Progress 10/01/10 to 09/30/13
Outputs
Target Audience: The following Target audiences were served by this project; 1.) California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Forest Management Regulators. 2.) California Licensed Foresters that utilize the FORSEE Growth and Yield Program 3.) Forest Managers (i.e., professional foresters) of State and Private Forests that undertake uneven-age forest management in second-growth coast redwood stands. 4.) Forest scientists focused on uneven-age forest management, developers, and users of the FORSEE Growth and Yield Model with a focus on second-growth coast redwood stands. 5.) Cal Poly students: a.) Two Cal Poly undergraduate students who completed their Senior Project. b.) One graduate student that did preliminary work on this project. 6.) USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Experiment Station 7.) University of California Berkeley scientists (e.g., Dr. Rick Standiford) with reference to the 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium 8.) Forest managers of Cal Poly’s Swanton Pacific Ranch. Changes/Problems:
Nothing Reported
What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided? The results of this McIntire-Stennis funded research work resulted in the following educational and training opportunities: Presentation and discussion with foresters and forest scientists at the 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium. Two Cal Poly students developed their Senior Project based on the data and analysis completed in this project. A forest sustainability curriculum module was developed for presentation in the NR 475 Sustainable Forest Management course for 40 undergraduate students. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? 1.) Presentation at the 2011 Coast Redwood symposium 2.) Published paper and published proceedings. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?
Nothing Reported
Impacts
What was accomplished under these goals?
a. Continuous Forest Inventory and information collected over the past 25 years for Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific Ranch and School Forest in Davenport area has been located b. A common, digital Access database for use in the FORSEE advanced computer growth, yield and stand structure programs has been developed. c. FORSEE Analysis was completed on: i. Past and current stand structure using trees per acre, basal area per acre, and volume per acre expressed as a total and by defined diameter classes. ii. Likely future growth and structural changes given current stand structures d. Tables and figures to illustrate these past, present and expected future changes have been developed e. Items a thru d was developed and presented at the 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium f. A final manuscript was submitted and published as a USDA Forest Service Technical Report.
Publications
- Type:
Other
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2011
Citation:
Undergraduate Senior Project
" Ali, D. and Cody, R. 2011. Evaluation and utilization of the Continuous Forest Inventory System at Swanton Pacific Ranch. San Luis Obispo, CA: Natural Resources Management Department, California Polytechnic State University. http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/nrmsp/3
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2012
Citation:
" Standiford, Richard B.; Weller, Theodore J.; Piirto, Douglas D.; Stuart, John D, technical coordinators. 2012. Proceedings of coast redwood forests in a changing California: A symposium for scientists and managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Type:
Conference Papers and Presentations
Status:
Published
Year Published:
2013
Citation:
" D. D. Piirto, S. E. Sink, D. Ali, S. Auten, C. Hipkin, and R. Cody. 2011. Using FORSEE and Continuous Forest Inventory Information to Evaluate Implementation of Uneven-aged Management in Santa Cruz Coast Redwood Forests. In: Standiford, Richard B.; Weller, Theodore J.; Piirto, Douglas D.; Stuart, John D, technical coordinators. 2012. Proceedings of coast redwood forests in a changing California: A symposium for scientists and managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. http://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/nrm_fac/58
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Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Three major outputs occurred. First, bi-weekly discussions have been occurring over the last two years with personnel of the California Growth and Yield Model (CAGYM) regarding use and applicability of the FORSEE model. Second, bi-weekly discussions have been occurring over the last two years with Forest Managers of Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific Ranch regarding use of Continuous Forest Inventory plots and the FORSEE model as a tool to monitor change associated with implementation of uneven-age forest management in second-growth coast redwood stands. Third, a formal presentation was made on the results of this study to forest managers, forest scientists, and the general public at the 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium. Project Director Piirto served as one of the Symposium Coordinators and author of the peer reviewed symposium proceedings. PARTICIPANTS: Piirto, Douglas D., Project Director, Cal Poly; Sink, Scott E., co-Project Director, formerly Cal Poly; Dietterick, Brian, manager, Swanton Pacific Ranch, Cal Poly; Han, William, graduate student, Cal Poly; Ali, Dominic, undergraduate student, Cal Poly; Cody, Reid, undergraduate student, Cal Poly; Hamey, Nadia, forester, Big Creek Lumber Company; Hipkin, Chris, CA growth and yield model; Krumlund, Bruce, CA growth and yield model; Standiford, Rick, UC Berkeley, 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium; Faculty, UC Davis, 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium; Faculty, CSU Humboldt, 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium; USDA Forest Service Pacific Southwest Experiment Station, 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium TARGET AUDIENCES: 1.) forest managers; 2.) foresters/silviculturists; 3.) forest scientists; 4.) general public with interest in monitoring effectiveness of silvicultural activities (uneven-age forest management) PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: The results of this project have led to development of a new McIntire Stennis project focused on monitoring and modeling implementation of uneven-age forest management at Cal Poly's Valencia property. Both projects have had and will have significant impact on existing forest science of selectively managed coast redwood stands.
