Undeveloped Forest Research Articles

Research and Exploitation of the Forests of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District at the Beginning of the 20th Century

Introduction. The economic development of the Russian Empire stimulated the formation of the forest industry in the late 19th – early 20th centuries. In the Northern Urals, the undeveloped forests of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District were the basis for the emergence of one of the new and large centers of the industry in the country. In the mid-1910s, a detailed study of forests was carried out here with the aim of their industrial development. Materials and Methods. The topic of forest economic research in the late 19th – early 20th centuries in Russia has not been studied enough. Analysis of archival materials on the activities of the company – Joint-Stock Company of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District from the standpoint of the concept of “frontier” modernization will allow us to understand the idea and results of industrial development of forests in the east of the country. Results. Timber industry has become a priority for the Joint-Stock Company of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District, sawmills and a paper mill have been built. The tasks of a detailed study of forests and the development of integrated forest management were set. The implemented forest management testified to the plans of the Board of the Company to use forests on the basis of the principles of continuity and inexhaustibility. In practice, it was difficult to comply with them, since the enterprises were already functioning. Conclusions. At the beginning of the 20th century, a large timber industry was formed in the Northern Urals, which included mechanical processing and deep processing of wood. Despite the incompleteness of forest management works, the desire of the Board of the Joint-Stock Company of the Nikolae-Pavda Mining District to achieve integrated use of forests in a relatively short time is obvious.

A simplified multi-model statistical approach for predicting the effects of forest management on land surface temperature in Fennoscandia

Forests interact with the local climate through a variety of biophysical mechanisms. Observational and modelling studies have investigated the effects of forested vs. non-forested areas, but the influence of forest management on surface temperature has received far less attention owing to the inherent challenges to adapt climate models to cope with forest dynamics. Further, climate models are complex and highly parameterized, and the time and resource intensity of their use limit applications. The availability of simple yet reliable statistical models based on high resolution maps of forest attributes representative of different development stages can link individual forest management practices to local temperature changes, and ultimately support the design of improved strategies. In this study, we investigate how forest management influences local surface temperature (LSTs) in Fennoscandia through a set of machine learning algorithms. We find that more developed forests are typically associated with higher LST than young or undeveloped forests. The mean multi-model estimates from our statistical system can accurately reproduce the observed LST. Relative to the present state of Fennoscandian forests, fully develop forests are found to induce an annual mean warming of 0.26 °C (0.03/0.69 °C as 5th/95th percentile), and an average cooling effect in the summer daytime from -0.85 to -0.23 °C (depending on the model). On the contrary, a scenario with undeveloped forests induces an annual average cooling of -0.29 °C (-0.61/-0.01 °C), but daytime warming in the summer that can be higher than 1 °C. A weak annual mean cooling of -0.01 °C is attributed to forest harvest from 2015 to 2018, with an increased daytime temperature in summer of about 0.04 °C. Overall, this approach is a flexible option to study effects of forest management on LST that can be applied at various scales and for alternative management scenarios, thereby helping to improve local management strategies with consideration of effects on local climate.

Quantifying Regional Surface Energy Responses to Forest Structural Change in Nordic Fennoscandia

AbstractIn a climate model, surface energy and water fluxes of the vegetated ecosystem largely depend on important structural attributes like leaf area index and canopy height. For forests, management can greatly alter these attributes with resulting consequences for the surface albedo, surface roughness, and evapotranspiration. The sensitivity of surface energy and water budgets to alterations in forest structure is relatively unknown in boreal regions, particularly in Nordic Fennoscandia (Norway, Sweden, and Finland), where the forest management footprint is large. Here we perform offline simulations to quantify the sensitivity of surface heat and moisture fluxes to changes in forest composition and structure across daily, seasonal, and annual time scales. For the region on average, it is found that broadleaved deciduous forests cool the surface by 0.16 K annually and 0.3 K in the growing season owed to higher year‐round albedo and lower Bowen ratio, yet in some locations the local cooling can be as much as 2.4 K and 3.0 K, respectively. Moreover, fully developed forests cool the surface by 0.04 K annually in our domain owed to higher evapotranspiration, reaching up to 0.4 K locally in some locations, whereas undeveloped forests warm annually by 0.14 K owed to much lower evapotranspiration reaching up to 0.8 K for some locations. If regional forests are ever to be managed for the local climate regulation services that they provide, our results are an important first step illuminating the potential adverse impacts or benefits across space and time.

