All posts by Melinda Olson

Monday, July 18, 2022

1-5 pm: Southern Forest Nursery Management Coop meeting (members only)

6-8 pm:  Evening Social (Open to all attendees) sponsored by IFCO Seedlings

Tuesday, July 19, 2022

7:00       Breakfast (provided)

8:00       Welcome Speech from state of South Carolina – Scott Phillips, South Carolina State Forester

8:30       NIR Detection – Effects of Lifting Season Warm Interruptions – Alex Hoffman, Weyerhaeuser/Univ. of ID Graduate Studies

9:30        Break

10:00   An Overview of the USDA Forest Service’s Disease Resistance Screening Center – Katie McKeever, USDA Forest Service

10:30     Recent estimates of white oak (Q. alba) nursery production – Dana Nelson, Southern Research Station, USDA Forest Service

11:00     White Oak Seedling Production Panel: James Shelton, Arkansas Forestry Commission; Joanna Phillips, Kentucky Division of Forestry; Gina Sowders, Tennessee Division of Forestry

Noon     Lunch (provided)

1:00        ArborGen/South Carolina Forestry Commission Taylor Nursery Partnership – Tim Adams, South Carolina Forestry Commission and Andrew Baum, ArborGen

2:00        Automated pine seedling inventory using machine vision and machine learning – Dr. Yin Bao and Tom Stokes, Auburn University

2:45        Break

3:15      Tips for utilizing new eastern seed zones in the southern US –  Carrie Pike, USDA Forest Service

3:45        USFS National Seed Laboratory: Program Update – Vic Vankus, USDA Forest Service and Tia Tyler

4:00        Planting Machine – Christer Larsson and David Crouch

4:30       Shortleaf Pine Initiative updates – Mike Black, Shortleaf Pine Initiative

5:00     Dinner on your own

Wednesday, July 20, 2022

Sponsored by:

7:00      Breakfast (provided)

8-noon: Workshop:  Pine Tree Nursery Pest Management Strategic Plan

The Pest Management Strategic Plan (PMSP) workshop will provide the opportunity for collaboration to identify current and emerging pests (i.e., insects, pathogens, weeds, nematodes, mites, and wildlife), controls (i.e., physical, biological, and chemical) and efficacy of controls, worker activities, production practices, timelines, and priorities (i.e., research, regulatory, and extension) for pine tree production.

The finalized 2022 Pine Tree Nursery Pest Management Strategic Plan document will be written from the information obtained at the workshop and published in the National IPM Database as a resource for EPA registration of pesticides, government and other agency allocation of funds for scientist research endeavors, and other activities related to solving pest management issues.

Noon-1 pm: Lunch (provided)

1 – 4:30: Workshop continues

5:00 – 10:00: Round-trip Courtesy Shuttle to Downtown Charleston; Dinner on your own

Thursday, July 21, 2022

7:00      Breakfast (provided)

8:00       Overview of USFS R8 Reforestation Program – Earl Jackson, USDA Forest Service

8:30        Policy and Funding Opportunities for Reforestation and Nursery Support – Tim Foley, Southern Group of State Foresters

9:00        Discussion on planting non-dormant seedlings – Jeremy Hardee, Andrews Nursery, Florida Dept. of Agriculture

9:30       Break

10:00     Discussion on Pesticide rules and Re-registration of Chemicals – Scott Enebak, Auburn University

10:30    Discussion on Nursery/Orchard Needs – Lindsay Colegrove, USDA Forest Service

11:00     SFNA business meeting (revise bylaws; confirm membership)

Noon     Adjourn (lunch on your own)

Poster:
Role of State Nurseries in the White Oak Genetics and Tree Improvement Program – Laura DeWald

Exhibitors:
PortCo Packaging, Inc.
Scandinavian Forestry Equipment
Bodenhamer Farms & Nursery
And a huge THANK YOU to IFCO for sponsoring our Social on Monday evening!!

Currently, we are still planning a fully in-person SOMENS meeting in Blacksburg, VA September 19-21. All visitors will now be required to wear a mask in indoor public spaces. Click here for more information on the in-door mask policy.

