. We sampled vegetation and breeding birds in Upper Mississippi River floodplain forest edge and interior areas to 1) measure reed canary grass cover and 2) evaluate whether the breeding bird assemblage responded to differences in reed canary grass cover. Reed canary grass was found far into forest interiors, and its cover was similar between interior and edge sites. Bird assemblages differed between areas with more or less reed canary grass cover (.53% cover breakpoint). Common yellowthroat Geothlypis trichas, black-capped chickadee Parus atricapillus, and rose-breasted grosbeak Pheucticus ludovicianus were more common and American redstart Setophaga ruticilla, great crested flycatcher Myiarchus crinitus, and Baltimore oriole Icterus galbula were less common in sites with more reed canary grass cover. Bird diversity and abundance were similar between sites with different reed canary grass cover. A stronger divergence in bird assemblages was associated with ground cover ,15%, resulting from prolonged spring flooding. These sites hosted more prothonotary warbler Protonotaria citrea, but they had reduced bird abundance and diversity compared to other sites. Our results indicate that frequently flooded sites may be important for prothonotary warblers and that bird assemblages shift in response to reed canary grass invasion.

Spatial analysis of fuel treatment options for chaparral on the Angeles national forest

Science.gov (United States)

G. Jones; J. Chew; R. Silverstein; C. Stalling; J. Sullivan; J. Troutwine; D. Weise; D. Garwood

2008-01-01

Spatial fuel treatment schedules were developed for the chaparral vegetation type on the Angeles National Forest using the Multi-resource Analysis and Geographic Information System (MAGIS). Schedules varied by the priority given to various wildland urban interface areas and the general forest, as well as by the number of acres treated per decade. The effectiveness of...

LBA-ECO ND-02 Soil Gas Flux, Rainfall Exclusion, km 67, Tapajos National Forest

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: This data set reports the results of a rainfall exclusion experiment in the Tapajos National Forest (Flona-Tapajos) at km 67 along the Santarem-Cuiaba...

Forest insects and diseases in Kouchibouguac National Park in 1992. Technical note No. 275. Annual publication

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lemieux, G.R.

1993-01-01

Personnel of the Forest Insect and Disease Survey regularly survey national parks for forest insect and disease conditions. This document presents some of the conditions encountered in Kouchibouguac National Park in 1992, including balsam twig aphids, gypsy moth, whitespotted sawyer bettle, white pine weevil, frost damage, Eastern tent caterpiller, uglynest caterpillar, hypoxylon canker, spruce budmoth, Eastern spruce gall adelgid, and other pests encountered.

Trophic conditions of forest soils of the Pieniny National Park, southern Poland

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wanic Tomasz

2017-12-01

Full Text Available The primary objective of this study was to characterise the edaphic conditions of forest areas in the Pieniny National Park (PNP, and to describe the dependencies between properties of forest soils and types of forest plant communities. The “Soil Trophic Index” (SIGg for mountainous areas was applied. The evaluation of the trophism for 74 forest monitoring employed the soil trophic index for mountainous areas SIGg or SIGgo. Plant communities in the forest monitoring areas were classified according to the Braun-Blanquet’s phytosociological method. Soils of PNP present in the forest monitoring areas were mostly classified as eutrophic brown soils (72.9%, rendzinas (10.8%, brown rendzinas (5.41%, and rubble initial soils (5.41%. Pararendzinas, dystrophic brown soils, and gley soils were less common (total below 5.5%. In the forest monitoring areas of PNP, eutrophic soils predominate over mesotrophic soils. High SIGg index of the soils is caused by high values of acidity and nitrogen content. The Carpathian beech forest Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum and thermophilic beech forest Carici albae-Fagetum associations are characterised by high naturalness and compatibility of theoretical habitats. The soils of the Carpathian fir forest Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum abietetosum subcommunity is characterised by a higher share of silt and clay particles and lower acidity as compared to the Carpathian beech forest Dentario glandulosae-Fagetum typicum subcommunity. The soils of the forest monitoring areas in PNP stand out in terms of their fertility against forest soils in other mountainous areas in Poland.

The effect of increasing salinity and forest mortality on soil nitrogen and phosphorus mineralization in tidal freshwater forested wetlands

Science.gov (United States)

Noe, Gregory B.; Krauss, Ken W.; Lockaby, B. Graeme; Conner, William H.; Hupp, Cliff R.

2013-01-01

Tidal freshwater wetlands are sensitive to sea level rise and increased salinity, although little information is known about the impact of salinification on nutrient biogeochemistry in tidal freshwater forested wetlands. We quantified soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) mineralization using seasonal in situ incubations of modified resin cores along spatial gradients of chronic salinification (from continuously freshwater tidal forest to salt impacted tidal forest to oligohaline marsh) and in hummocks and hollows of the continuously freshwater tidal forest along the blackwater Waccamaw River and alluvial Savannah River. Salinification increased rates of net N and P mineralization fluxes and turnover in tidal freshwater forested wetland soils, most likely through tree stress and senescence (for N) and conversion to oligohaline marsh (for P). Stimulation of N and P mineralization by chronic salinification was apparently unrelated to inputs of sulfate (for N and P) or direct effects of increased soil conductivity (for N). In addition, the tidal wetland soils of the alluvial river mineralized more P relative to N than the blackwater river. Finally, hummocks had much greater nitrification fluxes than hollows at the continuously freshwater tidal forested wetland sites. These findings add to knowledge of the responses of tidal freshwater ecosystems to sea level rise and salinification that is necessary to predict the consequences of state changes in coastal ecosystem structure and function due to global change, including potential impacts on estuarine eutrophication.

Biomass availability in forests, poplar plantations and hedges for various timber uses. National assessment based on the national forest inventory data and wood consumption statistics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ginisty, Christian; Vallet, Patrick; Chevalier, Helene; COLIN, Antoine

2011-01-01

This article provides an assessment of the quantities of potentially exploitable timber in French forests, poplar plantations and hedges for the period 2007 to 2020. The first step consisted in computing the gross available quantities of timber, prior to deduction of the various current consumptions. This was done applying the reference silvicultural scenarios to all the plots in the French national forest inventory, on the basis of their features (species, structure, fertility, age, observed per hectare volume). Current consumption was then subtracted from these quantities. It was estimated using the annual sectoral 'forest exploitation' survey in industry and an estimation of fuelwood consumption by households. The outcome is an excess availability of more than 28 million cubic metres of timber per year for bio-energy or pulp uses, and nearly 15 million cubic metres of workable timber, essentially hardwoods. (authors)

Could refuge theory and rivers acting as barriers explain the genetic variability distribution in the Atlantic Forest?

