Diverse stakeholders and land management agencies are increasingly working together in “forest collaborative” groups to meet ecological, economic, and social goals on Oregon’s public lands. Many collaboratives focus on science-based ecosystem restoration. One such group is the Deschutes Collaborative Forest Project (DCFP) in central Oregon, which seeks to increase forest...
We conducted a case study of the process for developing ZOA created by the Blue Mountains Forest Partners (BMFP), a collaborative group established in 2006 and focused on the northern portion of the Malheur National Forest in Grant County. This group was one of the first to formalize their ZOA,...
The organizational capacity of natural resource collaborative groups can be an important factor in how effective they are at meeting their goals. This brief reviews the leadership committees of five forest collaboratives working on similar issues in eastern Oregon. It is intended to help new and existing groups best utilize...
Oregon leads the U.S. in the number and extent of established collaborative groups on national forests. Understanding similarities and differences in Oregon’s current forest collaboratives may aid more informed approaches to peer learning, policy, and technical assistance in public and private land natural resource management across the U.S. West. Our...
The waving-wand system of broadcast chemical application implemented in swath widths to 40 ft (>12 m) is capable of simulating broadcast deposition patterns for herbicides similar to those delivered by helicopter. Drop sizes vary from center to edge of swaths, which can range from >1,000 to 5,000 microns (μ). Any...
In this case, the student is a senior partner in Corporate Planning Group (CPG), a strategy-consulting firm. The principals of National Systems, Inc. (the company) have retained CPG to develop a 5-year strategic marketing program to (1) strengthen current markets and (2) develop new markets for the company’s line of...
This case study describes in detail how to conduct a performance review of forest product industries. This case study uses the paper industry for illustration, but the principles and methods presented are such that you will be able to conduct a performance review in any industry.
In this case study, Willamette Industries, Inc. explores the potential of environmental marketing. The company conducted research to determine the views of their customer base. Based on this information and a description of the company’s external
environment, students are asked to recommend a marketing strategy.
In this case study, an Oregon softwood lumber company faces deteriorating market conditions and loss of market share for its 2 x 10 and 2 x 12 floor joists in the southern California market. The evolution of the marketplace and the growth in market share of wood I-joists are explained...
Scientists seek to create a method of tracking logs from stand to product using scent. In addition to developing the chemicals needed for "aroma tagging," scientists work to create an "electronic nose" to recognize the scents. Featuring Dr. Glen Murphy.
Scientists use sound wave techniques as well as NIR (near infra-red light) to determine the stiffness through density of logs. Featuring Dr. Glen Murphy.
Social Scientists study the differing opinions people have regarding forest use and the skills that can facilitate solutions to conflicts that arise from this. Featuring Dr. Bruce Shindler.
The dangers for National Park Service rangers have been increasing. Scientists study psychology, sociology, and recreation resources to help balance the dangers of crime and hazards with the increase in demand for outdoor recreation. Featuring Dr. Jo Tynon.
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Notable notes in forestresearch at Oregon State University CollegeofForestry
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Scientists seek to explore the relationship between land use and nitrogen levels at different places along the Calapooia River. Featuring Bill Floyd and Dr. Stephen Schoenholtz.
Earthquake tests have trouble imitating the randomness and varied nature of actual earthquakes. Scientists seek to remedy this and make buildings safer by creating dynamic tests that imitate the random nature of earthquakes. Featuring Dr. Rakesh Gupta.
The mystery of how wolves effect the growth of cottonwood has been solved after comparing old and new photos. Featuring Dr. William Ripple and Dr. Robert Beschta.
Wood glues have formaldehyde, which is associated with human health problems, and are petroleum based, which is not renewable. Based on the chemistry of mussels, new renewable glues are being developed. Featuring Dr. Kaichang Li.
Scientists use a large crane to gather samples from the tops of trees. These samples will be tested for turgor in an attempt to explain why trees stop growing. Featuring Dr. Barbara Bond, Dr. Rick Meinzer, and R.A. Dave Woodruff.
For a long time historians have looked at Lewis and Clark's journals as important sources. Now scientists are doing the same to learn about the Pacific Northwest before white settlement. Featuring: Dr. Andrea Laliberte and Dr. William Ripple
Scientists are trying to find out how to best utilize high-tech devices in the field. Jennie Cornell seeks to find out how to best utilize helicopters for Precision Forestry
Scientists explore the effects of tree buffers along creek banks on both grazing land and stream ecology. Featuring Dr. Badege Bishaw, Dr. Bill Emmingham, and Dr. Bill Rogers.
Mushrooms are found lots of places, such as beneath trees or on woody debris. Dr. Nancy Weber however found mushrooms in a spot most people wouldn't expect to look, in the canopy.
Wood-plastic composites are made out of recycled materials such as pallets and milk jugs. Combining these materials offers a way to reduce waste and create a durable material. Simonsen and Kai-Chang Li work to create stronger, more affordable composites. Featuring Dr. John Simonsen and Dr. Kai-Chang Li.
