Browsing by Subject "forestry"
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Item Creating Landscape-Scale Site Index Maps for the Southeastern US Is Possible with Airborne LiDAR and Landsat Imagery(MDPI, 2019-03-06) Gopalakrishnan, Ranjith; Kauffman, Jobriath S.; Fagan, Matthew E.; Coulston, John W.; Thomas, Valerie A.; Wynne, Randolph H.; Fox, Thomas R.; Quirino, Valquiria F.Sustainable forest management is hugely dependent on high-quality estimates of forest site productivity, but it is challenging to generate productivity maps over large areas. We present a method for generating site index (a measure of such forest productivity) maps for plantation loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) forests over large areas in the southeastern United States by combining airborne laser scanning (ALS) data from disparate acquisitions and Landsat-based estimates of forest age. For predicting canopy heights, a linear regression model was developed using ALS data and field measurements from the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program of the US Forest Service (n = 211 plots). The model was strong (R² = 0.84, RMSE = 1.85 m), and applicable over a large area (~208,000 sq. km). To estimate the site index, we combined the ALS estimated heights with Landsat-derived maps of stand age and planted pine area. The estimated bias was low (0.28 m) and the RMSE (3.8 m, relative RMSE: 19.7%, base age 25 years) was consistent with other similar approaches. Due to Landsat-related constraints, our methodology is valid only for relatively young pine plantations established after 1984. We generated 30 m resolution site index maps over a large area (~832 sq. km). The site index distribution had a median value of 19.4 m, the 5th percentile value of 13.0 m and the 95th percentile value of 23.3 m. Further, using a watershed level analysis, we ranked these regions by their estimated productivity. These results demonstrate the potential and value of remote sensing based large-area site index maps.Item From paper to trees: How literature has developed forestry, agriculture, and wildlife conservation in the United States(2023-01-24) O'Boyle, William; Biology; Honors programThis literature review looked at works which impacted the scientific and environmental thinking of the United States between 1599 and 2019. Over forty works are cited as having some kind of influence on the general American public or the way natural sciences operate and communicate today. The resulting paper argues for more members of the STEM fields and the natural sciences to pick up creative writing skills, proficiency in rhetoric, and overall communication skills.Item Using Forestry Techniques to Inform Management of Hemlock Woolly Adelgid at Deer Valley Camp in Somerset, PA(2023-05-14) Briney, Isabella; Biology; BIO490 - Forest Inventory TechniquesHemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) is an invasive pest that has invaded the United States from Japan. This aphid species has the potential to eliminate the eastern hemlock tree that happens to be a keystone species along the East Coast of the United State. Insecticides such as Imidacloprid have been known to effectively control Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, but only so much can be used on an acre of land. During this experiment, we inventoried each hemlock tree in each acre and considered whether the tree was producing cones, if it was infected with the pest, the diameter at breast height (DBH), and the canopy percentage to give it a field score. The scores were ranked between 1-4, where 1 is of the least importance (either too young or dead to need insecticide) and 4 is of the utmost importance (large, full canopy, and cone producing). We found there were a few 1s and 4s, but several 2s and 3s. The 3s and 4s should get treated first, and as time goes on, the 2s can get treated as well. The 1s are the last that need treatment, if they need treatment at all.