Climate risks to Amazon agriculture suggest a rationale to conserve local ecosystems

In southern Amazonia, more than half of all cropland is devoted to the production of two rainfed crops per year, an agricultural practice known as “double cropping” (DC). Climate change, including feedbacks between changes in land use and the local climate, is shortening the extent of the historical rainy season in southern Amazonia, increasing the risk of future detrimental environmental conditions, and posing a threat to the intensive DC agriculture that is currently practiced in that region, with potential negative consequences at regional, national, and even global scales. We argue that the conservation of undeveloped forests and savannas in southern Amazonia is supported by socioeconomic justifications and is in the best interests of agribusiness, local governments, and the public.

Planning FLR for the landscape between Chebera Churchura National Park and Kafa Biosphere Reserve

Ethiopia has made an ambitious pledge for Forest Landscape Restoration (FLR) under the Bonn challenge and the so-called AFR100 initiative – to restore 15 Mio ha of degraded forest lands by 2030. This target is in line with national and international policy objectives to effectively address climate change and develop a ‘Climate Resilient Green Economy’. Implementation at scale is pending as technical, financial and policy challenges need to be addressed. This paper presents a case study that was commissioned by German technical development cooperation. The objective was to develop a landscape restoration strategy for the area connecting Chebera Churchura national park and Kafa Biosphere Reserve in the Southwestern part of Ethiopia. The ‘Restoration Diagnostic’ tool developed by the World Research Institute was used to identify options for establishing a biodiversity corridor and to assess FLR opportunities. Based on the results of a field study and extensive GIS analysis, suitable FLR measures were identified and discussed in stakeholder consultations. Results show that more than 25% of the entire area is suitable for restoration measures; however, in the populated parts of the landscape a focus on productive aspects seems critical, i.e. to improve the provision of food, fuel wood and timber. Barriers relate to low institutional capacity, lack of infrastructure and undeveloped forest product value chains. Addressing these challenges can significantly contribute to sustainable management of natural forests in the buffer zone of the protected areas, and to promote agriculture and socio-economic development of the zones outside protected areas. The findings of such assessments can inform decision makers and donor organizations about FLR in candidate areas. If they become a key source of information in the respective policy processes they can contribute to effective governance of FLR.

Long-term planning methodology for improving wood biomass utilization

The insufficiently developed forest management system is often followed by undeveloped forest resources supply chain and insufficient institutional support. These cause inefficient usage of fuel-wood as well as huge amounts of unused forest residues. In order to achieve optimal and long-term sustainable utilisation of biomass, an original methodology based on the interaction of mathematical optimization and backcasting approach has been developed.Mathematical optimization is used for both generation and consideration of techno-economic parameters of the forest biomass supply chain. Besides, backcasting allows generating solutions by involving stakeholders (considering ecological and social components).The methodology has been applied on a case study of maximization of forest residues utilisation at one municipality in Serbia. The possibilities of its utilisation under current conditions are minimal and the obstacles for significant biomass utilisation have been defined.Using the methodology, desired future and criteria (ecological acceptability, economical acceptability and reliability) that could be satisfied by desired future have been determined. Drivers and key uncertainties (political will and economic situation) to achieve the desired future have been also specified. Pathways and necessary changes have been developed in order to achieve a desirable future, which should provide maximal utilisation of available biomass.

