SMC Quarterly News
www.standmgt.org
Stand Management Cooperative
College of Forest Resources, University of Washington
4th Quarter 2007
From the Director
Summer is over and students have arrivied for the 07/08 academic
year. Over the summer, we were fortunate to be able to fund an
excellent summer field crew, had a very productive meeting of the
Strategic Planning Committee, and have spent a lot of effort developing plans for a new suite of fertilization trials. We just held the Fall
Meeting which is summarized in this issue. We also have three new
Dave Briggs, SMC Director
graduate students, Paul Footen, Ben Shyrock, and Kim Littke. This
issue has bio’s to introduce each of them to you. Nick Vaughn, who
recently completed his Masters degree on the young stand model,
has now enrolled for a PhD. This issue also features an abstract by
Paul Footen on his proposed research on Long-term Effects of Nfertilization on Douglas-fir Forests in the Pacific Northwest and the
proposed design for new SMC fertilization trials.
Fall Policy Committee Meeting Notes
The annual fall meeting was held on September 17-18 at Oregon
State University with 44 attendees. Policy Committee Chair Gene
McCaul opened the meeting and commented on the progress of the
inside:
From the Director
strategic plan and interest in the proposal for new fertilization trials.
1
Fall Policy Committee Meeting
Notes
1
TAC Project Reports
3
Long-term Effects of N-fertilization on Douglas-fir Forests
6
Director David Briggs emphasized two objectives for the meeting;
achieving approval of the Strategic Plan goalsand achieving approval of the plan for the individual tree-based fertilization study
that the Nutrition TAC has developed.
New Grad Students
7
Policy Committee Chair: 2007 marks the end of Gene McCaul’s
SMC Forest Fertilization
Studies
8
two-year term as chair of the Policy Committee; Louise de Montigny,
Abstracts and Publications
13
the current Vice Chair, will become chair for 2008 and 2009. The
Meetings
15
Nominating Committee reported that Dave Rumker was asked to
become the next Vice-Chair and he has accepted. Gene was presented with an engraved cedar box and thanked for his work as
Chair, especially in moving the Strategic Plan forward.
Data Policy: Doug Maguire presented two articles to amend the Data
Policy of the SMC By-Laws. These articles clarify the use of the database
by institutional members. They designate responsibility for ensuring
compliance with the data policy to the Institutions’ representative on the
Policy Committee and ensure that reports and manuscripts are submitted
to the SMC Director in advance for approval. After rewording to include
software and presentations, these new articles were unanimously approved. It was recommended that the SMC staff develop a sign-off form,
acknowledging receipt of the database and understanding of the Data
Policy rules, that an individual would be required to sign before the
database would be delivered. This form will be sent by the database
manager to any who request the database and will be included on the
database distribution CD so the Institutional representative can use it
with any individual within that institution.
Funding: Since the SMC began in 1985, the cumulative budget through
2007 has reached $17.1 million of which member dues and contracts
constitute 64%, external grants 16%, and institutional members 20%. 2007
dues from members were $570,699. Credits for expenditures to maintain
the three GGTIV installations were $8,958 and income from special
contract income is $8,480. The BC Ministry of Forests Research Branch
was again successful in obtaining competitive grant funds for the next
three years ($70,652/yr) to support measurement and treatment costs in
BC. Other institutional members are anticipated to provide approximately $136, 000 in the form of salaries of scientists, facilities, administrative support. Grant funds totaling $200,000 have been received. These
external grants, plus the Gessel Scholarship Fund and Corkery Family
Chair, are the principal means of support for the four PhD and three
Masters students associated with the SMC. The Corkery Family Chair and
external grants also provided most of the summer field crew funding. On
the expense side, salaries and benefits, about $310,000, reflect net
amounts after charges of staff time to other grants and contracts. Expenses for travel, equipment, supplies and contract services, about
$133,000 total, include final expenses of the Hann/Marshall/Hanus project
to update ORGANON. Travel expenses are rising due to higher fuel costs
and we are taking measures to economize where possible. By producing
and distributing all publications electronically, we have eliminated printing
and mailing expenses. Expense for indirect costs (utilities, space, support
staff, etc.) paid to the University of Washington are about $109,000. By
the end of the year, it is anticipated the deficit of about $22,000 that was
carried into 2007 will be largely, if not completely, eliminated. This result
2
Mark Your Calendars
The SMC Spring Meeting will be
on April 22-23, 2008, at the
Gifford Pinchot National Forest
Headquarters in Vancouver, WA.
