Forest Health

Breeding programs are an important tool for managing invasive insects and diseases causing high mortality rates and even threatening extinction of some of our forest tree species. The emerald ash borer (EAB) invasion of North America, as one example, has resulted in five North American ash species being listed as "critically endangered" on the IUCN red list (IUCNredlist.org). Impacts from such significant losses are far-reaching. Wildlife species that depend on threatened tree species can also be at risk of extinction, Mortality of riparian tree species such as Eastern hemlock, currently under attack by the hemlock woolly adelgid, can impact water quality. Economic impacts can be far-reaching, and include the costs of removing and replacing trees, and the loss of valuable income sources. This income loss is especially pertinent to rural communities reliant on both traditionalsuch as lumber, pulp, paper, and fiber and non-traditional forest productsginseng, morels, and goldenseal. Additionally integral to rural economies are recreational opportunities provided by healthy forests, such as camping, hiking, canoeing, kayaking, hunting and fishing. In Hocking County, Ohio, for example, recreational tourism supports one out of every seven jobs and generates more than 115 million dollars annually . Hemlock trees are cornerstone species in these recreation areas and their loss due to hemlock Wooly Adelgid (HWA) pose a serious threat to local communities.

For a more efficient and rational use in the production of Scots pine wood of various geographical origin, it is necessary to know its physical and mechanical properties. The purpose of this study was to determine the physical and mechanical properties of wood of 17 climatic ecotypes of Scots pine and to carry out a comparative analysis of the indicators obtained for the studied climatypes separately and when they are grouped into subspecies in accordance with the classification of L.F. Pravdin. The range of the geographical origin of the places of seed procurement is from 47 to 62° north latitude and from 22 to 85° east longitude. The modern density universal testing machine MTS INSIGHT 100 was used for research. As a result of the research, it was found that the density of wood in an absolutely dry state varies from 370 kg/m 3 (Kursk climatype) to 524 kg/m 3 (Volgograd climatype), and at 12% humidity -from 397 kg/m 3 (Kursk climatype) to 550 kg/m 3 (Volgograd climatype). The index of the strength of wood of the studied climatypes for compression along the fibres was from 32 MPa (Kursk climatype) to 54 MPa (Volgograd climatype), and for static bendingfrom 55 to 92 MPa for the Vologda and Ulyanovsk climatypes, respectively. Distribution of Scots pine climatypes into subspecies in accordance with the classification of L.F. Pravdin and the obtained data on the physical and mechanical properties of wood have a certain pattern. The maximum density of wood at 12% moisture is typical for the European Scots pine subspecies is 497±8 kg/m 3 , the minimum value of this indicator for the Siberian Scots pine subspecies is 423±30 kg/m 3 . An intermediate position is occupied by the subspecies of Lapland pine and Forest-steppe pine with values of 483±16 and 464±12 kg/m 3 , respectively. The strength index of wood in the studied subspecies for compression along the fibres ranged from 47±1 MPa (European subspecies) to 33±4 MPa (Siberian subspecies), in the Lapland pine subspecies -44±2 MPa and somewhat lower in the Forest-steppe pine subspecies -42±2 MPa. The maximum value of the static bending strength of wood is typical for the European pine subspecies -78±4 MPa, and the minimum -for the Siberian pine subspecies -61±14 MPa. This indicator turned out to be equal in subspecies of forest-steppe and Lapland pine and amounted to 72±4 MPa. The practical value of the work lies in identifying the existing differences and variability among climatypes according to the studied physical and mechanical properties of wood and selecting the most promising of them for further breeding purposes

This chapter provides a synthesis of information on potential supply of forest biomass given needs for sustainable development of forestry. Sustainability includes maintenance of water supply, biodiversity, and carbon storage as well as timber products, community development, and recreation. Biomass removals can reduce fire hazard and insect and disease attack, restore forest composition and structure, enhance forest growth, provide revenue for treatments and communities, and offset greenhouse gas emissions. Biological limitations vary by forest condition, ownership, and how stands are regenerated. Limitations maintain water supply, soil nutrients, and biodiversity. There are economic limitations because costs for removals may exceed revenue. One analysis suggests U.S. forest-based biomass supply could be 45 million dry tons per year or more, depending on biomass price. Social targets and limitations are given in federal and state legislation. These include a federal cellulosic fuel target with biomass source restrictions, state-level renewable energy portfolio standards, and state-level forest practice guidelines. Understanding of biological and economic limitations and benefits is developing, particularly at local levels. Social targets and limitations could change. Increases in fossil fuel prices would accelerate efforts to develop understanding of biological limitations and could result in changes to social and economic targets and limitations.

In the southeastern United States, drought can pose a significant threat to forests by reducing the amount of available water, thereby stressing trees. Destructive changes in crown conditions provide the first visible indication of a problem in a forested area, making it a useful indicator for problems within an ecosystem. Forest Health and Monitoring (FHM) and Palmer's Drought Severity Index (PDSI) data from 11 states in the southeastern United States were obtained in an effort to determine the role that drought, forest type, and ecoregion have in indicating differences in crown dieback. Analyses were conducted by species groups using classification and regression tree (CART) analysis. The greatest amount of total relative crown dieback occurred in red oak (18%), followed by other hardwoods (14%), and white oak (11%). Relative crown dieback varied by forest type and ecoregion with a relationship to drought in both red oak and white oak. This information will be useful for focus...