Science.gov (United States)

Cazé, Ana Luiza R; Mäder, Geraldo; Nunes, Teonildes S; Queiroz, Luciano P; de Oliveira, Guilherme; Diniz-Filho, José Alexandre F; Bonatto, Sandro L; Freitas, Loreta B

2016-08-01

The Atlantic Forest is one of the most species-rich ecoregions in the world. The historical origins of this richness and the evolutionary processes that produced diversification and promoted speciation in this ecosystem remain poorly understood. In this context, focusing on Passiflora contracta, an endemic species from the Atlantic Forest distributed exclusively at sea level along forest edges, this study aimed to characterize the patterns of genetic variability and explore two hypotheses that attempt to explain the possible causes of the genetic diversity in this region: the refuge and riverine barrier theories. We employed Bayesian methods combined with niche modeling to identify genetically homogeneous groups, to determine the diversification age, and identify long-term climate stability areas to species survival. The analyses were performed using molecular markers from nuclear and plastid genomes, with samples collected throughout the entire geographic distribution of the species, and comparisons with congeners species. The results indicated that populations were genetically structured and provided evidence of demographic stability. The molecular markers indicated the existence of a clear structure and the presence of five homogeneous groups. Interestingly, the separation of the groups coincides with the geographical locations of local rivers, corroborating the hypothesis of rivers acting as barriers to gene flow in this species. The highest levels of genetic diversity and the areas identified as having long-term climate stability were found in the same region reported for other species as a possible refuge area during the climatic changes of the Quaternary. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

LBA-ECO ND-02 Soil Gas Flux, Rainfall Exclusion, km 67, Tapajos National Forest

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — This data set reports the results of a rainfall exclusion experiment in the Tapajos National Forest (Flona-Tapajos) at km 67 along the Santarem-Cuiaba BR-163...

78 FR 69814 - Revision of the Land Management Plan for El Yunque National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

2013-11-21

... inspection and copying. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Pedro Rios, Forest Planning Team Leader, at 787-888-1880. Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information... Friday. More information on the planning process can also be found on the El Yunque National Forest Web...

Climate, trees, pests, and weeds: Change, uncertainty, and biotic stressors in eastern US national park forests

Science.gov (United States)

Nicholas A. Fisichelli; Scott R. Abella; Matthew Peters; Frank J. Krist

2014-01-01

The US National Park Service (NPS) manages over 8900 km2 of forest area in the eastern United States where climate change and nonnative species are altering forest structure, composition, and processes. Understanding potential forest change in response to climate, differences in habitat projections among models (uncertainty), and nonnative biotic...

Algorithmic decision rules for estimating growth, removals, and mortality within a national-scale forest inventory (USA)

Science.gov (United States)

William H. McWilliams; Carol L. Alerich; William A. Bechtold; Mark Hansen; Christopher M. Oswalt; Mike Thompson; Jeff Turner

2012-01-01

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program maintains the National Information Management System (NIMS) that provides the computational framework for the annual forest inventory of the United States. Questions regarding the impact of key elements of programming logic, processing criteria, and estimation procedures...

Benthic and Landcover Characterization of Salt River Bay National Historical Park and Ecological Preserve

Data.gov (United States)

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce — Habitat maps were created as part of a larger ecological assessment conducted by NOAA's National Ocean Service (NOS), Biogeography Branch, for Salt River Bay...

THE SOURCES OF NUTRIENTS IN WATERS OF RIVERS IN THE WETLAND AREAS OF NAREW NATIONAL PARK IN NORTH-EASTERN POLAND

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirosław Skorbiłowicz

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The study aimed at the attempt to identify and to evaluate the interaction intensity, and to classify the sources of river waters nutrients in the catchment of upper river Narew within Narew National Park (north-eastern Poland. The studies were carried out on Narew river within borders of Narew National Park, where 5 measurement-control points were localized as well as one near estuaries of its 5 tributaries (Awissa, Czaplinianka, Horodnianka, Turośnianka and Supraśl. Factor analysis (FA from multi-dimensional group was applied for statistical processing of study results, because it is commonly used to describe and explore a large number of data. concentrations of analyzed chemicals depended on a water sampling point that was under anthropopression and geogenic conditions. Studies and results from analyses (FA and CA allowed for identifying the main sources of river Narew nutrients within Narew National Park. These are: tributaries of river Narew, point and distributed runoffs, as well as shallow ground waters that transport components having anthropogenic and partially geogenic-lithologic origin. River Turośnianka supplies the largest loads of studied parameters to river Narew within Narew National Park boundaries. River Supraśl is the most contaminated tributary of river Narew.

Dietary breadth of the animal protein consumed by riverine communities in the Tapajós National Forest, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Fonseca, Raphael Alves; Pezzuti, Juarez Carlos Brito

2013-03-01

In small-scale human settlements, the acquisition of animal protein is strictly related to subsistence activities, and yours dietary habits are determined by the availability and the selectivity permitted by the diversity of these resources. This study analyzed the consumption of animal protein sources in seven traditional riverine communities of the Tapajos National Forest, located in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia, considering fish, game meat and domestic animals. The analysis of animal protein consumption was based on the assumptions of the diet breadth model and the Optimal Foraging Theory. We compared diet breadths between communities and between rainy and dry seasons. The study focused on seven traditional riverside communities, six of them distributed along the right bank of the Tapajos River and one on the right bank of the Cupari River. Data collection was performed in four fields trips, two in the rainy season (May and July) and two in the dry season (September and November) in 2010. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews where the informant mentioned the source of animal protein consumed in the last three meals and which would be consumed at the next meal, if possible. We carried out a total of 470 interviews, where we documented 1 512 meals, and in only 12% of the meals there was no consumption of any animal protein source. The fish was consumed in 60.4% of the meals, being the most important source of animal protein consumed, differing significantly from other protein sources (X2=23.79, df=5, pCuniculus paca, while the preference for fish consumption included Plagioscion spp., Astronotus spp., Cichla spp. and Leporinus spp.. The Simpson index did not vary significantly between the rainy and dry season (N=6, t=1.25, p=0.267) or between communities (N=6, t=-5, p=0.42), although SLo Francisco das Chagas have significantly higher consumption of game meat (X2=370.41, df=25, p<0.001). Fishing is an activity of paramount importance to these

Development of ecological restoration experiments in fire adapted forests at Grand Canyon National Park

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas A. Heinlein; W. Wallace Covington; Peter Z. Fule; Margaret H. Moore; Hiram B. Smith

2000-01-01

The management of national park and wilderness areas dominated by forest ecosystems adapted to frequent, low-intensity fires, continues to be a tremendous challenge. Throughout the inland West and particularly in the Southwest, ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) and mixed conifer forests have become dense and structurally homogeneous after periods of...

76 FR 59156 - Notice of Availability of the Proposed Ironwood Forest National Monument Resource Management Plan...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-09-23

... Chin Indian Community, Gila River Indian Community, Tohono O'odham Nation, Salt River Pima-Maricopa..., P.O. Box 71383, Washington, DC 20024-1383 Overnight Mail: BLM Director (210), Attention: Brenda...

2008-09 National Rivers and Streams Assessment Fish Tissue Data Dictionary

Science.gov (United States)

The Office of Science and Technology (OST) is providing the fish tissue results from the 2008-09 National Rivers and Streams Assessment (NRSA). This document includes the “data dictionary” for Mercury, Selenium, PBDEs, PCBs, Pesticides and PFCs.

75 FR 37749 - White River National Forest, Colorado, Oil and Gas Leasing Environmental Impact Statement

Science.gov (United States)

2010-06-30

... to ``foster and encourage private enterprise in the development of economically sound and stable... Handbook 1909.15, Section 21. Dated: June 24, 2010. Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor. [FR Doc. 2010...

Past and prospective carbon stocks in forests of northern Wisconsin: a report from the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest Climate Change Response Framework

Science.gov (United States)

Richard Birdsey; Yude Pan; Maria Janowiak; Susan Stewart; Sarah Hines; Linda Parker; Stith Gower; Jeremy Lichstein; Kevin McCullough; Fangmin Zhang; Jing Chen; David Mladenoff; Craig Wayson; Chris. Swanston

2014-01-01

This report assesses past and prospective carbon stocks for 4.5 million ha of forest land in northern Wisconsin, including a baseline assessment and analysis of the impacts of disturbance and management on carbon stocks. Carbon density (amount of carbon stock per unit area) averages 237 megagrams (Mg) per ha, with the National Forest lands having slightly higher carbon...

