Francesco Cortini, Philip G. Comeau, Jacob O. Boateng and Lorne Bedford
Article: Yield Implications of Site Preparation Treatments for Lodgepole Pine and White Spruce in Northern British Columbia
Forests 2010, 1(1), 25-48; doi:10.3390/f1010025 - published online 15 March 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: We evaluated the effects of site preparation treatments on growth of lodgepole pine and white spruce in north-eastern British Columbia, Canada. These treatments can provide yield gains of up to 10 percent for lodgepole pine and white spruce at 60 and 80 years, respectively (estimated using TASS). Stands of these two species are showing a Type 1 response. Using growth multipliers, based on measurements collected at ages 10 to 20 results in inflated estimates of potential yield responses while the age-shift method provides the most appropriate estimates of yield gains when measured during the first 20 years of growth.

Ian Scanlan, Chris McElhinny and Perpetua Turner
Article: A Methodology for Modelling Canopy Structure: An Exploratory Analysis in the Tall Wet Eucalypt Forests of Southern Tasmania
Forests 2010, 1(1), 4-24; doi:10.3390/f1010004 - published online 1 February 2010
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: A ground-based methodology is presented for spatially modelling forest canopy structure. Field measurements and allometric relationships are used to predict the profiles of free-growing tree crowns on the basis of stem diameter at breast height (dbh). These profiles are incorporated into three-dimensional canopy models using AutoCAD™ technical drawing software and field data describing the genus, dbh and relative positions of all trees greater than 10 cm dbh; critically, our models account for the effects of competition for light between neighbouring crowns. By horizontally partitioning the models, the presence of distinct strata and the dominant genera associated with each stratum can be identified. Our methodology is applicable to other forest ecosystems as a research tool for investigating changes in vertical structure, and for calibrating remote sensing technologies in order to map and monitor canopy structural variation across forested landscapes.

Eric J. Jokela
Editorial: Forests: An International and Multi-disciplinary Scientific Open Access Journal
Forests 2010, 1(1), 1-3; doi:10.3390/f1010001 - published online 17 November 2009
Show/Hide AbstractAbstract: Natural and man-made forests serve many facets of society, including the production and consumption of forest products, provision of various environmental services such as clean air and water, soil protection, sources for critical endangered species habitats, and home for about 80% of the world’s terrestrial biodiversity. Throughout the world, forests are essential for offsetting poverty by contributing to the livelihood of the poor, and providing a foundation for the sustainable economic development of many countries. [...]