2021 SOMENS Meeting Booklet (PDF)

A tentative schedule follows:

Sunday, September 19th 12:00 – 7:00: Registration

Monday, September 20th 8:00 – 5:00: General session

Monday, September 20th 5:00 – 6:00: Reception

Monday, September 20th 6:00 – 8:00: Dinner

Tuesday, September 21st 8:00 – 5:00 (if needed): General session

No field trip will be held this year

Lunch will be provided from 12:00 – 1:00 Monday and Tuesday. In lieu of posters, students who have preliminary results are encouraged to submit abstracts for “flash talks” this year. These will be a great opportunity for practice speaking at a conference, even with limited results.

Talks will be shorter this year (20 minutes max with questions) and breaks will be prioritized. We want people to socialize and reestablish connections! As a reminder, please submit abstracts by August 15th to Corey Green.

Virginia Tech has mandated vaccines for all students and has strongly encouraged all faculty and staff to be vaccinated. For more information regarding Virginia Tech’s COVID policies and safety measures, please visit the Virginia Tech Ready site: https://ready.vt.edu/. We strongly encourage all attendees of SOMENS this year to take all safety measures to ensure we have a successful event.

In the event that COVID variants make an in-person gathering not possible, the meeting will be moved to an online environment. Registration fees will be reduced to $75.00. For those who have already registered, you will be refunded the difference.

Tuesday, October 19 (PDT, UTC -7)

0800—0805 Day 1 Welcome
0805—0840 Root development and field establishment: effect of seedling quality…Steve Grossnickle, NurseryToForest Solutions, North Saanich, BC, Canada and co-author, Vladan Ivetić, University of Belgrade – Faculty of Forestry
0840—0915 Using the vacuum method to measure hydraulic conductance and vulnerability to cavitation of whole root systems of Douglas-fir seedlings…Carlos González Benecke, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
0915—0925 BREAK
0925—1000 Unearthing the hidden world of roots: competition belowground in a young tropical tree plantation…Katherine Sinacore, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama
1000—1035 Grass(stage) root movement to ensure future resilience of longleaf pine ecosystems…Douglas Aubrey, University of Georgia, Aiken, SC, USA

Wednesday, October 20 (PDT, UTC -7)

0800—0805 Day 2 Welcome
0805—0840 Mycorrhizal growth response of plants to inoculation diversity: a meta-analysis in woody and herbaceous species…Jiacun Gu, Northeast Forestry University, Harbin, China
0840—0915 Continual adaptation of the ponderosa pine root system to its environment…Antonello Montagnoli, University of Insubria, Varese, Italy
0915—0925 BREAK
0925—1000 Interactive effects of resources and ectomycorrhizal inoculation on pine seedling growth…Jennifer Bhatnagar, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
1000—1035 Seed development and seedling performance from drought-stressed, mature Norway spruce trees…Marc Goebel, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA

Thursday, October 21 (PDT, UTC -7)

0800—0805 Day 3 Welcome
0805—0840 Root morphology and physiology responses of two subtropical tree species to NH4+-N and NO3—N deposition in phosphorus-barren soil…Rui Zhang, Chinese Academy of Forestry, Zhejiang, China
0840—0915 Root system improvement and aboveground-belowground trait covariance…Ehren Moler, University of Idaho, Moscow, ID, USA
0915—0925 BREAK
0925—1000 Contribution of adventitious roots, site preparation and microsite selection to reforestation success in boreal ecosystems…Nelson Thiffault, Natural Resources Canada, Sainte-Foy, QU, Canada
1000—1035 Seedling root development and architecture regulation through environmental conditions…Andrei Toca, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
1035—1110  Inter- and intra-specific competition moderates belowground nonstructural carbon storage in American chestnut (Castanea dentata)…Madeline Montague, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN, USA
1110—1120  Closing remarks

Friday, October 22, 2021

9:00 am Scaling Bureaus: How they operate and their role in log markets – Tom St. Laurent

• How bureaus fit into the log buying and selling process
• Represent both the log buyers and sellers
• Apply log scaling rules
• Provide qualified scalers
• Serve as independent third parties