Demography of the California spotted owl in the Sierra National Forest and Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks

Science.gov (United States)

George N. Steger; Thomas E. Munton; Kenneth D. Johnson; Gary P. Eberlein

2002-01-01

Nine years (1990–1998) of demographic data on California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) in two study areas on the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada—one in the Sierra National Forest (SNF), the other in Sequoia/Kings Canyon National Parks (SNP)—are summarized. Numbers of territorial owls fluctuated from 85 to 50 in SNF and 80 to 58...

Beaver Colony Density Trends on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, 1987 ? 2013

OpenAIRE

Ribic, Christine A.; Donner, Deahn M.; Beck, Albert J.; Rugg, David J.; Reinecke, Sue; Eklund, Dan

2017-01-01

The North American beaver (Castor canadensis) is a managed species in the United States. In northern Wisconsin, as part of the state-wide beaver management program, the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest removes beavers from targeted trout streams on U.S. Forest Service lands. However, the success of this management program has not been evaluated. Targeted removals comprise only 3% of the annual beaver harvest, a level of effort that may not affect the beaver population. We used colony locat...

Carbon factors and models for forest carbon estimates for the 2005-2011 National Greenhouse Gas Inventories of the United States

Science.gov (United States)

James E. Smith; Linda S. Heath; Coeli M. Hoover

2013-01-01

Most nations have ratified the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, and are mandated to report National Greenhouse Gas Inventories, including the land use, land use change and forestry sector when it is significant. Participating countries commonly use data from national forest inventories as a basis for their forest-related emissions estimates. The...

Forest crimes as a threat to sustainable forest management

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S. Özden

2016-08-01

decrease of forest crimes in rural areas. On the other hand, legal and illegal forest attacks have been increasing due to urbanization in this process. This study was conducted to evaluate Yeşilirmak river basin forest crimes of the last 11 years. Yeşilirmak river basin occupies 3 964 375 ha, which is approximately 5 % of Turkey’s total area and 519 km in length.

78 FR 58555 - Public Land Order No. 7821; Withdrawal of National Forest System Land for Steamboat Rock Picnic...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-24

...; Withdrawal of National Forest System Land for Steamboat Rock Picnic Grounds; South Dakota AGENCY: Bureau of... the Steamboat Rock Picnic Grounds within the Black Hills National Forest in South Dakota. DATES... Steamboat Rock Picnic Grounds. Order By virtue of the authority vested in the Secretary of the Interior by...

Hydrologic and water quality monitoring on Turkey Creek watershed, Francis Marion National Forest, SC

Science.gov (United States)

D.M. Amatya; T.J. Callahan; A. Radecki-Pawlik; P. Drewes; C. Trettin; W.F. Hansen

2008-01-01

The re-initiation of a 7,260 ha forested watershed study on Turkey Creek, a 3rd order stream, within the Francis Marion National forest in South Carolina, completes the development of a multi-scale hydrology and ecosystem monitoring framework in the Atlantic Coastal Plain. Hydrology and water quality monitoring began on the Santee Experimental...

Courtright intrusive zone: Sierra National Forest, Fresno County, California.

Science.gov (United States)

Bateman, P.C.; Kistler, R.W.; DeGraff, J.V.

1984-01-01

This is a field guide to a well-exposed area of plutonic and metamorphic rocks in the Sierra National Forest, Fresno County, California. The plutonic rocks, of which three major bodies are recognized, besides aplite and pegmatite dykes, range 103 to approx 90 m.y. in age. Points emphasized include cataclastic features within the plutonic rocks, schlieren and mafic inclusions. (M.A. 83M/0035).-A.P.

LBA-ECO CD-04 Meteorological and Flux Data, km 83 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — Tower flux measurements of carbon dioxide,water vapor, heat, and meteorological variables were obtained at the Tapajos National Forest, km 83 site, Santarem, Para,...

Lowland forest butterflies of the Sankosh River catchment, Bhutan

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A.P. Singh

2012-10-01

Full Text Available This paper provides information on butterflies of the lowland forests of Bhutan for the first time. As a part of the biodiversity impact assessment for the proposed Sankosh hydroelectric power project, a survey was carried out along the Sankosh River catchment to study the butterfly diversity. The aim of the study was to identify species of conservation priority, their seasonality and to know the butterfly diversity potential of the area. Surveys were carried out during five different seasons (winter, spring, pre-monsoon, monsoon, post-monsoon lasting 18 days from January 2009 to March 2010. Pollard walk method was used to assess the diversity on four-line transects within 10-12 km radius of the proposed dam site. Two hundred and thirteen species, including 22 papilionids, were thus sampled. Eleven species amongst these are listed in Schedules I and II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection Act, 1972, of which 10 taxa (Pareronia avatar avatar, Nacaduba pactolus continentalis, Porostas aluta coelestis, Elymnias vasudeva vasudeva, Mycalesis mestra retus, Melanitis zitenius zitenius, Charaxes marmax, Athyma ranga ranga, Neptis manasa manasa and Neptis soma soma are of conservation priority as they are ‘rare’ in occurrence across their distribution range in the region. The maximum number of species (128 were recorded during the spring season (March and lowest (66 during July (monsoon. The seasonal pattern of variation in diversity was very typical of the pattern found in other areas of the lower foothills and adjoining plains of the Himalaya. Relative abundances of butterflies during spring varied significantly (p<0.05 as compared to winter, pre-monsoon and post-monsoon seasons. However, species composition changed with every season as Sorensen’s similarity index varied between 0.3076 to 0.5656. All these findings suggest that the lowland forests of Bhutan hold a rich and unique diversity of butterflies during every season of the year thus having

Forecasting Areas Vulnerable to Forest Conversion in the Tam Dao National Park Region, Vietnam

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Duong Dang Khoi

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Tam Dao National Park (TDNP is a remaining primary forest that supports some of the highest levels of biodiversity in Vietnam. Forest conversion due to illegal logging and agricultural expansion is a major problem that is hampering biodiversity conservation efforts in the TDNP region. Yet, areas vulnerable to forest conversion are unknown. In this paper, we predicted areas vulnerable to forest changes in the TDNP region using multi-temporal remote sensing data and a multi-layer perceptron neural network (MLPNN with a Markov chain model (MLPNN-M. The MLPNN-M model predicted increasing pressure in the remaining primary forest within the park as well as on the secondary forest in the surrounding areas. The primary forest is predicted to decrease from 18.03% in 2007 to 15.10% in 2014 and 12.66% in 2021. Our results can be used to prioritize locations for future biodiversity conservation and forest management efforts. The combined use of remote sensing and spatial modeling techniques provides an effective tool for monitoring the remaining forests in the TDNP region.

78 FR 21590 - Coconino National Forest; Arizona; Flagstaff Watershed Protection Project

Science.gov (United States)

2013-04-11

... watersheds around Flagstaff. Specifically, two key areas have been identified for analysis and treatment... Mary Watershed. The FWPP analysis area includes portions of the Coconino National Forest that have... Watershed Protection Project, and is participating in the planning and analysis process. Responsible...

