Comparing 16-year-old shortleaf and loblolly pine growth and yield on a north Mississippi afforested site

This analysis compares the growth and yield of 16-year-old shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) and loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) planted on retired fields near Holly Springs in north Mississippi.  The 1-0 bareroot shortleaf seedlings were planted in early March of 2005, while bareroot 1-0 loblolly pine 2nd-generation seedlings were planted during the third week of March in 2005.  For both species, the site was subsoiled.  Within the plantations of each species, four plots were established for each species and total height and diameter at breast height (dbh) were measured.  Volumes were then estimated using appropriate combined-variable volume equations.  Loblolly pine had substantially greater growth rates relative to shortleaf pine, producing on average across the four plots (n = 4) 48.4 m-2 of basal area ha-1.  This basal area was 42.6% greater than the 34.0 m-2 of basal area ha-1 observed within the shortleaf pine.  For merchantable volume, defined as all trees with a dbh of 10.16 cm and greater up to a diameter-outside bark (dob) of 5.08 cm, the loblolly pine m-3 volume ha-1 of 424 was 2.36 times greater than that of shortleaf pine.  Merchantable volumes were converted to tons and a revenue of 3.61 was assumed per ton of pulpwood.  A theoretical 3rd row thinning with no logger select of the remaining rows was conducted – hence the thinning was assumed to remove 33% of the standing merchantable yield.  Loblolly pine had a stumpage value of 97.39 ha-1 which was 136% greater than the shortleaf pine economic value of $41.23 ha-1

Use of County Tax Rolls for the Creation of Mailing Lists for Extension Programming

The Extension forestry programs at Mississippi State and Cornell use county tax rolls for developing county landowner mailing lists. The use of these mailing lists, when combined with traditional past program attendee mailing lists, has increased the visibility and activities of both programs by reaching out to a larger clientele base, including uderserved landowners

Analyzing fire mosaics in temperate coniferous forests with GIS and remote sensing

This investigation on fire mosaics addressed several aspects: (1) quantifying the role of terrain variables in fire-related mortality and historical mean fire return interval (MFRI), (2) comparing post-burn Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery, TM difference imagery, and aerial photo interpretation to map forest survival after wildfire, and (3) to describe and discuss wildfire effects on successional stage patterns and wildlife habitat. The two study sites were located on the Willamette National Forest in the Oregon Cascades. The Warner Creek burn was the location of a 1991 wildfire covering 3669 ha; the Upper McKenzie site was the location of ecological and historical fire studies. Historical MFRI, terrain, and vegetation data were input into a geographical information system. Random sampling was conducted on all layers, and was also used to ground truth forest survival, primarily with aerial photography. Relationships of terrain to forest survival and historical MFRI were analyzed with regression. Regression was also used to model forest survival with TM data. Error matrices were used to compare classified TM data and aerial photo interpretation in mapping survival. At both sites, terrain variables accounted for more variation in forest survival (12-62%) or historical MFRI (4.8-21.9%) within individual physiographic areas, than across the respective study areas. Moreover, the significant topographic variables differed among individual physiographic areas. Regressions of TM band transformations were used to evaluate forest survival. The TM difference imagery with stratification by pre-f ire tasseled cap (TC) wetness explained 75% of the variation in live canopy ratio, and post-burn TM Structural Index (SI) accounted for 72%. Classification of the TM difference imagery with pre-f ire TC wetness had an overall accuracy of 68%, that of the post-burn SI was 63%, and that from aerial photo interpretation was 56%. Before the burn, landscape matrix was closed mature/old-growth. After the burn, the early seral/rock stage expanded, the open mature/old-growth stage was created, and the closed mature/old-growth was reduced and fragmented. Thus, overall habitat diversity and edge increased, but interior habitat decreased. Also, patches of early seral/rock were more variable in size and complex in shape than staggered setting clearcuts on public lands

Economic Impact of a Large-Scale, Collaborative Forest Health Project: A Model for Making a Difference

The U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Mississippi State University (MSU) Extension, and the Mississippi Forestry Commission partnered on the Southern Pine Beetle Prevention Project, a collaboration on forest health. MSU Extension provided educational outreach to a wide audience of forest landowners and screened applications for the project\u27s tree-thinning cost-share program. From 2006 to 2016, the collaboration spent $4.5 million on educational outreach and cost sharing. Using IMPLAN, we estimated the project\u27s economic contribution to the state at$60.2 million, a value representing a benefit–cost ratio of 13:1. Collaboration is an effective means for agencies to leverage resources, and impact analysis is a useful tool for evaluating Extension program effectiveness