9:30 What does a log scaler do? – Mike Belfry

• How scalers fit into the log transaction process (only measure volume, not value)
• What is their relationship to log buyers and sellers?
• The different points in log transport where scaling can occur
• What is log volume and how is it calculated?
• What are the specific measurements and data collected on a typical log?
• Log documentation
• Understanding gross and net volume
• Why did my load scale out at a lesser volume? Reasons for volume deductions

10:30 Break

11:00 Northwest Log Scaling Rules: Applying uniformity and standardization within the Doug-fir processing area – Tom St. Laurent

• Function and role of the rules

Special Requests: Using procedures in addition to the NW log scaling rules – Tom St. Laurent

11:30 Scaling logs on trucks – Mike Belfry

Noon Lunch (included with registration)

1:00 pm Understanding log grades and sorts – Mike Belfry

• What is the difference between grades and sorts?
• Why do sorts vary from company to company?
• What is the difference between a good #2 sawlog and a rough #2 sawlog?
• What is the pulp sort?
• What is a cull?

2:00 Break

2:15  Log accountability: Tracking the log load from landing to mill – Mike Belfry

• How is data collected? Load receipts, weight reports, sample scales, sample expansion, log tags, scale tickets and certificates
• Understanding the paperwork: Examples will be provided of load receipts, scale tickets and certificates and each form will be reviewed in detail.
• What are the standard procedures for documentation and changes?
• How is the data stored, disseminated and accessed by clients?

3:45 Catch-all short topics – Mike Belfry and Tom St. Laurent

• Miscellaneous Topics (0:00)
  • Understanding cubic measurements
  • Volume conversion factors
  • Using taper factors and actual taper
• Scaler value and cost (17:51)
• Defects (24:28)
• Difference between westside and eastside scaling (49:04)

4:15 pm Workshop Adjourns

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8:00 AM  Introduction and Highlights from the North American Long-Term Soil Productivity Program – Deborah Page-Dumroese, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station

8:15 AM Matching Harvesting Equipment to Your Site – Rob Keefe, University of Idaho Experimental Forest

8:45 AM Using Lidar Data to Select the Most Appropriate Harvesting System for Inland NW Sites – Ryer Becker, University of Idaho

9:15 AM A Review: Resource Aids to Determine Potential Harvest Impacts to Dry Soil Productivity – Mark Kimsey, University of Idaho

9:45 AM Break
10:00 AM New Skidding Equipment for the Intermountain Area – Rob Keefe, University of Idaho Experimental Forest

10:30 AM Using Drones to Evaluate Postfire Slash Treatments for Reducing Erosion – Sarah Lewis, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station

11:00 AM The Lasting Effects of Pile Burning on Dry Soils and Forest Recovery in Lodgepole Pine Ecosystems – Chuck Rhoades, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station

11:30 AM How Far Does Dirty Water Go? Effectiveness of Stream Buffers and Skid Trail Mitigation During Postfire Salvage Logging – Pete Robichaud, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station

12:00 PM Lunch (included with registration)
1:00 PM When is Soil Too Wet for Harvesting Operations or When is it Dry Enough? – Vince Archer, USDA Forest Service, Region 1

1:30 PM Assessing Compaction and Recovery on Wet Soils – John Gier, USDA Forest Service, Kootenai National Forest

2:00 PM Break
2:15 PM Soil Disturbance Associated with Tethered Logging in Westside Washington and Oregon – Chris Chase, Weyerhaeuser

2:45 PM Assessing Compaction and Recovery on Dry Soils – Leslee Crawford, USDA Forest Service, Malheur National Forest

3:15 PM Putting it all Together: Understanding the Big Picture of Timber Harvesting Impacts on Soils – Marty Jurgensen, Michigan Tech University, presented by Deborah Page-Dumroese

4:00 PM Adjourn

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PNW Forest Vegetation Management Conference: December 7, 2021

8:30 Opening Remarks
8:45 Forest restoration from a seedling’s perspective – Steve Grossnickle, NurseryToForest Solutions

9:30 Zone Matcher: A new web application for climate-based seed deployment in the Pacific Northwest – Glenn Howe, College of Forestry, OR State University

10:00 Break
10:30 Aerial spray projects from helicopters to drones – Corey Fransen, Chief Pilot, Wilbur-Ellis

