John Punches web page

Brief Biosketch
John Punches is an Associate Professor in the Department of Wood Science and Engineering. He has an Extension appointment and serves as the Extension Forester in Douglas County. His office is located off campus in Roseburg. John teaches a wide array of forestry classes for adult audiences, including silviculture, reforestation, vegetation management, tree health, harvesting, marketing, and forest business considerations. He is active in forestry curriculum development for non-industrial forestland owners, and hosts an annual forestry outdoor school for 5th grade students. John's research emphasizes tree growth processes, wood quality, and wood utilization. In addition to his wood science and forestry responsibilities, John serves as the administrator (staff chair) in the Douglas County Extension Office.

News/Announcements:

New paper on how silviculture impacts wood quality now available!

Education and Background

Education

Ph.D. (2005-in progress) Forest Science, Oregon State University

M.S. (1993) Wood Science and Forest Products, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

B.S. (1990) Forestry, Michigan Technological University

Professional Experience

2000 to present, Associate Professor, Wood Science & Engineering

2002-2003, Interim Staff Chair, Josephine County

1995 to present, Staff Chair, Douglas County

1994 to present, Extension Forester, Douglas County

1994-2000, Assistant Professor, Wood Science & Engineering

Professional Activities

Member, Forest Products Society, 1993 to present

(Secretary, Marketing Technical Interest Group, 1998-2004.

Chair, Electronic Communications Technical Interest Group, 2000-02.

Member Society of American Foresters, 1988 to present.

External reviewer for: Forest Products Journal CSREES NRI

Awards

Extension Forestry Awesome Force Award

Xi Sigma Pi National Forestry Honor Society

Current Grants

Expanding forest-related education in Douglas County (2004). $110,240.

Current Research

Architecture and hydraulic features of Douglas-fir crowns in managed stands

Availability of large-diameter and small diameter on private lands in Western Oregon

Selected Extension Courses Click here for Upcoming Programs

Introduction to Forest Ecology and Silviculture.

Introduction to Reforestation and Vegetation Management

Introduction to Forest Health

Forest Business Considerations

Forest Road Maintenance

Forest Watersheds

Forest Wildlife and Fisheries

Introduction to Timber Harvesting

Marketing TImber Products

Measuring TImber Products

The Basics of Forest Inventory

Managing Wood Quality through Silviculture

Introduction to Conifer Physiology

Botany Basics

Introduction to Plant Physiology

Publications Click here for fact sheets for small woodland owners

Punches, J. 2004. Tree Growth, Forest Management, and Their Implications for Wood Quality. PNW 576 , 8 pages, illustrated.

Funck, J.W., Brunner, C.C., Punches, J.W. and Forrer, J.B. 2004. Small trees mean looking at small products. In: SmallWood 2004: Creating Solutions for Using Small Trees, May 18-21, Sacramento, CA, Forest Products Society, p. 22

Barbour, R.J., Parry, D.L., Punches, j., Forsman, J. and Ross, R. 2003. AUTOSAW Simulations of lumber recovery for small-diameter Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine from southwestern Oregon. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. Research Note: PNW-RN-543.

Punches, J. 2003. Constructing extension curricula to enhance family forestland management. IN: Proceedings 6th IUFRO Extension Working Party Symposium. Building Capacity through Extension Best Practices. September 28-October 3, 2003. Troutdale, Oregon.

Wang, X., Ross, R., Punches, J., Barbour, R.J., Forsman, J.W. and Erickson, J.R. 2003. Evaluation of small-diameter timber for value-added manufacturing - a stress wave approach. IN: Proceedings, 2nd international precision forestry Symposium. June 15-17, 2003. Seattle, Washington. p. 91-96.

Wang, X., Ross, R.J., Brashaw, B.K., Punches, J., Erickson, J.R., Forsman, J.W. and Pellerin, R. 2003. Diameter effect on stress wave evaluation of modulus of elasticity of logs (submitted to Wood and Fiber Science).

Fell, D., Hansen, E. and Punches, J. 2002. Segmenting single-family homebuilders on a measure of innovativeness. Forest Products Journal 52(6):28-34.

Punches, J. 2002. Resource Management Planning Curriculum. Modules include: Introduction to Resource Mgmt., Family Forestland Resources, Business and Legal Considerations, Cover Sheet, General Description and History Statement, Identifying Goals and Objectives, Mapping Prerequisites, Mapping Family Forestland Resources, Upland Inventory, Regeneration Inventory, Riparian Inventory, Stream Inventory, Roads Inventory, Putting It All Together, 376 pp.

Hansen, E., Punches, J. and Swan, L. 2002. Assessing market feasibility for the small scale producer. Chapter IN: Sources of Marketing Information for the Forest Products Industry. Eric Hansen, ed., Oregon State University, College of Forestry, Corvallis, Oregon, pp. 5-10.

Punches, J. 2002. Evaluation of small diameter timber for value-added manufacturing: an integrated approach. Research Project Summary. Oregon State University Extension Service. 2 pages.

Punches, J. and Black, T. 2002. Alternative solid wood materials for secondary manufacturing: opportunities and constraints. Wood Industry News. 10(1):1-4.

Punches, J. 2002. Key characteristics of solid wood materials by secondary wood products manufacturing segment. Research Report. Oregon State University Extension Service, 6 pages.

Funck, J.W., Brunner, C.C., Punches, J.W. and Forrer, J.B. 2002. Simulated sawing of real log images: linking wood quality to product potential. IUFRO Working Party S5.01.04 Fourth Workshop on Connection between Forest Resources and Wood Quality: Modeling Approaches and Simulation Software. British Columbia, Canada, September 8-15, 2002.

Punches, J.W. and Black, T. 2002. Alternative solid wood materials for secondary manufacturing: opportunities and constraints. Proceedings, Small Diameter Timber Resource Management, Manufacturing and Markets Symposium. Spokane, Washington, February 25-27, pp. 265-266.

Ross, R.J., Wang, X., Erickson, J.R., Forsman, J.W., Punches, J.W. and Barbour, R.J. 2002. Evaluation of small diameter timber for value added manufacturing: stress wave analysis. Proceedings: Small diameter timber resource management, manufacturing and markets symposium. Spokane, Washington, February 25-27, p. 266.

Funck, J.W., Forrer, J.B., Brunner, C.C., Punches, J.W. 2002. Small-diameter timber: an alternative approach for determining lumber value. Proceeds: small diameter timber resource management, manufacturing and markets symposium. Spokane, Washington, February 25-27, p. 266.

Punches, J. 2001. The Prospectus Letter. IN: Basic forestry Short Course Curriculum. Oregon State University Forestry Extension, 4 pp.

Punches, J. (Ed.) 1999-2001. Basic Forestry Short Course Curriculum. Oregon State University Forestry Extension. Eleven modules distributed in 1999. Two modules distributed in 2001.

Hansen, E. and Punches, J. 1999. Developing markets for certified forest products: A case study of Collins Pine Company. Forest Products Journal 49(1):30-35.

Hansen, E. and Punches, J. 1998. Collins Pine: Lessons from a Pioneer. Chapter IN: The Business of Sustainable Forestry. John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Chicago, IL (Island Pres) ISBN 1-55963-615-7 (bound set) or 1-55963-620-3 (Collins case only); pp. 6-1 through 6-16.