77 FR 8895 - Public Land Order No. 7788; Withdrawal of National Forest System Land for the Red Cloud...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-02-15

... Land Order No. 7788; Withdrawal of National Forest System Land for the Red Cloud Campground; New Mexico... Cloud Campground within the Cibola National Forest, and to protect a capital investment in the... (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 to contact either of the above individuals during normal business hours. The...

Recovery of Methane Consumption by Secondary Forests in the Amazon River Basin

Science.gov (United States)

Webster, K. D.; Meredith, L. K.; Piccini, W.; Pedrinho, A.; Nüsslein, K.; Van Haren, J. L. M.; Camargo, P. B. D.; Mui, T. S.; Saleska, S. R.

2017-12-01

Methane (CH4) is a major greenhouse gas in Earth's atmosphere and its atmospheric global mole fraction has roughly doubled since the start of the industrial revolution. The tropics are thought to be a major CH4 emitter, with the Amazon River Basin estimated to contribute 7 % of the annual flux to the atmosphere. The Amazon has experienced extensive land use change during the past 30 years, but we lack an understanding of the qualitative and quantitative effects of land use change on CH4 flux from the Amazon and the associated reasons. To illuminate the factors controlling CH4 flux across land use gradients in the Amazon we measured the CH4 fluxes and will measure the associated stable isotopic composition from pastures, primary forests, and secondary forests, at Ariquemes (Western Amazon, more deforested), and Santarem (Eastern Amazon, less deforested), Brazil. The sites near Santarem were sampled in June of 2016 and the sites near Ariquemes were sampled in March and April of 2017, both at the end of the wet season. Little difference was observed between land use types in Santarem with each land use type slightly consuming atmospheric CH4. However, pasture fluxes at Ariquemes were higher (+520 μg-C m-2 hr-1) than in primary (0 μg-C m-2 hr-1) and secondary forests (-20 μg-C m-2 hr-1; p = 6*10-4). CH4 flux from individual Santarem sites was not correlated with environmental variables. CH4 flux from Airquemes was correlated with several parameters across all samples including soil temperature (p = 7*10-4), and soil humidity (p = 0.02). Despite the fact that pastures experienced higher soil temperatures than forest soils this appears to be a low predictor of CH4 flux from these environments as it was seen at both Santarem and Ariquemes. The analysis of the stable isotopic composition of CH4 from these chambers will aid in understanding the competing processes of microbial CH4 consumption and production in these soils and why pastures may become CH4 sources and

Corporate social responsibility reporting by the National Forest Holding „State Forests”

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Ewa Śnieżek

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Today, the company, in addition to meeting its economic goals, should be involved in the implementation of the concept of corporate social responsibility. State Forests is not an exception in this respect, on the contrary – its existence, by definition, has dictated inscribing in the mission, vision and strategy of this company a responsibility to society, both to present and future generations. To date, State Forests has not developed a uniform framework for reporting socially responsible activities. Despite the many scattered documents indicating their contribution in this regard, State Forests has not included in its report a set of information on these issues. The aim of the article is to point out that social responsibility in such an entity as State Forests National Forest Holding is an extremely important area having long-term conse-quences for the contemporary and future generations. The article demonstrates the need for corporate social responsibility accounting and proposes a general structure of a report on social responsibility of State Forests for the current and future stakeholders. As a primary method of research, in addition to literature studies, the deductive method was used, assisted with reasoning by analogy.

Forest Vegetation Monitoring Protocol for National Parks in the North Coast and Cascades Network

Science.gov (United States)

Woodward, Andrea; Hutten, Karen M.; Boetsch, John R.; Acker, Steven A.; Rochefort, Regina M.; Bivin, Mignonne M.; Kurth, Laurie L.

2009-01-01

Plant communities are the foundation for terrestrial trophic webs and animal habitat, and their structure and species composition are an integrated result of biological and physical drivers (Gates, 1993). Additionally, they have a major role in geologic, geomorphologic and soil development processes (Jenny, 1941; Stevens and Walker, 1970). Throughout most of the Pacific Northwest, environmental conditions support coniferous forests as the dominant vegetation type. In the face of anthropogenic climate change, forests have a global role as potential sinks for atmospheric carbon (Goodale and others, 2002). Consequently, knowledge of the status of forests in the three large parks of the NCCN [that is, Mount Rainier (MORA), North Cascades (NOCA), and Olympic (OLYM) National Parks] is fundamental to understanding the condition of Pacific Northwest ecosystems. Diverse climate and soil properties across the Pacific Northwest result in a variety of forest types (Franklin and Dyrness, 1973; Franklin and others, 1988; Henderson and others, 1989, 1992). The mountainous terrain of Mount Rainier, North Cascades, and Olympic National Parks create steep elevational and precipitation gradients within and among the parks: collectively, these parks span from sea level to more than 4,200 m; and include areas with precipitation from 90 to more than 500 cm. The resulting forests range from coastal rainforests with dense understories and massive trees draped with epiphytes; to areas with drought-adapted Ponderosa pines; to high-elevation subalpine fir forests interspersed with meadows just below treeline (table 1). These forests, in turn, are the foundation for other biotic communities constituting Pacific Northwest ecosystems.

Diets of California spotted owls in the Sierra National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas E. Munton; Kenneth D. Johnson; George N. Steger; Gary P. Eberlein

2002-01-01

From May 1987 through October 1992 and from July through August 1998, we studied diets of California spotted owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis). Regurgitated pellets were collected at roost and nest sites between 1,000 and 7,600 ft elevation in the Sierra National Forest and were examined for remnant bones, feathers, and insect exoskeletons....

LBA-ECO TG-07 Ground-based Biometry Data at km 83 Site, TapajosNational Forest: 1997

Science.gov (United States)

M.M. Keller; M.W. Palace

2009-01-01

A field inventory of trees was conducted in March of 1997 in a logging concession at the Tapajos National Forest, south of Santarem, Para, Brazil. The inventory was conducted by the foresters and technicians of the Tropical Forest Foundation (FFT) and included all trees with diameter at breast height greater than or equal to 35 cm. Four blocks of approximately 100 ha...

Primate community of the tropical rain forests of Saracá-Taqüera National Forest, Pará, Brazil

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LC. Oliveira

Full Text Available Brazil is the richest country in the world in terms of primate species and the Amazonian rain forest is one of the richest biomes containing 15 (ca. 90% of the Neotropical primate genera. Although considered key elements in conservation strategies, there is only anecdotal information on primates for several protected areas within the region. Here we present new data on the community composition of the primates in the Saracá-Taqüera National Forest (429,600 ha, an actively mined, bauxite rich area, in Pará, Brazil. We used information from the literature, technical reports, museum data, and interviews conducted with agents from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Natural Renewable Resources (Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis - IBAMA and members of the local "Quilombo" community. In addition, from July 2003 to June 2007, we carried out 19 field trips ranging from 10 to15 days each, amounting to a total effort of 1,230 hours and 1,420 km of censuses, resulting in 1,034 records of eight primate species (Saguinus martinsi, Saguinus midas, Saimiri sciureus, Cebus apella, Pithecia pithecia, Chiropotes sagulatus, Ateles paniscus, and Alouatta macconelli. Two other species (Cebus olivaceus and Aotus trivirgatus were recorded only indirectly, through interviews and literature data. In all, Alouatta macconelli was the most frequently recorded species (43% of all records; while Saguinus midas and P. pithecia were the least (ca. 0.4 and 0.6% of all records. Based on our results, we discuss group sizes as well as taxonomic problems concerning the genera Pithecia and Chiropotes, for which we registered individuals displaying phenotypic geographical variation and two different forms, respectively. Despite the deforestation inherent in bauxite mining, the Saracá-Taqüera National Forest still has a remarkable richness of primate species. Our study results place this National Forest amongst the richest

National inventories of down and dead woody material forest carbon stocks in the United States: Challenges and opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

C.W. Woodall; L.S. Heath; J.E. Smith

2008-01-01

Concerns over the effect of greenhouse gases and consequent international agreements and regional/national programs have spurred the need for comprehensive assessments of forest ecosystem carbon stocks. Down and dead woody (DDW) materials are a substantial component of forest carbon stocks; however, few surveys of DDW carbon stocks have been conducted at national-...