Managed Douglas-fir forest
landscape view
The Northwest Forest Soils
Council (NWFSC) winter technical meeting will be on Douglas-fir
Soil-Plant Water Relationships:
Tree and Landscape Scale. January
29, 2008. Western Washington
University, Bellingham, WA.
http://soilslab.cfr.washington.edu/
nwfsc/
places the budget close to the status that was projected in 2004. The
combination of the external grants and the 5% dues increase implemented in 2006 has accommodated the in-kind expenses associated with
the GGTIV sites, the ORGANON update, the young-stand model, and the
general rise in salaries and transportation costs.
Current information indicates that dues from members will be down by
about $11,000 in 2008 reflecting acreage changes of members; this may
change as some have indicated that they have added acres since they were
contacted in July. Special contract income is anticipated to be $12,000 and
an in-kind credit allowance of $15,000 for 2008 maintenance expenses of
the GGTIV installations has been made. Funding from institutional members is expected to be similar to 2006 levels. Known external grant,
Gessel Scholarship Fund and Corkery Family Chair funding for 2007 will
be about $120,000 and could be higher if proposals are successful. With
full loading of all expenses on the SMC budget a potential deficit could
occur. Presently, opportunities to charge staff time to existing external
grants and contracts are very limited; several proposals and other possibilities are being explored but their timing is uncertain. Expenses for
travel, equipment, supplies, and contract services are expected to be
about $123,000. Expense for indirect costs (utilities, space, support staff,
etc.) paid to the University of Washington are expected to be similar to
the 2007 level. More will be known about the grants, acreage changes, and
efforts to attract new members by the Spring meeting. A motion to
approve the 2008 dues assessments was unanimously approved.
SMC Strategic Plan: David Briggs reviewed the Mission and Vision
statements that were approved at previous meetings. Recommendations
on wording of the Goals developed by the Strategic Planning committee
were reviewed and a motion to approve the Goals was unanimously
approved. The next step in completing the Strategic Plan will be to have
each of the Technical Advisory Committees examine and revise the tables
of objectives, steps, and time frames that each plans to contribute toward
each of the goals. The TAC contributions are to be returned to the Strategic Planning Committee by March 1, 2008 for review. The Strategic Planning committee will summarize and organize the TAC contributions and
present them for discussion and vote at the Spring 2008 meeting.
Nutrition Project Report: Rob Harrison reviewed the current status
of graduate students, new, and proposed external grant funding. Rob then
summarized progress by the Nutrition TAC since the Spring meeting to
define new fertilization trials. The proposed design is presented on pages
8-12 in this issue. Discussion focused on three points. The first was the
3
choice of the specific fertilizer to use. The problem with using more than
one fertilizer is that the size of site necessary and associated logistics
would multiply. To keep each trial small and simple it may make more
sense to set up similar but separate experiments for each type of fertilizer of interest. It seemed that the consensus was to start with 200 lb/a of
N. The second discussion point concerned how to distribute experimental sites across the landscape. The consensus was to focus on the parent
material base that was the largest owned by SMC members and then
stratify by slope position and other factors. It was decided that the Nutrition TAC would use appropriate map overlays to develop a strategy for
the site selection matrix and criteria. The intent is to do this as soon as
possible in order to get members to offer candidate areas. The SMC staff
would then be in a position to determine how this would affect scheduling of field work and how many installations could be set up in this and
subsequent years. The third discussion point was related to monitoring
environmental and other conditions on the selected sites. This aspect is
likely to be addressed through development and support of a grant
proposal.
Modeling Project Report: Mark Hanus, who substituted for Dave
Marshall, introduced Nick Vaughn who just completed his Masters in
which he developed the basic equations that will be in the young stand
model. After reviewing these equations, Nick indicated that Martin Ritchie
is coding the new model and plans to have it ready for testing in the first
quarter of 2008. A workshop on this new model will be held in early
2008, most likely in conjunction with the Spring meeting.
Silviculture Project Report: Eric Turnblom reviewed the current status
of graduate students and new and proposed external grant funding. The
field crew completed all field work planned for the 06/07 season including
the first measurement of the genetic gain trial – type IV (GGTIV) installations (66 plots) planted in 2005. The field crew also spent a substantial
amount of time working on the harvesting, log yard and milling phases of
the AGENDA 2020 non-destructive testing study. Eric also reviewed the 07/08 field season.