Modeling landowner interactions and development patterns at the urban fringe

Population growth and unrestricted development policies are driving low-density urbanization and fragmentation of peri-urban landscapes across North America. While private individuals own most undeveloped land, little is known about how their decision-making processes shape landscape-scale patterns of urbanization over time. We introduce a hybrid agent-based modeling (ABM) – cellular automata (CA) modeling approach, developed for analyzing dynamic feedbacks between landowners’ decisions to sell their land for development, and resulting patterns of landscape fragmentation. Our modeling approach builds on existing conceptual frameworks in land systems modeling by integrating an ABM into an established grid-based land-change model – FUTURES. The decision-making process within the ABM involves landowner agents whose decision to sell their land to developers is a function of heterogeneous preferences and peer-influences (i.e., spatial neighborhood relationships). Simulating landowners’ decision to sell allows an operational link between the ABM and the CA module. To test our hybrid ABM-CA approach, we used empirical data for a rapidly growing region in North Carolina for parameterization. We conducted a sensitivity analysis focusing on the two most relevant parameters—spatial actor distribution and peer-influence intensity—and evaluated the dynamic behavior of the model simulations. The simulation results indicate different peer-influence intensities lead to variable landscape fragmentation patterns, suggesting patterns of spatial interaction among landowners indirectly affect landscape-scale patterns of urbanization and the fragmentation of undeveloped forest and farmland.

Stand der Walderschliessung mit Lastwagenstrassen in der Schweiz

Status of the forest transportation system in Switzerland with regard to roads for trucks Questions concerning the best possible forest transportation system have once again grown in significance as a result of technological developments and the current situation in the forestry and timber industry. For more than 30 years, the Swiss National Forest Inventory (NFI) has periodically recorded the condition of and changes to the forest road network. NFI4 first incorporated attributes for trafficability according to types of truck in 2013/2014, thus making possible to conduct differentiated analyses of the status of the forest transportation system. Between 1985 and 1995, 280 kilometres of new forest roads were laid every year, while only 26 kilometres of road were laid per year from 2006 to 2013 (12 km in protection forests, 14 km in other forests). In contrast, road redevelopment (reengineering) has increased, with 30 kilometres of road currently being redeveloped every year. 84% of the forest roads included in the NFI can be accessed by four-axle trucks weighing 28 to 32 tonnes in total, while 72% are suitable for five- and six-axle truck sets with a total weight of 40 to 44 tonnes. There are considerably fewer of these roads in protection forests than in other forests. The road density in Switzerland for 28- to 32-tonne trucks totals on average 22 metres/hectare, though this varies widely from region to region (ranging from 2 to 57 metres/hectare in production regions and from 0 to 84 metres/hectare in forested areas). Based on harvesting methods currently applied at local level and the corresponding optimum and maximum transport distances, 46% of useable forested areas in Switzerland is good, 29% is moderately good, and 25% is poor or undeveloped. The percentage of poor or undeveloped forests is highest in the Alps (44%) and the south side of the Alps (53%). In the Alpine foothills the percentage of poor or undeveloped forests is 13%, in the Jura Mountains 5% and on the Plateau 2%. A current study of the Swiss Federal Institute WSL is striving to determine the potential scale of the need for transportation systems in the future upon application of the best harvesting methods.

Landscape Patterns of Colonization by Subterranean Termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae) in Missouri Neighborhoods.

In Missouri, the relative abundances of subterranean termite species differ between undeveloped forest and urban landscapes. Reticulitermes hageni Banks occurs in greater relative proportions in forested landscapes, while Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) occurs in greater relative proportions in urban landscapes. Thus, subterranean termite communities appear to change at some point as landscapes are converted from undeveloped to urban. It is not known if communities change quickly in direct response to urban development, or if changes occur over time in altered urban landscapes. The purpose of this study is to examine how landscape factors are associated with subterranean termite communities and patterns of colonization as subdivisions are constructed and age. Subterranean termites were collected from 25 areas in Columbia, MO, that were classified along a gradient of urbanization to include 1) undeveloped landscapes; 2) recently disturbed transitional landscapes; 3) 10-yr-old subdivisions; and 4) 20-yr-old subdivisions. Subterranean termite communities were assessed by identifying species using polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphisms. The interactions between landscape features and subterranean termites were examined using GIS software. Relative proportions of Reticulitermes spp. in communities of forest landscapes and urban areas are similar to previous reports for the state of Missouri. Termite communities appear to be locally eliminated after soils are disturbed or removed during subdivision development, although remnant colonies can persist in areas that are not disturbed. Reticulitermes flavipes appears to colonize subdivisions quickly regardless of historical or contemporary landscape; however, R. hageni colonization generally becomes more common as subdivisions age and gradually become more forested.

