Departmental Publications, Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation

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The 1972 Virginia Outdoor Recreation Inventory
Leuschner, William A.; Groves, David L.; Bolger, William T.; Stokes, Gerald L. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1974)
The Virginia Commission of Outdoor Recreation coordinated the inventorying of outdoor recreation facilities in the state between June and December, 1972. The inventory is an integral part of the Virginia Outdoors Plan Information System. Its primary purpose was to provide data for the Commission to formulate and write the statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan. However, the intended use of these data was much broader. It was envisaged that they would be useful for other planning activities, such as those conducted by federal and state agencies or the 22 Planning District Commissions in Virginia, as well as for various research activities, special studies, and teaching. The purpose of this publication is threefold. The first is to encourage further use of the data by informing the public of its existence and the specific variables contained therein. The second is to present a limited but comprehensive set of data which can be used to answer general inquiries and which will save interested parties the trouble of writing to obtain it. Finally, we wish to inform the public of the availability of the data in other forms which may better suit individual needs but which would be too numerous to publish in this bulletin.
The 1977 Virginia Outdoor Recreation Demand Survey
Roggenbuck, Joseph W. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1978)
Knowledge of the present and projected public demand for outdoor recreation is a key element in the planning of a comprehensive system of outdoor recreation opportunities throughout Virginia. Public preferences for outdoor recreation experiences have changed dramatically in recent years, and formal measures of demand at any point in time remain only approximate. Nevertheless, demand analyses that are based upon the premise of satisfying public needs--as the public defines them--have a solid basis in the traditions and policies of governmental service agencies, and do provide a general guide for the planning, acquisition and development of outdoor recreation lands and facilities. This outdoor recreation demand booklet, published by the School of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in cooperation with the Virginia Commission of Outdoor Recreation, has three general purposes. The first is to provide federal, state and local agencies and organizations with responsibilities for the provision of outdoor recreation services with guidelines on current and projected demand for recreation activities by state, region, and locality. The second is to make the demand estimates easily available to agencies and organizations whose responsibilities do not include outdoor recreation but whose activities may impinge upon that system. Finally, the data contained here should be useful in various research activities, special studies, and teaching regarding the Virginia outdoor recreation system.
The 1977 Virginia Outdoor Recreation Needs Assessment
Roggenbuck, Joseph W. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1978)
This outdoor recreation needs assessment booklet, published by the School of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, in cooperation with the Virginia Commission of Outdoor Recreation, has three general purposes. Its primary purpose is to provide guidelines on the amount and location of current and projected needs for additional outdoor recreational opportunities to federal, state, and local agencies and organizations with responsibilities for the provision of outdoor recreation services. The second is to make the needs estimates easily available to agencies and organizations whose responsibilities do not include outdoor recreation, but whose activities may impinge upon that system. Finally, the data contained here should be useful in various research activities, special studies, and teaching regarding the Virginia outdoor recreation system. Need for outdoor recreation land and facilities, as defined in this booklet, represents the difference between demand for and supply of outdoor recreation opportunities. As such, a needs assessment requires the previous calculation of present and projected recreation demand and a thorough inventory of existing recreation supply. These analyses were accomplished in 1977 and have been published as the 1977 Virginia Outdoor Recreation Demand Survey and the 1977 Virginia Outdoor Recreation Inventory. Copies of these booklets are available from the Virginia Commission of Outdoor Recreation. Since the needs estimates are dependent upon the ever-changing demand for and supply of outdoor recreation lands and facilities, the figures contained in this booklet are only approximate. The estimates should be viewed as providing general guidelines for decision-making, and not as precise measures of current deficiencies in the state's outdoor recreation system.
The 1977 Virginia Outdoor Recreation Survey
Spittle, Gerald D.; Buhyoff, Gregory J.; Davy, John R. Jr.; McElwee, Robert L. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1978)
The Virginia Commission of Outdoor Recreation coordinated through the Planning District Commissions an inventory of statewide recreation resources between April, 1977 and September, 1977. The School of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, transferred the data into a computerized retrieval system from which this summary booklet was derived. This inventory is an integral part of the Virginia Outdoors Plan Information System. Its primary purpose is to provide information enabling the Commission to formulate and write the statewide comprehensive outdoor recreation plan. It is also envisaged that this data be used for other planning activities, such as those conducted by federal and state agencies or the 22 Planning District Commissions in Virginia, as well as for various research activities, special studies, and teaching. The purpose of this publication is threefold. The first is to encourage further use of the data it contains by informing the public of the specific type of information available. The second is to present a comprehensive set of data which can be used to answer general inquiries about the nature and distribution of recreation resources in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Finally, it is to advise that this data is available in other forms which may better suit individual needs but which would be too numerous to publish in this bulletin.