Pinus radiata plantations causing defoliation, decreased productivity and, in extreme cases, tree death. Conventional methods of monitoring forest health such as aerial survey and ground assessments are labor intensive, time consuming, and subjective. Remote sensing provides a synoptic view of the canopy and can indicate areas affected by damaging agents such as pests and pathogens. Hyperspectral airborne remote sensing imagery (CASI-2) was acquired over pine stands in southern New South Wales, Australia which had been ground assessed and ranked on an individual tree basis, according to the extent of Dothistroma needle blight. A series of spectral indices were tested using two different approaches for extracting crown-scale reflectance measurements and relating these to ground-based estimates of severity. Dothistroma needle blight is most severe in the lower crown and statistically significant relationships were found between crown reflectance values and ground estimates using a 'halo' approach (which ignored each tree crown's brightest central pixels). Independent accuracy assessment of the method indicated that the technique could successfully detect three levels of Dothistroma needle blight infection with an accuracy of over 70%.

The increase in arrivals of new forest pests highlights the need for effective phytosanitary legislation and measures. This paper introduces legislation targeted at prevention and management of potential introductions of forest pests and pathogens. An overview is given on plant health regulations on global and regional level with detailed information on the situation in the European Union (EU). The current and new European legislation is discussed, and a particular focus is given on eradication and contingency plans for Fusarium circinatum. We identified key aspects relevant for the improvement of the efficacy of measures aimed to prevent alien pests.

A survey was conducted in the Coweeta Basin, Macon County, North Carolina, to determine the incidence of root diseases and their relatedness to ozone symptomatology in two eastern white pine (Pinus strobes) plantations. was isolated from <l% of root segments sampled in a stand without symptoms of ozone-caused foliar injury. No root pathogens were found in a stand with symptoms of ozone-caused foliar injury. No relation was found between injury caused by ozone and the incidence of root diseases in these stands. Eastern white pine (F'inus strobus L.) is susceptible to several root-inhabiting fungi, including Heterobasidion annosum (Fr.) Bref. (9), Armillaria mellea (Vahl ex Fr.) Kummer ( ), and Leptographium procerum (Kendr.) Wingf. (15). Each of these fungi can kill roots, and H. annosum and A. mellea are known to cause decreases in white pine growth and stand productivity (9). In addition, each fungus is often more prevalent on trees under stress (9,11,15). There has been concern in recent years that increasing levels of air pollutants may predispose plants to be more susceptible to opportunistic pathogens such as those on roots of white pines (17,20). Ozone is a pollutant that has been implicated in declines of forest trees (10). Ambient oxidant air pollution can affect annosus root rot etiology in fieldgrown Jeffrey (Pinus jeffreyi Grev. &

Forests can provide many benefits both from an ecological, economic, and social perspective. These benefits can be achieved through sustainable forest management. Forest health is one of the criteria for sustainable forest management. Forest health can be assessed through monitoring forest health. One of the ecological indicators that can be used to monitor forest health is an indicator of vitality. This study aims to determine the value of status and changes in vitality indicators by using tree damage parameters and crown conditions. Status values ​​and changes in vitality indicators are needed in order to make different forest management decisions. This research was conducted in Tahura Wan Abdul Rachman (Tahura WAR) Plant and Animal Collection Block using Forest Health Monitoring (FHM). This research was conducted twice, the first measurement was carried out in May 2019, and the second measurement was carried out in December 2020. The results showed that the value of changes in th...

Protection forest becomes a forest area with the main function as protection of life support systems. The health condition of protected forests has a great influence on the environment of the ecosystem. It is important to assess the health of protected forests in view of their main function. Thus to determine the health condition of the forest, one indicator that can be used is tree biodiversity. Biodiversity is the richness of life found on earth. Assessment of biodiversity indicators is very necessary to do because it is sensitive to changes, ecological system indicators, spatial heterogeneity, temporal, and and the order in the food chain. This study aims to determine the diversity of tree species in protected forest areas managed by HKm Beringin Jaya as an indicator of forest health assessment. The study was conducted using the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) method. The results showed that the final value of forest health status with indicators of biodiversity (tree species dive...

