This report highlights past delivery of the land-based programs and progress of mountain pine beetle research during 2003 & 2004 by the Mountain Pine Beetle Initiative, a six-year program established to address the mountain pine beetle epidemic in western Canada and to reduce the risk of future such epidemics. After an introduction on the epidemic and the Initiative, the report summarizes the accomplishments of the Private Forestlands Rehabilitation Program, the Federal Forestlands Rehabilitation Program (First Nations, National Parks, and Other Federal Forestlands components), and the research & development program (including research on ecology, forest economics, socio-economic processes & risk reduction). Finally, the next steps in the land-based and research & development programs are discussed.
"This book presents a synthesis of published information on mountain pine beetle (Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins [Coleoptera: Scolytidae]) biology and management with an emphasis on lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forests of western Canada. Intended as a reference for researchers as well as forest managers, the book covers three main subject areas: mountain pine beetle biology, management, and socioeconomic concerns. The chapters on biology cover taxonomy, life history and habits, distribution, insect-host tree interactions, development and survival, epidemiology, and outbreak history. The management section covers management strategy, survey and detection, proactive and preventive management, and decision support tools. The chapters on socioeconomic aspects include an economic examination of management programs and the utilization of post-beetle salvage timber in solid wood, panelboard, pulp and paper products."--Publisher's description.
In its first English-language edition, this book introduces the many-faceted interactions of animal populations with their habitats. From soil fauna, ants and termites to small and large herbivores, burrowing mammals and birds, the author presents a comprehensive analysis of animals and ecosystems that is as broad and varied as all nature. Chapter 2 addresses the functional role of animals in landscape ecosystems, emphasizing fluxes of energy and matter within and between ecosystems, and the effects of animals on qualitative and structural habitat change. Discussion includes chapters on the role of animal population density and the impacts of native herbivores on vegetation and habitats from the tropics to the polar regions. Cyclic mass outbreaks of species such as the larch bud moth in Switzerland, the mountain pine beetle and the African red-billed weaver bird are described and analyzed. Other chapters discuss Zoochory – the dispersal of seeds by ants, mammals and birds – and the influence of burrowing animals on soil development and geomorphology. Consideration extends to the impact of feral domestic animals. Chapter 5 focuses on problems resulting from introduction of alien animals and from re-introduction of animal species to their original habitats, discusses the effects on ecosystems of burrowing, digging and trampling by animals. The author also addresses keystone species such as kangaroo rats, termites and beavers. Chapter 6 addresses the role of animals in landscape management and nature conservation, with chapters on the impact of newcomer species such as animals introduced into Australia, New Zealand and Europe, and the consequences of reintroduction of species to original habitat. It also discusses the carrying capacity of natural habit, public attitudes toward conversation and more. The final section ponders the effects of climate on interactions between animals and their habitats.
This study is part of a series of research papers that explore the biological, social, and economic aspects of British Columbia's mountain pine beetle epidemic. The main purpose of this study was to apply and refine a model methodology to evaluate the effectiveness of landscape-scale bark beetle-management activities in reducing losses to mountain pine beetle, and to analyze the potential spread of the beetle across the study area. Specifically, the goal of this project was to address the question: what would be the likely trajectory and impacts from the current beetle outbreak under a range of alternative beetle-management regimes?
There is widespread recognition that the outbreak of mountain pine beetle (MPB) will have significant social & economic impacts on forest-based communities. This report presents the result of a vulnerability assessment in 11 British Columbia and two Alberta communities located in regions experiencing various levels of MPB activity. To assess community vulnerability, the project first builds a vulnerability framework based on social science research in the areas of climate change, community capacity, hazards management, and risk perception, as well as on focus group meetings in five of the studied communities. Variables & indicators included in this framework are then measured & combined into a vulnerability index, with index scores assigned to each community. The spatial variation in vulnerability is further illustrated using geographic information systems analysis. The final assessment reflects that vulnerability is not only a function of physical exposure to beetle activity but also of various social, economic, & political factors.
This book provides a uniquely detailed and systematic comparison of environmental forest policies and enforcement in twenty countries worldwide, covering developed, transition and developing economies. The goal is to enhance global policy learning and promote well-informed and precisely-tuned policy solutions.
Results of the 2005 annual inventory of South Dakota show 1.7 million acres of forest land in the State. Timberland accounted for more than 90 percent of the forest land area. More than 70 percent of the timberland is publicly owned. Eighty percent (1.2 billion cubic feet) of the growing-stock volume on timberland came from ponderosa pine. All live aboveground tree biomass on timberland totaled 30.3 million dry tons. Major insect problems in South Dakota's forests were mountain pine beetle and the pine engraver beetle.
