FOREST ECOLOGY ANDMANAGEMENT NEWSA Newsletter for Department of Forest Ecology and Management Alumni, Staff, and Students

Volume 8, Number 1 February 2005

News fromthe Chair

Alumni Update

FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT NEWS is pub-lished by the Department of ForestEcology and Management

Please send comments and news to:Dept. of Forest Ecology and

Management1630 Linden DriveUniversity of Wisconsin-MadisonMadison, WI 53706-1598Tel. 608-262-9975 Fax 608-262-9922Email: <rpguries@wisc.edu> or<forestecology@mailplus.wisc.edu>Web site: <http://forest.wisc.edu>

Winter’s grip is loosening (not that itwas ever very tight in Madison), but theLegislature seems intent on retaining atight grip on the University’s pursestrings in 2005-06. We anticipate another(smaller) budget cut for the coming yearto deal with the state’s continuing budgetdeficit. We remain optimistic that eco-nomic indicators do reflect an improvingfiscal situation for state government, butit has yet to be seen here. Still, there isgood news to report from several quar-ters, as you will see inside.

This issue features the work of Prof.Tom Gower, one of our most productiveand enterprising faculty, who continuesto conduct important ecological researchin northern forests. I hesitate at times tofeature only one member of our facultybecause everyone here continues towork hard and demonstrate what avibrant educational community UW-Madison remains. There will be moresuch features in the future.

We also have recruited some very tal-ented graduate students who joined usfall semester. I continue to be impressedwith the motivation and creativity of ourgraduate (and undergraduate) students.We expect big things from this cohort.

We recently updated our web site(http://forest.wisc.edu) and are fine tun-

ing it now to add more useful links. Ifyou have not visited the site in severalmonths, please visit it again. We’d likeyour opinion as to what changes wouldmake it even more user friendly.

Our undergraduate students continueto succeed, both here and once theyreach the professional world. Commentsfrom several recent grads are noted inthe Alumni Update. And we continue tohear from older alumni, and occasional-ly find them visiting with their off-spring. It can be a bit of a shock comingface to face with “son of …” but we arealways pleased to discover that yourmemories of Madison are positive andthat you now want your children toexperience life here. Keep them coming.

— Ray Guries

Swift Corwin (B.S. 1981) and his son,Swifty, stopped by the department to sayhello and Ray Guries snapped a pictureof father and son (pictured below, Swifton the left, Swifty on the right). Swiftyis a high school senior and was scoutingcolleges. No pressure, Swifty, but youcan’t do better than UW-Madison.

Guenther Castillon (B.S. 2002)checked in from Huron Shores rangerstation in Oscoda, Michigan. He sayshe’s enjoying his work and the people heworks with. His responsibilities run the

gamut from writing stand managementprescriptions and environmental assess-ments, conducting prescribed burns,marking timber, laying out sales, andeven doing some timber theft investiga-tive work. Before you feel too sorry forGuenther’s heavy work schedule, hereports that he’s also squeezed in somefishing and kayaking. His co-workershave also introduced him to grouse andduck hunting. Guenther’s email addressis: <gcastillon@fs.fed.us>.

Sarah Zenner (B.S. 2003) is fortunateto spend this winter in Florida. Sheaccepted a seasonal position atEverglades National Park at ParkHeadquarters in the Pine Island District.She works at the Ernest F. Coe VisitorCenter part of the time and conductsranger-led programs the rest of the time.Her ranger programs include a couple ofguided walks, a bicycle tour, a “sloughslog,” and an evening campfire program.Sarah says she hopes to return to theGrand Tetons National Park later thisyear for her third summer season there.Sarah’s email is: <smzenner@uwalum-ni.com>.

Jussi Uusivuori (Ph.D. 1990) reports achange of employment. He has beenappointed a Professor at the FinnishForest Research Institute (METLA) inHelsinki. His new email address is:<Jussi.Uusivuori@metla.fi>.

