Progress 09/01/01 to 08/31/07
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Based on the research on longleaf pine understory response to fire and the impact of fire exclusion in unmanaged wilderness areas in east Texas, the USFS is moving forward with plans to prescribed burn a major part of the Upland Island Wilderness area. The private landowner who provided the site for the initial silvopasture study is now placing livestock on the site. The site is a stop for the upcoming state Society for Range Management annual meeting to be held in October in Nacogdoches. A herbaceous seeding failure on our second silvopasture site has set back activities there one year.
PARTICIPANTS: SFASU: Kenneth Farrish, Dean Coble, Hans Williams Dan Unger, Rita Botting, Mohammad Bataineh, Amanda Bataineh, Karen Hodges, Andrea Bell, Texas Forest Service Missouri department of Conservation, Louisiana Forestry Extension NRCS Society for Range Management
TARGET AUDIENCES: Private-4 landowners was the major target for the research, although state agencies, NGO's and the general public were also involved
Impacts
The exclusion of fire from natural areas was strongly documented in the longleaf project and a publication based on our findings is under review. A publication on the biomass estimation for fire hazard assessment in central Texas is being prepared. The extension of that project to fire behavior has been delayed due to a work assignment by the graduate student this past year and the birth of a child, coupled with a new pregnancy. The project in Missouri has been completed and a publication is being prepared that will provide managers excellent data on the impact of various vegetation treatments based around fire in the habitat manipulation in the glade communities of the Ozarks.
Publications
- Bataineh, M.M., B.P. Oswald, A.L. Bataineh, K.W. Farrish, D.W. Coble and C.B. Edminster. 2007. Plant communities associated with Pinus ponderosa forests in the sky islands of the Davis Mountains, Texas. J. Torrey Society. 134(4): 468-478.
- Oswald, B.P., K.W. Farrish, M. Beierle. 2008. Establishment success of longleaf and loblolly pines in an east Texas bahaigrass silvopasture with different spacings: A technical note. S. J. Appld. For. XXXXXX
- Blazier, M.A., L.A. Gaston, T.R. Clason, K.W. Farrish and B.P.Oswald. 2008. Nutrient dynamics and tree growth of Silvopasture Systems: Impact of Poultry Litter. J. Environmental Quality. XXXXXXX
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Progress 01/01/06 to 12/31/06
Outputs
The longleaf pine restoration project has been completed and the information obtained is being incorporated into the management plans for reintroducing fire into the wilderness area. The last of the replanting of seedlings at the pasture silvopasture site has been completed and the final year of non-grazing will occur in 2007. The field work in the Davis Mountains is completed and the lab data is being processed for the completion of the 2nd Ph.D. dissertation and future publications. One of the fuel load studies in the Texas Hill Country has been completed (thesis) and the publication is being developed. The second thesis was delayed when the graduate student became pregnant.
Impacts
The data collected from across these project areas will greatly enhance managers' abilities to make more accurate assessments of fire hazard and fire management conditions. The work in silvopasture will create an example of alternative diversification for a private landowner beyond traditional timber management or livestock management. The work in the Davis Mountains has already provided land managers the background information needed to more efficiently apply fire and thinning in restoration efforts of ponderosa pine. The side products of the use of GIS for determining thinning options and the statistical paper on pseudo replication and autocorrelation will give researchers information that will result in expanded effectiveness in future research activities. The longleaf pine work is being incorporated into initial management plans to restore the role of fire as a management tool in east Texas wilderness areas. The Missouri results should provide managers data to
further develop long-term management plans. The activities funded in this project have already spun off into new research opportunities and will continue to do so.
Publications
- Bataineh, A.L., B.P. Oswald, M.M. Bataineh, D. Unger, I. Hung and D. Scognamillo. 2006. Spatial Autocorrrelation and Pseudoreplication in Fire Ecology. Fire Ecology. 2(2):xxxx-xxxx.
- Bataineh, A.L., B.P. Oswald, H.M. Williams, D.W. Coble. 2006. Changes in understory vegetation of a ponderosa pine forest in Northern Arizona 30 years after the Rattle Burn Wildfire. Forest Ecology and Management. 283-294.
- Bataineh, M.M., B.P. Oswald, K.W. Farrish, D.W. Coble. 2007. (Accepted pending revisions). Community Classification in the Davis Mountain Sky Island: Pinus ponderosa Laws. Journal of the Torrey Botainical Society.
- Bataineh, M.M., A.L. Bataineh, B.P. Oswald, K.W. Farrish, H.M. Williams. 2006. Loblolly Pine Growth Response to mid-rotational Treatments in an Eastern Texas Plantation. Pp. 502-506 IN: Conner, K.F., ed. Proceedings of 13th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-92. Ashville, NC: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 640p.
