Online summary with Google Maps

Our stand Gamma was located in the Waynesboro Watershed, in Franklin County, Pennsylvania. The stand is 30.4 acres in size (Also see map below in earlier blog).

We used the forth-quarter timber market sales from 2007. The total value of the stand is $73,357.42. The amount of revenue that will be received from the demonstration cuts is $5,539.83. The timber that we are cutting is mainly eastern white pine and white spruce. We had a total of 222 trees per acre, a total board feet tallied by species of 88,715 bf, a volume per acre of 9,046 bf, a total board feet for the total tract of 274,998 bf $2,413.07 value per acre, $73,357.42 value for the total tract, and 103 total ba/ac.

We also inventoried for regeneration and snags, which resulted in finding there was an average of 6.5 trees per plot, but most of that was sassafras and spicebush. Our snag findings gave us an average of 4.2 per plot, which is excellent for wildlife (woodpeckers, etc.).

Our summary recommendations were that we wanted to create a more diversified forests by creating one part of the stand into an uneven aged forest. We are creating two other Silvicultural Demonstration Models as can be seen on the map below. We also want to fix and maintain the existing roads and culverts as well as remove snags along the road for safety reasons. By seeding native grasses on landings and retired roads as well as putting up more bird boxes we will be providing habitat and food for various wildlife, such as deer (though we are not promoting them), various song birds, wood peckers, and various other small game species.

Gamma Management Plan

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Sample management plan

Our plan is diversified with four different specific plans of action to create good wildlife habitat, silvicultural demo. area, and timber harvest.

Gamma Management Plan

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Sample Management Area

Ryan, Forestry Education

Forestry Education trends and issues
Objectives for forestry schools are to have a sound forestry program that includes major courses and includes outdoor field experience. Another objective is to keep equipment up to date with technology. Other objectives include adequate rooms and good outdoor field with acceptable means of access to inventory. Forestry schools are required to become accredited, which means that they must maintain high expectations for high quality. The schools are questioned with questionnaires to check and make sure that they are doing things right. Three schools have been shut down because they fell below the standards. Most of the problems are dealing with no interest and declining enrollment. Also high tuition costs and forestry is changing from what it used to be. One more thing is having the right faulty with the knowledge needed and having the right number of faulty. The most needed skills of employees are good communication skills, both speaking and writing, able to think quickly and effectively, GIS technology, being professional and to be able to work alone as well as in a team. The research that I did matched with what the speakers were saying.

Natural Resources/Forestry Education Trends and Issues

Natural Resources are usually living resources such as forests and livestock that can renew themselves if they are not over harvested. For Forestry Education trends and issues is a concern about the number of students in forestry programs and the availability of those schools. Another point is that other countries globally are seeing that forestry is important and must be used to ensure a future for our future generations. One point that stands out is that forestry may become part of a number of other jobs ex: wildlife and fisheries work. This makes sense if our forests do not regenerate and as populations increase their will be less space for forests for agricultural crops and homes will be needed. Everyone including myself needs to do everything they can to preserve and manage our forest to ensure that future generations have this wonderful natural and renewable resource of forests. Another point is that as technology increases and changes the forestry education trends and issues will change accordingly.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_resource
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/y5382e/y5382e10.pdf
ftp://ftp.fao.org/docrep/fao/007/y5382e/y5382e02.pdf

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