A summer crew, consisting of five students, funded by various
grants and the Corkery Family Chair, visited installations for a
variety of tasks. One group, consisting of Masters students Royce
Anderson and Paul Footen, and undergraduates Alice Drury and
Melanie Welch, conducted understory vegetation & habitat assessment (cover board & duff) surveys at 150 plots on 20 installations,
Douglas-fir pitch moth surveys on 26 plots on 5 installations, and
sampled soil pits at 4 plots on 4 installations. Another group,
4
SMC summer crew L to R: Kim Littke, Alice
Drury, Melanie Welch and Paul Footon, not
pictured, Royce Anderson.
Type II installation Panther Creek
consisting of Randy Collier and
PhD student Kim Littke visited
the three GGTIV installations
(66 plots) planted in 2005 for
site characterization measurements. All of this work was
accomplished in 10 weeks.
David Briggs followed with a presentation on work related to modeling
the diameter of the largest branch in the BH region of individual trees; a
simple non-destructive measurement that has been shown to be related
to a commonly used log branch index used in product recovery studies.
This work suggests a good opportunity for linkages with individual tree
growth models. Eric Turnblom then summarized the procedures used for
site characterization on the GGTIV installations and results that were
obtained by the summer field crew.
Wood Quality Project Report: Eini Lowell reported on the
AGENDA 2020 project “Non-destructive evaluation of wood quality in
standing Douglas-fir trees and logs”. All of the field work, milling, and
product testing is completed. Some work remains to complete data from
the cookies and samples from the cookies are being sent to
Weyerhaeuser for x-ray densitometry. David Briggs provided a preliminary summary of results for the tree-to-log-to-lumber part of the study.
These product chain results appear to be consistent with studies for
other species. Unlike many other studies, this project has a good range
of treatment plot conditions with known histories. Preliminary modeling
to predict acoustic velocity from stand, treatment, and tree variables,
revealed some interesting patterns and demonstrated that the results
may depend on the stage that a stand is in during its life-cycle. Since this
study had only two age groups, more acoustic testing of trees on a
broader range of ages and treatment plots will be needed.
The field trip on the 18th visited the VMRC critical period threshold
study at Starker Forests with Robin Rose; SMC Douglas-fir Type I Installation 726 near Toledo owned by Plum Creek. After lunch we stopped at
one of the paired tree fertilization trails located on Starker Forests
where Doug Maguire and Doug Mainwaring explained the objectives,
design, and layout procedures for these trials.
5
End of the season for the SMC
summer crew.
Long-term Effects of N-fertilization on Douglas-fir Forests in
the Pacific Northwest. P.W. Footen, University of Washington,
College of Forest Resources; Box 352100 Seattle, WA 981952100.
Abstract
Forest growth in the Pacific Northwest is frequently limited by the supply
of plant-available nitrogen (N). To increase productivity, N-fertilization is a
commonly utilized silvicultural practice. The long-term effects of this
practice have not been investigated to our knowledge. The objective of
this study was to learn if subsequent stands of Douglas-fir were affected
by previous fertilization. The carryover effects of N-fertilization on understory vegetation and Douglas-fir seedling growth were quantified in five
stands in the Puget Sound Region of western Washington. Biomass and Ncontent of understory vegetation, and average height and diameter at
breast height (dbh) of 12-year-old Douglas-fir seedlings were assessed on
control (untreated) and N-fertilized plots that had been fertilized with
urea 28-30 years ago (total amount of applied N 810-1120 kg/ha). Measurement plots were 0.1 ac with one control and one fertilized plot in
each of the five stands. Understory vegetation was sampled to ground
level in five random 0.25 m2 subplots on each measurement plot. Samples
were dried and weighed to obtain biomass estimate, and then finely
ground and analyzed for N-content. Installation-level values were calculated by averaging all subplots within one installation. Statistical analyses
were performed on installation-level data using the paired-sample t-test
of these installation means (α = 0.1). Understory vegetation biomass on
previously fertilized plots was 73% greater (p = 0.005), and N-content
was 97% greater (p = 0.004) than on control plots. In 2006, mean seedling
height was 15% greater (p = 0.06) and
mean dbh was 29% greater (p = 0.04)
than on control plots. These results
show that past N-fertilization markedly
increased seedling growth, and understory biomass and N-content in a
subsequent rotation. Use of N-fertilizer
can potentially increase site quality
Paul Footen
decades after application. This finding
has multiple implications for silviculturalists and forest ecosystem managers. The trends in this study should continue to be monitored, and similar
studies should be established, to further understand the carryover effects
of N-fertilization on forests.