Bruce Michie (Ph.D. 1981) visited thedepartment and gave a presentation onthe problems of conducting timber

Alumni Update continues on page 2

Page 2 FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT NEWS

Alumni Update, continued from page 1inventories in Russia. Bruce works forthe European Forest Institute (EFI) inFinland. His current work focuses onrefining a system to analyze internation-al forest products trade data. Bruce’semail is: <Bruce.Michie@efi.fi>.Cory Secher (B.S. 2001) recentlyaccepted a full-time, permanent positionwith the Colorado State Forest Service.He has begun training for the role ofAssistant District Forester-BoulderDistrict, which will involve the newchore of running district budgets. Healso continues training for wildland fire-fighting and just received Crew Bossand Engine Boss certification. Cory’semail address is: <secher1@msn.com>.Ricardo Scarpa (Ph.D. 1999) hasaccepted an appointment as Professor inEnvironmental Economics at theUniversity of Waikato in New Zealand.He leaves his current position at theUniversity of York in February. At thetime this newsletter was printed, we didnot yet have his new email address.

For several days in early December, the UW's Stock Pavilion was transformedinto a Christmas tree wonderland filled with fantastic fir scents and attractive

wreaths. According to Forestry and Recreation Resources Club President, JoeSchwantes, more than 400 white pines, balsam, and Fraser fir trees were sold tobecome the holiday focal point in many homes. The Club raised some $6,000from the tree sale to support club activities as well as to provide financial supportfor "Summer Camp" at Kemp Natural Resources Station and the "Spring Trip"tour of forests and forestry management practices in the southern U.S. Withfinancial help from the 2004 tree sale, a new activity has been added. ProfessorDon Field will lead a group of Recreation Resources Management majors on aSpring Break work-learn experience at the Land Between the Lakes NationalRecreation Area in Tennessee and Kentucky. The annual fund raiser also helpspay for convention attendance (several students traveled to Edmonton, Alberta,for last Fall's SAF conven-tion) and technical trainingclasses, such as chain-sawand wildland fire safetyclasses. Over two dozenstudents and several facultymembers donated their timeto help wide-eyed shoppersfind the "perfect tree." Welook forward to anothersuccessful tree sale inDecember 2005. If you livein the greater Madison area,this is the place to come foryour future trees.

Annual Christmas Tree Sale is Another Holiday Success

Club member Kaitlyn Schott helps a buyer choosejust the right tree. (Photo by Gene Summers)

Students Learn the Basicsof Wildland Firefighting

Student News

The Forestry and Recreation Clubsponsored a three-day Wildland

Fire Training Workshop during twoweekends in January. The class wasoffered to students and other interest-ed participants who wished to learnmore about wildland fire behaviorand control techniques. The classwas supported by the WisconsinDNR and was taught by Mr. LarrySchmidt, a retired DNR ranger. Aftercompleting the training modules, stu-dents are eligible to earn a "redcard," which is required for federalwildfire employment purposes. De-

spite the long hours and sacrificedweekends, the class was attended by14 students and one Forest Serviceemployee. There will be one moreSaturday event during which partici-pants will be able to gain hands-onexperience with fire suppression bylearning how to lay hose, make firelines, and extinguish fires. TheWildland Fire Training Workshopprovided a great opportunity to learnoutside the classroom and will beoffered again in the future.

— Submitted by Joe Schwantes,club president

Mo Zhou wins Best StudentPaper awardCongratulations to Ph.D. student MoZhou, who received the Best StudentPaper award in Oct. 2004 at the Mid-west Forest Economists and Mensur-ationists conference in Grand Rapids,MI. Her winning paper is titled “Testfor Market Integration of SoftwoodSaw-timber Stumpage in the South-ern U.S. with Space-time Models.”Mo is working with Prof. JosephBuongiorno. Her degree interestsfocus on optimizing forest manage-ment in a stochastic environment formultiple use with interests in thesouthern pine stumpage market.