Floristic composition of the riparian forest in the lower Gramame river, Paraíba, Brazil

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Hermes de Oliveira Machado Filho

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Riparian forest has a key ecological and economic significance to productive chains associated with it. This study aimed to conduct a floristic survey of riparian forest stretches in the Gramame river, state of Paraíba, Brazilian Northeast region, and analyze the floristic similarity with Brazilian riparian vegetation fragments. We found 136 species belonging to 106 genera and 43 families. The most representative families were: Fabaceae (19 spp., Cyperaceae (16 spp., and Rubiaceae (11 spp.. The predominant habit was herbaceous and the best represented biological spectrum was camephyte. Regarding the geographic distribution, there was a predominance of widely distributed species associated with the Neotropical province. The distribution patterns have shown a low similarity between areas, and largely distributed species stand out. Similarity analysis pointed out that the area was floristically related to other two coastal areas in the Brazilian Northeast and Southeast regions. Only species typically related to estuarine environments might explain the floristic connections detected.

Ecology of ephemeroptera, plecoptera and trichoptera (insecta) in rivers of the gunung jerai forest reserve: diversity and distribution of functional feeding groups.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamid, Suhaila Ab; Md Rawi, Che Salmah

2014-08-01

A field study was performed to describe the functional feeding groups (FFGs) of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera and Trichoptera (EPT) in the Tupah, Batu Hampar and Teroi Rivers in the Gunung Jerai Forest Reserve (GJFR), Kedah, Malaysia. Twenty-nine genera belonging to 19 families were identified. The EPTs were classified into five FFGs: collector-gatherers (CG), collector-filterers (CF), shredders (SH), scrapers (SC) and predators (P). In this study, CG and CF were the dominant groups inhabiting all three rivers. Ephemeroptera dominated these rivers due to their high abundance, and they were also the CG (90.6%). SC were the lowest in abundance among all groups. Based on the FFGs, the Teroi River was suitable for CG, whereas the Tupah and Batu Hampar Rivers were suitable for CG and CF. The distribution of FFGs differed among the rivers (CG, χ(2) = 23.6, p = 0.00; SH, χ(2) = 10.02, p = 0.007; P, χ(2) = 25.54, p = 0.00; CF, χ(2) = 21.95, p = 0.00; SC, χ(2) = 9.31, p = 0.01). These findings indicated that the FFGs found in rivers of the GJFR represent high river quality.

Is the “new deal” of National Forest Inventories finally attained?

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Chirici G

2015-12-01

Full Text Available This paper briefly describes the recent initiatives of Spain and France that made raw data from their National Forestry Inventory available both online and via open-access databases. As part of the implementation of the European PSI-Directive on the re-use of Public Administration data and the realization of the Statute of Digital Administration by the Agency for Digital Italy (AGID, a similar implementation by the Italian Forest Service is expected through the on-line and open access publication of all georeferenced data related to the phase III of the 2015 Italian Inventory of Forests and Carbon Reservoirs.

Forest Service National Visitor Use Monitoring Process: Research Method Documentation

Science.gov (United States)

Donald B.K. English; Susan M. Kocis; Stanley J. Zarnoch; J. Ross Arnold

2002-01-01

In response to the need for improved information on recreational use of National Forest System lands, the authors have developed a nationwide, systematic monitoring process. This report documents the methods they used in estimating recreational use on an annual basis. The basic unit of measure is exiting volume of visitors from a recreation site on a given day. Sites...

LBA-ECO CD-04 Leaf Litter Data, km 83 Tower Site, Tapajos National Forest, Brazil

Data.gov (United States)

National Aeronautics and Space Administration — ABSTRACT: Above-ground litter productivity was measured in a 18 ha plot adjacent to the eddy flux tower at the logged forest tower site, km 83, Tapajos National...

78 FR 7391 - Motorized Travel Management Plan, Tonto National Forest; Gila, Maricopa, Pinal, and Counties, AZ

Science.gov (United States)

2013-02-01

... point that environmental analysis for travel management under an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Motorized Travel Management Plan, Tonto National Forest... for motorized vehicle use, thereby developing a motorized travel management plan. Such a plan is...

Ecological consequences of alternative fuel reduction treatments in seasonally dry forests: the national fire and fire surrogate study

Science.gov (United States)

J.D. McIver; C.J. Fettig

2010-01-01

This special issue of Forest Science features the national Fire and Fire Surrogate study (FFS), a niultisite, multivariate research project that evaluates the ecological consequences of prescribed fire and its mechanical surrogates in seasonally dry forests of the United States. The need for a comprehensive national FFS study stemmed from concern that information on...

Benefits of riparian forest for the aquatic ecosystem assessed at a large geographic scale

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Van Looy K.

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Claimed benefits of riparian forest cover for the aquatic ecosystem include purification, thermal control, organic matter input and habitat provision, which may improve physicochemical and biotic quality. However, these beneficial effects might be flawed by multiple stressor conditions of intensive agriculture and urbanization in upstream catchments. We examined the relationship between riparian forest cover and physicochemical quality and biotic integrity indices in extensive large scale datasets. Measurements of hydromorphological conditions and riparian forest cover across different buffer widths for 59 × 103 river stretches covering 230 × 103 km of the French river network were coupled with data for physicochemical and biotic variables taken from the national monitoring network. General linear and quantile regression techniques were used to determine responses of physicochemical variables and biological integrity indices for macroinvertebrates and fish to riparian forest cover in selections of intermediate stress for 2nd to 4th order streams. Significant responses to forest cover were found for the nutrient variables and biological indices. According to these responses a 60% riparian forest cover in the 10 m buffer corresponds to good status boundaries for physicochemical and biotic elements. For the 30 m buffer, the observed response suggests that riparian forest coverage of at least 45% corresponds with good ecological status in the aquatic ecosystem. The observed consistent responses indicate significant potential for improving the quality of the aquatic environment by restoring riparian forest. The effects are more substantial in single-stressor environments but remain significant in multi-stressor environments.

Surveys for California red-legged frog and arroyo toad on the Los Padres National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

Valerie K. Hubbartt; Thomas G. Murphey

2005-01-01

Starting in the spring of 1999 through the fall of 2000, USDA Forest Service biologists have conducted surveys throughout the Los Padres National Forest for the federally-listed California red-legged frog (Rana aurora draytonii) and arroyo toad (Bufo californicus). Sites known to have frogs or toads present were monitored for...