Questions/comments contact: pwf@u.washington.edu.
6
Ben Shyryock
New College of Forest Resource
SMC Graduate Students
Paul Footen will begin his masters program at the College of Forest
Resources under Professor Rob Harrison. Currently Paul is working
on two different research projects 1),
Long-term soil productivity study (LTSP) at
Matlock, WA looking at how the effects of
organic matter retention and vegetation
control affect nutrient cycling and 2), The
long-term effects of nitrogen fertilization
Paul Footen
on Douglas-fir forests (Carryover). His
master’s thesis will encompass one or more of these current research projects.
Paul graduated (suma cum laude) from the UW last spring with a
B.S. in Environmental Science and Resource Management. He’s
worked on the SMC summer crew for two years. Paul enjoys
outdoor activities such as hiking, camping, backpacking, plant identification and digging soil pits. When he’s not busy with school work
he’s playing guitar in a blues band.
Kim Littke is starting her Ph.D. at the College of
Forest Resources with Professor Rob Harrison in
autumn 2007. She will be working on the Stand
Management Cooperative Forest Fertilization
Project. The focus of the project will be to find site
Kim Littke
and soil factors that predict the growth response of
Douglas-fir to N fertilization. She received her master’s degree
from the College of Forest Resources in 2005 with Professor
Darlene Zabowski. Her thesis was to determine if Ca deficiency
causes sinuosity of Douglas-fir in S.W. Washington. Her research
involved a greenhouse study using seedlings and a field study using
lime and gypsum fertilization. She received her bachelor’s degree in
biology with an emphasis in botany from Western Washington
University in 2003.
In her free time, she is a member of the
Sports Car Club of America specializing in
autocross, which is timed racing around a
cone-lined course. She owns a Mazda
Miata that she recently took to the SCCA
National Championships in Topeka, KS.
She took the second place trophy in the
STS2L class.
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Ben Shryock
Ben Shryock will
be earning his
Master’s Degree
under Professor
Rob Harrison.
Although the focus of his master’s
project is not yet decided, it will
undoubtedly focus on forest
nutrition in regards to fertilization.
Ben was lucky enough to be
awarded the Gessel Fellowship
and plans to spend his extra time
finalizing a project and getting to
work.
Ben attended The Evergreen State
College where his was awarded a
Bachelor’s of Science in Biochemistry. He spent his last year at
Evergreen synthesizing a biomedical polymer that has the potential
to be used as a heart stent for
patients recovering from surgery.
Although he found this research
very interesting, he also realized
that it was not his desire to work
in a chemistry lab for the rest of
his life. Despite that realization
Ben has been working in biotech
since he graduated in 2005.
In 2006 he spent the summer in
Costa Rica learning about sustainable agriculture and tropical
ecosystems. After that experience he knew that he needed to
get out of the biotech world and
back into ecology. A Masters
Degree from The College of
Forest Resources was the logical
next step to satisfy that desire, so
here he is. Ben is also considering
attaining his Ph.D. so that he may
one day become a professor.
SMC Forest Fertilization Studies
Rob Harrison, Scott Holub, Doug Maguire, Doug Mainwaring, Dave Briggs,
Eric Turnblom, Dick Miller, Kim Littke, Brian Strahm and Paul Footen.
Introduction
The Stand Management Cooperative (SMC) has not conducted major
field studies specifically on forest fertilization for over a decade, primarily
because of the costs of the studies involved and a focus on other study
priorities, but also from a lack of consensus on what designs would
provide the best information for cooperators. A number of potential
designs have been proposed, but none can meet all of the needs of SMC
members at costs that can be borne by the SMC alone. In the last 10
years, SMC efforts in tree nutrition have focused primarily on getting
information out of previous studies, and adding value to research studies
funded by other mechanisms. Examples include Fall River, Matlock and
Molalla LTSP’s, the “carryover” of N fertilization study, King County
biosolids fertilization studies that compare biosolids addition to N-only
and controls, and several other “contract” studies from SMC and other
companies.