Impacts
The area known as Swanton Pacific Ranch and Forest in northern Santa Cruz County has been owned and managed by California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) since 1987. Cal Poly's forest management practices are guided by the California Forest Practice Rules specific to the Southern Sub-District of the Coast District. These rules limit harvest rate of trees greater than 18 inches to 60% or less and trees between 14 to 18 inches DBH to 40% or less. Further, the maximum permitted opening size is one-half acre. Cal Poly forest managers implemented uneven-aged forest management on 1182 acres using a modified Guldin BDq approach. Cal Poly has undertaken the following uneven-aged management and salvage harvest entries: 1989-92 Pioneer THP Project; 1993 Tranquility Project; 1998 El Nino/La Nina Emergency Salvage; 2001 Valencia NTMP; 2004 Lower Little Creek THP; 2008 Swanton Pacific NTMP; and 2009 Emergency Salvage Operation following the 2009 Lockheed Fire. Whereas scientific information does exist on implementation of uneven-aged management in northern coast redwood stands at Jackson State Demonstration relatively little information is available on implementation of uneven-aged forest management for coast redwood stands in the Southern Sub-District of the Coast District in Santa Cruz County. This research study was established to use the FORSEE program and a 20 year Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) record to evaluate: 1) changes in past and current stand structure using trees per acre, basal area per acre, and volume per acre expressed as a total and by specified diameter classes; 2) likely future growth and structural changes given current stand structures; and 3) how successful our forest management approaches have been to create uneven-aged coast redwood stands given this 25-year implementation period, Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) information, FORSEE predictions, and unplanned fire events such as the 2009 Lockheed Fire. The results of our findings to date for this McIntire Stennis funded case study and associated scientific study are reported in a peer reviewed paper published by the USDA Forest Service
Publications
- Standiford, R.B.; Weller, T.J.; Piirto, D.D.; and Stuart, J.D. 2012. Proceedings of coast redwood forests in a changing California: A symposium for scientists and managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
- Piirto, D.D., Sink, S.E., Ali, D., Auten, S., Hipkin, C., and Cody, R. 2011. Using FORSEE and Continuous Forest Inventory Information to Evaluate Implementation of Uneven-aged Management in Santa Cruz Coast Redwood Forests. Page 675. Proceedings of coast redwood forests in a changing California: A symposium for scientists and managers. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-238. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture.
