The Wind River Canopy Crane gave us a bird's eye view of cutting edge forest research. What kind of research is conducted in your area? What technologies are being used? How are you using this research in your community or program?Thursday, July 17, 2008
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In NH we have the Hubbard Brook Research Forest that is a world renowned ecosystem study site. It is managed by the US Forest Service and the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation.
They have a lot of research going on and they are welcoming to students and teachers who are interested in learning how they collect data and what they have found.
NHPLT brings teachers to HBRF to learn about ecosystem studies. They are there for 5 days in the summer 2 days in the fall, 2 days in the winter, and 2 days in the spring through a program called " A Forest for Every Classroom". More info at http://www.nhplt.org/FFEC.htm.
Many schools/students in NH collect data but often don't know what to do with it. They prefer to collect data to be used with scientists like in programs like "Forest Watch" out of the University of NH Cooperative Extension.
Here is the new book about forest research conducted at Wind River...
Forest of Time: A Century of Science at Wind River Experimental Forest
Forest of Time Book Cover Margaret Herring and Sarah Greene
Foreword by William G. Robbins
2007. 6 x 9 inches. 200 pages. B&W photographs. Timeline. Index.
ISBN 978-0-87071-185-5
Paperback, $22.95
The Wind River Experimental Forest has been called the cradle of forestry in the Pacific Northwest, a place of groundbreaking discoveries in forest genetics and ecology. Forest of Time follows one hundred years of forest science at Wind River, as social and scientific changes transformed the twentieth century and the Pacific Northwest forest itself. It is a story of discovery and blindness, of opportunities taken and missed, in a forest dedicated to long-term research.
The Forest Service began research at Wind River in 1908 to learn the secrets of the giant Douglas fir. During the course of the century, generations of scientists studied the forest, and their conclusions changed through time. Initially, Wind River scientists saw the region in need of protection from fire and careless logging. They saw scorched, cutover land that required replanting. Later they saw the forest in need of improvement, needing to be freed from pests and unprofitable species and replaced with thrifty, fast-growing plantations.
Wind River soon became a laboratory where foresters from around the world came to learn how to grow the best possible lumber in the shortest amount of time. As plantations replaced natural stands, scientists came to Wind River to explore the complexity of old-growth forest ecosystems. And today, Wind River is the center of a twenty-first-century exploration of forest canopies and the global connection between forests and atmosphere.
In Forest of Time, Margaret Herring and Sarah Greene show readers how science grows and changes in unexpected ways, much like a forest through time.
About the Authors
Margaret Herring is a science writer at Oregon State University. She has spent her career working with natural resource scientists, helping them explain the meaning and importance of their work.
Sarah Greene is a forest ecologist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Service, and she is manager of the Wind River and Cascade Head experimental forests. She also administers an interagency program to manage natural areas for research and education.
For a little different perspective on our trip to Wind River today, Harvard Forest in the eastern US has a "canopy cam."
The Harvard Forest is also home to the Fisher Museum. The museum contains a series of AMAZING dioramas (3-dimensional models)depicting changes in the forest landscape over a 300 year period. This link will show you photos of the dioramas. There is also an excellent little book called NEW ENGLAND FORESTS THROUGH TIME by David Foster and our friend Dr. John O'Keefe.
The Harvard Forest also offers educational programs for children and the community.
http://harvardforest.fas.harvard.edu/museum.html
In my area there is an old plantation called Hobcaw Barony(hobcawbarony.com)that houses the Bernard Baruch Institute that conducts marine research. USC and Clemson University both have grants that are funding research in that area. Local teachers are invited in the summer to participate in certain projects. Coastal Carolina University has also started doing research in that area also.
I know the FS has experimental forests all over the US, Theremay be one in VA- I am not sur eI know there is one in NC that researches different types of selective harvest since the FS likes to go for natural regeneration as much as possible, so they have experimented if you leave some seed trees behind - what would the optimal number. We also have some students as scientists experiments going at the Cradleof Forestry in NC where students are collecting the information on the effects of pollution on plants. We try and get more educators and FS areas to work on students as scientists program in more areas.
Sue from VA
Hi again!!! In Mexico we re doing conservation and research in protected areas, please look at www.inifap.gob and www.conanp.gob.