11:15 Bayer update: Current research and results with Esplanade F on PNW forest sites – Harry Quicke, Bayer

12:15 Lunch
1:30 PPE requirements and safe handling of forest herbicides and review of updated EPA regulations on aerial applications near neighbors and workers – Wendy Wheeler, Washington State University Extension

2:30 Break
2:45 Documenting experience with seed source movement: Establishing citizen science demonstration plots for PNW field foresters – Jeff DeBell and Peter Gould, WA Dept of Natural Resources

3:15 Managing aerial spraying projects on private timberlands – John Jayne, Cascade Timber Consulting

3:45 Panel Discussion: With the loss of forestry sites on the Atrazine label, what mixes and timings have you switched to now? At least one forest company has stopped using glyphosate, what changes would you have to make in your vegetation management program to stop using glyphosate?

• Branden Sirguy, Merrill and Ring
• Dale Claassen, Hampton
• Rodney Jacobs, Stimson Lumber
• Joe Newton, Lone Rock

4:30 Reception

PNW Forest Vegetation Management Conference: December 8, 2021

8:00 New spray buffer and aerial application rules: federal and state –   Seth Barnes, Oregon Forest and Industries Council and Heather Hansen, Washington Friends of Farms and Forests

9:00 Application Rules Update and Examples of Pesticide Violations – Andrea Sonnen, OR Dept of Agriculture

10:00 Break
10:30 Setting up Roadside Spray Projects – Harrison Hapgood, A&H Forestry

11:30 Fields to Forests: Discussing the interaction between nursery practices, stock types, and young stand management – Brian Morris, Webster Forest Nursery, WA State Dept of Natural Resources

Noon Lunch
1:00 The physiological effects of herbicides within plants  – Allan Felsot, Washington State University

2:00 Corteva Agriscience update: Product updates and research activities – Rob LaGrange and Will Hatler, Corteva

3:00 Some things just never go away: Forest pest legacies after harvest and plantation establishment – David Shaw, College of Forestry and Extension, Oregon State University

3:30 Adjourn

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8:00 Introduction to WR.COFE & Seminar – John Sessions, Chair, Kevin Lyons, Moderator, Western Regional COFE & OSU FERM Department and Seminar Moderator

Company Perspectives on Forest Operations Challenges resulting from 2020 fires

8:15

Overview of Archie Creek Fire – Roseburg Forest Products will provide an overview of property ownership of the Archie Creek fire in relation to nearby communities. The challenges of the checker board ownership for fire salvage and the cooperation that resulted will be summarized. Michael Williams, Roseburg Forest Products

8:35 Panel Overview: Lone Rock is a timber management and logging company that manages approximately 150,000 acres of timberland in SW Oregon. During Oregon’s 2020 Labor Day fire storms Lone Rock lost 6,000 acres in the Archie Creek Fire (Douglas County) and 2000 acres in the South Obenchain Fire (Jackson County). Long before both fires were completely contained, Lone Rock began planning and implanting salvage harvest of the mature burned timber located within the fire scars.

Panel Discussion: The Lone Rock Timber/Logging Co. Salvage Harvesting Effort After the Archie Creek Fire

1. Engineering/Survey – Methods and tools employed to re-establish pre-fire road construction layout and property lines obliterated by the fire. Daniel Saily and Weston Addington, Lone Rock Timber Mgmt.
2. Timber Cutting – Differences between timber falling in the green vs. black; discussion on the importance of communication between cutting and logging crews. Bob Henry, Lone Rock Timber Mgmt.
3. Road Construction – Emergency re-establishment and construction of road access; repairing heavily damaged road systems in the off-season. Keith McCracken, Lone Rock Timber Mgmt.
4. Logging – Post burn logging methods and safety difficulties encountered on exceptionally steep and difficult terrain. Eric Parazoo, Lone Rock Timber Mgmt.