Page 3FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT NEWS

Congratulations to ourDecember Graduates

B.S. Recreation ResourcesManagement: Sarah Herzberg

M.S. ForestryMichael LaBissoniereThesis: Understanding the Impactsof Foreign Competition in theWisconsin Wood Furniture Industry

Richard (Rick) D. Bergman (rbergman@wisc.edu) – I amworking on a Masters degree and with Prof. Scott Bowe. TheMasters thesis is to develop a Life Cycle Inventory (LCI) forhardwood lumber production in the northeastern UnitedStates. I received a B.S. in Chemical Engineering from UW-Madison then spent six years in the U.S. Navy as a sub-mariner, and received an Associate Degree in Electromechan-ical Technology two years later. I work at the Forest ProductsLab doing research on lumber drying. I enjoy walking, some-times with our dog depending on the weather, and travelingwith my wife, Debra, and stepdaughter, Danielle.

Julia Burton (jiburton@wisc.edu) – I am a Ph.D. studentworking with Prof. David Mladenoff and others on theFlambeau Experiment. We are examining how canopy gapsaffect patterns of species composition and diversity in under-story plant communities in space and time and the importanceof those patterns to larger-scale processes. Originally from theprairie-forest border region of Illinois, I migrated to Madisonfrom St. Paul, where I obtained my M.S. comparing primaryand secondary forests on the North Shore of Lake Superior. Ialso have a B.S. in Forestry from UW-Stevens Point. My hob-bies include botanizing, canoeing, hiking, and birding.

Chris Caldwell (cmcaldwell@wisc.edu) – I am working withProf. Scott Bowe toward a wood science degree to compli-ment the work I am doing at the Forest Products Lab'sPerformance Engineered Composites unit. I enjoy working atthe lab because most of the ideas that are researched hereexhibit a vision that looks toward future generational needsand not just present needs. I am a member of the MenomineeNation in Wisconsin, where the forest has always been a partof our culture and decisions concerning our natural resourceshave been made with that same vision.

Rebecca Gass (rgass@wisc.edu) ) – I am a Master’s degreecandidate working with Prof. Mark Rickenbach. My researchinvolves developing policy mechanisms that foster cross-boundary cooperation among private forest owners. I have aB.A. in Political Science from Colorado State University. Forthe past two years, I have worked for the Wis. DNR, Divisionof Forestry in the State Forest program. This position helpedme to see how I could successfully marry my background inpolicy and my interest in natural resources. I grew up innorthern Wisconsin and was wearing wool knickers and x-country skiing from the time I could walk. When the snowmelts, you can find me running the trails in the Arboretum.

Corey Halpin (chalpin@cs.wisc.edu) – I am a new Master'sdegree candidate working with Prof. Craig Lorimer. Myresearch will focus on developing computer models of forestgrowth and statistical validation of those models. I grew up inReedsburg (a small town in Wisconsin near Wisconsin Dells)but now live in Madison with my wife and two step-kids. Ireceived my B.S. in Electrical Engineering and ComputerScience here at Madison and became interested in forestrythrough a part-time job at the Forest Products Lab during myundergraduate work.

Sarah Mittlefehldt (mittlefehldt@wisc.edu) – Currently, I amworking on a Ph.D. in Forest Ecology & Management withProf. Nancy Langston. My research will focus on the historyof community-based watershed management in northernWisconsin. I received my MEd from Harvard University inenvironmental science education and enjoyed designing anundergraduate degree in social ecology at Carleton College.When not busy with the books, you can find me on a porchsomewhere, playing bluegrass on my bass fiddle or enjoyingWisconsin’s plethora of outdoor activities.