Which is more alive: a live tree or a dead tree? Dr. Mark Harmon studies how dead trees on the forest floor can provide habitat for many living organisms.
Because all life on Earth begins with plants capturing energy from the sun, the living things that you see around you are essentially sunlight. Sunlight energy helps transform carbon dioxide in the air into living plant tissues made of carbon materials such as sugars, starches, and fibers.
The success of your business will strongly depend on what price tag you attach to your products—and whether your customers are willing to pay this price. Hence your strategic marketing planning should include considerations about how to adequately price your products/services right at the start. After reading this publication, you...
“Quality is Job 1”—this slogan is familiar to many people because it was used by Ford Motor Company for nearly 20 years. All businesses know the importance of quality—with respect to quality of products and quality of service. However, knowing specifically how to manage for quality is another matter. Here...
By nature, most entrepreneurs are "doers" rather than "planners." At the same time, we know that successful organizations, regardless of their size, must plan for the future. High-level strategic planning such as establishing the long-term direction of the company is critical, but useless without a plan for implementation. This "implementation...
This document outlines types and sources of information you might use in your marketing planning. A variety of sources are cataloged on the Oregon Wood Innovation Center web site. A concrete example from the experience of a local entrepreneur is provided.
Improving existing and developing completely new products is an important part of maintaining a healthy business. This document outlines key principles of new product development, illustrated through the activities of a small sawmilling company.
This paper provides a primer on research in the field of public involvement in natural resource decision making. Previous studies are synthesized and organized into three areas: (1 ) goals of public involvement, (2) principles related to implementing public involvement programs, and (3) evaluation of public involvement methods. A bibliography...
In September 1991, the Bureau of Land Management asked the Secretary of the Interior to convene the Endangered Species Committee. The Bureau wanted permission to proceed with 44 timber sales In Oregon that the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service had ruled would jeopardize the continued existence of the northern spotted...
Recently released national forest plans and conservation plans for the protection of the northern spotted owl all call for a change in management direction on public forest lands in Oregon. The result will be a substantial reduction in public timber harvests in the state. This report summarizes how the conservation...
Public relations is a key element of any company’s communications portfolio. For entrepreneurs, PR may be especially important because it comes at no direct cost and has a low total cost. This document outlines key principles of PR, illustrated by an example of a small sawmiller.
Effective and consistent communication with your customers is vital and should be approached in a holistic manner driven by customer needs, your marketing strategies, and key characteristics of your operation. This document outlines important principles of marketing communication, illustrated throughout with examples from two small, hypothetical companies. A worksheet is...
This pictorial guide is primarily intended to serve as a backdrop for field tours of central Oregon that involve topics surrounding wildland fire. It also is designed to provide an
overview of the role of fire in the major ecosystems characteristic of this region. Topics covered include fire history, fire...
The goal of this study is to analyze how the ISC Conservation Strategy may influence Oregon's timber availability and economy in the context of overall changes in public land management. Two themes are important: first, how the state's future will differ from today and second, how the state's future will...
Equations for predicting tree height as a function of diameter
outside bark at breast height are presented for 16 tree species
from the central western Willamette Valley of Oregon. Foresters
can use these "height-diameter" equations to avoid the time consuming
task of measuring heights of all individual trees in an...
Equations are presented for predicting height to crown base (or bole ratio) for fourteen species of trees common to the mixed-conifer zone of southwest Oregon. Nonlinear regression was used to fit a weighted logistic function for each species. The independent variables include height, crown competition factor in larger trees, stand...
Equations for predicting total height as a function of diameter at breast height are presented for 17 tree species from southwest Oregon. Because basal area and site index often influence tree height, additional equations are presented which may include either or both of these as independent variables. Equation coefficients were...
This publication collates the published ranges of fuelwood characteristics for 33 conifer and 20 hardwood species in the Pacific Northwest. The following characteristics are covered: specific gravity, percent moisture content, higher heating value, and percent ash of wood and bark; percent bark by volume; and ultimate analysis (percent carbon, hydrogen,...
Equations and tables predicting gross total stem volumes in cubic feet are presented for Douglas-fir, grand fir, white fir, ponderosa pine, sugar pine, and incense-cedar. The data were gathered in second-growth, mixed-conifer stands of southwest Oregon. The basic equations use diameter outside bark at breast height and total tree height...
This paper is a detailed description of a method for calculating and analyzing losses and recoveries in a veneer peeling/clipping operation. The method involves filming veneer sheets as they exit the clipper, digitizing this film, and using the digitized information in a computer analysis.
This annotated bibliography is a response to widespread interest in stream habitat improvement in the Pacific Northwest by land managers, governmental and nongovernmental organizations, and the lay public. Several guides to stream habitat improvement have been written in the past, but may not be easily accessible to people from diverse...
The LAndscape Management Policy Simulator (LAMPS) model, version 1.1, is a spatial simulation model developed to provide forest landscape planning simulations for the Coastal Landscape Analysis and Modeling Study (CLAMS). It is designed to help policymakers, managers, and planners think through alternative management scenarios and their potential effects on the...