9:45 Sponsor Update

9:55 Break (Refreshments Provided)

10:25 Triad Machinery Update – Terry Haskin, Triad Machinery and Kushiah McCullough, Tigercat

Overview of 2020 Fires on Weyerhaeuser Land – Doug Mays, Weyerhaeuser

10:35 Panel Overview: In fall of 2020, Weyerhaeuser lost approximately 125,000 acres to 4 fires across Oregon. Weyerhaeuser’s targeted merch acres impacted by the fires was 45% of the overall burn acres. This was an extraordinary challenge for Weyerhaeuser to size up and reallocate resources to achieve their goals and was the largest salvage recovery effort since the Mount St. Helens eruption.

Panel discussion: Three topics of engineering, slope stability and harvesting will be covered by Weyerhaeuser supervisors and methods used to overcome these challenges during the Oregon salvage effort.

1. Engineering: Processes and tools to permit, layout and meet state regulations on a tight timeframe with limited engineering capacity. Andy Weathers, Weyerhaeuser
2. Geology: High burn severity required increased focus of slope stability for both downstream public risk but also for worker protection. Jason Hinkle, Weyerhaeuser
3. Logging: Post burn cutting and logging required increased capacity and expanded mechanization, including unique helicopter grapple logging opportunity to accomplish goal. Darrell Holthusen, Weyerhaeuser

11:50 Papé Machinery Update – Chris Rhoades

12:00 LUNCH

12:45 Raffle drawing

1:00 Announcements: OSU Student Scholarship Awards – Jerry Sedlak Memorial Scholarship – Kevin Lyons, Moderator

Post-fire Hydrology

1:30  Modernizing Our Understanding of Salvage Logging Effects: Water Repellency, Mulch and Stream Buffers – Pete Robichaud, USDA Forest Service

1:45 Post-fire salvage logging and effective mitigations for soil erosion and sediment delivery – Cajun James, Sierra Pacific

2:00 Erosion rates from forest roads affected by the August Complex fire in Northern California – Zach Gigone, Humboldt State University

2:15 Group Discussion

2:30 Break (Refreshments Provided)

3:00

Managing danger trees along public highways – Joel Zeni, Suulutaaq Inc., Oregon Branch

3:20

New OR-OSHA rules – Updates on smoke and heat rules and simple solutions. OSHA inspections and investigations – Pre-planning and how to manage for success – John Meyers, Director of Environmental Health and Safety, Roseburg Forest Products

4:00 Wrap Up and adjourn – Kevin Lyons

January 19, 2022 – registration is open for in-person only

Optional workshop: Sawmillling 101

January 20, 2022 – Canceled for in-person & streaming

8:30 Opportunities and Stressors for the North American Forest Industry in 2021 – Kevin Mason, ERA Forest Products Research

9:00 Wood Raw-Material Markets; Globally and Locally – Hakan Ekstrom, Wood Resources International

9:30 Federal Lands issues: Collaborative Management with the USFS – Keys to Success and Increased Management   – Matt Comisky, American Forest Resource Council

10:00 Break

10:30 Strategic Issues for US PNW Timberlands in 2020 – Ted Reiss, Director of Timberlands, Seneca Jones Timber

11:00 Issues, Trends, and Market Forces for the 2021 PNW Sawmill Sector – Steve Courtney, The Beck Group

11:30 US PNW Pulp Mill Sector – Matt Elhardt, Fisher International/Forest2Market

Noon Lunch

1:00 BC Forest Industry Update – Impacts of Forest Policy Changes on Log Supply How the Industry is Changing and Adapting, and Where the Industry is Heading in 2022 and Beyond  – David Elstone, Publisher: View From the Stump

1:45 Fibre Supply Issues and Challenges Faced By The BC Pellet Industry, 2022 and Beyond – Andrew Meyer, Pinnacle Renewable Energy/Drax, North America

2:15 Break

2:45 Transportation Issues in 2022 – Andy Owens, A and M Transport

3:15 Wood Product Exports Outlook for 2022 – Casey Black, Weyerhaeuser

4:45 The Competitiveness of the Sawmilling Sector in Key Regions of North America – Brooks Mendell, FORISK

4:15 Reception

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8:25     Introductions – Andrew Nelson, IERC Chair and University of Idaho

8:30     Microsite effects on Ponderosa pine and Douglas-fir seedling survival and growth – Mark Swanson, Washington State University

