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Browsing by Author "Sullivan, Alfred D."

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
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    Costs of Establishing Loblolly Pine Plantations In Virginia: Methodology and Estimates
    Thompson, Emmett F.; Shores, Michael E.; Sullivan, Alfred D. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1973-02)
    Forest regeneration decisions are among the most important that foresters make. In many instances, the cost of regeneration may be the largest cost item incurred in producing a timber crop. Accordingly, information on the cost of establishing satisfactorily stocked stands is a necessary ingredient for effective forestry decision making. This report presents a method for obtaining such information and provides cost estimates for establishing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations in Virginia.
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    Economic Guidelines for Loblolly Pine Management in Virginia
    Thompson, Emmett F.; Mantie, Robert C.; Sullivan, Alfred D.; Burkhart, Harold E. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1973-12)
    Recent studies (e.g. Southern Forest Resource Analysis Committee, 1969; U. S. Forest Service, 1972) indicate that wood requirements may exceed available supplies by the end of this century. The latest forest survey of Virginia (Knight and McClure, 1967) indicated a 15 percent excess of pine cut over pine growth As a result of this latter finding, Virginia's General Assembly passed a 1970 Reforestation of Timberlands Act. This Act provides financial assistance to private landowners to restore former pine growing lands to pine production. Virginia has clearly established a state policy of encouraging investment in forest production. However, individual landowners may have alternative uses for their land and/or capital, or they may not be fully aware of their land's potential for timber. The specific objective of this study was to develop a means for making economic data on using their land for loblolly pine production available to Virginia's individual forest landowners. The study was limited to loblolly pine for several reasons. Loblolly pine is perhaps the most important of the. timber species currently grown in Virginia, and it is expected to increase in importance.Of the 67.5 million tree seedlings planted in Virginia in 1972, 62.0 million were loblolly pine and 36.5 million of these were planted by farmers and other individuals (Virginia Forests, 1972). Loblolly pine accounts for over 90 per cent of the approximately 85 thousand acres artificially regenerated in Virginia each year (Shores, 1970). In addition, new information on the physical yields of natural stands of loblolly pine and loblolly pine plantations in Virginia has recently become available (Burkhart, et al., 1972a; Burkhart, et al., 1972b).
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    A simulation game for wildlife management planning
    Guynn, David C. (Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, 1973)
    A computer simulation model of the planning process of the wildlife management agency of an eastern sta te was constructed. The model is constructed in the form of a management game for inservice training and classroom use. The player of the game formulates a five-year operating plan for the mountainous region of the state. The plan is implemented on an annual basis and annual reports are issued to reflect how well scheduled activities. meet public demands. The player is allowed to modify the five-year operating plan after examination of the annual report. Components of the wildlife management system included in the model are: land acquisition, hunter access, habitat improvement, stocking programs, coordination with forestry practices, public relations, hunting regulations, and budget calculations. Public reaction to the planner's policies is provided on an annual basis in addition to output concerning mandays of hunting, population levels, estimates of legal and illegal harvest, and budget constraints for the following year. Verification of the model was based on subjective tests of reasonableness performed by those considered knowledgeable about the real system. Operational instructions are provided for those wishing to use the game and an example five-year run of the game is presented as a guide for use.
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    The Wildlife Management Planning Game: Administrative Manual
    Sullivan, Alfred D.; Guynn, David C. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1973-09)
    This manual has a twofold purpose: (1) to provide operating information for the game administrator, and (2) to provide documentation of the FORTRAN IV program which is the basis of the Wildlife Management Planning Game. It is assumed that the reader is already familiar with the manual entitled 11 Instructions to Participants." It provides the player with an introduction to computer simulation and describes the game itself. The Wildlife Management Planning Game provides the participant with an opportunity to make decisions in an environment of complex relationships and uncertainties. Enthusiasm and motivation in the learning experience are enhanced when the player can view the future outcome of his policy decisions and revise them with the aid of his increased "experience." Players should be allowed opportunities for policy revision and reruns during the gaming session. This allows the player to fully interpret results and formulate policy variations in an effort to improve his plan. After each play of the game, group discussions should be encouraged so that the player can benefit from the experiences of fellow students.
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    The Wildlife Management Planning Game: Instructions to Participants
    Guynn, David C.; Sullivan, Alfred D. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1973-09)
    During the spring of 1971, a project was undertaken with the objective of constructing a unique simulation game that would be helpful in improving wildlife management planning. The game would be used primarily for inservice training of state game agency personnel and as a teaching aid in university courses. In addition, it could be used to familiarize those not acquainted with wildlife management planning with the significant decision variables of the system. Through the game, these people could become better acquainted with wildlife management planning and be able to understand and appreciate some of the unique problems involved. The Wildlife Management Planning Game involves the planning processes of the wildlife management agency of an eastern state. The participant is placed in the position of a planner for a mountainous region. His primary responsibilities are scheduling management activities and setting hunting regulations. A five-year operating plan is formulated and then implemented on an annual basis. Each year, reports are issued that reflect public reaction to the planner's policies and provide information about man-days of hunting, population levels, estimates of legal and illegal harvests, and budget constraints for the following year. The planner is allowed to modify the operating plan after examination of the annual report if he feels changes are necessary or desirable. This process provides "on-the-job” learning experience by allowing the participant to see the results of his decisions at different points in time and, hopefully, of profiting from his mistakes.