While Our Backs Are Turned

While Our Backs Are Turned Clarisse Hart (bio) Click for larger view View full resolution Petersham, Massachusetts, my home for the past six years, hasn’t changed much since the early 1900s. If anything, the place has grown more tree-filled and sedate. A small rural town of twelve hundred people, it’s too far from Boston to accommodate commuters, and strict zoning statutes limit new construction to six houses per year. We don’t have a gas station or stoplights. It’s inexpensive to live here; homes purchased in the past year averaged just over $150,000. [End Page 114] I’m not saying this to romanticize the place; economically, Petersham is not in its heyday. What we do have are rich forests, streams, and the kind of ponds you can dive into. The majority of our land is permanently conserved by state agencies, nonprofit organizations, land trusts, and the Harvard Forest, a 3,700-acre research site and department of Harvard University, where I work. A large percentage of Petersham’s land base forms the shore of metro Boston’s water supply. The land’s future here is certain: bean counters in Boston value the free, 24 /7 water-cleaning infrastructure the undeveloped forest provides. Like most of the Northeast, our landscape is blanketed by swaths of young to middle-aged oak, maple, birch, and white pine. Most of the trees are less than one hundred fifty years old—a byproduct of centuries of exploitative European settlement. Interspersed among those bright young forests are the older, darker hemlocks, which grow in thick patches where colonial farmers’ wood-lots once stood. Even if you don’t spend much time with trees, even with your eyes closed, you’re aware when you enter a hemlock forest that you’ve arrived someplace new. It’s ten degrees cooler than surrounding forests, for one thing, because of the dense shade: only 1 percent of the sun above an intact hemlock canopy reaches the ground at your feet. The ground itself feels different too—springier. Unlike the leaves of hard-wood trees, which decompose within a few years, a mat of hemlock needles can be more than a foot thick, gradually decomposing over hundreds of years. The air pockets between the needles are like a natural trampoline. A hemlock grove is so shady that it’s really only other hemlocks that can thrive in the understory. The rich greens and browns of hemlocks of all sizes stretch as far as you can see, punctuated by the occasional broad leaves and flowers of mountain laurel and hobblebush. Vibrant orange newts scramble around in the moist soil, navigating tiny thickets of wintergreen and brilliant red partridgeberry. The few moose I have encountered in the forest have been standing among hemlocks, in the shade that helps keep their massive bodies cool. Many other creatures—black bear, bobcat, fisher, porcupine—move through the trees as well. Petersham’s streams and rivers are sheltered by hemlock branches, which keep the waters cool for sensitive species like trout, and for the anglers who pursue them up riverbeds in all seasons. And in contrast to broadleaf trees, which guzzle water from streams, hemlocks only use as much water as their thin, efficient needles require. Throughout the year, layers upon layers of hemlock branches intercept moisture and sound from the air, making everything calm, quiet, and green. Which brings me to the birds that also call this place home. In the slowed-down quiet of life in Petersham, I’ve gotten to know the comings and goings of warblers and waxwings, woodcocks and geese. Spring draws their fervent arrival, and in [End Page 115] October they take their leave. Among the last birds to hit the road before winter are the black-throated green warblers. Their bright yellow heads and chipper zoo-zee calls disappear from hemlock boughs all at once in late fall. I don’t blame them for going. Winter can be mean around here. Come March, they’ll swoop back over three thousand miles, from whichever Central American clime where they’ve spent the winter scouting bugs. And once they get back to Petersham in May, they’ll...

The Effects of Exurbanization on Bird and Macroinvertebrate Communities in Deciduous Forests on the Cumberland Plateau, Tennessee

To investigate the potential causes of changes to bird communities in exurban areas, we examined the relationship between bird and macroinvertebrate communities in exurbanized forest. We randomly located sampling points across a gradient of exurbanization. We used point counts to quantify bird communities and sweep netting, soil cores, pitfalls, and frass collectors to quantify macroinvertebrates. Bird communities had higher richness and abundance in exurban areas compared to undeveloped forests, and lost some species of conservation concern but gained others. The macroinvertebrate community was slightly more abundant in exurban areas, with a slight shift in taxonomic composition. The abundance of macroinvertebrates in soil cores (but not pitfalls) predicted the abundance of ground-foraging birds. The abundance of macroinvertebrates in sweep nets was not associated with the abundance of aerial insectivore birds. Exurbanization therefore appears to change bird and macroinvertebrate communities, but to a lesser extent than agricultural forest fragmentation or intensive urbanization.

