Exploratory analysis of forest harvest and regeneration pattern among multiple landowners

Abstract

A land cover map (1993) was combined with an updated forest change detection map (1991–2000) to examine forest harvest activity, mostly on private commercial forest lands. Landsat change detection methods indicated that industrial forest owners harvested a higher percentage of forest than non-industrial owners in a northern Maine study area. In the 1980s, the percentage of forest harvested across all ownership classes (five) was higher, the mean harvest patch size was larger, patches were more compact, and the mean perimeter to area ratios were smaller compared to data from the 1990s. For all patch metrics, there was a significant time period effect but there was no effect among landowners. Larger harvest patch size in the 1980s may be partially explained by extensive salvage logging that occurred in the wake of a massive spruce budworm infestation in the 1970s. Softwood types were dominant (> 80%) in regeneration stands approximately 15–25 years old on all ownerships. Medium spatial resolution Landsat imagery shows promise as a landscape level tool to monitor forest change patterns and trends across multiple ownerships. Key words: remote sensing, Landsat, change detection, harvest intensity, forest regeneration, forest landowners