MEASUREMENT AND MANAGEMENT OF ALASKA BOREAL FOREST UNDER RISKS

• Sponsoring Institution: National Institute of Food and Agriculture
• Project Status: COMPLETE
• Funding Source: MCINTIRE-STENNIS
• Reporting Frequency: Annual
• Accession No.: 0220110
• Project Start Date: Jul 1, 2009
• Project End Date: Jul 1, 2014
• Program Code: [(N/A)]- (N/A)

Recipient Organization
UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA
(N/A)
FAIRBANKS,AK 99775

Performing Department
Forest Science

Non Technical Summary
The boreal forest, the largest forest component of the Alaska landscape, occupies 60 to 70 percent of Alaska's land area. The forest consists of eight species dependent upon the taxonomic treatment of the genus Populus: three conifers white spruce, black spruce, tamarack, and five hardwoods: Kenai birch, Alaska birch, quaking aspen, balsam poplar , and western black cottonwood. Of these, white spruce, Alaska birch, Kenai birch, and quaking aspen are currently of significant commercial importance. The Alaska boreal forest exists in an environment of extreme climatic conditions that differ considerably across Alaska. Although the current forest industry in interior Alaska is small and economically marginal, it is very important for local employment and wood product needs. Approximately one-tenth of interior Alaska's forest land is classified by the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service as capable of sustained commercial wood production. Despite an increased interest in the resources from boreal forests, the forest industry in interior Alaska has been limited to small mills and cottage industries. Use of the forest for subsistence resources is an integral component of rural economies. Studies on economic viability and ecological impacts of various forest management regimes in interior Alaska are extremely limited. Clearcut has been a typical forest management method in Alaska. Over the past decade, with increasing aesthetic and environmental concerns, people explored partial-harvest methods in interior Alaska in small scales. Unfortunately, practical management decision tables based on the optimization results are still not available. The current and future viability of a sustainable forest industry in Alaska boreal forests has been understudied. Major concerns commonly expressed include the magnitude of the available timber resource, the sustainability of the forest resource for harvest, and the incomplete knowledge of the growth and yield of the boreal forest species in Alaska. Management of boreal forest resources in Alaska has suffered from the lack of growth and yield models. The existing growth models are limited to conventional growth and yield tables or gap models. The two conventional growth and yield tables were developed decades ago. They only apply to single-species and well-stocked stands, and with the alteration of the climate and site conditions in the region after the tables were developed, the tables may not be suitable for current applications. A large proportion of forest management activities so far have relied on the growth and yield equations developed elsewhere in British Columbia, Minnesota, etc. for the same species as surrogates for Alaska. Use of data and models obtained from outside of Alaska is inappropriate and unacceptable by the public and private landowners, since species composition, climatic conditions, soils, and human impacts are significantly different from those of Alaska.

Animal Health Component

(N/A)

Research Effort Categories

Basic

(N/A)

Applied

(N/A)

Developmental

(N/A)

Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)	Subject of Investigation (SOI)	Field of Science (FOS)	Percent
123	0610	1070	40%
123	0620	1070	40%
605	0610	1070	10%
605	0620	1070	10%

Knowledge Area
605 - Natural Resource and Environmental Economics; 123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0610 - Conifer forests of the North; 0620 - Broadleaf forests of the North;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;

