Needle length in young ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws var. ponderosa) was assessed for its ability to estimate site quality of afforested land in Neuquén, Argentina. The objective was to determine the best aspect on the tree, number of needle age classes, and number of trees that would...
This thesis presents methods for obtaining asymptotically efficient and consistent parameters and variance estimates for simultaneous equations in a forest growth modelling context. Ordinary Least Squares (OLS), Seemingly Unrelated Regressions (SUR), Two-Stage Least Squares (2SLS) and Three- Stage Least Squares (3SLS) are presented for linear models. The variables, model types...
Black bears (Ursus americanus) in western Oregon and Washington peel bark from conifers in early spring to forage on the sugar-rich phloem and cambial tissues. This provides important energy at a time when similarly attractive forage is scarce. Bears often damage Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) trees in stands that are intensively...
Wood stiffness is one of the most important properties of lumber and veneer. We studied wood stiffness (modulus of elasticity, MOE), wood density, microfibril angle, and knots in a 25 year-old wind pollinated progeny test (50 families, ~ 373 trees) of coastal Douglas-fir to understand the potential for genetically improving...
Forest growth and yield models are critical to supporting decision making in forestry, but often lack considerations for wood properties. The feasibility of simulating wood properties in the context of a Douglas-fir individual tree growth and yield model was evaluated. This assessment explored the effect of predicted sapwood width, stem...
The search for the stand density that optimizes growth and hence generates the maximum amount of wood is one of the philosopher’s stone in modern forestry. Since scientific methods were applied to forestry, numerous generations of foresters have studied the relations between stocking density and growth, obtaining diverse results and...
Commercial thinning operations can result in damage to residual stems. A literature review revealed that little was known about the effects of residual logging wounds with regard to rotation-age commercial conifers, particularly Douglas-fir. An experiment to examine fungal colonization of Douglas-fir following logging damage showed that while damage was significant...
Forest soils contain a substantial portion of global terrestrial carbon stores. Forest management can influence the soil carbon pool and how soil organic matter functions. The long-term productivity of forests is an ongoing goal where land managers utilize biomass and timber. A site-specific understanding of intensively managed forests can ensure...
Concern over the increasing proportion of juvenile wood grown in second growth plantations has led to a large amount of research on the effects of common silvicultural practices on wood quality. Lacking is research on the effect of timing and
duration of vegetation control on wood quality near the pith...
The Regional Vegetation Management Model (RVMM) predicts the effects of associated vegetation on the growth and yield of young Douglas-fir (age [less than or equal to] 20 years) in the Pacific Northwest, and is a 'front-end' growth model for existing rotation-age growth models. Objectives of this thesis are to: (a)...