9:15     Successful fall planting – Kennon McClintock, The Nature Conservancy

10:00   Break

10:30   Integrating seedling quality testing into reforestation programs – Abbie Acuff, PotlatchDeltic

11:00   Reforestation: What I’ve learned over forty-five years in forty-five minutes – Phil Anderson, Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources

11:45   Lunch

1:00     Visa workers updates, changes in laws, and the new realities – Juan Garcia and Wade Zaharie, Alpha Services

1:45     Update on forestry herbicides – Joel Fields, Wilbur-Ellis

2:30     Break

2:45     Two years of results from the Inland Northwest Reforestation Survey – Andrew Nelson,   University of Idaho

3:15     Working with the Natural Resource Conservation Service – Chris Town, Natural Resources Conservation Service (virtual)

3:45     Adjourn/Reception

7:00 Registration
8:00 Welcome
8:05 Reforestation under a Changing Climate: Considerations to Increase Establishment Success and Long-term Resilience – Rob Slesak, Research Silviculturist, USDA Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station
9:05 Coastal Douglas-Fir For the 21st Century: Cooperative Tree Improvement Updates from the US Pacific Northwest – Dr. Keith Jayawickrama, Director, Northwest Tree Improvement Cooperative
10:05 Break
10:35 Establishment of a New Ponderosa Pine Breeding Program in British Columbia – Marie Vance, Research Scientist, BC Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural
Development
11:35 Western Larch Species Group Report – Kelsey Grover
11:45 Western White Pine Species Group Report – Don Patterson
12:00 Lunch
1:00 Western Larch Seed Treatments to Address Pathogens and Optimize Orchard Seed Use Efficiency – Nabil Khadduri, Nursery Scientist, Webster Forest Nursery, Washington Department of Natural Resources
2:00 Harvest and Fire: Implications for Carbon Storage and Larch Regeneration under Changing Climate – Kas Dumroese, Research Plant Physiologist, USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station
3:00 Break
3:20 Climate Based Seed Transfer Models for Inland Species – Marc L. Rust
4:20 Seed Supply Working Group Reports – Marc L. Rust, Director, Inland Empire Tree Improvement Cooperative
4:45 Wrap-up & Adjourn

42nd Annual Technical Meeting of the Intermountain Forestry Cooperative
All Times Pacific

7:30 – 8:00 Registration – Check-in

8:00 – 8:05 Welcome and Housekeeping Items

8:05 – 8:45 James A. Moore Keynote Address: Silviculture and remote sensing: How will we harness big data for big benefits? – Rachel Cook, Forest Productivity Cooperative, NC State University

8:45 – 9:45 PPDM Update: Identifying key site and stand drivers of thinning response in Douglas-fir, western larch and ponderosa pine dominated stands – Mark Kimsey, IFC

9:45 – 10:15 Break + Project Discussion

10:15 – 11:00 PPDM Update: Western larch vs Douglas-fir – differential growth performance across silvicultural treatments, site type and density class – Terry Shaw, IFC

11:00 – 11:30 Member Project Discussion Period

11:30 – 1:00 Lunch (on your own)

1:00 – 1:30 Regional Spotlight: Using hyperspectral imaging to evaluate forest health risk – John Couture, Center for Plant Biology, Purdue University

1:30 – 2:00 Stand Response to Thinning: Enhancing Response Prediction through Modeling – Jason Cross, Stand Management Cooperative, University of Washington

2:00 – 2:30 A nonparametric approach to modeling site productivity in northern California – Logan Wimme, IFC Scholar and Elijah Allensworth, New Forests

2:30 – 3:00 Break

3:00 – 3:30 Introducing the IFC Online Forest Carrying Capacity Calculator – Jennifer Hinds, Research Computing and Data Services, University of Idaho

3:30 – 3:50 Realized Gain and Seed Source Trial: Project status report – Mark Kimsey, IFC

3:50 – 4:00 Meeting wrap-up

09:00 – 09:45 Logistics and Introductions
10:00 – 10:45 Growth Model Updates (15-Minutes Each)

• FVSOnline: New Features and Tools – Michael Vandyck, Forest Vegetation Simulator Group, USFS
  • FVSOnline, which has been in full production for over 2 years, work continues with improved analysis, training, and updates with new growth and mortality functions.
• Forest Projection System: What’s New – Dan Opalach, Forest Biometrics Research Institute
  • A “What’s New” briefing on the direction of the Institute, staffing, updates to the Forest Projection and Planning System (FPS), and more.
• Within-stand variability: modelling of variability in tree heights – Jim Flewelling
  • Tree height imputation is an often overlooked step in growth modeling. Jim will present a newly co-developed approach with Jacob Strunk for preserving the observed variance and co-variance in imputed tree heights. Can growth model users safely ignore this and other sources of variation?