Keywords

alaska

forest measurement

forest management

boreal forest dynamics

deterministic growth model

stochastic growth model

cooperative alaska forest inventory

forest growth and yield

forest stand characterization

Goals / Objectives
1) To sustain current boreal forest inventory and expand its geographical coverage; 2) To study management of boreal forest under risks. As the key to achieve the first objective, previously established permanent sample plots will be remeasured with a 5-year interval, and additional permanent sample plots will be established to cover more geographic and forest stand characteristics. Long term-studies are critical for monitoring growth and assessing changes in regional growth patterns that might be correlated with changes in climate. The data and management tools to be generated by this project are essential for many ongoing research projects on ecosystem management and climate change, and for forest and land owners to make sound resource management decisions. This project will greatly improve the chance for the principal investigator and his institution to obtain additional funds, especially from potential data clients. Site Index: Develop appropriate polymorphic site index curves for trembling aspen, black spruce; and white spruce; refine polymorphic site index curves for paper birch; develop anamorphic site index curves for tamarack. Use standard index age of 50 years at breast height. Individual Tree Volume Equations: Develop statewide or biogeoclimatic regional individual tree volume, taper, height, and diameter equations and tables for each boreal forest species. Biomass and Phytochemicals: Determine tree and understory biomass and chemical content of species and species' components for Alaska boreal forest. Levels-of-Growing-Stock: Continue Levels-of-Growing-Stock (LOGS) studies for yield analyses for each tree species through monitoring existing plots and a) additional plantation establishment, b) spacing (pre-commercial thinning at or near time of canopy closure), and, c) thinning (commercial). Permanent Sample Plots (PSPs) for Forest Stand Characterization: Continue establishment of fixed area, permanent sample plots (PSP) for pure and mixed stands of native northern forest tree species; the program is a cooperative effort with the land manager/owner. Data will include stand species (tree overstory and tree and non-tree understory) composition, structure characteristics (diameter, height) cover class, soils, and other resource characteristics. Other data from various collaborators and contributors will be added into the Supplemental Data Section to make the database useful to wider audience. Forest Growth and Yield Models: Obtain necessary data and calibrate and validate growth and yield models for the Alaska boreal forest. Forest Inventory Directory: Identify, document, and review available timber inventories for the boreal forest in Alaska; complete summary of published inventories. Wood Quality: Through a continuous review of the literature and appropriate sample measurements of research and operational treatments, identify and quantify the impacts of various silvicultural activities on wood quality. Intra-Program Coordination and Support: Wherever possible design and standardize data collection methodology so that data collected for one project can be used to complement or supplement data for other projects.

Project Methods
CAFI ground plots are a system of fixed-size PSPs established to monitor growth, yield, and health of boreal forests in Alaska. They cover an extensive geographic area and include multiple ownerships of forests that represent various stand conditions. Physical site attributes collected include: location, slope, aspect, landform, and soils information. Tree data include: diameter, height, health, and quality and quantity of regeneration. Presence of understory vegetation, both vascular and nonvascular, is recorded as percentage of cover. Post disturbance growth rates will be compared to the growth and yield of mature forest stands, and stand development patterns observed. The stochastic growth model will consist of a deterministic and an additive random part. The newest forest inventory data will be used in the regions of interest for validation to insure the transition probabilities accurately reflect the mechanism of forest growth. For each plot the stand conditions at the latest two inventories will be translated into stand states. Given the interval between two inventories, the expected state of the plot following the calculated transition probabilities will be compared to the actual state at the latest inventory. The Chi-square test will be used for validation. The null hypothesis is that the predicted state based on the estimated transition probabilities is the same as the observed state. One objective of the analysis will be to find the policy that maximizes the expected net present value per unit of forest area, in each forest type considered over an infinite time horizon. We plan to use d'Epenoux's linear programming approach, which lends itself better to the introduction of constraints. Besides woody biomass production and the corresponding heating value, we will concentrate on aspects of forest stands that can be measured with diversity indices: diversity of tree species, diversity of tree size, or a combination thereof. We plan to use an alternative method based on the observation that the probability of being in a state and making a decision is connected to the discounted expected time of being in a state and making a decision. This formulation is still nonlinear, but it has only half the decision variables and only one nonlinear constraint and is much easier to solve numerically. We shall then use this method to measure the trade-off between environmental and economic objectives in the forest types of interest. This issue can be addressed with a model that maximizes expected NPV while maintaining the undiscounted expected biodiversity at pre- specified levels. By modifying the models presented above, we will explore management issues pertaining to this form of landscape description. We will seek the policy that maximizes landscape diversity by maximizing the minimum fraction of the landscape that would be found in any particular state, in steady state. Such a policy can be obtained by solving a linear programming problem. To study the trade-off between landscape diversity and economic return, we shall again use the methods described above to introduce discounted criteria in the objective function or in the constraints.