The research has been conducted in the forest area block collection of plants and/or animals Wan Abdul Rachman Forest Park Lampung Province, which is in Sumber Agung Subdistrict, Kemiling Subdistrict, Bandar Lampung city covering 141.18 ha. The study was conducted to obtain forest health status at the study site. The data collection method uses the forest health monitoring (FHM) technique on 8 cluster clusters with a sampling intensity of 2.30%. The results showed that 25% (2 clusters) were categorized very well, 38% (3 clusters) were categorized as good, 12% (1 clusters) were categorized as moderate and 25% (2 clusters) were categorized as very poor. There needs to be maintenance activities for trees in the research location so that the functions and benefits of the area can be optimized

Conservation forests have a function that is as a preservation of diversity of plants and animals and their ecosystems. The function of the forest should make the conservation forest must be preserved and the health condition of the forest. The health condition of a conservation forest has a great influence on the surrounding ecosystem. Thus to determine the health condition of the forest, one indicator that can be used is the vitality of the tree. Tree vitality is one indicator that can reflect forest health using tree damage parameters and canopy conditions. This study aims to determine the value of the vitality status of conservation forests that are the KTH SHK Lestari land management area to facilitate management decision making in forest management. The results showed from the making of six Forest Health Monitoring clusters in conservation forests classified as good, moderate and bad, obtained the vitality of the conservation forest for tree damage parameters in the good categ...

Community forestry is a social forestry scheme in state forests. Hkm empowers communities around the forest area to increase the ability and independence of the local community. Forest health monitoring is still rarely applied in the management of HKm. Forest health monitoring results can be a reference in making the right decisions in managing HKm so that the results obtained can be optimal. This study aims to determine the results of forest health monitoring in Beringin Jaya HKm managed by KTH Lestari Jaya 8. The research was conducted using the Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) method. Forest health monitoring results show that there are 6 cluster plots with the final value of forest health status in cluster 1 (2.53) bad category, plot 2 (8.98) good category, plot 3 (6.31) moderate category, plot cluster 4 (10.51) category is good, cluster plot 5 (10.74) category is good and cluster plot 6 (8.98) category is good. Thus the results of forest health monitoring obtained by KTH Lestari ...

In Lampung Province, awareness of the importance of forest health in achieving sustainable forest management in various types of forests is still low so that forest health problems have not received serious attention so far. This study aims to obtain indicators of forest health assessment and the status of forest health conditions in various types of forests in Lampung Province. This research was carried out in mangrove and community forests in East Lampung District, and protected and conservation forests in Tanggamus District in 2018. The stages of this study consisted of formulating guarantees of forest health indicators, making measuring plots, measuring forest health, processing data, and forest health assessment. The results showed that indicators for assessing the health of forests in mangrove forests are vitality and biodiversity, in community forests are productivity, vitality and site quality, in protected forests are biodiversity, vitality and productivity, and in conserva...

The black land-grant colleges' contributions to developing the rural South are traced back before they were added to the land-grant system by the passage of the Morrill Act of 1890. The 1890 Extension target clientele are small farmers and limited resource persons who were not being reached by the conventional delivery system. Before 1972, the 1890 institutions primarily assisted the 1862 universities to serve black fanners and provide training and housing for black specialists and agents. In 1972, the passage of USDA Appropriation Act, under 3(d) section of the Smith-Lever Act, provided funds for the 1890 institutions to fulfd the Extension function of the land-grant mission. hograms are designed to improve the well-being of all rural citizens. Accomplishments discussed include programs in such areas as leadership training, economic development, farmers' markets and developing community organizations to improve the clientele's ability to participate in the democratic process. An expanded role for the Extension programs of the 1890 institutions is proposed.

Recent research has shown that image-derived point clouds (IPCs) are a highly competitive alternative to airborne laser scanning (ALS) data in the context of selected forest inventory activities. However, there is still a need for investigating different kinds of aerial images used for point cloud generation. This study compares the effectiveness of IPCs derived from true colour (RGB) and colour infrared (CIR) aerial images with ALS data for growing stock volume estimation of single canopy layer Scots pine stands. A multiple linear regression method was used to create predictive models. All models predicted growing stock volume with low root mean square errors -ALS: 15.2%, IPC-CIR: 17.0% and IPC-RGB: 17.5%. The following variables for each data type were found to be the most robust: ALSmean height of points, percentage of all returns above mean height of points, interquartile range of point heights; IPC-CIRmean height of points, percentage of all returns above mode height of points, canopy relief ratio; IPC-RGBmean height of points and canopy relief ratio. Our results show that for single canopy layer Scots pine dominated stands it is possible to predict growing stock volume using IPCs with a comparable accuracy as using ALS data. The comparable performance of IPC-RGB and IPC-CIR based models suggests that a mixed usage of RGB and CIR data in retrospective studies could be possible.

Pyrosociality is a framework for theorizing the simultaneous production of forests and fi res while discerning who is powerful and who is vulnerable in multispecies encounters mediated by fi re. Th is article reviews literature about fi re science and situates academic dialogue about the ecological consequences of social processes within real-world goings-on in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Pyrosocial theory draws from posthumanism, science and technology studies, and feminist anthropology to assess fi re management. Qualitative data from properties managed by the Nantahala-Pisgah National Forests, North Carolina Forest Service, and South Carolina Forestry Commission ground pyrosocial theory in shift ing ideas and practices related to excluding, suppressing, fostering, and igniting fi res. When centering fi re, what facts, truths, complexities, and subtleties come to light? Th e pyrosocial approach reveals pyropower, or individual variabilities and structural hierarchies related to controlling or infl uencing more-than-human communities. Focusing on power and vulnerability within habitats co-constructed by multispecies agents and biophysical forces accentuates meaningful relationships.