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Progress 01/01/11 to 12/31/11
Outputs
OUTPUTS: Over the past year, we have been able to achieve five of six objectives stated in our proposal. With the assistance of undergraduate students Dominic Ali and Reid Cody, we were able to achieve Objective 1) Locate all Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) and information collected over the past 25 years for Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific Ranch and School Forest. We also compiled data into one database and verified formatting. Objective 2) Establish a common, digital database that can in turn be used in advanced computer growth, yield and stand structure programs such as FORSEE was accomplished using Microsoft Access database software with assistance from Chris Hipkin, a consultant on the project. As part of their Senior Project, undergraduate students Dominic Ali and Reid Cody achieved Objective 3) Evaluate using the FORSEE program a) Changes in past and current stand structure using trees per acre, basal area per acre, and volume per acre expressed as a total and by specified diameter classes, and b) Likely future growth and structural changes given current stand structures. In addition, they assisted in accomplishing Objective 4) Develop tables and figures to help illustrate these changes. On June 23, 2011, we presented a paper at the 2011 Coast Redwood Symposium in Santa Cruz, California, meeting Objective 5. We have worked with peer reviewers to edit this paper and are currently awaiting its publication in the proceedings from this symposium. We are currently working to achieve Objective 6) Develop a final manuscript to submit for publication consideration in a respected applied forest science peer reviewed journal (e.g., Journal of Forestry, Western Journal of Forestry, Forest Ecology and Management). We plan to extend our project to CFI plot data from the nearby Valencia property in winter-spring 2012. We hope this dataset provides a more homogeneous database for FORSEE growth and yield projections. PARTICIPANTS: Cal Poly faculty and students (i.e., Dr. Scott Sink, Dr. Douglas D. Piirto, Mr. Dominic Ali, Mr. Reid Cody). University of California at Berkeley personnel in the form of collaboration for the Redwood Symposium given that Cal Poly was a co-sponsor. California Growth and Yield Model personnel provided advice on how to use the FORSEE Model. Institute of Finnish Forest Research (METLA) in the form of doing a critical review of the manuscript submitted to the Redwood Symposium. Swanton Pacific Ranch Forest Managers (i.e., Mr. Steve Auten). TARGET AUDIENCES: Coast redwood forest land owners in California, Coast redwood forest managers in California, Forest managers throughout the world interested in the effectiveness of using Continuous Forest Inventory plots to monitor implementation of uneven-age forest management, Forest managers throughout the world interest in FORSEE as a modeling tool. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Not relevant to this project.
Impacts
This project is intended to evaluate what stand structure changes have occurred in the coast redwood stands at Swanton Pacific School Forest as affected by implementation of uneven-age forest management and the 2009 Lockheed Fire. Three hypothesis statements were developed to guide the experimental approach to the work planned, and we have been able to verify all three. In the past year, we verified Hypothesis 1) Implementation of uneven-age forest management in coast redwood stands results in establishment of clearly observable understory age classes over time. Prior to the fire, Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) data demonstrated the formation of new age classes following harvesting activities throughout the forest. In the past year, we verified Hypothesis 2) Unplanned disturbance events such as the 2009 Lockheed Fire affect (i.e., eliminate or delay) development of new age classes in uneven-aged managed coast redwood stands. Our data demonstrated that the Lockheed Fire substantially reduced younger age classes of trees in the forest. In the past year, we verified Hypothesis 3) Utilization of Continuous Forest Inventory (CFI) data is a useful technique to assess short- and long-term effects associated with implementation of uneven-age forest management. However, due to the variability in the forest we inventoried, we found the data to be problematic statistically. This has led us to expand our research to include the nearby Valencia coast redwood forest this year. In addition to verifying our hypotheses, our research has also led to significant discussion on uneven-age forest management approaches in California, especially in regards to tanoak competition in coast redwood stands. We also found that FORSEE consistently overestimated future growth from our data. This has led to discussions with consultant Chris Hipkin about the need for regionalization of the model.
Publications
- Ali, D., and R. Cody. 2011. Evaluation and utilization of the continuous forestry inventory system at Swanton Pacific Ranch. Senior Project. California Polytechnic State University.
- Piirto, D., S. Sink, D. Ali, S. Auten, C. Hipkin, and R. Cody. In press. Using FORSEE and continuous forest inventory information to evaluate implementation of uneven-aged management in Santa Cruz County coast redwood stands. Proceedings of the 2011 Redwood Symposium.
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