Productivity Of Western Forests A Forest Products Focus

In August 20-23, 2004, a conference was held in Kamilche, WA, with the title S2Productivity of Western Forests: A Forest Products Focus. S3 The meeting brought together researchers and practitioners interested in discussing the economic and biological factors influencing wood production and value. One of the underlying assumptions of the meeting organizers was that management activities would be practiced within a framework of sustaining or improving site productivity; thus, several papers deal with methods to protect or improve productivity or discuss new studies designed to test the effects of various practices. This proceedings includes 11 papers based on oral presentations at the conference, 3 papers based on posters and 2 papers describing the Fall River and Matlock Long-Term Site Productivity study areas visited on the field tours. The papers cover subjects on forest harvesting activities, stand establishment, silviculture, site productivity, remote sensing, and wood product technologies.

This workshop brought together researchers & practitioners who discussed the economic & biological factors influencing wood production & value. Management activities would be practiced within a framework of sustaining or improving site productivity; thus, several papers deal with methods to protect or improve productivity or discuss new studies designed to test the effects of various practices. This pub. includes 11 papers based on oral presentations at the conf., 3 papers based on posters, & 2 papers describing the Fall River & Matlock Long-Term Site Productivity study areas visited on the field tours. The papers cover: forest harvesting activities, stand establishment, silviculture, site productivity, remote sensing, & wood product technologies. Illus.

In August 20-23, 2004, a conference was held in Kamilche, WA, with the title "Productivity of Western Forests: A Forest Products Focus." The meeting brought together researchers and practitioners interested in discussing the economic and biological factors influencing wood production and value. One of the underlying assumptions of the meeting org a n i z e r s was that management activities would be practiced within a framework of sustaining or improving site productivity; thus, several papers deal with methods to protect or improve productivity or discuss new studies designed to test the effects o f various practices. This proceedings includes 11 papers based on oral presentations at the conference, 3 papers based on posters and 2 papers describing the Fall River and Matlock Long-Term Site Productivity study areas visited on the field tours. The papers cover subjects on forest harvesting activities, stand establishment, silviculture, site p r o d u c t i v i t y, remote sensing, and wood product technologies.

Silvicultural practices in the Douglas-fir region evolved through a combination of formal research, observation, and practical experience of forest managers and silviculturists, and changing economic and social factors. This process began more than a century ago and still continues. It has had a great influence on the economic well-being of the region and on the present characteristics of the regions forests. This long history is unknown to most of the public, and much of it is unfamiliar to many natural resource specialists outside (and even within) the field of silviculture. We trace the history of how we got where we are today and the contribution of silvicultural research to the evolution of forest practices. We give special attention to the large body of information developed in the first half of the past century that is becoming increasingly unfamiliar to both operational foresters andperhaps more importantlyto those engaged in forestry research. We also discuss some current trends in silviculture and silviculture-related research.