The hemlock woolly adelgid (Hemiptera: Adelgidae Adelges tsugae Annand) poses a serious threat to hemlocks in eastern North America, and ongoing research is focused on the identification and development of biological controls to protect and manage hemlock resources. Three predators native to the Pacific Northwest of North America that have been the focus of much research are Leucopis argenticollis (Zetterstedt), Leucopis piniperda (Malloch) (Diptera: Chamaemyiidae), and Laricobius nigrinus (Fender) (Coleoptera: Derodontidae). This study addresses the knowledge gap of adult Leucopis spp. emergence patterns, with comparisons to the timing of larval La. nigrinus drop for pupation. Adult Leucopis spp. emergence was observed in the lab from field-collected, adelgid-infested foliage from Washington state in 2019 and 2020. Adult Leucopis spp. were collected daily as they emerged from foliage collections and identified to species using morphological features; a subset was validated using DNA barcoding. Accumulated heating degree days were calculated to compare a standardized emergence timing across collections made at different locations and temperature regimes. The abundance of the two Leucopis spp. and of the combined Leucopis spp. and La. nigrinus varied among sites and years, and no species was consistently more abundant than the other. Evaluations of seasonal emergence trends of the three species determine the predator complex behaves in a temporally stratified and predictable way. Emergence of adult Le. argenticollis was observed first, followed by La. nigrinus larval drop, with Le piniperda emerging at the end of larval drop, and finally a second emergence of Le. argenticollis.

Decline of green alder (Alnus viridis spp. viridis [Chaix] D.C.) has been reported since the 1990s in the Alps. In recent years, this disease has spread all over the Alps and it is now recorded over all Italian alpine regions, with several secondary green alder stands heavily affected. Old damaged stands show dramatic changes both in tree species composition and coverage. Investigations were carried out in Trentino province (northern Italy) to describe the pathological and ecological aspects of this phenomenon. Various fungi and insects were detected on declining trees, but no single agent appeared to be a primary cause; the most common coloniser of declining stems, Cryptodiaporthe oxystoma (Rehm) Urb., had an endophytic behaviour in green healthy tissues but failed to produce symptoms in artificial inoculations. There was a negative relation between altitude and alder decline. Furthermore, reduction in snow cover and trends of increase in winter temperature are possible influencing factors. The spread of the syndrome may be related to climate change, reducing green alder vigour and allowing opportunistic parasites to cause host decline. The disappearance of green alder stands will likely affect soil protection, biodiversity and stand evolution in treeline forests of the Alps. More research is needed to define future management options.

Pinus radiata was introduced to the summer rainfall environments of Sichuan Province, China in the 1990s as a part of an afforestation program for soil and water conservation in the arid and semi-arid river valley area of Aba Prefecture. Within this region a total area of 26 000 ha have been identified through climate matching as suitable and a further 63 000 ha potentially suitable for environmental plantings of P. radiata. The plantations are being established in widely separated small patches on steep and degraded slopes along the dry river valley. The newly introduced P. radiata are exposed to two kinds of forest health risks: they may be attacked by (a) indigenous pathogens and pests against which they may not possess any resistance or (b) by inadvertently introduced foreign pests or pathogens. This paper presents a survey of the potential damaging pests and a preliminary assessment of forest health risks facing the P. radiata plantations over a much longer timeframe than the initial phase of introduction and early plantation establishment. An empirical approach was adopted to evaluate forest health risks by a combination of literature review, examination of historical records of pest and disease outbreaks in the surrounding coniferous forests, field surveys and inspections, specimen collection and identification, and most importantly, expert analysis of the likelihood of attack by specific pests and pathogens and the subsequent impact of such attacks. The assessment identified some specific forest health risks to the long-term success of P. radiata introduction in this area. These risks are closely associated with the indigenous pests and pathogens of the two native pine species, P. tabulaeformis and P. armondii since these pests and pathogens are considered more likely to establish on P. radiata over time. Exotic pests and pathogens are of a quarantine concern at present. Based on the results of assessment, recommendations are provided to improve forest vigour and to reduce the forest health risks posed by indigenous as well as exotic pests and pathogens to the introduced P. radiata. Ways to increase the ability to manage the forest health risks once a particular pest infestation and disease eventuates are also recommended. Although detrimental to the survival and growth of the introduced P. radiata, the impact of identified forest health risks are not considered to be fatal to the long term success of P. radiata in this area.