2018 Annual Report: Virginia Big Tree Program
Wiseman, P. Eric (Virginia Tech. Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, 2018)
The Virginia Big Tree Program is a public outreach program coordinated by Virginia Cooperative Extension and the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech. The program maintains a register of the 3 largest specimens of over 300 native, non-native, and naturalized tree species. This annual report details program accomplishments in 2018, including Big Tree reports, national rankings, and student intern contributions.
Aids for Unit Planning on the Appalachian National Forests
Burkhart, Harold E.; Leuschner, William A.; Stuck, R. Dean; Porter, John R.; Reynolds, Marion R. Jr. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1976)
This report summarizes the results of studies conducted in response to a cooperative agreement between the Southern Region, U.S. Forest Service and the Department of Forestry and Forest Products, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The objective of the agreement was to improve National Forest management planning techniques. The agreement covered the period July 1, 1973 to June 30, 1975. Literature citations are given for those who desire additional detail.
An Analysis of Several Alternatives to Oil As an Industrial Fuel
Kluender, Richard A.; Reisinger, Thomas W.; Farrar, Kenneth D.; Stuart, William B. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1981-10)
This paper presents an analysis of some significant factors that should be evaluated when considering alternatives to oil burning boilers. Managers contemplating using or increasing the use of wood for energy should find the analysis particularly pertinent. A fundamental assumption of the analysis is that additional boiler capacity is to be added to an existing power generating facility. The method of analysis provides a yearly cash flow stream that tells how much better off the installation would be with an alternative to oil. A logical extension of this is the ran king of alternatives from most to least attractive.
A Comparison of Growth and Yield Prediction Models for Loblolly Pine
Burkhart, Harold E.; Cao, Quang V.; Ware, Kenneth D. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1981)
The objective of the study reported here was to analyze published growth and yield systems for loblolly pine, characterizing the nature of the data on which the study was based, specifying what input information is needed, and stating what output estimates and predictions are obtainable. Predicted values from various studies are also compared vis-a-vis those from other investigations, and, where possible, conclusions and recommendations are drawn.
A Computer Program Package For Use With the Southern Pine Seed Orchard Inventory-Monitoring System
Merkle, Scott A.; Feret, Peter P.; Bramlett, David L.; Queijo, Donald L. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1982)
Southern pine seed orchards covering more than 10,000 acres currently produce over 160,000 pounds of improved seed having a potential of 1 billion seedlings annually. By the year 2000, annual seed production · is expected to reach 500,000 pounds. Seed orchards not only represent potential for improved growth, wood quality and pest resistance, but they also represent a large capital investment in orchard establishment and equipment and the ~ignificant annual costs of orchard maintenance, protection and harvesting. Since the immediate goal of the seed orchard investment is the annual production of cones and seed, the task of the seed orchard manager could be greatly lightened by a system that will forecast annual cone and seed crops and monitor production efficiency. Such a system has been developed by Bramlett and Godbee (1982). In the Inventory- Moni taring System (IMS) a set of sample trees are chosen from the seed orchard population. Then, based on the survival of cones on tagged sample branches in each sample tree, the expected number of cones and seed from the orchard can be predicted as early as 18 months prior to cone harvest. Bramlett and Godbee (1982) detailed various procedures for the selection of sample trees as well as methods for choosing sample branches and conducting flower, cone let and cone counts. Besides providing guidelines for data collection in the orchard, the authors also defined the variables used in the calculation of predicted cone and seed yields, including cone efficiency, seed potential, seed efficiency, extraction efficiency and germination efficiency. They showed how to compute (or update) the values of these variables and how to apply them in models to calculate predicted bushels of cones, predicted pounds of seed, predicted number of seedlings and other predicted values for the orchard. In addition to these predicted values, Bramlett and Godbee (1982) also demonstrated how the IMS can be used by the orchard manager to evaluate orchard productivity, identify the factors reducing yields, and formulate corrective action, including fertilization and pest management. Because a great deal of record-keeping and repetitive mathematical operations are involved in the IMS, it is ideally suited to computerization. A computerized version of the IMS not only has the advantage of efficient data storage and manipulation, but it also makes possible the application of more sophisticated mathematical models as they become available, and facilitates the utilization of productivity data accumulated from year to year to improve the accuracy of the system.