- McWhorter, Ira (MS) 2005. Effects of Fire exclusion on the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem of Upland Island Wilderness.
- Bataineh, Mohammad (Ph.D.) 2006. Stand Structure Reconstruction of Pinyon-Juniper Communities in the Sky Islands of the Davis Mountains.
- Oswald* B.P. and The Board of Directors, The Association for Fire Ecology. The San Diego Declaration on Climate Change and Fire Management: Ramifications for Fuels Management. Oral presentation at the 2nd Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference: The Fire Environment-Innovations, Management, and Policy. March 28, 2007. Destin, FL.
- Beierle*, M., B.P. Oswald, K.W. Farrish and B. C. McNally. Challenges in establishing silvopasture in a pasture in east Texas. Poster presented at 14th Southern Silvicultural Research Conference. February 2007. Athens, GA
- Bell*, A.L., B.P. Oswald and C.E. Comer. 2006. The effects of fire management on avian species in forested habitats of the Missouri Ozarks. Oral presentation presented at the 67th Midwest Fish and Wildlife Conference. Omaha, NE. December 2006.
- Bell*, A.L., C.E. Comer and B.P. Oswald. 2006. The effects of fire management on avian species in forested habitats of the Missouri Ozarks. Oral presentation at 4th North American Ornithological Conference, Vera Cruz, Mexico. October 2006.
- Bataineh*, A.L., B.P. Oswald, M.M. Bataineh, H.M. Williams. Changes in understory vegetation of a Ponderosa pine forest 30 years after a wildfire in Northern Arizona. Poster presented at 2006 SFASU Bright Ideas Conference. April 28, 2006. Nacogdoches, TX.
- Botting, R. (MS) 2006. Estimating the aboveground biomass of selected shrubs and small trees in the post oak savannah of Texas.
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Progress 01/01/05 to 12/31/05
Outputs
We were able to complete the analysis of the impact of fire exclusion in an east Texas wilderness area this past year, with a completion of a MS thesis the only product so far. A refereed publication is in draft form at this time. The data from this study is being incorporated into management activities in the wilderness areas, and similar studies are anticipated in other east Texas wilderness areas where historical. Two fire-related projects in the Hill Country of Texas are in the data analysis stage with completion of these studies expected by August. The data from these studies will enhance current management strategies for urban-wildland fire issues in the Hill country and provide managers more accurate fuel loading data for fire behavior predictions. Work in the Davis Mountains has continued, with a refereed manuscript back from reviewers and currently being revised. Follow-up studies in the region have been completed (in the field) and 2 dissertations being
completed. At least 2 refereed publications are expected. The duff measurement study in the Jemez Mountains has been completed and a thesis is in draft form with a summer completion expected. Wild hogs continue to negatively impact our silvopasture study, as did the drought of 2005 in the area. A second planting of longleaf pine seedlings has been moderately successful in filling in spots where mortality occurred. A thesis from the Davis Mountain study (completed in 2004) has been awarded the outstanding thesis award for 2005 at SFASU.
Impacts
The data collected from across these project areas will greatly enhance managers' abilities to make more accurate assessments of fire hazard and fire management conditions. The work in silvopasture will create an example of alternative diversification for a private landowner beyond traditional timber management or livestock management.
Publications
- Goodwin, E. J., L. M Marino McInnis, H.W. Williams, B.P. Oswald and K.W. Farrish. 2005. Physiological and Growth Responses of Midrotation Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) to Treatments of Fire, Herbicide and Fertilizer. Pp. 48-53 IN: Conner, K.F., ed. Proceedings of 12th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-71. Ashville, NC: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 594p.
- Hung*, I., B.N. McNally, K.W. Farrish and B. P. Oswald. 2005. Using GIS for selecting Trees for Thinning. Presented at 25th Annual ESRI International User Conference, San Diego, California . July 25-29, 2005. To be published in proceedings.
- Bataineh*, M. M., A.L. Bataineh, B.P. Oswald, K. W. Farrish, H.W. Williams. 2005. Loblolly pine growth response to mid-rotational treatments in eastern Texas. Presented at 13th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference. February, 2005. Memphis, TN. To be published in proceedings.
- McWhorter, Ira. 2005 Effects of Fire Exclusion in the Longleaf Pine Ecosystem of Upland Island Wilderness. MS Thesis. Stephen F. Austin State University. 120p.