This chapter provides a synthesis of information on potential supply of forest biomass given needs for sustainable development of forestry. Sustainability includes maintenance of water supply, biodiversity, and carbon storage as well as timber products, community development, and recreation. Biomass removals can reduce fire hazard and insect and disease attack, restore forest composition and structure, enhance forest growth, provide revenue for treatments and communities, and offset greenhouse gas emissions. Biological limitations vary by forest condition, ownership, and how stands are regenerated. Limitations maintain water supply, soil nutrients, and biodiversity. There are economic limitations because costs for removals may exceed revenue. One analysis suggests U.S. forest-based biomass supply could be 45 million dry tons per year or more, depending on biomass price. Social targets and limitations are given in federal and state legislation. These include a federal cellulosic fuel target with biomass source restrictions, state-level renewable energy portfolio standards, and state-level forest practice guidelines. Understanding of biological and economic limitations and benefits is developing, particularly at local levels. Social targets and limitations could change. Increases in fossil fuel prices would accelerate efforts to develop understanding of biological limitations and could result in changes to social and economic targets and limitations.

Grana avslutter normalt strekningsveksten midtsommers, og begynner forberedelsene til høsten og vinteren. Av og til kan en imidlertid se at knoppene som dannes etter vekstavslutningen bryter på nytt senere samme sommer, og treet utvikler høstskudd. Dette pågår utover sensommeren og tidlig høst, og resulterer i en forsinket vekstavslutning og innvintring. Det nye skuddet tåler lite frost så lenge det er i aktiv vekst, og risikoen for frostskader på høsten øker derfor. Forsinket innvintring kan også resultere i dårligere vinterherdighet, og øke risikoen for frostskader gjennom vinteren. Knoppene har begynt å svelle og vi ser begynnende høstskudd. Bildet er tatt i midten av september. Nederst på stammen synes en knopp som ikke har svellet og startet veksten på nytt samme sesong. Foto: Gunnhild Søgaard Metadata, citation and similar papers at core.ac.uk

The competitive stress of individual trees can be quantified by considering their positions and dimensions, such as diameter at breast height (dbh) and height with respect to their neighbor trees. However, measurements of these attributes in the field limit the number of trees and stands that can be assessed with given resources. In recent years, terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data have become prominent in characterizing three-dimensional forest structures. These data could also provide efficient and reliable tools to assess the competitive stress of trees within a stand. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the capability of TLS and low-altitude ALS in characterizing the competitive stress affecting individual trees in boreal forests. We compared: a) an object-based approach that quantified competition through the identification and characterization of competing neighbor trees from the TLS and ALS point clouds, and b) a point cloud-based approach where the presence of point cloud structures representing competitive vegetation around a target tree was considered. Accordingly, three object-based competition indices (CIs) utilizing dbh (CI dbh), height (CI H), and maximum crown diameter (CI MCD) as weights were calculated using the Hegyi equation. For the point cloud-based approach, the canopy density index (CDI) and the competitive pressure index (CPI) were derived using an upside-down search cone set at 60 % relative tree height, while the CI Cylinder was calculated by counting the number of voxels occupied by the competitive vegetation inside a fixed-radius cylinder. These laser scanning-based CIs were assessed against in situ-based CIs, where dbh and height were used as weights in the Hegyi equation. The results showed that the object-based CIs were more correlated (r = 0.33-0.48, p-value < 0.001) with the in situ-based CIs in comparison with the point cloud-based CIs (r =-0.22-0.37). The object-based CIs showed a high correlation (r = 0.65-0.71, p-value < 0.001) when compared between TLS and ALS, while a greater variation was observed for the point cloud-based CIs (r = 0.29-0.53, p-value < 0.001). Tree detection rate and the number of neighboring trees in the field affected how well the CIs derived from the TLS and ALS data were in line with the in situ-based CIs, especially when the competitive stress was assessed using the object-based CIs. In conclusion, the object-based CIs derived using TLS and ALS provided consistent characterization of competition in managed boreal forests compared to the in situ-based CIs. While TLS is ideal for small-scale assessments, low-altitude ALS offers a rather similar capacity for assessing competition but with broader coverage. In complex forest structures, reliable tree detection is essential to avoid underestimating the competitive stress of trees.

Information on wood properties across trees and stands is needed to support silviculture and wood procurement. Wood properties of standing trees are usually measured by destructive sampling, limiting the number of observations that can be collected across a range of forest structural and environmental conditions. In contrast, airborne laser scanning (ALS), with its capability to characterize tree crowns and their increment over time, could provide a non-destructive approach for assessing wood properties. This study aimed at relating ALS-derived mean annual increments in tree height and crown dimensions between 2009 (T1) and 2023 (T2) to X-ray microdensitometry-measured mean ring width (RW mean-tree) and basal-area weighted mean wood density (WD mean-tree) formed during the same period. The experimental design comprised 257 Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris L.) and 142 Norway spruces (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) across 59 sample plots representing varying boreal forest conditions. As per our investigations, the mean annual increment in tree height (ΔH mean_tree) represented the strongest correlations with RW mean_tree for both tree species (r = 0.43-0.44) and a weak but statistically significant correlation with WD mean_tree for Norway spruces only (r =-0.17). When aggregating individual tree observations for plot-level, ΔH mean_plot exhibited moderate correlations (r = 0.47-0.48) with RW mean_plot for both species. WD mean_plot of Scots pines showed a correlation of 0.36 with the averaged mean annual increments of crown surface area. However, none of the metrics were significant for WD mean_plot of Norway spruces. By utilizing the linear-mixed effect model, 40-41 % of the variations in RW mean_tree of Scots pines and Norway spruces could be explained when accounting for the variability between sample plots. Based on our study, it appears that some of the variation in wood properties, particularly in ring width, can be captured using bi-temporal ALS measurements. However, assessing wood properties over large areas remains challenging and requires further research.