Hydrological processes controlling ground and surface water flow from a hypermaritime forest–peatland complex, Diana Lake Provincial Park, British Columbia, Canada

AbstractThe proposed harvesting of previously undeveloped forests in north coastal British Columbia requires an understanding of hydrological responses. Hydrometric and isotopic techniques were used to examine the hydrological linkages between meteoric inputs to the surface‐groundwater system and runoff response patterns of a forest‐peatland complex. Quickflow accounted for 72–91% of peak storm discharge. The runoff ratio was lowest for open peatland areas with thick organic horizons (0·02–0·05) due to low topographic gradients and many surface depressions capable of retaining surface water. Runoff ratio increased comparatively for ephemeral surface seep flows (0·06–0·40) and was greatest in steeply sloping forest communities with more permeable soils (0·33–0·69). The dominant mechanism for runoff generation was saturated shallow subsurface flow. Groundwater fluxes from the organic horizon of seeps (1·70–1·72 m3 day−1 m−1) were an important component of quickflow. The homogeneous δ2Hδ18O composition of groundwater indicated attenuation of the seasonal rainfall signal by mixing during recharge. The positive correlation (r2 = 0·64 and 0·38, α = 0·05) between slope index and δ18O values in groundwater suggests that the spatial pattern in the δ18O composition along the forest‐peatland complex is influenced by topography and provides evidence that topographic indices may be used to predict groundwater residence time. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Kentucky's Moonlight Schools: An Enduring Legacy of Adult Learning Principles and Practice

Honoring the past through knowledge of a powerful movement from the beginning of the last century has been found to contain useful, relevant, meaningful information for present-day practitioners in adult education. compelling story of an adult education project, begun nearly 100 years ago by Cora Wilson Stewart and known as The Moonlight Schools, provides amazing links with modern-day adult learning principles. What does an adult learning initiative that began nearly 100 years ago have to do with 21st century practices in adult learning? Recently, the two of us traveled the mountain roads of eastern Kentucky once a week to an extended Morehead State University campus where we each taught a graduate class. During our travels, we discovered several interesting connections. One of us, Jim Canipe, teaches graduate courses in Adult Education and Research Methods, while the other, Mattie Decker, teaches Foundations of Reading and Reading in the Content Area. Each semester, Decker teaches her students about and takes them to visit Little Brushy, the Moonlight School near the Morehead State University campus where Cora Wilson Stewart began teaching adults to read and write in September 1911. Decker's students are always surprised to find that many of the innovative strategies they are learning were once taught in the one-room schoolhouse. In addition, we saw the links between Stewart's methodology and present-day adult learning theory. We realized how certain principles of adult learning were encapsulated within Stewart's practices--long before much formal adult learning theory existed. Similarly, students in our reading classes continued to discover direct application of best practice reading strategies that were actually relevant back in Stewart's days. Therefore, we became inspired to share this remarkable story of the Moonlight Schools and suggest that some principles of adult learning reveal how lessons learned from Cora Wilson Stewart's historical campaign against illiteracy coincide with modern-day adult education practices. story itself is compelling: Stewart was the first female superintendent of schools in a rural community that had few roads and plenty of feuds. setting is Rowan County, eastern Kentucky, after the turn of the century, where the one-room schools scattered throughout the county were the sites used for the new effort in adult learning. Over time, Stewart became aware of a need for educating adults in the community, since many often visited her office asking her to read a letter they received and to write a response for them. Classes were held on the nights of the full moon, so that the students could find their way through the dark, tree-shaded, treacherous, and circuitous mountain roads. teachers were all volunteers, and the students ranged in age from 18 to 86 years old. Many brought their babies with them (Nelms, 1997). There are amazing photographs documenting these adult learners. One of those photos shows adult students engaged at the blackboard inside the simple classroom environment. What began here spread to other states and eventually grew to include Moonlight Schools for African Americans and Native Americans. Stewart received national and international recognition because of her work with adult education (Baldwin, 2006). setting of the story is a simple one. People lived and traveled in mostly undeveloped forests and hillsides. Travel on the few roads was made difficult by the isolation of the communities, as well as the frequent floods, mudslides, snow, and ice. Fifty small one-room schoolhouses were scattered throughout Rowan County by 1911 and were filled with children during the day. Cora Wilson Stewart devised a system in which the teachers in the day schools were asked to volunteer to teach in the evening Moonlight Schools. They spread the news of the idea mostly by word of mouth and did not know if anyone would attend that first night. …