Berenty Reserve—A Gallery Forest in Decline in Dry Southern Madagascar—Towards Forest Restoration

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Vanessa Winchester

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Berenty Reserve, a fully protected gallery forest beside the Mandrare River is renowned for its lemurs, but the continuous canopy of the main forest is shrinking, fragmenting and degrading. The aim of this study, before any restoration can be considered, is to investigate why canopy-cover is declining and define the forest’s vegetation status and composition. Our study includes analysis of tamarind age (the dominant species and regeneration, forest extent, climate and soil. Measurement of trunk circumference and annual rings indicated a median age of 190 years, near the accepted maximum for tamarinds. There is no regeneration of tamarind seedlings under the canopy and an invasive vine, Cissus quadrangularis suffocates any regeneration on the forest margins. A vegetation survey, based on fifteen transects, broadly characterized three forest areas: continuous canopy near the river, transitional canopy with fewer tall trees, and degraded dryland; the survey also provided a list of the 18 most common tree species. Ring counts of flood-damaged roots combined with measurement to the riverbank show that erosion rates, up to 19.5 cm/year, are not an immediate threat to forest extent. The highly variable climate shows no trend and analysis of forest soil indicates compatibility with plant growth.

Development and Validation of Spatially Explicit Habitat Models for Cavity-nesting Birds in Fishlake National Forest, Utah

Science.gov (United States)

Randall A., Jr. Schultz; Thomas C., Jr. Edwards; Gretchen G. Moisen; Tracey S. Frescino

2005-01-01

The ability of USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) generated spatial products to increase the predictive accuracy of spatially explicit, macroscale habitat models was examined for nest-site selection by cavity-nesting birds in Fishlake National Forest, Utah. One FIA-derived variable (percent basal area of aspen trees) was significant in the habitat...

DOE Research Set-Aside Areas of the Savannah River Site

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Davis, C.E.; Janecek, L.L.

1997-08-31

Designated as the first of seven National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs) by the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department of Energy), the Savannah River Site (SRS) is an important ecological component of the Southeastern Mixed Forest Ecoregion located along the Savannah River south of Aiken, South Carolina. Integral to the Savannah River Site NERP are the DOE Research Set-Aside Areas. Scattered across the SRS, these thirty tracts of land have been set aside for ecological research and are protected from public access and most routine Site maintenance and forest management activities. Ranging in size from 8.5 acres (3.44 ha) to 7,364 acres (2,980 ha), the thirty Set-Aside Areas total 14,005 acres (5,668 ha) and comprise approximately 7% of the Site`s total area. This system of Set-Aside Areas originally was established to represent the major plant communities and habitat types indigenous to the SRS (old-fields, sandhills, upland hardwood, mixed pine/hardwood, bottomland forests, swamp forests, Carolina bays, and fresh water streams and impoundments), as well as to preserve habitats for endangered, threatened, or rare plant and animal populations. Many long-term ecological studies are conducted in the Set-Asides, which also serve as control areas in evaluations of the potential impacts of SRS operations on other regions of the Site. The purpose of this document is to give an historical account of the SRS Set-Aside Program and to provide a descriptive profile of each of the Set-Aside Areas. These descriptions include a narrative for each Area, information on the plant communities and soil types found there, lists of sensitive plants and animals documented from each Area, an account of the ecological research conducted in each Area, locator and resource composition maps, and a list of Site-Use permits and publications associated with each Set-Aside.

DOE Research Set-Aside Areas of the Savannah River Site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Davis, C.E.; Janecek, L.L.

1997-01-01

Designated as the first of seven National Environmental Research Parks (NERPs) by the Atomic Energy Commission (now the Department of Energy), the Savannah River Site (SRS) is an important ecological component of the Southeastern Mixed Forest Ecoregion located along the Savannah River south of Aiken, South Carolina. Integral to the Savannah River Site NERP are the DOE Research Set-Aside Areas. Scattered across the SRS, these thirty tracts of land have been set aside for ecological research and are protected from public access and most routine Site maintenance and forest management activities. Ranging in size from 8.5 acres (3.44 ha) to 7,364 acres (2,980 ha), the thirty Set-Aside Areas total 14,005 acres (5,668 ha) and comprise approximately 7% of the Site's total area. This system of Set-Aside Areas originally was established to represent the major plant communities and habitat types indigenous to the SRS (old-fields, sandhills, upland hardwood, mixed pine/hardwood, bottomland forests, swamp forests, Carolina bays, and fresh water streams and impoundments), as well as to preserve habitats for endangered, threatened, or rare plant and animal populations. Many long-term ecological studies are conducted in the Set-Asides, which also serve as control areas in evaluations of the potential impacts of SRS operations on other regions of the Site. The purpose of this document is to give an historical account of the SRS Set-Aside Program and to provide a descriptive profile of each of the Set-Aside Areas. These descriptions include a narrative for each Area, information on the plant communities and soil types found there, lists of sensitive plants and animals documented from each Area, an account of the ecological research conducted in each Area, locator and resource composition maps, and a list of Site-Use permits and publications associated with each Set-Aside

Major characteristics of mixed fir and beech virgin forests in the National park Biogradska Gora in Montenegro

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Čurović Milić

2011-01-01

Full Text Available In order to manage forest ecosystems at a sufficiently high biodiversity level it is necessary to study the ecological, structural and production characteristics of virgin forests. The research was directed towards identifying the characteristics of mixed fir and beech forests (Abieti-Fagetum s. lat. in the area of the strict reserve of the National Park Biogradska Gora in Montenegro. Basic characteristics of these forests were researched in the process of definition of forest types. In this manner, it is for the first time that a realistic base for typological management of forests and forest ecosystems with similar ecological and structural characteristics was provided for the specific sites.

Thinning shock and response to fertilizer less than expected in young Douglas-fir stand at Wind River Experimental Forest.

Science.gov (United States)

Dean S. DeBell; Constance A. Harrington; John. Shumway

2002-01-01

Three thinning treatments (thinned to 3.7 by 3.7 m, thinned to 4.3 by 4.3 m, and an unthinned control treatment with nominal spacing averaging 2.6 by 2.6 m) were installed in a 10-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) plantation growing on a low-quality site at the Wind River Experimental Forest in southwest Washington. Two...

78 FR 59913 - Revision of the Land Management Plan for the Francis Marion National Forest

Science.gov (United States)

2013-09-30

... telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800- 877... planning process can also be found on the Francis Marion National Forest Web site at www.fs.usda.gov/goto/scnfs/fmplan . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Pursuant to the 2012 Forest Planning Rule (36 CFR Part 219...