The Carpathians are a wide, crescent-shaped mountain ridge located in Central and Eastern Europe, extending for about 1450 km in a system of parallel structural ranges eastward from the Danube Gap near Bratislava in Slovakia, southward to Brasov in Romania, and southeastward to a part of the Danube Valley, called the Iron Gate near Orsova in Romania and covering the area of 209,256 square km. Bojnansky and Fargasova 2007), over parts of the territories of the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Ukraine, Romania, and Serbia . The Carpathians comprise of several geologically and orographically distinct mountain ridges. The highest part is the Tatra Massif, characterized by typical alpine relief, which has more than 50 peaks with an elevation above 2000 m, the highest one is Gerlachovsky stit (Mount Gerlach), 2655 m ASL, located in Slovakia. In the Eastern Carpathians, Chornohora is the highest ridge, with six peaks exceeding 2000 m (Hoverla 2061 m ASL) ). The name "Carpathians" was first mentioned as Karpates oros in the second century by the Greek geographer Ptolemy . The Carpathians are designated by a mid-mountainous relief shaped by rivers and slope erosion. Pleistocene glaciations occurred in the Tatras . Despite the fact that commonly referred to as a mountain chain, the Carpathians do not actually form an uninterrupted chain. Rather, they are formed of several orographically and geologically distinctive groups, presenting as great a structural diversity as the Alps. The Carpathians, which only in few locations exceed an altitude 2500 m, lack the bold peaks, extensive snowfields and glaciers, high waterfalls, and the various large lakes which are common in the Alps. The Carpathians are split up into several mountain blocks separated by basins. Water runoff from the mountain chain escapes for its most part into the Black Sea through the rivers Danube and Dniester. From the northern slopes and the large Big Poland Lowland, it falls into the Baltic Sea through the Vistula River (Bojnansky and Fargasova 2007). The Carpathians play a significant role in Romania (40.1% of national territory) and Slovakia (77.8%). In the latter case, three hills represent the mountains in the country's state symbol . No consistent geomorphologic division of the Carpathians exists currently. In the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Poland, the division into the Western, Eastern, and Southern Carpathians is accepted. In Romania, they are classified as Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Western Carpathians. The Predeal Pass is considered as the division between the Eastern and Southern Carpathians . Similarly to the Alps, the Carpathians have risen from a Mesozoic geosynclinal sea. The curved shape of the range is caused by occurrence of older, more resistant parts of crust, representing the Bohemian Massif in the northwest, the Ukrainian shield in the northeast, and the Moesian Platform in the southeast, known as Tisia Massif (in the Danube basin). The folding had several stages and was completed in the Tertiary. The Southern Carpathians were formed during the final phase ).

Remotely sensed vegetation classification would be performed more effectively if the areas of interest, such as forest canopies, could be isolated from the rest of the image (i.e. the background). This background is typically made up of features such as soil, understorey vegetation, shadows, trails and manmade structures. In order to discriminate between Eucalyptus canopies and background features from high resolution airborne linescanner data collected over the Mount Eccles national park (south-eastern Australia), a supervised Markovian texture modelling approach was developed. To account for the spatially random nature of eucalypt canopies, the texture corresponding to the canopy area was modelled using a parametric Markov random field. The band used for this processing was the near infrared channel which proved useful in highlighting the vegetation owing to its photosynthetic activity. A probability map locating all textures in the image, which were similar to that of a training sample, was produced and then thresholded. The simulations and the validation procedure suggest that the extraction of the entire eucalypt canopy is possible using the algorithm. This provides a means of pre-processing high resolution airborne data to create masks for further image analysis, and in particular for forest health mapping applications.

Forest health is most appropriately based on the scientific paradigm of dynamic, constantly changing forest ecosystems. Many forests in the Inland West now support high levels of insect infestations, disease epidemics, fire susceptibilities, and imbalances in stand structures and habitats because of natural processes and past management practices. Impending, potentially cata-

Progress made in recent years in fire science, particularly as applied to forest fire protection, coupled with the increased power offered by mathematical processors integrated into computers, has led to important developments in the field of dynamic and static simulation of forest fires. Furthermore, and similarly, econometric models applied to economic evaluation of natural resources have generated algorithms of great scientific consistency that have allowed determining the monetary value of resources that have not traditionally had a commercial or market interaction treatment. VISUAL-SEVEIF (Spanish acronym for System for the Economic Evaluation of Wildfires) is a software tool that allows working both in real time, simulating the spatial development of ground and canopy fires, and addressing the implementation of territorial studies by which possible fire evolutions are determined and characterized, subject to final spatial or temporal contour conditions. The spatial resolution of work will be conditioned by the quality and accuracy of fuel model mapping, as well as the characteristics of the digital terrain model, so that in high-precision models the results of the fire behavior dynamic can be up to a square meter.