Towards a Sustainable Northern Forest

The Northern Forest is among the largest areas of relatively intact and undeveloped forest in the eastern United States. Increasing changes in landownership, wood extraction, nutrient cycling, air pollution, global change and other human-caused impacts raise concern about the long-term ecological and economic health of the forest. The division of the Northern Forest among several distinct groups of landowners and rapid changes in global economics make the forest potentially vulnerable to large-scale fragmentation and development. We examined and characterized the current status of and potential threats to various aspects of the Northern Forest at the levels of ecosystems, populations, and forest nutrients, including land-use patterns, extent of forested area, species diversity, biological threats such as introduced species, pests and pathogens, and air and water quality. Our findings reveal that the total area of the Northern Forest and the sum total of tree growth minus tree removals is approximately stable, although there are variations within the region. Tree species diversity in recent decades is approximately stable. A number of viable woodland bird species show significant decreases both in the long-term and short-term while others are increasing in abundance. The water quality of most lakes, streams, and rivers, while generally improving, is still hampered by high levels of mercury, PCBs, and other contaminants in fish tissue. Land development and habitat fragmentation have remained a minor threat to the health of the Northern Forest in comparison to more highly disturbed forests (e.g., tropical forests). These trends suggest that the Northern Forest remains in fairly stable condition, but the continuation of this pattern will depend largely on whether or not trends in land purchases persist and if development-and resulting fragmentation-of the Northern Forest becomes economically attractive.

Hydrological Effects of Land-Use Change in a Zero-Order Catchment

Hydrologic modeling and relatively simple monitoring were used to estimate the hydrologic balance for two geographically close and, in the undisturbed state, hydrologically similar, zero-order basins: one undeveloped forest and the other suburban. Continuous precipitation and streamflow were measured in each basin; the model was used to estimate time series of evapotranspiration and ground-water recharge over a 4-yr period. The suburban catchment was denuded of forest cover, soil thickness was reduced, and 30% of the area was covered with impervious surfaces. The amount of annual precipitation that becomes runoff ranged from 12-30% in the forested catchment and 44 to 48% in the suburban catchment where runoff from pervious areas accounts for 40–60% of the annual total. The peak flow rate per unit area for an approximate 24-in, 50-yr rainfall was more than 10 times higher from the pervious area at the suburban site than at the forested site. These findings emphasize the need to consider surface flow from all sources in the catchment when considering mitigation measures.

An adaptive modeling and monitoring approach to describe the hydrologic behavior of small catchments

An adaptive combination of field mapping, simple hydrologic monitoring, and hydrologic modeling was used to describe the hydrologic behavior of two zero-order catchments: one undeveloped forest, the other suburban. Field mapping was used to delineate hydrologic process zones and provide guidance for the location of monitoring stations. Hydrologic monitoring included continuous streamflow and precipitation, as well as limited piezometer information. The hydrologic model was developed in conjunction with the measurement program to assure that the level of model detail was consistent with the level of field measurements used for model input and testing. At the start of the work it was anticipated that saturation overland flow would drive peak discharge in the forested catchment and Horton overland flow from impervious surfaces would dominate storm runoff in the suburban catchment. Instead, subsurface flow was found to dominate both annual and peak discharge in the forested site, and discharge from lawns and other pervious areas accounted for roughly 60% of annual and storm runoff from the suburban catchment. The adaptive combination of modeling and measurements was essential to elucidate the various components of flow production and flow paths in these catchments.

