The High Uinta Primitive Area, Utah's most popular high mountain recreation area, has a reputation as an excellent trout and grayling fishery. Proposed for inclusion in the National Wilderness Preservation System, the area faces several management dilemmas. The primary problem being that managers must protect the resource from the effects of heavy recreational use without destroying the primitive and aesthetic dimensions of wilderness environment. It appears that much impact on the more accessible lakes is due to fishing use. The objectives of the study were: (1) to determine the proportions of angling to non-angling groups; (2) to describe certain characteristics of these anglers; (3) to examine the importance of fishing and factors affecting fishing enjoyment; and (4) to determine the angler's knowledge and experience with adjacent de facto wilderness alternatives. The method of data collection was an interview questionnaire administered on Highline trail leading into the Primitive area and Notch Mountain trail leading to de facto wildlands. A conservative stratified sampling scheme was used to obtain proper representation of weekday, weekend and holiday users of both areas. Results were coded and punched for computer organization and tabulation. The results indicate that slightly more than half the groups contacted were comprised of one or more fishermen planning to fish the study area; with slightly greater proportions of anglers using the Primitive area. Over half the anglers were visiting the areas for the first time and were motivated by the desire to "escape" from routine, get outdoors, and enjoy mountain scenery. Fishing was not an important motive but was a preferred activity. Anglers of the study areas fished more than average Utah fishermen and preferred high mountain lake and stream fisheries. Anglers reported high catch rates and mostly rated the fishing as "good" . Hypothetical catch reductions did not bother anglers because as many stated , "fishing was secondary". However, the dissatisfactions of less successful anglers and the angler's desire to maintain the fishery through stocking still reveal some importance in fishing activity. Anglers also appeared to be somewhat intolerant with increased crowd levels. Most anglers were inexperienced and ignorant of de facto alternatives. It appeared that decisions regarding such alternatives were partially based on Notch Mountain standards. Also, the accessibility and high amounts of dayuse suggest that different kinds of experiences may be sought in the Notch Mountain area.

Soil samples taken from a clearcut and adjacent uncut site of a Douglas Fir and Western Hemlock old growth forest in the Cascade Range of southern Washington showed greatly reduced adult and juvenile population densities of macro-phytophagous, microphytophagous, and predatory soil acari in the clearcut. These effects appeared to be due to high lethal summer litter temperatures and reduced pore spaces due to scarification. Also, the number of species of acari in the clearcut was lower than in the control after clearcutting.

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA), the United States’ forest census, measured sixty-six Mexican spotted owl nest stands in order gain insight into the structure and composition of the nest habitat of this threatened species. I used these data, along with the greater FIA database and the Forest Vegetation Simulator to explore questions surrounding the management of Mexican spotted owl habitat, specifically how to balance the objective of sustaining and enhancing nest habitat in face of increasing forest fire size and severity in the Southwest. My research consisted of three studies. The first study quantified the structure and composition of the Mexican spotted owl nest stands and scrutinized current evaluation criteria of nest habitat. The second study estimated how much of the Southwestern landscape is at risk to high-severity crown fire and how much of the landscape is suitable Mexican spotted owl nest habitat. The third study modeled forest dynamics and silvicultural intervention in potential Mexican spotted owl nest stands. The purpose of this research is to assist in management of Southwestern forests in order to decrease fire size and severity while sustaining and enhancing current and future Mexican spotted owl nest habitat.