Doug Maguire and Doug Mainwaring of OSU have also managed through
sheer effort-of-will to get several new fertilization studies in the ground.
Weyerhaeuser Company has also installed several new studies similar in
layout and statistical design. It is suggested that the SMC now provide a
supporting role in these studies as well as follow a similar design in
installing new studies. The SMC has a new Ph.D. graduate student, Kim
Littke, who started during summer, 2007. The SMC will also have a
visiting Postdoctoral student (Dr. Ciro Croce from the State University of
Sao Paulo) from Brazil for a one-year period starting about the first of
2008 who is intensely interested in participating in this study with the
idea of setting up similar studies in Eucalyptus in Brazil.
Perhaps the best way to provide useful information for SMC members is
to build on and add to the new fertilization studies through the proposed
Planted Forests Forum (PFF). Thus, this proposal is meant primarily as a
way to add to work that might be useful in interpreting the results of PFF
studies. SMC efforts can add additional site characterization to studies
already installed or that will be installed in a short time frame. We would
also add additional sites.
8
Objectives
The primary objectives of the proposed study are to evaluate the potential for response of 15-25 year-old stands to N fertilization within a given
vegetation/geology type. Secondary objectives include being able to
predict potential response from site and stand variables such that cooperators would be able to focus scarce fertilization resources into sites
most likely to respond. A third objective would be to acquire outside
funding to expand the scope and usefulness of the fertilization studies by
providing a field laboratory for additional work. Such studies have the
potential to attract already-funded graduate students and visiting faculty,
as well as to be successful in competing for grant funding. We have already
submitted a pre-proposal to the USDA-NRI “managed ecosystems”
program for this year to supplement the proposed study, for instance.
Methods
The design for installing fertilizer treatments are copied almost exactly
from the design utilized by Weyerhaeuser Company in similar research
studies, as well as the fertilizer studies of Doug Maguire and Doug
Mainwaring. Copying their installation design not only allows this study to
utilize the combined earlier thought that went into designing these studies, but also to greatly increase the coverage and “n” available when
results of several studies are combined.
Research installations will be located across the major geologic parent
materials/soils and climate zones in the western Douglas-fir region of
Oregon and Washington. Climate zone and parent materials should be
used to stratify the land for sampling. Initially, with SMC cooperator input,
we will pick the strata with the most land coverage ensuring that each
cooperator is included, but will include minor strata that could provide
meaningful information about response diagnostics.
The experimental design is a randomized complete block with two
treatments and nominally 12-15 paired tree blocks at each location. The
plot center is then located at the tree closest to the center of the circular
plot, which is of dominant and co-dominant crown class. An example of
pairing of trees is given in Figure 1.
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Figure 1. Location of dominant or co-dominant tree closest to plot center.
10
Non-soil variables
The following site properties/parameters will be sampled for each
installation, where possible and/or available:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
Site Index
LAI
Slope, aspect, slope shape-Age
Elevation
Precipitation. This will be estimated from available data and
measured using tipping-bucket rain gauges and dataloggers (on
sites that are far away from existing weather stations, which might
be all of them)
Above-ground temperature, daily-average, including degree-day
type calculations (on sites that are far away from existing weather
stations)
Insolation, including to canopy top and at ground level, relative
humidity
Stand history, including genetic variables, seedling fertilization
treatments, and anything done up until the time of the initiation of
the fertilization study
Soil variables
At a minimum, soil sampling will provide the following measurements:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
11
Soil depth (depth of “O” and A horizons, total depth to restrictive
layer or bedrock)
Bulk density, total and <2mm (or <4.75mm). Also suitable
calculation of total pools of C and nutrients.
Soil structure
Soil texture (<2mm)
Rooting depth or depth to root restrictive zone (Define so that
it can be assessed.)
Total weights of soil horizons/layers
Carbon, nutrients and toxic elements, total and “available” forms,
including calculations such as C/N ratio. These include C, N, P, Ca,
K, Mg, S, B, Mn and Zn concentrations and labile amount, usually
what is extracted with a salt solution by using soil layer
thicknesses and bulk densities.
CEC, variable-charge properties including ZPNC, AEC, pH
Soil temperature, daily average
Soil moisture and temperature. Moisture will be sampled
continuously using in-ground equipment with data loggers,
calibrated and checked periodically by gravimetric methods.