Growing stock inventory on industrial and nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) lands in eastern Oregon has declined over the past 20 yr, as harvesting and mortality losses to insects and disease have outpaced growth. Over the same time period, harvest rates on private lands have varied, with no distinct trend to...
Equations for predicting the 5-yr height growth rate of a tree are presented for six conifer species from southwest Oregon. Equations for the combination of undamaged and damaged trees were estimated with weighted nonlinear regression techniques. These equations are being incorporated into the new southwest Oregon version of ORGANON, a...
Using existing permanent research plot data, we developed equations for predicting height-to-crown-base (HCB), 5-yr diametergrowth rate (delta D), 5-yr height-growth rate (delta H), 5-yr mortality rate (PM), and the maximum size-density trajectory for Douglasfir and western hemlock in the coastal region of the Pacific Northwest. With the exception of the...
Equations for predicting the 5-yr diameter-growth rate of a tree are presented for eight conifer and nine hardwood tree species from southwest Oregon. Equation parameters for undamaged and damaged trees combined were estimated by weighted nonlinear regression. The resulting equation for Douglas-fir [Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco] explained more than 71%...
Riparian areas in the Pacific Northwest have traditionally been a source of natural resources, such as timber and grazing, and have been used as transportation corridors and homestead sites. A primary impact of use has been the removal of riparian trees, the crowns and roots of which provide shade and...
In this analysis, volume-flow and market-based models of the western Oregon timber sector are developed. The volume-flow model finds the maximum, long-term, even-flow level of cut for each ownership (industry and non-industrial private forest). The market model simulates the interaction of log demand and timber owner supply to find the...
This handbook is is a comprehensive guide to building and maintaining cost-effective, environmentally acceptable logging roads. It is aimed specifically at nonindustrial private woodland owners in western Oregon and Washington, but it draws on basic forest road engineering principles and practices applicable in other forestry settings. The text is written,...
Equations for predicting the probability of a tree's dying in the
next 5 years are presented for eight conifer and eight hardwood
tree species from southwest Oregon. A logistic equation form was
used to characterize the probability of mortality. The parameters
of the equation were estimated using weighted, maximum likelihood...
This annotated bibliography was compiled to provide forest managers with a comprehensive list of sources on the potential effects of silvicultural activities on wildlife and fish populations in Pacific Northwest forests. The bibliography emphasizes publications directly examining silvicultural activities and responses by these populations. Abstracts from 296 publications are indexed...
Equations for predicting height to crown base are presented for tree species from southwest Oregon. Equations for undamaged and damaged trees were estimated with weighted nonlinear regression techniques. The effects of specific damaging agents on the height to crown base were explored, and damage correction factors were estimated. The damage...
For the past ten years, Douglas-fir on the Oregon and Washington coast has shown a progressive decrease in height and diameter increment as a result of Swiss needle cast, which is caused by Phaeocryptopus gaeumannii. In this contribution, we discuss the effects of silvicultural operations on Swiss needle cast and...
Oregon State University researchers conducted a survey in 1994 of non-industrial private forest (NIPF) landowners in western Oregon and western Washington. Private forests provide valuable ecological services, such as fish and wildlife habitat, and are also partially filling the gap created by recent reductions in federal timber harvest in the...
Equations for predicting tree height as a function of diameter outside bark at
breast height are presented for various tree species common to southwest
Oregon. Data for damaged and undamaged trees were analyzed with weighted
nonlinear regression techniques. The effects of specific damaging agents and
their severity on the height-diameter...
This paper comprises two major sections. In the first, tests of the influence of several application factors on efficiency of silvicultural herbicides are described for evergreen shrub, deciduous shrub, and herbaceous forest vegetation in Oregon and California. The second presents decision trees illustrating how to use the experimental results and...
Untreated and preservative-treated fence posts were exposed in soil at a test site near Corvallis, OR. Several species, including western juniper and Osage-orange, showed exceptional natural durability. Preservative treatment generally extended the useful life of the posts, but the degree of protection varied with the chemical and the application method.
Three equations for predicting tree height as a function of diameter (outside
bark) at breast height are presented for six species found in coastal regions of
the Pacific Northwest. Foresters can use these “height–diameter” equations
to avoid the time-consuming task of measuring heights of all individual trees
in an inventory,...
This publication is aimed at watershed councils, government agencies, and specialists (foresters, wildlife and fisheries biologists) interested in riparian area silviculture or watershed restoration. It contains information on the ecology of riparian forests and a checklist of recommended practices and common mistakes made in restoring conifers to hardwood-dominated riparian forests....
Work-study guidelines were developed using field data from thinning sites in the Oregon Cascade Range. Regression of detailed time study and shift-level data predicted harvesting production rates. Statistical analysis showed the relative difference in the discriminating power between shift-level studies versus detailed time studies. Indicator variables tested if there were...