Progress 07/01/09 to 07/01/14

Outputs
Target Audience: Researchers, foresters, forest land owners and managers, government agencies,educators, students, native corporations, and the general public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Malone presented, "University Forest Technician Focus and Employment", to Resource Management Society. Malone provided forestry consultation to the Susitna Valley School Citizens Committee and Matanuska-Susitna Borough concerning development of a School forest. FG&Y Program provided over 2,040 hours of employment and training for young forest technicians. This included worked with the Susitina Valley High School and the Young Adult Conservation Corps to develop a forest management plan for the Sustina High School forest. This land was set aside for future fuel wood for the school. Eight of the YCC youth helped establish permanent sample plots in their forest. Malone served as the Science Chair on the Tanana Valley Forest Citizens Advisory Committee. Data generated by this project is being used by the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology and by the US Forest Service for the Forest Vegetation Simulation project and by the State Division of Forestry. The U.S. Forestry Service Forest Health Group also uses these databases. A graduate student developed a forest growth model for the Haines State Forest. A French forestry intern student worked on remeasurement of permanent sample plots for 110 hrs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Communities of interest included the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; US Department of Interior, BLM; US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Kenai National WL Refuge; US Department of Interior, National Park Service, Wrangel-St. Elias National Park; US Department of Defense, Army and Air Force; Fairbanks North Star Borough; Kenai Peninsula Borough; Mat-Su Borough; Regional Native Regional Corporations Ahtna and Cook Inlet Region Incorporated; Native Village Corporations: Chitina, Dot Lake, Mentasta, Ninilchik, Northway, Salamatof, Tanacross, Tetlin, and Toghotthele; University of Alaska: Land Management Department, Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station; State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources: Division of Forestry, Division of Lands, and Division of Parks through project reports. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? A new project proposal will be submitted which will involve remeasuring permanent sample plots.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Work continued on the Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory (CAFI) growth and yield permanent sample plots. Remeasurements were completed across two measurement time periods; Inventory 3 at Year 10 for 58 plots at 19 sites in the Copper River Valley, Inventory 4 at Year 15 for 45 plots at 15 sites in the Tanana Valley and Kenai Peninsula. Continued a biomass study in the upper Tanana Valley with the State Division of Forestry (DOF). Provided DOF with data and use of wood chipper, disc trencher, and increment tree core reader. Assisted Afognak Native Corporation in remeasurement of 12 permanent sample plots at 3 sites in order to develop a forest growth model.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Malone, T.; J. Liang, E. Packee. 2013. Western Journal of Applied Forestry. Western Journal of Applied Forestry. 28(2) 2013. April. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5849/wjaf.12-003

Progress 01/01/13 to 09/30/13

Outputs
Target Audience: Researchers, foresters, forest land owners and managers, government agencies,educators, students, native corporations, and the general public. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? Malone presented, "University Forest Technician Focus and Employment", to Resource Management Society. Malone provided forestry consultation to the Susitna Valley School Citizens Committee and Matanuska-Susitna Borough concerning development of a School forest. FG&Y Program provided over 2,040 hours of employment and training for young forest technicians. This included worked with the Susitina Valley High School and the Young Adult Conservation Corps to develop a forest management plan for the Sustina High School forest. This land was set aside for future fuel wood for the school. Eight of the YCC youth helped establish permanent sample plots in their forest. Malone served as the Science Chair on the Tanana Valley Forest Citizens Advisory Committee. Data generated by this project is being used by the UAF Institute of Arctic Biology and by the US Forest Service for the Forest Vegetation Simulation project and by the State Division of Forestry. The U.S. Forestry Service Forest Health Group also uses these databases. A graduate student developed a forest growth model for the Haines State Forest. A French forestry intern student worked on remeasurement of permanent sample plots for 110 hrs. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Communities of interest included the US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; US Department of Interior, BLM; US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Kenai National WL Refuge; US Department of Interior, National Park Service, Wrangel-St. Elias National Park; US Department of Defense, Army and Air Force; Fairbanks North Star Borough; Kenai Peninsula Borough; Mat-Su Borough; Regional Native Regional Corporations Ahtna and Cook Inlet Region Incorporated; Native Village Corporations: Chitina, Dot Lake, Mentasta, Ninilchik, Northway, Salamatof, Tanacross, Tetlin, and Toghotthele; University of Alaska: Land Management Department, Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station; State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources: Division of Forestry, Division of Lands, and Division of Parks through project reports. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals? A new project proposal will be submitted which will involve remeasuring permanent sample plots.

Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals? Work continued on the Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory (CAFI) growth and yield permanent sample plots. Remeasurements were completed across two measurement time periods; Inventory 3 at Year 10 for 58 plots at 19 sites in the Copper River Valley, Inventory 4 at Year 15 for 45 plots at 15 sites in the Tanana Valley and Kenai Peninsula. Continued a biomass study in the upper Tanana Valley with the State Division of Forestry (DOF). Provided DOF with data and use of wood chipper, disc trencher, and increment tree core reader. Assisted Afognak Native Corporation in remeasurement of 12 permanent sample plots at 3 sites in order to develop a forest growth model.

Publications

• Type: Journal Articles Status: Published Year Published: 2013 Citation: Malone, T.; J. Liang, E. Packee. 2013. Western Journal of Applied Forestry. Western Journal of Applied Forestry. 28(2) 2013. April. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5849/wjaf.12-003

Progress 01/01/12 to 12/31/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: ACTIVITES: The 20 year assessment was completed on the Levels of Growing Stock plantation at Tok Alaska. All trees were measured for dbh, height, and assessed vigor. Site index samples were collected from 37 permanent sample plot sites for a total of 147 trees. Work continued on the Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory (CAFI) growth and yield permanent sample plots. Measurements were completed across three measurement time periods; Inventory 2 at year 5 for 54 plots at 18 sites in the Tanana Valley, Inventory 3 at year 10 for 19 plots at 7 sites in the Tanana Valley, Inventory 4 at year 15 for 45 plots at 15 sites in the Tanana Valley and Kenai Peninsula. Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory site description, tree data, and vegetation databases were updated with 2012 field data. The CAFI regeneration database was developed. All four CAFI databases, with data collected between 1997 and 2012, were placed on the LTER website. Assisted two forest growth and yield graduate students: Ph.D. student, Brian Young and Master's student Randy Peterson. Continued a biomass study in the upper Tanana Valley with the State Division of Forestry (DOF). Provided DOF with data and use of wood chipper, disc trencher, and increment tree core reader. Assisted Afognak Native Corporation in establishment of 90 permanent sample plots at 30 sites in order to develop a forest growth model. EVENTS: Malone presented, "Tools for Managing Alaska's Northern Forests", at the State of Alaska Resource Managers annual meeting and to the SAF evening technical seminar. Malone made two presentations, "Forest Measurements" and the "Forestry Profession", to West Valley High School science classes. Malone presented, "University Forest Technician Focus and Employment", to Resource Management Society. Malone provided forestry consultation to the Susitna Valley School Citizens Committee and Matanuska-Susitna Borough concerning development of a School forest. FG&Y Program provided over 2,880 hours of employment and training for young forest technicians. Malone served as the Science Chair on the Tanana Valley Forest Citizens Advisory Committee. PARTICIPANTS: US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; US Department of Interior, BLM; US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Kenai National WL Refuge; US Department of Interior, National Park Service, Wrangel-St. Elias National Park; US Department of Defense, Army and Air Force; Fairbanks North Star Borough; Kenai Peninsula Borough; Mat-Su Borough; Regional Native Regional Corporations Ahtna and Cook Inlet Region Incorporated; Native Village Corporations: Chitina, Dot Lake, Mentasta, Ninilchik, Northway, Salamatof, Tanacross, Tetlin, and Toghotthele; University of Alaska: Land Management Department, Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station; State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources: Division of Forestry, Division of Lands, and Division of Parks. The Forest Growth and Yield program provided employment and training for 4 young forest technicians who worked a total of 2,880 hours collecting field data and updating CAFI databases. TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers, foresters, forest land owners and managers, government agencies, educators, students, native corporations, and the general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Applied knowledge of Alaska's northern forests was increased through dissemination of data, analysis, and presentation of information compiled through this forestry research. This program increased knowledge available to Alaska's land owners and managers. This was accomplished by placing the CAFI databases on the LTER website, and providing data to US Forest Service Forest Vegetation Simulator program. Data was also shared with the State Division of Forestry inventory program. White spruce cubic foot volume models were distributed to and are in use by land owners and managers in northern Alaska. This information is presented in a paper that has been accepted for publication in the Western journal of Applied Forestry. The white spruce equations are proven to be more accurate than volume equations previously in use in Alaska. Ph.D student Brian Young graduated in May 2012 and is employed by the Alaska State Division of Forestry.