Water-holding capacity, distribution of porosity (macropores/
micropores), and moisture release curve
Additional Associated Work
As has been the case with so many other SMC studies, this proposed
study should offer an excellent opportunity for leveraging other funding
to SMC. In particular, we hope to add process studies, such as determining the fate of nitrogen and its potential for secondary and long-term
effects, to this study. We are currently developing additional work that
would rely on the proposed studies and extend their utility, much as was
done with other SMC work (i.e. Carryover study, Fall River, Matlock). It
is almost certain that funding the proposed study to the extent of plot
installation and treatment will result in outside funding to SMC.
Expected Results
Prediction of response
The soil and non-soil variables above constitute the primary variables
potentially used in modeling growth response. The approach for a predictive model will be similar to that used by Steinbrenner (1979) to predict
site productivity, and Edmonds and Hsiang (1986), and Sidell (2000) to
predict potential for response to N fertilization. This will include logistic
regression methods to estimate the probability of response for specific
factors or populations. Depending on the ability to do site characterization and process work, other analyses and predictors may be developed.
Citations
Edmonds, R.L., and T. Hsiang. 1987. Forest floor and soil influence on
response of Douglas-fir to urea. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 51:1332-1337. A
PDF file is available at: http://www.forestsoils.org/publications/Edmondsand-Hsiang,-1986.pdf
Sidell, A.R. 2000. Potential Soil Nitrogen Availability Following Repeated
Urea Fertilization of Coastal Douglas-fir Stands. Masters thesis.,
University of Washington. pp 74.
Steinbrenner, E.C. 1979. Characteristics of Northwest forest soils in
relation to productivity. In: Gessel, S.P., Kenady, R.M., Atkinson, W.A.
(eds) Forest Fertilization Conference. 1979. Institute of Forest
Resources Contribution 40. College of Forest Resources, Seattle
Washington. A PDF file is available at: http://www.forestsoils.org/
publications/Steinbrenner-1979.pdf
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Abstracts and Publications
Number and Diameter of Breast-Height Region Branches in a Douglas-fir
Spacing Trial and Linkage to Log Quality. David Briggs, Luciana Ingaramo
and Eric Turnblom. Forest Products Journal; September 2007,Vol. 57 Issue
9, p28-34.
Abstract
A Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii, Mirb. Franco) spacing trial, planted at 480, 540,
750, 840, 1100, and 1680 trees/ha was studied to investigate the relationship between
planting spacing, number and diameter of branches in the breast-height region, and first
5 m log quality. The 540 and 840 tree/ha plantings were in a rectangular design with the
distance between rows double that between trees within a row while the others
planted in a square design. At age 18, number and diameter of branches ≥ 8 mm in
diameter were measured in a 0.61 m region centered at breast height (BH, 1.3 m).
There was no significant effect of planting density on number of BH region branches.
The rectangular designs had significantly more branches than the square designs, but
this difference was small. The mean diameter of BH region branches was significantly
related to both planting density and type of design while the largest diameter of BH
region branches and branch index of the BH region were related only to planting
density. A subsample of trees was climbed to measure the diameter of the largest
branch and branch index corresponding to the 5-m butt log. Highly significant relationships were found between the largest branch diameter and branch index of the butt
log and the BH region counterpart measures of trees. Measuring the diameter of the
largest branch in the BH region provided superior equations predicting the butt log
and is a simple, fast measure to acquire in the field.
Changes in Soil Carbon and Nutrient Pools Along a Chronosequence of
Poplar Plantations in the Columbia Plateau, Oregon, USA. Fabio Sartori,
Rattan Lal, Michael H. Ebinger and James A. Eaton. Agriculture, Ecosystems
& Environment. Volume 122, Issue 3, November 2007, p325-339.
Abstract
Establishment of short-rotation woody crop (SRWC) plantations for meeting the
demand of wood and bioenergy production necessitates reclamation of agricultural
lands and desert soils, such as those in the southern Columbia Plateau of Oregon, USA.