The Fraser River basin – towards sustainability

The Fraser River Basin occupies approximately one quarter of the area of British Columbia ranging from undeveloped forests to heavily urbanized centres. Competing demands are continually being made on the system with respect to preservation of the natural environment and economic development. In response to increasing stresses, the six year Fraser River Action Plan was initiated in 1991 to reduce pollution, enhance environmental quality, and develop an integrated basin management program based on sustainability. Activities addressing the first two are under way in the areas of pollution abatement, environmental quality and research, enforcement and compliance, and habitat restoration and conservation. Partnerships are critical to implementing a successful integrated management program. The Fraser Basin Management Program balances current social and economic needs with environmental conservation to achieve sustainability. Smaller scale management programs exist within the basin to address the highly urbanized/industrialized Fraser estuary (Fraser River Estuary Management Program) and the Port of Vancouver/Burrard Inlet (Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program). Environment Canada, in partnership with others, is cleaning up pollution and establishing effective sustainable management programs, before the conflicts between environment and economy reach a critical point. Results to date are encouraging.

The Fraser River Basin — Towards sustainability

The Fraser River Basin occupies approximately one quarter of the area of British Columbia ranging from undeveloped forests to heavily urbanized centres. Competing demands are continually being made on the system with respect to preservation of the natural environment and economic development. In response to increasing stresses, the six year Fraser River Action Plan was initiated in 1991 to reduce pollution, enhance environmental quality, and develop an integrated basin management program based on sustainability. Activities addressing the first two are under way in the areas of pollution abatement, environmental quality and research, enforcement and compliance, and habitat restoration and conservation. Partnerships are critical to implementing a successful integrated management program. The Fraser Basin Management Program balances current social and economic needs with environmental conservation to achieve sustainability. Smaller scale management programs exist within the basin to address the highly urbanized/industrialized Fraser estuary (Fraser River Estuary Management Program) and the Port of Vancouver/Burrard Inlet (Burrard Inlet Environmental Action Program). Environment Canada, in partnership with others, is cleaning up pollution and establishing effective sustainable management programs, before the conflicts between environment and economy reach a critical point. Results to date are encouraging.

Regeneration in subalpine coniferous forests

Death of canopy trees when gaps are formed was studied in a subalpine coniferous forest, central Japan, which was composed ofAbies, Tsuga, Picea, Betula, andSorbus. Typhoons were considered to be the most important cause of the death of canopy trees. The degree of disturbance in each of 16 plots (20 m×20 m) was represented by the percentage of the total basal area of dead trees to that of living and dead canopy trees (disturbance magnitude; MAG). The mortality of canopy trees increased as their dbh increase in the plots of lower MAG than 90%. The mortality varied among genera, andTsuga was characterized as having lower mortality than that of the other conifers. 418 dead trees were observed. The standing dead trees made up 10.7% of the trees, the stem broken trees 46.7%, and the uprooted trees 42.2%. The stem breaking was most frequent inAbies, and the uprooting was most frequent inTsuga, Picea, andBetula. Undeveloped forests, which have the L-shaped dbh distribution, were destroyed only in high degree (70%<MAG), while developed forests were destroyed in various degrees (30%<MAG<100%). The percentage of uprooted trees in basal area decreased with the development of the forest, from 60% to 10%.

Survey of wild mammals in a Chesapeake Bay area for selected zoonoses.

Studies were conducted on 104 striped skunks, 97 raccoons, 64 opossums, 10 woodchucks, 5 feral cats, and 1 muskrat. Animals were trapped on an undeveloped forest and swamp area in Eastern Maryland. Leptospiral agglutinins were demonstrated in 62% of the skunks, 15% of opossums and 50% of the raccoons. Leptospiral serogroup members isolated from hosts were as follows: skunks — icterohaetnorrhagiae, grippotyphosa, ballum, and autumnalis; opossum — icterohaemorrhagiae and ballum; raccoon — icterohaemorrhagiae. Listeria monocytogenes was isolated from one raccoon. Significant complement-fixing antibodies for Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever group of rickettsia were demonstrated in 15% of 102 skunks, 18% of 94 raccoons, 40% of 10 woodchucks and in only 1 of 54 opossums. Isolates of a pox virus which appears to be a new type were obtained from upper respiratory tissues of two raccoons. Significant antibody titers for the isolated pox virus were demonstrated in 23% of 92 raccoon sera. Two isolates serologically rela...