Publications

• Malone, Packee, and Liang. 2012. List of Plant Species Present on Forest Permanent Sample Plots in Interior and Southcentral Alaska. UAF, AFES, Misc. Publication 2012-01.

Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11

Outputs
OUTPUTS: ACTIVITES: Remeasured numerous studies. Levels of Growing Stock (LOGS) plantation at 2 installations (Bonanza Creek 25 years and Tok area 19 years). Measure dbh and height and assess vigor. Collected site index samples from 44 permanent sample plot sites for a total of 176 tree cores. Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory (CAFI) remeasurement of permanent sample plots: --- 5-year remeasurement of 11 plots at 33 sites in Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Tanana Valley --- 10-year remeasurement of 84 plots at 28 sites in the Matanuska-Susitna Valley and Tanana Valley --- 15-year remeasurement of 15 plots at 5 sites in the Tanana Valley. Completed analysis and development of white spruce cubic foot volume model. The PI chaired the graduate student committees of a Ph.D. student, Brian Young, and two Master's students, Thomas Malone and Randy Peterson. Continued biomass study in upper Tanana Valley with the State Division of Forestry. Assisted Afognak Native Corporation in establishment of 75 permanent sample plots at 25 sites in order to develop a forest growth model in the future. EVENTS: Malone presented 'Tools for Managing Alaska's Northern Forests' at an SAF meeting and at a University Natural Resource seminar. Malone presented 'Forest Measurements and the Forestry Profession' to West Valley High School science class (2 presentations). Malone presented 'Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory' to Biological Student Symposium. Malone presented 'University forest technician focus and employment' to Resource Management Society. Dr. Liang and Malone provided forestry consultation to the Susitna Valley School Board and Matanuska-Susitna Borough. Malone provided over 1,600 hours of employment and training for forestry students. Updated CAFI site description, tree data, and vegetation databases with 2011 field data. Place databases on the LTER website. PARTICIPANTS: : US Department of Agriculture, Forest Service; US Department of Interior, BLM; US Department of Interior, Fish and Wildlife Service, Kenai National WL Refuge; US Department of Interior, National Park Service, Wrangel-St. Elias National Park; US Department of Defense, Army and Air Force; Fairbanks North Star Borough; Kenai Peninsula Borough; Mat-Su Borough; Regional Native Regional Corporations Ahtna and Cook Inlet Region Incorporated; Native Village Corporations: Chitina, Dot Lake, Mentasta, Ninilchik, Northway, Salamatof, Tanacross, Tetlin, and Toghotthele; University of Alaska: Land Management Department, Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station; State of Alaska Department of Natural Resources, Division of Forestry, Division of Lands, and Division of Parks. TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers, foresters, forest land owners and managers, government agencies, educators, students, native corporations, general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Dr. Liang has taken a position at another university. Dr. John Yarie will oversee the project for the present time. Tom Malone, M.S., forestry technician, is staying with the project and will continue the data collection.