The effects of plantation management on soil carbon (C) storage and nutrient concentration were evaluated, using a chronosequence of poplar (Populus spp.) stands on soils
of eolian origin (Xeric Torripsamments). Stands of ages 1, 3, 4, 7, 9, and 10 years (n = 3
per stand age), as well as adjacent agricultural and desert lands, were compared based
on soil C, inorganic C (SIC), total nitrogen (N), and nutrient concentrations within the
0- to 50-cm soil depth. The 7- through 10-year-old stands that were in a first-rotation
cycle were irrigated and fertilized. The 1- through 4-year-old stands in a secondrotation cycle received a mulch application treatment in addition to the irrigation and
fertilization treatments. At age 11 years, the projected plantation C (147.5 Mg ha-1)
accumulated almost entirely in the aboveground biomass (62.2%), forest floor (24.3%),
and roots (11.7%). There were no significant increases in the mineral soil C and N
pools with stand age, despite the presence of increasing trends within the surface layer.
13
Abstracts and Publications cont.
The accumulation of the mineral soil C pool ( 1.8%), from the first(23.5 ± 1.7 Mg C ha-1) to the second-rotation stands (26.3 ± 3.5 Mg C ha-1), was
partially offset by a loss of SIC due to irrigation. The SIC pool had a decreasing
trend, which was related to dissolution of calcite along the soil profile, from the
first- (16.7 ± 3.4 Mg C ha-1) to the second-rotation stands (8.4 ± 5.0 Mg C ha-1).
Soil pH (r > 0.6) and exchangeable acidity (r = -0.5) patterns were dependent
upon the concentration of exchangeable Ca2+. Soil Mg2+ and K+ concentrations
were correlated with soil C concentration in the surface layer (r = 0.5). In
coarse-textured soils, a decadal time scale was insufficient to measure significant
changes in the mineral soil C pool. Carbon benefits may be gained, however, in
aboveground (tree and forest floor) and belowground (roots) biomass accumulations. SRWC plantations are an effective land-use option to restore degraded
lands of arid regions.
Growth and Survival of Douglas-fir and Western Redcedar Planted at
Different Densities and Species Mixtures. L.E. de Montigny and G.D.
Nigh. BC Ministry of Forests and Range Forest Science Program,
Technical Report 044. On-line access: www.for.gov.bc.ca/hfd/pubs/
Docs/Tr/Tr044.pdf.
Abstract
Survival and height, diameter at breast height (dbh), volume, and crown growth
of Douglas-fir and western redcedar in a mixed plantation were measured 14
years after planting. As expected, Douglas-fir had faster early growth than
western redcedar and average dbh, volume, and crown area of the stand increased as the proportion of Douglas-fir in the stand increased. However, the
average growth of Douglas-fir and western redcedar was not significantly different when grown in a pure stand compared to being grown in a mixed stand.
Average growth of either species was also not significantly different at densities
of 500, 1000, or 2000 stems per hectare. Consequently, at this young age, the
effect of the species mixtures on growth was likely due to different early growth
rates rather than from differences between interspecific and intraspecific competition. This experiment will help to determine the long-term outcomes of
different stand mixtures in producing timber volume.
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Upcoming Meetings and Events
October 23-27, 2007, SAF National Convention. Portland, Oregon
Convention Center. For more information please visit: http://
www.safnet.org/natcon-07/index.cfm.
November 2-3, 2007, College of Forest Resources 2007 Centennial Gala Celebration,The Don James Center at Husky Stadium.
It’s time for the College of Forest Resources’ alumni and friends to celebrate the College’s centennial anniversary. We hope you will join us for an
exciting evening where we will honor our past and celebrate our future.
For more information please visit http://www.cfr.washington.edu/
November 4-8, 2007, American Society of Agronomy-Crop Science Society of America-Soil Science Society of America International Annual Meeting. New Orleans, LA. For more info please visit:
https://www.acsmeetings.org/.
Photos taken by CFR Grad
Student/SMC summer crew
member Paul Footen.
November 6-7, 2007, At the Crossroads Conference-Sustaining
Oregon’s Forests in a Rapidly Changing World. OSU, Corvallis, OR.
For more info please visit: http://inr.oregonstate.edu/atthecrossroads/.
January 16-18, 2008, 8th National Conference on Science, Policy,
and the Environment Climate Change: Science and Solutions.
Washington, DC. For more info please visit: http://www.ncseonline.org/
2008conference/.
January 31, 2008, University of Washington Focus the Nation:
Global warming solutions for America. University of Washington.
For more info please visit: http://depts.washington.edu/uwfocus/.
Stand Management Cooperative, College of Forest Resources
University of Washington, Box 352100 Seattle, WA 98195
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