Ramorum-greinvisning er en ny plantesykdom i Europa og Amerika forårsaket av pseudosoppen P. ramroum. Den ble oppdaget midt på 1990-tallet. Langs vestkysten av USA, fra California til Oregon, forårsaket den stor dødelighet i eikeskog og ble kjent som Sudden Oak Death (SOD). I Europa ble den først oppdaget i planteskoler der den hovedsakelig angrep rododendron og krossved. Etter hvert ble patogenet også funnet på traer i parker og skog i Europa, men her har det foreløpig ikke utviklet seg til noen epidemi, som i Amerika. P. ramorum har svaert mange vertsplanter, hovedsaklig treaktige planter. Symptomene varierer mye fra planteslag til planteslag.

Forest health monitoring is essential to sustainable management of Pinus radiata D. Don plantations. Conventional survey techniques such as aerial sketch mapping are qualitative and subjective, their effectiveness depending on the skill of the surveyor. In contrast, digital remote sensing has the potential to provide quantitative and objective data on the location, extent, and severity of crown damage at a range of spatial scales. Decision tree analysis can incorporate both categorical and continuous data and is inherently non-parametric. Decision trees were used to model the crown condition of P. radiata plantations in southern New South Wales in three situations involving discoloured leaves, stunted crowns, and transparent crowns associated respectively with the Diplodia pinea (Desm.) Kickx fungus, nitrogen deficiency, and the pine aphid Essigella californica Essig. Spectral indices and fraction images derived from linear spectral mixture analyses of remote sensing scenes were used to classify crowns into either two or three condition classes. The best performing model was obtained for D. pinea with a two-class classification of crown discoloration (overall accuracy [OA] 92%; Kappa 83%). The three-class model of crown transparency from

The harmonisation of a sub-set of forest health attributes suitable for aggregating, through scales ranging from individual trees to the operational forest management unit and up to the national level, has been achieved in countries such as the USA and Canada. In Australia, however, data collected on forest health is currently obtained on an ad hoc basis with only a small proportion of the national forest estate actually having been assessed. National guidelines are required for the objective assessment of a set of indices relating to forest health before Australia is in a position to report adequately on forest ecosystem health and vitality as recommended by the (Australian) Montreal Process Implementation Group. Obtaining these indices must be an affordable process that fulfills forest health reporting requirements for a range of national, state and regional reporting commitments such as the State of the Forests Reports and for the Regional Forest Agreements review process. In addition, it is envisaged that the indices will contribute to the verification process for the forest health and vitality criterion described in the Australian Forestry Standard for certification of sustainable forest management practices. Tree crown condition is proposed as a key attribute of forest health and it is amenable to rapid standardised assessment. Four measures are proposed which have the potential to provide consistent core data on tree crown condition. Adoption of these indices will depend on the assessments being cost effective and consistent, and the results being meaningful for a range of applications. To facilitate this process an illustrated field manual has been published, providing guidance for standardised assessment methods. Initially the scope of the manual is limited, focusing on the assessment of eucalypt tree crown damage. If it proves successful, the number of indicators relating to forest health monitoring could be increased.

A review of current forest health surveillance and biosecurity surveillance activities and programs in Australia was conducted, including a grower survey, followed by benchmarking against the New Zealand system. We define forest health surveillance (e.g. in plantations) as activities dealing with endemic or established non-indigenous pests, and biosecurity surveillance (e.g. at high risk sites at ports) as dealing with exotic pests not established in Australia. Australia has a robust biosecurity system, which includes a range of pre-border, at-border and post-border activities that aim to reduce the risk of pests and diseases arriving, entering and establishing in Australia. Although forestry has been well served pre-border and at the border, there are gaps in post-border forest biosecurity activities, largely due to the agri-centric nature of state biosecurity agencies, but also due to a reluctance by the forest industry to engage in biosecurity. New Zealand has a worldleading forest biosecurity surveillance system, largely funded by industry which is engaged directly in forest biosecurity. In contrast, while Australia has a comprehensive forest health surveillance program (funded by industry), there is minimal direct funding of forest biosecurity surveillance by industry and negligible direct engagement by industry in biosecurity. There are opportunities for industry members to be more involved in biosecurity, directly through day-to-day operations they already undertake (i.e. within their plantations), but also at a national level. Coordination of current forest health surveillance activities, including appointing a national coordinator, was identified by industry as a high priority, as was the standardisation of forest health surveillance data collection, development of a coordinated national forest biosecurity surveillance program and training of industry staff. Finally, we identified a need for involvement from other forest stakeholders in biosecurity, especially environmental agencies that manage the majority of the native forest estate.