Currently we are linking science and local applications (please look at www.conafor.gob, "la ciencia va al bosque")
I was involved last 2003 in an EU-funded project on small-scale agroforestry rehabilitation project in the Philippines. One of the state-of-the-art technologies that the principal investigators looked into is the use of land-use modeling software that models future possibilities for the Claveria lands when managed under different land-use types. This type of research is data intensive and would require knowledgeable programmer.
On the one side, it is also important to look into how this decision-making tool could be harnessed by the farmers themselves and be able to apply in their own lands.
More work are needed, specially in disseminating useful technology to those in need.
Arvin
Hi All,
Our range scientists at the NRCS (Natural Resource Conservation Service) do plot surveys with % of ground covered by vegetation, and break it down by species and niche. I was reminded of this as I looked down from the canopy and saw trees, shrubs, and vines. Since the plants are so short on the grassland, not much technology is necessary but GPS units are helpful for plotting. Many private landowners and public entities utilize this research to manage rangeland for grazing, and public lands for wildlife habitat and forage.
Cherie
In South Brazil we have a private university researching Araucaria pine pollination.I think they are using something like a crane, but I'm not sure.
We also have been researching about how to conserve our forests and we are doing some work with our local communities too.
The only research I know about that's being conducted in the forests of the Virunga Mountains (that straddle Uganda, Rwanda and the Democractic Republic of Congo) is funded internationally and relates to the study of the endangered mountain gorilla, and the threats to its survival.
The Karisoke Research Center was officially created by Dian Fossey in 1967, as she established her research camp in Rwanda, between Mt. Visoke and Mt. Karisimbi. Although her original focus was on study of the mountain gorillas, she soon realized that if they were to survive, they would require protection as well. Among the threats were poachers who set snares in the forest (in the Virungas this was mainly for other animals such as antelope), cattle grazing, and human encroachment into the forest.
Throughout the years, the emphasis on both research and protection continued at Karisoke, although research was slowed or halted during certain periods of civil unrest. Karisoke’s facilities were built and destroyed a number of times throughout the years, and today have been moved to the nearby town of Musanze (formerly Ruhengeri), with outposts in the forest where needed. In recent years, Karisoke has also added programs geared toward education and health in local communities.
Today, the Karisoke Research Center employs some 80 staff members, with more than half of these in research, protection and monitoring of the gorillas. Other staff include education, health, and administrative staff.
Deepak
I would love to see more specific research going on in Nepal. We do not have the kind of facility we saw today in the canopy crane.
Government has set up 10 bio-genetic research stations in various ecological regions which needs to be up and running in the future.
Development agencies such as the British had two experimental stations in east and west of the country which did valuable research but after it was handed over to the government much of the activities has stopped.
US government through USAID and in turn WINROCK continues to carry out important forest and agriculture related researches on individual basis to post graduate students and professionals.
Other donor driven research activities are also carried out through various agencies such as the Danes, Australians, Germans and UNDP.
In future either regional or district level research stations needs to be made operational to ensure good research leading to improved and multiple use of the forest sector including harvesting timeber and for improved forest products.
NTFP has great potential as well in the Himalayan region including for herbal and medicinal plants. Out of nearly 7,000 species only around 200 have been researched and around 10 species used for commercial products.
Much much more needs to be done and I am inspired by the works going on in USA.
Deepak
Luckily my area includes the Wind River Canopy. I know that there is also research in the Tillamook forest. Also the metro lands near our school is collecting data on their restoration projects. I am sure there is lots of research being done at sights in Portland as well but this is definitely something I need to look into more. I am more aware of projects being done in certain areas instead of the research they are conducting. I would really love to find some projects that my students can collect data for because I know that would make their experience more meaningful. I hope to look into this more.
Deepak
On the Commercial sector a large transnational Indian company with modern facilities called DABUR has set up research and development factory and farm in the Kathmandu valley with outreach throughout Nepal.
It is producing a number of ayurvedic and herbal medical products, beauty products and other products from NTFP and is also helping farmers cultivate cash crops such as belladonna or parythrum for medicinal purpose, insecticide, pesticide and mosquitoes repellent.