10:45 – 11:00    Break

11:00 – 11:30    Growth Model Updates – continued (15-Minutes Each

• FVS-BC for FVSOnline – Donald Robinson, ESSA Technologies Ltd.
  • FVS-BC is being updated, in cooperation with the University of British Columbia, including integration into FVSOnline.  These updates will improve modeling results and usability.
• CIPSANON – Doug Mainwaring, Center for Intensive Planted-forest Silviculture
  • Updates on the CIPSANON growth model and supporting R&D.
• Open Discussion – Model Updates, Q&A, Kevin Ceder, Moderator

11:45 – 12:45   Lunch

12:45 – 1:30      Growth model assessments, validation, and adjustments (15-Minutes Each)

• FVS Growth Calibration – Peter Gould
  • Peter Gould asks Is there a general approach to localized FVS diameter growth calibration to improve performance of FVS? Working on behalf of LandVest, FIA plot data were used to develop an approach to calculate FVS diameter growth multipliers and assess improvements in diameter growth. Through a carbon inventory reconciliation project in Northern California, we noted the importance of localized height increments for the large tree growth models of tan oak, Douglas fir, and coast redwood. We found that calibrating volume and carbon increments is not as simple as using average diameter and height growth adjustments.
• Small Tree, Site Index, and Total Height Imputation – Kevin Ceder, Woodland Creek Consulting
  • Seedling and saplings , site index and total tree heights, which are important for growth modeling, are often missing in typical timber cruise data in the Northeast and Lake States regions, were estimated from FIA and USGS data for use in FVS simulations. The results improved  biomass and carbon estimates of forests managed and marketed by LandVest.
• Even-aged Site Index from Uneven-aged Forests – Logan Wimme, Intermountain Forestry Cooperative
  • Even-aged site potential (site index) was predicted from uneven-aged forests managed by LandVest in Northern California using a two-point approach. Logan will present his sampling design, modeling approach, and thoughts on the practical use of a two point site index estimation in FVS, which may lead to improved growth estimates.
• Open Discussion – Improvements, Q&A – Weikko Jaross, Moderator

1:45 – 2:45          Data Processing Tools, Model I/O (15-minute each)

• Operationalizing Carbon Inventories – Weikko Jaross, Landvest
  • A working carbon inventory was operationalized for modeling timber volumes and carbon in the FVS-CA variant using a grid of permanent carbon plots, a wall-to-wall coverage of predicted stocking and heights from remote sensing models, and imputed tree lists for stands in Northern California.
• Merchandizing an FVS Database – Doug Larmour, Mason, Bruce and Girard
• New strategies for calculating biomass-carbon from tree lists – Dehai Zhao, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources
  • Structures and estimation methods for developing additive biomass components and biomass allocation equation systems to meet the needs of diverse clients.
• Log Scale Volumes, Biomass, and Carbon from Growth Model Outputs – Kevin Ceder, Woodland Creek Consulting
  • Harvest volume, biomass, and carbon yields produced by forest growth models may not reflect requirements of local markets and verifiers. LandVest’s Merchandizer and Carbonator systems were developed to provide better estimates of harvest volumes and forest carbon through integration of the National Volume Estimator Library and bucking algorithm into SQL Server.

2:45 – 3:30          Open Discussion – Kevin Ceder, Moderator

• New models and modeling frameworks not yet discussed

3:30 – 4:00          House Keeping Items – Weikko Jaross, Moderator

• Words from our GMUG 2022 sponsor, LandVest
• Feedback on agenda and venue
• Ideas for new topics to discuss in 2022
• When next to meet again?