The harmonisation of a sub-set of forest health attributes suitable for aggregating, through scales ranging from individual trees to the operational forest management unit and up to the national level, has been achieved in countries such as the USA and Canada. In Australia, however, data collected on forest health is currently obtained on an ad hoc basis with only a small proportion of the national forest estate actually having been assessed. National guidelines are required for the objective assessment of a set of indices relating to forest health before Australia is in a position to report adequately on forest ecosystem health and vitality as recommended by the (Australian) Montreal Process Implementation Group. Obtaining these indices must be an affordable process that fulfills forest health reporting requirements for a range of national, state and regional reporting commitments such as the State of the Forests Reports and for the Regional Forest Agreements review process. In addition, it is envisaged that the indices will contribute to the verification process for the forest health and vitality criterion described in the Australian Forestry Standard for certification of sustainable forest management practices. Tree crown condition is proposed as a key attribute of forest health and it is amenable to rapid standardised assessment. Four measures are proposed which have the potential to provide consistent core data on tree crown condition. Adoption of these indices will depend on the assessments being cost effective and consistent, and the results being meaningful for a range of applications. To facilitate this process an illustrated field manual has been published, providing guidance for standardised assessment methods. Initially the scope of the manual is limited, focusing on the assessment of eucalypt tree crown damage. If it proves successful, the number of indicators relating to forest health monitoring could be increased.

The Merti Aquifer is a fresh water aquifer in an arid area in the North Eastern part of the country straddling between Garissa and Wajir districts. In this study, the aquifer is defined by the 1,000 mg/l line of the Total Dissolved Solids (TDS). This starts West of Habaswein to Liboi on the East, along the Ewaso Ng’iro River drainage way (known as the Lagh Dera). It generally follows the Ewaso Ng’iro River with water flows encountered only during flooding events. Development of the aquifer since the 1940’s to date by governmental agencies and its development partners through drilling has resulted in generation of, over time, data and information on its water resources. This is arid region and it is essential to identify the potential recharge zones so that these can be protected from groundwater contaminants. In this research, borehole data and water sample chemical analysis results were obtained from the Ministry of Water and Irrigation and reports by various researchers. A spatial...

Тема опрацьовується перший рік, звіт проміжний, викладений на 14 сторінках. Склад звіту – вступ, матеріал та методика, результати досліджень, висновки та пропозиції, перелік посилань. В звіті 1 таблиця, список літератури з 47 джерел. Вміщені також два додатки з фотоілюстраціями.

The present study examined the relationship among various diversified datasets using remote sensing and GIS. About 72% of the total forest area of Chhattisgarh state (59,935 km 2 ) has shown a trend of negative change between the periods (1982 and 2006). Around 50% of the total forest fires of the state were found in the two tehsils of Narayanpur and Bijapur with two major forest fire hotspots. Approximately 86% of the total forest fire event of the state occurred in the category of ''tropical mixed deciduous and dry deciduous forests'' whereas the intensity of forest fire events was found 2.2 times in the category ''tropical lowland forests, broadleaved, evergreen, \ 1000 m'' when it was compared with the category of ''tropical mixed deciduous and dry deciduous forests.'' The highest poverty percent was found in the tehsil of Bijapur (65.9%) which retains a significantly high percentage of the tribal population (73.1%). The adaptive capacity of Raipur tehsil (state capital) is high whereas it reduces significantly towards north and south from the state capital. The climate anomaly data evaluation for the year 2030 showed variation such as reduction in rainfall and increase in temperature will significantly maneuver the forest fire regime in future is a matter of serious concern. The outcomes of the present study would certainly guide the policymakers of the state of Chhattisgarh to prepare a meaningful, transparent and robust plan for the betterment of people keeping in mind of future climate change impact.

Lampung Mangrove Centre in Margasari village Labuhan Maringgai Subdistrict Lampung Timur District, Lampung Province, Indonesia is one of model of mangrove forests management by the community. This location is a conservation site, which serves as the region as a center for nature and environmental education in the marine and coastal in Lampung Timur district. The purpose of this study was to determine the role of the birds on Food Secure in mangrove forest on May 2016 in Margasari village Labuhan Maringgai subdistrict Lampung Timur District, Lampung Province, Indonesia. The method used in this research was line transects. The results showed 20 species of birds in Lampung Mangrove Centre and every birds have role to the environment, such as (1) the potential role as a pest of rice consist of Lonchura punctulata, Passer montanus, (2) role as pollinators : Antheptes malacensis, (3) predator role as agricultural pests : Ardeola speciosa, Ardea purpurea, Egretta grazetta, and Bubulcus ibi...

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&#39;s 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&#39;s 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.

The Colorado State Forest Service (CSFS) mission is to achieve stewardship of Colorado&#39;s diverse forest environments for the benefit of present and future generations. The CSFS has a new mission statement! Message from the Golden Distrct Forester Where have the past few years gone? Despite all the forestry projects, prescribed fire accomplishments and wildfire responses, it is important to stop and take stock of what we have been doing. Our last report was for 2007, so you will note a lot of changes in our personnel since then. We also have changes in the programs that we deliver and support-with a greater emphasis on treating landscape-scale areas. However, the constant over the past 15 years is our office&#39;s commitment to serving our customers, cooperators and agency partners. We work with local fire departments, county personnel, local communities, forest landowners, Colorado Division of Wildlife and State Parks managers, private landowners and others to improve forest hea...