Silviculture
Douglas-fir foliage age class dynamics and nutrient flux.(Doug Maguire, Jeff DeRoss, and Doug Mainwaring)
The goal of the proposed research is to quantify patterns in Douglas-fir needle longevity and foliar chemistry under SNC and several fertilization treatments. The specific objectives are to: i) test and quantify effects of SNC, tree age/size, growth rate, and fertilization on needle size and nutrient concentration, ii) test and quantify these effects over the course of a year, iii) test and quantify these effects on needle longevity, iv) quantify seasonal dynamics of foliage retention and standardize field estimates conducted at any time of year, and v) analyze sources of sampling error during collection of foliage samples for chemicasl analysis and develop better guidelines for this sampling.
Refining techniques for detecting Swiss needle cast outbreaks in tree-ring records from the western Oregon Coast Range. (Bryan Black, Jeff Stone, and Dave Shaw)
The specific objectives of this project are to: i) refine techniques for detecting Swiss needle cast disease in the tree ring record, and ii) use the criteria to better establish a history of the disease in the 330-year tree-ring record already established for Cape Perpetua. Sampling will occur in a mature stand (80-100 years) that has experienced and since recovered from a Swiss needle cast outbreak. The growth characteristics from this period of outbreak will be analyzed and compared to a non-host tree species to establish criteria for detecting Swiss needle cast disease in the tree ring record.
Model validation
Validation of the spatial model for predicting Swiss Needle Cast distribution and severity. (Dave Shaw and Travis Woolley)
The objective of this project is to validate the previously built model for predicting Swiss needle cast severity and needle retention along the Oregon and southwestern Washington coast (Coop and Stone 2007). Needle retention data from several SNCC studies (Growth Impact Study, Precommercial Thinning and Commercial thinning studies) will be compared to output from the Swiss Needle Cast Prototype Model 2007 web interface. Recommendations will be made for calibration of the current model and future adjustments to the model. Additional needle retention plots may be installed to broaden the range of validation data across the Oregon coast range.
Soils
Response of ectomycorrhizae to Swiss Needle Cast and Soil Nutritional Factors. (Daniel Luoma and Joyce Eberhart)
The first objective of this study will be to quantify root density by ectomycorrhza types (species). This would address the hypothesis that "stress tolerant" EMF increase their dominance on roots and may reveal dominance patterns relative to functional roles EM play in nutrient uptake.
Secondly, molecular tolls will be used to identify ectomycorrhiza species. This objective will provide knowledge of which fungal species are most affected and may be essential to developing hypotheses regarding functional effects of SNC on belowground ectomycorrhizal communities.
SNC impacts on harvest, output, and markets
Impacts of Swiss Needle Cast on Timber Harvest, Forest Products Output and Timber Markets in the Pacific Northwest. (Darius Adams and Greg Latta)
This project will employ economic models of the timber markets in western Oregon and Washington to simulate the effects of SNC growth reductions on the current and future timber harvest and behavior in regional forest products markets. Three broad groups of market projections will be conducted, i)behavior assuming no growth reduction from SNC, ii) behavior assuming no management efforts to control SNC, and iii) behavior assuming various forms of management designed to reduce or modify SNC impacts.