Forestry & Natural Resources Webinar Series Newsletter - 02/19/2009

May 19, 2009

This seminar will discuss the current status of emerald ash borer (EAB) as well as early detection efforts. This invasive species is established in 10 U.S. states, including Wisconsin and Illinois, as well as two Canadian provinces. Although it has yet to be found in Minnesota, it is just a matter of time before EAB is discovered here. It has killed 10's of millions of ash trees since it was discovered in 2002. With Minnesota's forests containing about 870 million ash trees, we stand to lose a lot. We will help you identify this insect as well as distinguish it from native ash borers and potential look-a-likes. We will also look at the symptoms of ash trees infested with EAB. Finally this talk will tell what you can do to help if you think you have an EAB or know of ash trees you believe could be infested with EAB. (More Information...)

February 11, 2009

Climate change is expected to have significant effects on the condition and function of forested ecosystems; however, the exact nature of the stressors, their intensity, and the ensuing impacts on forests are quite uncertain. Forest managers will need to cope with this uncertainty, balancing the paucity of detailed information on future conditions against the demands of active and sustainable resource planning and management. In this context, sustainable forest management must recognize the need for ecosystems to adapt to changing climatic conditions in order to achieve desired objectives including, among other things, maintenance of habitat, production of wood, and mitigation of increased levels of atmospheric greenhouse gases. This presentation synthesizes available information on forest management options in the northeastern United States to provide a background for working with an uncertain climate future. (More Information...)

January 14, 2009

This presentation will set the stage for a broader discussion on climate change and forests by briefly examining interactions between climate change, carbon cycling, and forest sustainability. First, we’ll cover some key mechanisms and major trends in climate change, and then explore forecasts of future climate and associated uncertainty. Next, we’ll survey the global carbon cycle and the distribution of carbon in major forest ecosystems. We’ll then consider several general ecophysiological concepts and how projected changes in climate may interact with forest ecophysiology. Finally, we’ll discuss how all these considerations may combine to affect forest carbon storage and productivity in the Lake States and Northeast. (More Information...)

March 18, 2009

This presentation will introduce participants to a just-released Carbon Valuation Spreadsheet and accompanying General Technical Report (GTR) written by Ted Bilek, Peter Becker, and Tim McCabee (2008). The spreadsheet is a powerful and valuable tool available to the forestry community (target audience: consulting foresters, state foresters) to be able to interface with private landowners and help them make sound, transparent decisions as to whether participation in the voluntary carbon market is an attractive option based on a full accounting of variables. (More Information...)

February 18, 2009

An unsustainable forest harvesting practice, diameter-limit cutting, has been recognized in several scientific studies for its exploitive effects on forest growth and productivity. The webinar will address the correct role of silviculture relative to the negative impacts of diameter-limit cutting on forest growth, yield, and value. (More Information...)

April 21, 2009

Originally developed for trainees in the Certificate Course in Ecosystem Silviculture, this seminar presents silvicuture systems and terminology in the context of contemporary forest management. The collection of silviculture terms we learned in college now often seems difficult to use with current management goals and directives. Using photographs and diagrams, Dr. D'Amato has developed a presentation with clear and simple examples that demonstrate how we combine our evolving knowledge of forest ecology and development dynamics with our organization’s management goals and vision and our own professional expertise to create a desired future forest condition. (More Information...)

March 11, 2009

Dr. Zander Evans, Research Director at the Forest Guild, will discuss the lesson learned from collecting and analyzing 45 case studies of biomass removal from across the country. The biomass removals include fuel reduction treatments, stand improvement harvests, habitat improvement projects, and extraction of fuel for biomass energy plants. The discussion will focus on the importance of early and substantial public involvement, partnerships with efficient contractors, existing markets, and harvest mechanization. (More Information...)

February 17, 2009

Mr. Walsh will address the role of the Chicago Climate Exchange in reducing emissions, the important role that forestry plays in attaining this goal, and the unique challenges and opportunities we forest resource managers face in this ever-shifting climate of change. (More Information...)

February 18, 2009

An example of a peer-to-peer outreach approach. (More Information...)

February 27, 2009

This special one-hour tax program is one in a two-part program that provides an update on timber tax to assist landowners and foresters in the 2009 filing season. It will discuss timber tax law and rules on reporting income and expenses and proposed new regulations by the IRS. (More Information...)