Computer-Implemented Simulation as a Planning Aid for State Fisheries Management Agencies
Clark, Richard D., Jr.; Lackey, Robert T. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1975)
A basic job of fisheries management agencies is to forecast the demand and produce the necessary supply of fishing opportunities. Present day angling consumption rates often exceed managers' ability to supply fishing opportunities of the desired quality. Therefore, a primary means for improving fisheries management may be to regulate angling consumption. Operations research techniques are well suited for handling the complexities involved with planning multiple action policies for regulating angler consumption. PISCES is a computer-implemented simulator of the inland fisheries management system of Tennessee, but is adaptable for use in any state. The purpose of PISCES is to aid in planning fisheries management decision policies at the macro-level. PISCES generates predictions of how fisheries management agency activities will affect angler use for a fiscal year. Subjective probability distributions for random variables and Monte Carlo simulation techniques are employed to produce an expected value and standard deviation for each prediction. Test runs under realistic hypothetical situations and discussions with personnel of Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency suggest that PISCES may help fisheries management agencies to improve budget allocation decisions, to formulate multiple action policies for regulating angler use, and to enhance fisheries development. A hypothetical application of PISCES in Tennessee is given.
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.
Cultural, Management and Economic Research Needed To Assist the Non-Industrial Private Forest Landowner in the Southeastern U.S. - a Problem Analysis -
McElwee, Robert L.; Hall, Otis F. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1982)
Much attention has been directed in recent years to finding ways of increasing the productivity of private non-industrial forest land ownerships in the South. Justification for the interest directed towards this ownership lies in its collective size, physical accessibility, potential for intensive management and the annual erosion of land base and growing stock of southern forests. Non-industrial private owners collectively are a most influential group, in position to shape the future posture of forestry and the quantity and quality of bbenefits to be obtained from forest lands. The manner in which these landowners husband their ownerships will determine progress made in arresting soil erosion, providing adequate supplies of potable water, maintaining a wildlife resource for consumptive and non-consumptive uses, continuing forest environments as a locale for recreational uses, and assuring a continuing supply of timber at reasonable costs for an expanding population. There is little doubt concerning the need to encourage greater production from these lands. By its sheer size, the non-industrial private ownership is the key to achieving gains in forest production. This ownership controls more than 70 percent of the forest land in the South. These owners must provide the major means of meeting projected increased needs in the goods and services derived from forest lands. As later paragraphs show, anticipated future needs surpass present productivity for southern pine. The productive potential exists tor the South to meet anticipated future needs, but to do so the non-industrial private ownerships must increase the amount of forest land supporting southern pines and must husband more intensively the southern pine forest. Non-industrial private landowners are a diverse group. They vary widely in their methods and reasons for acquiring forest properties, objectives of ownership, knowledge of forest management, financial capabilities and interests in enhancing the productive and financial values of their properties. Motivation is often lacking for them to enhance the value of their ownerships by increasing production. To define research priorities to assist these owners, a cooperative effort was initiated by the Southeastern Forest Experiment Station of the U.S. Forest Service, the Virginia Division of Forestry and the School of Forestry and Wildlife Resources at Virginia Tech. Some funding was provided by the Station and a Problem Analysis Team organized. This team met three times during 1981, planned the approach taken, reviewed and made suggestions on the sequence of manuscript revisions, and participated in the ranking of research priorities. Suggestions, preliminary manuscript review, and research priority ranking were solicited from a Technical Review Panel (See Appendix A). The resulting analysis presented here is a synthesis of the viewpoints of individuals representing governmental agencies, associations, wood-using industry, private landowners and forestry educators throughout the southern pine region. The prime objective is to assure an adequate supply lo southern pine to meet projected needs, while assuring non-industrial private landowners that investments in forest production are financially sound.
Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Annual Report 2015
(Virginia Tech, 2015)
This is the annual report for the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation for the 2015/2016 academic year.
Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation Annual Report 2018
(Virginia Tech. Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation, 2018)
This is the 2018 annual report for the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation.
Diameter Distributions and Yields of Natural Stands of Loblolly Pine
Burk, Thomas E.; Burkhart, Harold E. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1984)
A diameter distribution yield model was developed based upon measurements of 117 0.1-acre temporary plots located in naturally regenerated loblolly pine stands in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of Virginia and the Coastal Plain of North Carolina. Diameter distributions were derived using the Weibull density function by requiring that the distribution's arithmetic and quadratic means matched those predicted from stand-level attributes using regression equations. Software was written in FORTRAN and BASIC implementing the model and an existing basal area projection equation. Stand and stock tables are presented for 30-year projections from age 20 for various combinations of site index and initial basal area.
Diameter Distributions and Yields Of Thinned Loblolly Pine Plantations
Cao, Quang V.; Burkhart, Harold E.; Lemin, Ronald C., Jr. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1982)
A growth and yield model for thinned loblolly pine plantations was developed using data from 128 0.2-acre permanent plots in the Virginia Piedmont and Coastal Plain. The Weibull function, used to characterize stand diameter distributions, was searched to insure that the resulting total basal area and average dbh estimates were identical to those predicted from stand variables using regression equations. Program WTHIN was written in standard FORTRAN to provide stand and stock tables for thinned old-field loblolly pine plantations. Trials with different thinning intensities indicated reasonable trends, as compared with published studies.
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).
The Economics of Producing and Marketing Christmas Trees on Small Plantations in Virginia
Leuschner, William A.; Sellers, William A. (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1975)
The purpose of this report is to assist potential and existing Christmas tree growers in making better informed decisions on investments in small Christmas tree plantations, We seek to accomplish this by presenting cost and revenue data and an analysis system to assess probable financial returns. Potential growers should find the entire report of interest although existing growers may want to concentrate their attention on the sections containing cost and revenue data and the discussion of financial analyses.
Equations for Estimating Above-Ground Phytomass in the Understory of Appalachian Oak Forests
Martin, Wayne L.; Sharik, Terry L.; Oderwald, Richard G.; Smith, David William (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1981)
Regression equations were developed for estimating total aboveground phytomass for 17 tree and shrub species in the understory of second growth Appalachian oak forest stands in southwest Virginia. All possible combinations of three functional forms of the equation and three independent variables, singly and in combination, were tested. The linear model, with stem basal area as the independent variable, provided the best fit to the data for 15 of the 17 species. The exceptions were the blueberries (vaccinium stamineum and v. vacillans), where crown area performed better than basal area as the independent variable.
Evaluation of Ranked Set Sampling for Estimating Shrub Phytomass in Appalachian Oak Forests
Martin, Wayne L.; Sharik, Terry L.; Oderwald, Richard G.; Smith, David William (Virginia Tech. Division of Forestry and Wildlife Resources, 1980)
Ranked set sampling was introduced by McIntyre (1952) in estimating pasture yields. As described by McIntyre, the ranked set sampling procedure is implemented by first selecting a set of n elements at random from a population, and then raking those elements from lowest to highest by inspection of the variable of interest. The lowest ranked element is then measured. A second set of n elements is selected and ranked, and the second lowest element is measured. This process is continued until n such sets have been selected and n elements have been measured. The entire procedure can be repeated as many times as deemed necessary. McIntyre claimed that the ranked set estimator of the population mean was unbiased regardless of errors in ranking, and that with perfect ranking the variance of the mean from ranked set sampling would be less than that of random sampling when the number of measured elements is the same for both methods. Halls and Dell (1966) concluded that ranked set sampling was more efficient than simple random sampling in estimating pasture yields. A theoretical underpinning for ranked set sampling was provided by Dell and Clutter (1972), who also demonstrated that ranked set sampling is more efficient than random sampling even when errors in ranking are present. Ranked set sampling is clearly advantageous when measurement of an element is time consuming or costly and sample elements can be reliably ranked. The effectiveness of this technique has already been demonstrated for estimating forage and pasture yields. The objective of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of ranked set sampling for estimating shrub phytomass in forest stands.

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