In recent decades, the occurrence of large, high severity wildfires has increased substantially in many parts of the world, including the western United States. These fires have the potential to impact water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and downstream communities for many decades. As such, it is increasingly important to understand the...
Vital rates and population connectivity are fundamental concepts in animal ecology and such information is critical for successful conservation planning. The Black-backed Woodpecker (Picoides arcticus) is a species of conservation concern because of its strong association with forests recently burned by high-severity wildfire. However, several recent studies have found that...
Projects in forestry and civil engineering depend on accurate information, which is often acquired through remote sensing techniques. One of the remote sensing technologies that has gained importance in the last decade is light detection and ranging (lidar), which describes the surveyed area with 3D points, presented as point clouds....
This is the final version of an essay on a student's connection to the land as part of their Writing Intensive Course, Forest Engineering FE460 Forest Operations Regulations and Policy Issues. The theme for the essay is the student's choice, but must include the history of the piece of land,...
Collaborative governance plays a significant role in forest management on public land in the Pacific Northwest. The method of governance offers the unique ability to engage a diverse range of stakeholders to reach consensus regarding forest management action. Evaluating the dynamics of the collaborative and its members is essential to...
This thesis focuses on creating effective signage for the Oregon State University College of Forestry Research Forests (OSU Research Forests). The OSU Research Forests are a unique setting because they offer space for research, class field trips, active timber harvest, and public recreation. The public interface requires the management at...
Wildfires can affect soil physical properties, resulting in changes in infiltration, hillslope runoff, groundwater recharge, and sediment and dissolved nutrients to streams. In November 2016, the Chimney Tops 2 Fire burned 4,617 ha of Appalachian hardwood forest in eastern Tennessee. A portion of the fire burned through a National Ecological...
Stem form development of trees in response to wind has been established in the literature to be a response to stem sway induced by the wind. The response is manifested in modifications to height and diameter growth which strengthen the stem against wind stresses. Experiments in the literature show that...
Buffer strips have been proposed as a method for controlling temperature changes in streams adjacent to clear-cuttings. Nine small mountain streams in Oregon's Coast Range and Cascade Mountains were studied to determine the influence of buffer strips on water temperature. Timber volume in the strip, strip width, and canopy density...
When considering a mechanized harvesting operation, the
harvest planner or researcher is faced with a multitude of modern
equipment choices. A decision support system (DSS) is presented
to assist in selecting the appropriate level of mechanization.
The DSS examines individual machines and formulates mechanized
harvesting systems from them that adequately...