Dendrochronological techniques are currently limited to the identification of visible fire scars. However, through the development of new dendrochemical techniques, the potential exists to provide insight into a broader array of pyric ecosystems. In addition, the ability to identify historic climate-growth responses provides a better understanding of the conditions under which historic fire regimes occurred. This study provides the groundwork for the identification of a dendrochemical nutrient fire signature in xylem and identifies the climate-radial growth responses of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) on five sites in the Piedmont of South Carolina. Changes in N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Mn, Fe, S, and Na concentrations in xylem as a result of a single fire were examined. The influences of monthly mean temperature, monthly total precipitation, Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI), Palmer Hydrological Drought Index (PHDI), and selected ocean-atmospheric oscillations such as El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO), North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO), Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO), and Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) on radial growth using univariate and multivariate techniques were also assessed. Soil and duff analyses indicated sites were similar, but nutrient poor. Xylem mobile and immobile nutrient concentration analyses differed significantly through time for N, P, K, Ca, Mg, Zn, Cu, Mn, and S. No interactions were significant, thus identification of a nutrient fire signature was unsuccessful. The lack of significant interactions is attributed to the methodology used to collect the xylem nutrient samples; however, immobile nutrients indicate the most potential for future research. Climate-tree growth analyses indicate climate plays a role in the growth of mature loblolly pine in the South Carolina Piedmont. Temperature, precipitation, PDSI, positive phase NAO, and positive phase PDO are the primary drivers of loblolly pine radial growth. Temporal consistency results suggest drought sensitivity increases with tree age. Unlike the climate variables, the relationships between ocean-atmospheric oscillations and radial growth appear to be more cyclical in nature and only influence growth in positive phases.

The western spruce budworm, Choristoneura occidentalis Freeman (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), is a serious defoliator of conifers in the western U.S. and western Canada. In 1985 epidemic levels of the budworm caused average tree defoliation in west-central Idaho to increase to 83%, up substantially from the 35% average tree defoliation of 1984. Associated with this increase in defoliation was a change in the relative stand defolation ranking between the two years. found to damage all types and In 1985 the budworm was developmental stages of reproductive structures of Douglas- fir, including: seedcone buds, pollen-cones buds, maturing cones, and seeds. Differential selection of feeding sites was observed, with a significantly higher proportion of larvae found in seedcone buds than in pollen-cone buds. Shortly after larval emergence, 25% of the total number of seed-cones buds were infested. A subsample of 171 branch tips indicated that only 9% of pollen-cones, while less than 2% of the vegetative buds contained larvae. A total of 640 cones from 21 trees were examined. Of these cones, 76% were infested with larvae, however not all of the seeds were destroyed. The average percent of destroyed seeds per tree was found to be exponentially related to the average current defoliation of the tree.

Dissection and rearing studies of second-year cones disclosed six species of insects associated with the seeds and cones of singleleaf pinyon pine. Those most commonly encountered were: Dioryctria sp. probably albovittella Hulst, Conophthorus monophyllae Hopkins and Pineus coloradensis Gillette. The three remaining species were of lesser importance. These included the gall midge, Asynapta sp., a minor cone pest and two parasites, one of C. monophyllae, Acerocephala atroviolacea Crawford and an unidentified parasite of Dioryctria, of the family Ichneumonidae. D. sp. probably albovittella was regarded as the major insect destroying cones and seeds of P. monophylla in this study. During the 1976 growing season it attained a maximum level of 29 percent infestation. C. monophyllae occurred less frequently in this study, but probably has a higher potential for destruction in years of poor cone crops or high cone beetle populations. P. coloradensis caused negligible damage to seeds and cones, but was encountered frequently. Early in the growing season it infested a maximum of 38 percent of the cones.