However, the corporate sector R&D are more restrictive and not open to private or community benefits.
A German Private Investor has experimented with olive trees and is producing good olives from a 100 acre forest just outside Kathmandu valley.
Forest products such as aloe vera is also being experimented in the lowland forest near the India border.
Deepak
I’m sorry but I can’t really answer this question. I only know one research area next to where I live. It’s kind of experimental research from the Hohenheim University in Stuttgart (agriculture). But only the researchers and the students have access to this area.
Tina
We visit the Canpoy station of USFS, I am so happy and experience the very top travel. Many things I can not think what they will be, but as they happened, we have many many other things to think to do...... it is amuszing.
"no the first step, you will no chance to begine the second step". USFS built this tower, and have the chance to join the US eddy flux, following many chances come out, monitoring the branches respiration, monitoring the butterfly's behavor, monitoring the different species dynamic (color, health condition, insect, even fire impact etc.). It remind us, we should try as long as we have chance, maybe another big chance waiting for us, who knows......
Many good presentations feed me, they made me know what happend surrounding me? JUst a big banquet, sharing your things with others is a happy thing.
Tomorrow, many adventures waiting for us, I waiting and waiting......
For a country like India the social aspects of forest management is a highly pertinent and the most challenging aspect of sustainable forest management. Joint forest management (JFM) is a novel social experiment that the government of India undertook to protect and regenerate the forests of India. The JFM program is being used by a number of NGOs and educational institutes as a starting point for conducting various sustainable forest management researches.
Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) is one of the premier forestry research institutes in India. IIFM’s joint forest management research includes, behavioral analysis of the human components, marketing aspects of non-timber forest products, economic development of the people, ecological aspects of protected forest and their productivity among other things.
Tata Energy Research Institute (TERI)in New Delhi, another premier research institute in India, studied the institutional framework for JFM. TERI studied the technology and suitable silvicultural practices for increasing the productivity of degraded forests through participation of local communities.
In the past few years our area has found more and more money to research the Lake Superior Basin. There are many researchers with the Environmental Protection Agency and Minnesota Pollution Contol Agency.
One of the biggest efforts I have experienced from these efforts are the conferences that they hold to share their research with local educators.
Close to my old forestry school in Goettingen, Germany, we have a research forest in the small mountain range Solling. It is run by the college of forestry in Goettingen. The facilities are only open for researchers and students from the college of forestry.
The facilities were set up in the seventies when acid rain was a big topic. They have a climatology tower that has three platforms you can reach, two within the canopy and one above. Temperature, humidity, wind and other data is constantly collected on that tower.
They also set up soil sensors in some of the stands. Lots of other research is going on there.
Bianca
As mentioned on the drive over to the canopy crane, Bob Marshall was a young forester and very colorful character who worked at Wind River in the early days. He went on to be founder of the small but influential "Wilderness Society" (ENGO) in the US and was a persistant leader and reformer working inside the US Forest Service to protect large tracts of public land from commercial development. He also proposed, like many socialists and conservationsists did at the time, public ownership or at least public management of nearly ALL forest lands in US ("the greatest good..."). His fascinating but long out of print book, THE PEOPLE'S FOREST, was recently re-published by University of Wisconsin. Although Marshall died in 1939, legislation to formally and systemically do this led to the national Wilderness Act of 1964. One of the largest of these reserved areas is in Montana and is now called the Bob Marshall Wilderness or "The Bob" for short:
http://www.foresthistory.org/Publications/FHT/FHTSpring2002/DrivenWild.pdf
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Marshall_%28wilderness_activist%29
In Tillamook there is a great deal of research being conducted on watersheds and water quality. Salmon return is always an issue. Fish and Wildlife and State Forestry are also heavily involved in current research. It has taught me a great deal about how related forestry is to water!
We also have many students at the high school conducting research on invasive species and alternative energy sources. One is making biodiesel from scotch broom, for instance! It is quite exciting and has possibly huge implications of creating fuel from local problem sources! Here's a link to an interview with Hayden - not that I recommend the DJ, but the kid is stellar!
http://www.wgaw1340.com/lars/ths-student-hayden-bush-talks-to-lars-about-weeds-to-biofuel/
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