Impacts
Applied knowledge of Alaska's northern forests was increased through dissemination of data, analysis, and through presentation of information compiled through this forestry research. This program increased knowledge available to Alaska's land owners and managers. This was accomplished by placing the CAFI databases on LTER website, providing data to US Forest Service Forest Vegetation Simulator program. Also providing data to State Division of Forestry inventory program and providing permanent sample plot data to Lakehead University, Ontario Canada. The white spruce cubic foot volume models were distributed to and are in use by land owners and managers in northern Alaska. This paper has been submitted for publication. These white spruce equations are proven to be more accurate than volume equations previously in use in Alaska. Two Master's degree students, Thomas Malone and Randy Peterson, completed their degree programs and graduated.

Publications

• Liang, J. M. Zhou. D. Verbyla. L. Zhang. A. Springsteen. T. Malone. 2011. Mapping forest dynamics under climate change: A matrix model. Forest Ecology and Management. p 2250-2262.

Progress 01/01/10 to 12/31/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Activities: -Conventional and geospatial matrix models have been calibrated and published for the Alaska boreal forest. -We extended the coverage of our forest inventory in interior Alaska, and conducted remeasurement on a number of permanent sample plots: ―10-year remeasurement of 84 plots at 28 sites in Tanana Valley and Susitina Valley ―15-year remeasurment on 54 plots at 18 sites in Tanana Valley -184 trees were cored on 46 permanent sample plots to determine site index -The PI chaired the graduate committees of a Ph.D. student, Brian Young, and two master's students, Thomas Malone and Randy Peterson. -We continued studying biomass in the upper Tanana Valley with the Tok Area State Division of Forestry. Events: -Liang presented 'Dynamics of Alaska Boreal Forest Under Climate Change' at the Forest Inventory and Analysis 2010 Symposium. Knoxville, TN. -Liang presented 'Dynamics and Management of Alaska Boreal Forests' at the 2010 Society of American Foresters and Alaska Northern Forest Cooperative Joint Meeting. Anchorage, Alaska -Malone presented 'Total and Merchantable Volume of White Spruce in Alaska' at the SAF annual state meeting and Alaska Northern Forestry Cooperative meeting, in Anchorage April 2010 -Malone presented 'Forest measurements and the forestry profession' to West Valley High School classes (2 presentations in May) -Malone presented at the wood burning forum concerning drying firewood -Malone presented at Resource Management Society about hiring summer field technicians Services: -Provided pro bono consultation services to numerous land owners and forest managers, including K&K Recycling, Susitna Valley School Board, Tok Division of Forestry, and Afognak Native Corporation. -Provided over 1200 hours of forest fieldwork training to college students and international interns. Camped out in tents for 49 nights PARTICIPANTS: Not relevant to this project. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.

Impacts
Products: -Updated the Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory (CAFI). -Make CAFI data online at the LTER Bonanza Creek Project website: http://www.lter.uaf.edu/data_detail.cfmdatafile_pkey=452 The data are available for public download free of charge. CAFI database has been used by numerous researchers including the Forest Vegetation Simulator Group of the USDA Forest Service, Lakehead University, and Forest & Land Management, Inc. -Published a conventional and a geospatial matrix model for the Alaska boreal forest. Impacts -The two forest dynamics models that are published this year mark the first density-dependent species- and size-structured forest population dynamics model for the Alaska boreal forest. The models will be valuable to forest management in the region and a wide range of research projects of other disciplines.