Southern pine beetle (SPB; Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmerman), a native insect that has historically affected pine ecosystems in the southeastern U.S., has recently expanded northward causing extensive tree mortality in pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and pitch pine-oak (Quercus spp.) forests across much of eastern Long Island, NY. Given the historic lack of SPB within these fire-dependent ecosystems, little is known regarding its impacts to forest composition, forest structure, or fuel loading. This study examined the short-term effects of SPB-induced tree mortality on the structure, composition, and fuel loading of pitch pine and pitch pine-oak communities to inform management recommendations and projections of future forest conditions and fire hazard. Overstory pine basal area declined following SPB infestation and infestation suppression management, particularly in pitch pine forests. These treatments did not impact the density or composition of seedlings and saplings, with hardwood species, including scarlet oak (Quercus coccinea), scrub oak (Quercus ilicifolia), and black gum (Nyssa sylvatica), making up the majority of species in this layer and pine representing <6% of stems. Likelihood of herbivory was influenced partly by species, with pitch pine less likely to be browsed than white oak and scarlet oak. SPB infestation significantly increased the snag component of both forest types, which largely became downed coarse woody debris (CWD) following suppression management. Treatments did not significantly influence understory species assemblages. Understory communities in pitch pine stands were characterized by Vaccinium angustifolium prior to SPB or suppression management, with these disturbances leading to an increase in the diversity of understory communities. In contrast, infestation decreased variation in understory species assemblages in pine-oak forests and encouraged regeneration of pitch pine and scarlet oak, while suppression increased diversity largely through increases in disturbance-adapted species, such as Smilax rotundifolia. SPB infestation decreased the biomass of live fuels and subsequently increased loading of dead fuels in both forest cover types. Suppression management felled preexisting and SPB-generated snags, especially in pitch pine forests, transforming vertical fuels into horizontal CWD. Collectively, results indicate SPB could functionally eliminate pitch pine without additional management intervention to maintain this species. Suppression efforts to reduce SPB impacts may accelerate succession towards hardwood dominance, particularly in pine-oak stand, leading to dramatic shifts in forest conditions across the Long Island Pine Barrens. SPB and suppression management significantly increase dead fuel loading and felling of snags during suppression served to decrease the density of ladder fuels effectively decreasing the risk of crowning. However, heavy CWD loading may also promote volatile fire behavior. Therefore, forest managers must weigh the expected potential impacts of SPB relative to changes to fuel structure and composition generated by suppression management activities. Our results demonstrate short-term effects of SPB and suppression management. Given the limited experience with SPB in these forests and the results of this study, further research on fire behavior effects and patterns of stand development over the long-term are needed.

How plants from a common species pool form community has been considered from a variety of approaches. A promising approach involves the search for assembly rules based on plant functional traits. This approach has potential to provide insight into community and ecosystem processes In this research. a general and simple conceptual model based on life forms and independent of species is used as a framework for assessing the internal structure of plant communities. Plant functional traits are used to identify patterns within and between plant communities in the contrasting environments of Camp Williams, Utah, and Camp Grayling, Michigan. The conceptual model has three different functional types formed by one to three functional groups. A functional group, made up of species with similar life form, is analogous to a vegetation stratum. A functional type, consisting of one or more functional groups. is analogous to a community or vegetation type. Correspondence analysis (CA) and analysis of variance (ANOVA) indicate that richness, species diversity, and trait diversity are essentially independent of functional type and are, for example, fairly consistent regardless of climatic regime or structural complexity. Cover. on the other hand. increases with the number of functional groups in a functional type. Consistent patterns and trends for sets of functional traits support the view that assembly rules may account for internal structure in plant communities. The consistent association of sets of traits with functional groups even in taxonomically dissimilar communities suggests that the functional traits are related to fundamental ecological processes that shape these communities. Ambiguity in some of the results might be explained by extending the analysis to additional installations that replicate the climatic conditions found at Camp Williams and Camp Grayling.

Lodgepole pines Pinus contorta (Douglas) were treated by girdling to assess the response by an endemic population of mountain pine beetle Dendroctonus ponderosae (Hopkins) (Coleoptera: Scolytidae). Capture in 'sticky traps' indicated that the beetles were attracted while in flight towards the wounded trees. A significant difference in the landing rates of bark beetles between the treated and untreated trees indicated that the beetles were able to distinguish wounded from non-wounded trees while still in flight. Pressure chamber readings demonstrated that water stress developed in the girded trees when compared to the non-girdled trees.

The influence of aspect on water yield variability over a long period, 1936-1964, was studied at two small, mountainous watersheds within the Davis County Experimental Watershed near Farmington, Utah. North-facing Miller Creek is densely vegetated by a conifer-aspen forest and mountain brush. Miller Creek's yield was more variable for daily, monthly, seasonal, and annual flows than yields from south-west facing Halfway Creek which is covered by mountain brush. Differences between watersheds in annual yield and snowmelt season runoff were nonsignificant. The snowmelt runoff season extended for an average of 65 days on both watersheds, but it began 24 days earlier (March 29) on Halfway. Approximately 57 percent of the mean annual flow of 19.4 inches on Halfway, and 68 percent of Miller's mean annual yield of 17.9 inches occurred during the snowmelt runoff season. One-third of Halfway's annual flow and one-half of Miller's occurred during the May 15 to September 15 growing season when only one-fifth of the annual precipitation of 42 inches usually fell. The difference between the growing season flows from the two watersheds was significant, with Miller's flow greater by 3.4 inches.