The start-up phase of the national satellite forest monitoring systems for DRC and PNG: a joint venture between FAO and INPE

Science.gov (United States)

Jonckheere, I. G.; FAO UN-REDD Team Forestry Department

2011-12-01

Reducing Emissions from Deforestation and Forest Degradation (REDD) is an effort to create a financial value for the carbon stored in forests, offering incentives for developing countries to reduce emissions from forested lands and invest in low-carbon paths to sustainable development. "REDD+" goes beyond deforestation and forest degradation, and includes the role of conservation, sustainable management of forests and enhancement of forest carbon stocks. In the framework of getting countries ready for REDD+, the UN-REDD Programme, a partnership between UNEP, FAO and UNDP, assists developing countries to prepare and implement national REDD+ strategies. Designed collaboratively by a broad range of stakeholders, national UN-REDD Programmes are informed by the technical expertise of FAO, UNDP and UNEP. For the monitoring, reporting and verification, FAO supports the countries to develop satellite forest monitoring systems that allow for credible measurement, reporting and verification (MRV)of REDD+ activities. These are among the most critical elements for the successful implementation of any REDD+ mechanism, also following the COP 16 decisions in Cancun last year. The UN-REDD Programme through a joint effort of FAO and Brazil's National Space Agency, INPE, is supporting countries to develop cost-effective, robust and compatible national monitoring and MRV systems, providing tools, methodologies, training and knowledge sharing that help countries to strengthen their technical and institutional capacity for effective MRV systems. To develop strong nationally-owned forest monitoring systems, technical and institutional capacity building is key. The UN-REDD Programme, through FAO, has taken on intensive training together with INPE, and has provided technical help and assistance for in-country training and implementation for national satellite forest monitoring. The goal of the start-up phase for DRC and Papua New Guinea (PNG) in this capacity building effort is the

76 FR 37059 - Siuslaw National Forest; Oregon; Oregon Dunes NRA Management Area 10 (C) Route and Area Designation

Science.gov (United States)

2011-06-24

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service Siuslaw National Forest; Oregon; Oregon Dunes NRA Management Area 10 (C) Route and Area Designation AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of intent to... (C) today are not designated routes. This has in turn led to greater and unnecessary impacts to...

ForWarn: A Cross-Cutting Forest Resource Management and Decision Support System Providing the Capacity to Identify and Track Forest Disturbances Nationally

Science.gov (United States)

Hargrove, W. W.; Spruce, J.; Norman, S.; Christie, W.; Hoffman, F. M.

2012-12-01

The Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center and Western Wildland Environmental Assessment Center of the USDA Forest Service have collaborated with NASA Stennis Space Center to develop ForWarn, a forest monitoring tool that uses MODIS satellite imagery to produce weekly snapshots of vegetation conditions across the lower 48 United States. Forest and natural resource managers can use ForWarn to rapidly detect, identify, and respond to unexpected changes in the nation's forests caused by insects, diseases, wildfires, severe weather, or other natural or human-caused events. ForWarn detects most types of forest disturbances, including insects, disease, wildfires, frost and ice damage, tornadoes, hurricanes, blowdowns, harvest, urbanization, and landslides. It also detects drought, flood, and temperature effects, and shows early and delayed seasonal vegetation development. Operating continuously since January 2010, results show ForWarn to be a robust and highly capable tool for detecting changes in forest conditions. ForWarn is the first national-scale system of its kind based on remote sensing developed specifically for forest disturbances. It has operated as a prototype since January 2010 and has provided useful information about the location and extent of disturbances detected during the 2011 growing season, including tornadoes, wildfires, and extreme drought. The ForWarn system had an official unveiling and rollout in March 2012, initiated by a joint NASA and USDA press release. The ForWarn home page has had 2,632 unique visitors since rollout in March 2012, with 39% returning visits. ForWarn was used to map tornado scars from the historic April 27, 2011 tornado outbreak, and detected timber damage within more than a dozen tornado tracks across northern Mississippi, Alabama, and Georgia. ForWarn is the result of an ongoing, substantive cooperation among four different government agencies: USDA, NASA, USGS, and DOE. Disturbance maps are available on the

Lessons Learned from 2 Decades of Modelling Forest Dead Organic Matter and Soil Carbon at the National Scale

Science.gov (United States)

Shaw, C.; Kurz, W. A.; Metsaranta, J.; Bona, K. A.; Hararuk, O.; Smyth, C.

2017-12-01

The Carbon Budget Model of the Canadian Forest Sector (CBM-CFS3) is a forest carbon budget model that operates on individual stands. It is applied from regional to national-scales in Canada for national and international reporting of GHG emissions and removals and in support of analyses of forest sector mitigation options and other scientific and policy questions. This presentation will review the history and continuous improvement process of representations of dead organic matter (DOM) and soil carbon modelling. Early model versions in which dead organic matter (DOM) pools only included litter, downed deadwood and soil, to the current version where these pools are estimated separately to better compare model estimates against field measurements, or new pools have been added. Uncertainty analyses consistently point at soil C pools as large sources of uncertainty. With the new ground plot measurements from the National Forest Inventory, and with a newly compiled forest soil carbon database, we have recently completed a model data assimilation exercise that helped reduce parameter uncertainties. Lessons learned from the continuous improvement process will be summarised and we will discuss how model modification have led to improved representation of DOM and soil carbon dynamics. We conclude by suggesting future research priorities that can advance DOM and soil carbon modelling in Canadian forest ecosystems.

Soil Properties in Natural Forest Destruction and Conversion to Agricultural Land,in Gunung Leuser National Park, North Sumatera Province

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Basuki Wasis

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Destruction of the Gunung Leuser National Park area of North Sumatera Province through land clearing and land cover change from natural forest to agricultural land. Less attention to land use and ecosystem carrying capacity of the soil can cause soil degradation and destruction of flora, fauna, and wildlife habitat destruction. Environmental damage will result in a national park wild life will come out of the conservation area and would damage the agricultural community. Soil sampling conducted in purposive sampling in natural forest and agricultural areas.  Observation suggest that damage to the natural forest vegetation has caused the soil is not protected so that erosion has occurred. Destruction of natural forest into agricultural are as has caused damage to soil physical properties, soil chemical properties, and biological soil properties significantly. Forms of soil degradation caused by the destruction of natural forests, which is an increase in soil density (density Limbak by 103%, a decrease of 93% organic C and soil nitrogen decreased by 81%. The main factors causing soil degradation is the reduction of organic matter and soil erosion due to loss of natural forest vegetation.  Criteria for soil degradation in Governance Regulation Number 150/2000 can be used to determine the extent of soil degradation in natural forest ecosystems.Keywords: Gunung Leuser National Park, natural forest, agricultural land, land damage, soil properties

Herpetology of the Coronado National Forest: managing our natural heritage

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence L. C. Jones; Charles W. Painter

2005-01-01

The Coronado National Forest (CNF) is the primary public land management agency for the United States’ portion of the Madrean Archipelago. The region has a large diversity of amphibians and reptiles, with approximately 110 native species occurring on the CNF. Management of the CNF’s herpetofauna is regulated primarily by environmental laws and policies. Sixteen taxa...

76 FR 22075 - Divide Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest; CO; Black Mesa Vegetation Management Project

Science.gov (United States)

2011-04-20

... Ranger District, Rio Grande National Forest; CO; Black Mesa Vegetation Management Project AGENCY: Forest... Web site http://www.fs.usda.gov/riogrande under ``Land & Resource Management'', then ``Projects'' on... need for the Black Mesa Vegetation Management Project is move toward achieving long-term desired...

