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Nontimber Resource Measurements

Nontimber Resource Measurements. USFS manages lands for. Range Recreation Timber Watershed Wildlife and Fish. Non-timber uses of forests. Nursery plants Bulbs, transplants, etc. Arts, crafts, and floral harvesting Pine cones, vines, moss, mistletoe, limbs, etc.

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Nontimber Resource Measurements

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  1. Nontimber Resource Measurements

  2. USFS manages lands for • Range • Recreation • Timber • Watershed • Wildlife and Fish

  3. Non-timber uses of forests • Nursery plants • Bulbs, transplants, etc. • Arts, crafts, and floral harvesting • Pine cones, vines, moss, mistletoe, limbs, etc. • Regeneration and silviculture uses • Cones, nuts, seed, cuttings, etc. • Edible fruits, nuts, berries, and sap • Fungi, mushrooms, ferns, etc. • Grazing forage • Grass, hay, alfalfa, etc. • Herbs and medicinals • Roots, wildflowers, etc.

  4. Other • Christmas trees • Fuelwood • Posts • Etc.

  5. Forest Grazing • USFS has a major branch that deals with rangelands. • Done properly, grazing is compatible with forest production. • Forests can provide shelter for livestock. • Must match type of livestock to forest.

  6. Carrying capacity annual forage production X seasonal utilization rateCC = ------------------------------------------------------------------- average daily intake X length of grazing season Example for cattle

  7. Forage • Crown density needs to be reduced until forage plants can receive light, nutrients, and moisture. • Measured with Spherical Densiometers • Thick forest canopies also increase stands risk to insect damage, diseases, and fire.

  8. Spherical Densiometer

  9. Recreation • Can measure slope steepness, soil stability and other indicators to determine the forests’ ability to handle traffic and recreation use.

  10. Universal Soil Loss Equation • A = R X LS X K X C X P • A = predicted soil loss in tons per acre per year • R = rainfall erosivity factor • LS = slope Length and Steepness • K = Soil Erodibility Factor • C = cover factor • P = erosion-control Practice factor • For recreation calculations, P = 1 so ignored

  11. USLE • A = R K LS C P • R is the rainfall factor • R = SEI • E is the Energy in the Rainfall • I is the maximum half-hour rainfall intensity for the storm. • R varies with the climate at a particular location.

  12. Average Annual Rainfall Factor (R)

  13. USLE • A = R K LS C P • K is the soil erodibility factor • (tons/acre/unit of R) • K depends on the type of soil • Texture • Clay and Organic Matter Content • Structure, Permeability, Drainage

  14. USLE K-factors

  15. USLE • A = R K LS C P • LS is the field topography factor • L is the slope length factor • S is the slope degree factor • L = 1 for a field length of 72.6 feet • S = 1 for a field slope of 9% • LS is a ratio of erosion for the given condition to erosion for the standard

  16. USLE • A = R K LS C P • C is the Cropping and management factor • C is a ratio of the erosion rate for the given condition to the erosion rate for the standard condition • The standard condition is a bare soil • All other conditions will have C<1 • C also depends on rainfall timing

  17. USLE C-Factor • Continuous Fallow 1.00 • Fresh Clean-Tilled Seedbed 0.80 • Corn at Full Canopy 0.25 • Established Thick Meadow 0.004 • Established Meadow Poor Cover 0.1 • Typical Rowcrop Annual Value 0.40 • Native Forest 0.01

  18. USLE A = R K LS C P • P is the factor for supporting conservation practices. • The standard condition for P is direct up-and-down the slope cultivation. • P will be less than one for all other conditions. • P depends on field slope

  19. CONSERVATION PRACTICE FACTOR: P • The P-factor is the ratio of soil loss under the given condition to soil loss from up-and-down-slope farming. Therefore it is a value between 0 and 1 • Contour plowing, terrace farming, etc. • Not used in forests so P = 1.

  20. USLE EXAMPLE – KY Forest • A = R K LS C P • A = 150 X .12 X 20 X .01 X 1 • A = 3.6 tons/acre/year • For sandy loam soil on a long 45% slope • For different soils on flatter slopes much less i.e. change to a 35% slope, A = 1.8 • KY soil formation is roughly 1.7 tons/acre/year

  21. Sawtimber • Using the methods we have studied – Fixed Plot and Variable Point • Can be used for timber of smaller sizes used for poles/posts and pulp also

  22. Agroforestry • Can intercrop rows of trees with rows of crops in plantations • Crops such as wheat or soybeans can produce annual returns while waiting for the forest to mature. Can be done with walnut trees etc. Those with periodic nut crops help financially even more. • Would need to measure soil productivity and tree spacing for this intensely managed area.

  23. Water • Point versus Non-point source pollution • Soil erosion is a non-point source pollutant

  24. Water Volume Measurement • Generally accomplished via calculating the cross sectional area of the channel and using a flow meter to get volume • For permanent monitoring installations, weirs and flumes are used

  25. Water speed varies

  26. Flow rate measure

  27. Channel volume

  28. Weir

  29. For V-notch weirs, the formula varies depending on the angle of the V-notch. The formula for weirs having V-notch angles of 90, 60 and 45 degrees is • Q = k * h^2.5, where the value of k is 2.5, 1.443 or 1.035, respectively. For a V-notch weir having an angle of 30 degrees, the formula is Q = 0.685 h^2.45. There are also online sources for doing this calculation.

  30. Flume

  31. Water Quality Measurement • Dissolved Oxygen • pH • Specific Conductance • Temperature • Total Chlorophyll • Total Dissolved Solids (Turbidity) • Additional chemicals

  32. Best Management Practices • Help prevent water degradation • KY BMP Field Guide

  33. Wildlife • Specific habitat measurement and management (promotion or retardation) for certain species • Measure available cover, food (animal or vegetable), population estimates, etc. • Generally a properly managed timber stand is a good place for wildlife as well.

  34. Exceptions • Wildlife species that have evolved to need very mature trees and/or large contiguous tracts of undisturbed forests. • Red-cockaded woodpecker, spotted owl, etc. • Before BMPs - logging often ruined habitat for rare fish and mollusks (too much sediment for extended time, higher temperatures, etc.)

  35. Forest wildlife food sources

  36. Harmful in large numbers • Species known to damage forests: • Bear, beaver, deer, elk, gophers, mice, pig, porcupine, rabbit, vole. • Physical damage to trees or overeating of seeds for regeneration. • Control measures: Hunting, Trapping

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