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Progress 01/01/04 to 12/31/04
Outputs
A number of projects under this projects proceeded this year, with a couple of final products obtained at the end of the reporting. Uncompleted projects included the following: Fuel hazard modeling and evaluation in the Texas Hill Country was performed in the summer of 2004. Fuels were collected in a number of watersheds representing hazardous fuel conditions within the Wildland-urban interface. The development of a specific fuel model for fire behavior for these ecosystems and better estimation of fuels for 4 specific shrub species will be the major products of this study. Two theses will result with refereed publications to follow. The East Texas Wilderness prescribed fire plan will be finalized in the Spring of 2005. Data collection took longer than anticipated. A summer thesis completion is expected. The silvopasture project continues with the seedlings growing in their second season. Wild hog damage required some interplanting of seedlings this past winter. Bulk
density measurements of the litter and duff in Northern New Mexico have been performed and a thesis will result, with a refereed publication targeted. The project in the Davis Mountains has been partially completed with a thesis as a product. This work will continue with external funding. The initial study treatments have not been completed, but a better understanding of the community structure of Ponderosa Pines I these mountains has been obtained. One refereed publications has already resulted from this study, with another in draft form.
Impacts
The applying of prescribed fire in small wilderness areas will have a great deal of social impact as we can restore ecological integrity to these highly valued public lands. Efforts to quantify the impacts of fire and other management tools on the landbases being managed will have high economic value over the long term. Any information we can obtain that evaluates and quantifies the present condition of the variety of ecosystems under management by government and non-government agencies will be important for the long-term success of our stewardship of these lands.
Publications
- Brian P. Oswald, Mohammad Bataineh, Amanda Rountree. 2004. First Record of Clitoria Mariana (Leguminosae) in western Texas. SIDA: 21(1): 507-508.
- Shelley L. Garnder, Brian P. Oswald, Kenneth W. Farrish and Carl Edminster. 2003. Community Classification within three vegetative zones of the east side of the Jemez Mountains, New Mexico. New Mexico Journal of Science. 43(1): 25-40.
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Progress 01/01/03 to 12/31/03
Outputs
Four projects were partially funded this past year, none of which are complete at this time. 1: A plan to develop a prescribed burning plan for a east Texas Wilderness will be completed this summer and should result in a model for similar plans on small wilderness areas in the eastern U.S. 2: A study in the west Texas Davis Mountains has been evaluating the impact of various management tools (fire, thinning) on the ponderosa pine forests in this area. Some of the thinning treatments have been applied, but none of the fire treatments. This property, managed by The Nature Conservancy, has management constraints on it that hinder application of these treatments, but we are making headway. In the meantime, we have been been able to perform a baseline study on the understory communities within the ponderosa pine type. This will allow us to better evaluate the impact of these treatments, as well as evaluating the continued post-grazing successional changes in these
ecosystems. An additional study on the mexican Pinyon in this area will provide very useful data on this regionally important species. 3: The development of a silvopasture demonstration area/research site has been continued this past year. The seedlings of two species (longleaf and loblolly pines) have been planted in a bahia-grass pasture in east Texas at 2 different spacings (traditional vs. silvopasture). This 5-replicated study will give us long-term data on the survival and growth of timber species under these arrangements as well as the forage production potential of these types of management. Additional soil and forage analysis was performed on previously supported research on silvopasture in north Louisiana. The data will be combined with data collected on timber growth to further develop management information on this management option. 4: Soil chemical analysis collected in northern New Mexico will provide baseline data for a fire study being established with the cooperation
of Los Alamos National Laboratory.
Impacts
The applying of prescribed fire in small wilderness areas will have a great deal of social impact as we can restore ecological integrity to these highly valued public lands. Efforts to quantify the impacts of fire and other management tools on the landbases being managed will have high economic value over the long term. Any information we can obtain that evaluates and quantifies the present condition of the variety of ecosystems under management by government and non-government agencies will be important for the long-term success of our stewardship of these lands.
Publications
- None for this reporting period. 2003.
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Progress 01/01/02 to 12/31/02
Outputs
A couple of research projects were supported with funds from this project. Remeasurement of the plots for a silvopasture project was performed to strengthen the conclusions of the impact of fertilizer treatments (commercial fertilizer, poultry litter) on forage and tree growth. Data is being analyzed and the results incorporated into a draft publication. The collected of tree growth data in a mid-rotation loblolly pine plantation was also performed in the summer of 2002 as a follow-up of a research project funded from other sources. This data will also be included in a draft publication. A new project in the Davis Mountains of Texas was initiated this year from another funding source. This study is evaluating the impact of thinning and burning on the ponderosa pine communities in these mountains. Due to a number of factors, previously planned sources of the application of a thinning treatment failed to materialize, and funds from this project were utilized to perform
the thins.
Impacts
The information gained from this project will be of great assistance to natural resource managers in this region. A great deal of scientifically-based information on common management practices (silvicultural, fire, agroforestry) was obtained. A greater understanding of the public's opinion of the role of fire on state-managed forest lands was a unique contribution of this project, and could be applicable to federal lands.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
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