Simulation of Runoff Changes Caused by Cropland to Forest Conversion in the Upper Yangtze River Region, SW China

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Pengtao; Wang, Yanhui; Coles, Neil; Xiong, Wei; Xu, Lihong

2015-01-01

The "Grain for Green Project" is a country-wide ecological program to converse marginal cropland to forest, which has been implemented in China since 2002. To quantify influence of this significant vegetation change, Guansihe Hydrological (GSH) Model, a validated physically-based distributed hydrological model, was applied to simulate runoff responses to land use change in the Guansihe watershed that is located in the upper reaches of the Yangtze River basin in Southwestern China with an area of only 21.1 km2. Runoff responses to two single rainfall events, 90 mm and 206 mm respectively, were simulated for 16 scenarios of cropland to forest conversion. The model simulations indicated that the total runoff generated after conversion to forest was strongly dependent on whether the land was initially used for dry croplands without standing water in fields or constructed (or walled) paddy fields. The simulated total runoff generated from the two rainfall events displayed limited variation for the conversion of dry croplands to forest, while it strongly decreased after paddy fields were converted to forest. The effect of paddy terraces on runoff generation was dependent on the rainfall characteristics and antecedent moisture (or saturation) conditions in the fields. The reduction in simulated runoff generated from intense rainfall events suggested that afforestation and terracing might be effective in managing runoff and had the potential to mitigate flooding in southwestern China. PMID:26192181

Silviculture and forest protection: results and prospects from third Italian National Congress of Silviculture

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

2009-03-01

Full Text Available This paper summarizes the topics discussed during the session “Silviculture, Forest Protection” of the Third Italian National Congress of Silviculture. The health of Italian forests is often depending on irrational forest exploitation schemes and is threatened by the arrival of invasive species, the strengthening of native pests and diseases, and the increase of stress related to changing environment (both climate and pollution. The climate change is considered as a major complication in forest protection, as it is related to increasing outbreaks both directly and indirectly, through changes in tree physiology. Drawbacks are observed on biodiversity, forest growth and productivity, and protective function of forests. Ecosystems with high biodiversity may show a high degree of resilience to the changes. It is important to address these issues in the framework of the systemic silviculture approach to the management of Italian forests. Important requisites are availability of trained staff, funding for research and monitoring projects, access to the most uptodated scientific knowledge and methodologies. An integration of different types of available expertise (entomologists, plant pathologists, pollution scientists is also envisaged.

Mountain Forests and Sustainable Development: The Potential for Achieving the United Nations' 2030 Agenda

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Georg Gratzer

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The world is facing numerous and severe environmental, social, and economic challenges. To address these, in September 2015 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the resolution Transforming our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The United Nations' 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs and their 169 targets are ambitious, broadly encompassing, and indivisible. They are intended to guide nations and communities toward attaining healthy and peaceful livelihoods free of poverty and hunger. Collectively the goals envision sound and safe environments, where global threats like climate change are successfully combated through both mitigation and adaptation. Agenda 2030 envisages sustainable production patterns with inclusive, effective economies and institutions. It is of specific relevance to mountain communities, where the population is predominantly rural and half of the rural inhabitants experience food insecurity and are often highly dependent on forest resources. Mountain forests also contribute to human welfare well beyond the local community: through functions such as climate and hydrological services provided at regional and global scales, and harvested commodities traded at multiple economic scales. In this introductory essay we argue that sustainable forest management in mountain areas disproportionately contributes to achieving the SDGs. We discuss (1 the potential of mountain forests to help achieve SDGs in mountainous regions and beyond, (2 the potential of the SDGs to help solve severe socioeconomic and ecological problems in forested mountain areas, and (3 challenges and opportunities associated with implementing the SDGs. We base our argumentation also on the 8 papers presented in this Focus Issue of Mountain Research and Development. Together, they establish a clear connection between sustainable use and protection of mountain forests and vital ecosystem services upon which many regions depend. We

Dietary breadth of the animal protein consumed by riverine communities in the Tapajós National Forest, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Raphael Alves Fonseca

2013-03-01

Full Text Available In small-scale human settlements, the acquisition of animal protein is strictly related to subsistence activities, and yours dietary habits are determined by the availability and the selectivity permitted by the diversity of these resources. This study analyzed the consumption of animal protein sources in seven traditional riverine communities of the Tapajos National Forest, located in Eastern Brazilian Amazonia, considering fish, game meat and domestic animals. The analysis of animal protein consumption was based on the assumptions of the diet breadth model and the Optimal Foraging Theory. We compared diet breadths between communities and between rainy and dry seasons. The study focused on seven traditional riverside communities, six of them distributed along the right bank of the Tapajos River and one on the right bank of the Cupari River. Data collection was performed in four fields trips, two in the rainy season (May and July and two in the dry season (September and November in 2010. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews where the informant mentioned the source of animal protein consumed in the last three meals and which would be consumed at the next meal, if possible. We carried out a total of 470 interviews, where we documented 1 512 meals, and in only 12% of the meals there was no consumption of any animal protein source. The fish was consumed in 60.4% of the meals, being the most important source of animal protein consumed, differing significantly from other protein sources (χ²=23.79, df=5, p<0.001. A total of 11 species of wild animals and 46 species of fish were consumed. The choice in the consumption of game meat consisted on Tayassu pecari, Hydrochoerus hidrochaeris and Cuniculus paca, while the preference for fish consumption included Plagioscion spp., Astronotus spp., Cichla spp. and Leporinus spp.. The Simpson index did not vary significantly between the rainy and dry season (N=6, t=1.25, p=0.267 or between

Predicting cannabis cultivation on national forests using a rational choice framework

Science.gov (United States)

Frank H. Koch; Jeff Prestemon; Geoffrey H. Donovan; Everett A. Hinkley; John M. Chase

2016-01-01

Government agencies in the United States eradicated 10.3 million cannabis plants in 2010. Most (94%) of these plants were outdoor-grown, and 46% of those were discovered on federal lands, primarily on national forests in California, Oregon, and Washington. We developed models that reveal how drug markets, policies, and environmental...

Mitigating budget constraints on visitation volume surveys: the case of U.S. National forests

Science.gov (United States)

Ashley E. Askew; Donald B.K. English; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Neelam C. Poudyal; J.M. Bowker

2014-01-01

Stratified random sampling (SRS) provides a scientifically based estimate of a population comprising mutually exclusive, homogenous subgroups. In the National Visitor Use Monitoring (NVUM) program, SRS is used to estimate recreation visitation and visitor characteristics across activities on National forests. However, with rising costs and declining budgets, carrying...

Legacies of flood reduction on a dryland river

Science.gov (United States)

Stromberg, J.C.; Shafroth, P.B.; Hazelton, A.F.

2012-01-01

The Bill Williams (Arizona) is a regulated dryland river that is being managed, in part, for biodiversity via flow management. To inform management, we contrasted riparian plant communities between the Bill Williams and an upstream free-flowing tributary (Santa Maria). Goals of a first study (1996-1997) were to identify environmental controls on herbaceous species richness and compare richness among forest types. Analyses revealed that herbaceous species richness was negatively related to woody stem density, basal area and litter cover and positively related to light levels. Introduced Tamarix spp. was more frequent at the Bill Williams, but all three main forest types (Tamarix, Salix/Populus, Prosopis) had low understory richness, as well as high stem density and low light, on the Bill Williams as compared to the Santa Maria. The few edaphic differences between rivers (higher salinity at Bill Williams) had only weak connections with richness. A second study (2006-2007) focused on floristic richness at larger spatial scales. It revealed that during spring, and for the study cumulatively (spring and fall samplings combined), the riparian zone of the unregulated river had considerably more plant species. Annuals (vs. herbaceous perennials and woody species) showed the largest between-river difference. Relative richness of exotic (vs. native) species did not differ. We conclude that: (1) The legacy of reduced scouring frequency and extent at the Bill Williams has reduced the open space available for colonization by annuals; and (2) Change in forest biomass structure, more so than change in forest composition, is the major driver of changes in plant species richness along this flow-altered river. Our study informs dryland river management options by revealing trade-offs that exist between forest biomass structure and plant species richness. ?? 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.