Publications

• 1) Liang, J., M. Zhou. 2010. A Geospatial Model of Forest Dynamics with Controlled Trend Surface. Ecological Modelling 221: 2339-2352.
• 2) Liang, J. 2010. Dynamics and Management of Alaska Boreal Forest: An All-aged Multi-species Matrix Stand Growth Model. Forest Ecology and Management 260: 491-501.
• 3) Liang, J. 2010 Does tree diversity increase forest productivity SciTopics (Invited article). http://www.scitopics.com/Does_Tree_Diversity_Increase_Forest_Producti vity.html
• 4) Liang, J. and M. Zhou. 2010 Dynamics and Management of Alaska Boreal Forest. SciTopics (Invited article). http://www.scitopics.com/Dynamics_and_Management_of_Alaska_Boreal_For est.html

Progress 01/01/09 to 12/31/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: We published our 15-year forest inventory database titled Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory (CAFI. We extended the coverage of our forest inventory in interior Alaska, with 36 new permanent sample plots established in the Tanana Valley and Dalton Highway. We conducted 5-year remeasurement of 18 plots, 10-year remeasurement of 45 plots, and 15-year remeasurement of 12 plots. The PI chaired the graduate committees of a Ph.D. student, Brian Young, and two master's students, Thomas Malone and Randy Peterson. We published our studies on bark thickness of white spruce in interior Alaska. We continued studying biomass in the upper Tanana Valley with the Tok Area State Division of Forestry. The PI completed a geospatial matrix growth model for the boreal forests in interior Alaska. We also trained four students and one volunteer with 1920 hours of fieldwork in interior and south-central Alaska. We presented 'White Spruce in Alaska' at the SAF annual state meeting and Alaska Northern Forestry Cooperative meeting, in Fairbanks April 2009. -We also presented 'Forest measurements and the forestry profession' to West Valley High School classes three times in 2009.We presented 'Bootstrap Simulation and Response Surface Optimization in Forest Management' at CORS-INFORMS International Conference in Toronto, Canada. Consultation services were provided to numerous land owners and forest managers, including Tanana Chief Conference, Tok Division of Forestry, and Afognak Native Corporation. The first comprehensive forest inventory database of Alaska, CAFI was published and shared with numerous researchers including the Forest Vegetation Simulator Group of the USDA Forest Service and UAF Institute of Arctic Biology. The model to estimate bark thickness of white spruce in interior Alaska was published and we completed a geospatial matrix growth model for the boreal forests in interior Alaska. PARTICIPANTS: Jingjing Liang, Principal Investigator, Assistant Professor of Forest Sciences. School of Natural Resources & Agri. Sciences. Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station.UAF. Tom Malone, Research Technician, Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station. School of Natural Resources & Agri. Sciences. UAF. Trained four students and one volunteer with 1920 hours of fieldwork in interior and south-central Alaska. TARGET AUDIENCES: Researchers, foresters, forest land owners and managers, government agencies, educators, students, native corporations, general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The completion of the forest inventory database in interior Alaska is the only existing comprehensive forest inventory database for the region. It provides useful data to study boreal forest dynamics and productivity, woody biomass regeneration, and forest fires and health. The database is important for the social and economic development of Alaska, especially for rural communities. The bark thickness model provides accurate estimates of the bark thickness for white spruce trees in Alaska for a wide array of future studies, including forest growth and yield, biomass, and bioenergy. It is also in demand by landowners and forest managers to support their management decisions.

Publications

• Liang, J. and J. Buongiorno. 2009 Optimizing Wood Quality and Stand Diversity in Uneven-aged Forest Management. In: R.A. Monserud and D. Dykstra (Editor), 2007 IUFRO Conference on Forest Growth and Timber Quality, Portland, OR. p169-176. Malone, T., Liang, J. 2010. A bark thickness model for white spruce in Alaska northern forests. International Journal of Forest Research
• Malone, T., Liang, J. and Packee., E.C., 2009. Cooperative Alaska Forest Inventory, USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, PNW-GTR-785. Portland, OR. 42p.