New grads, continues on page 4

Ph.D. ForestryEdward BartellThesis: Characteristics that Influ-ence the Awareness and Involvementof Small Communities in Wisconsin’sUrban Forestry Grant Program

Jenny CarneyThesis: Variation in Growth of TwoDominant Grasses at a Central NewMexico Ecotone for Two Years withContrasting Climates

Greg ClendenningThesis: Seasonal Homeowners,Community Change, and NaturalResources Management in theAmenity Rich Exurbs of theWisconsin Pine Barrens

Howard NelsonThesis: Tropical Forest Ecosystemsof Trinidad: Ecological Patterns andPublic Perception

Welcome New Forest Ecology and Management Graduate Students

Page 4 FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT NEWS

Student describes internship experienceat Olympic National Park

By Greg Jaeger

Iam a Recreational ResourcesManagement major in the

Department of Forest Ecology andManagement. I just finished myinternship experience at OlympicNational Park in Port Angeles,Washington. My internship waswith the Natural ResourceDivision of the National ParkService.While interning at the park, myjob was to assist my boss with herresearch in analyz-ing the true humanimpact upon thepark and also to dorestoration projectsthat would hopeful-ly combat theeffects humans have inflicted ontothe land. Before starting my job, I wentthrough special training where Ilearned wilderness survival tac-tics, first aid training, search-and-rescue training, and aviation safe-ty. I was part of a crew that went

out on the park trails and completedfield inventory surveys. We wouldnote the conditions of the man-madestructures within the park, note areasthat had been heavily impacted byhumans, and also measure how longthe trails were. We measured thetrails as accurately as possible usingGPS units. This helped the GISstaff create more accurate maps andhelped the maintenance crew set itsmaintenance priorities. I also workedin the park’s greenhouse where wepropagated plants from seed collect-

ed from restorationproject areas.Near the end ofmy internship wecontinued ourrestoration projectby planting these

plants in the park and also delineat-ing the trails by using course, woodydebris. I am very appreciative of my intern-ship because it has shown me whatit takes to become a successful parkmanager/employee.

RecreationResourcesManagement stu -dent Greg Jaegertakes time outduring his recentinternship atOlympic NationalPark to enjoy thescenic Washing-ton coast. Photoby Tanguy Valois

‘. . . my internship hasshown me what it takes tobecome a successful parkmanager/employee.’

New grads, continued from page 3Jordan Muss (muss@wisc.edu) – Mygeographic history is broad. I grew up inTexas, lived in D.C., worked in theChicagoland area, and recently emigrat-ed from South Florida just ahead of thehurricanes. I have a B.S. in ComputerScience from Northwestern and an M.S.in Environmental Science from FloridaAtlantic University. For the past 5 years,I was tooling around in the FloridaEverglades in an airboat, studying SouthFlorida's patterned peatlands. Now, as aPh.D. student working with Prof. DavidMladenoff, I will be examining thebroad and fine scale effects of forestcover on the hydrology of Lake Superiorwatersheds. My extracurricular interestsinclude running, trap and skeet shooting,and other outdoor activities.

Shawn P. Serbin (serbin@wisc.edu) – Iam an entering Master's degree candi-date working with Prof. Tom Gower. Ireceived a B.A. in Information Systemsand Development with a minor in GISfrom Michigan State University. Myresearch interests involve the use ofremote sensing techniques to examinethe effects of global and regional climatechange on the physical and biophysicalprocesses of terrestrial ecosystems. I amcurrently working on a project looking atvalidating the use satellite data to quanti-fy critical vegetation canopy parametersthat influence carbon exchange betweenboreal forests and the atmosphere.

Ingrid Van Herk (vanherk@wisc.edu) –I am a Masters student working withProf. Tom Gower. My research willfocus on the effects of climate change onwater movement through the boreal for-est. This is based on Dr. Gower's largerBoreal Forest Warming Project in north-ern Manitoba, Canada. I am originallyfrom Morinville, Alberta, Canada. Icompleted my BSc in ConservationBiology at the University of Alberta. Ithen worked for Dr. Gower on theBoreal Forest Warming Project. Whennot working or studying, I enjoy camp-ing, canoeing, and traveling, taking anyopportunity to see different places.

Page 5FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT NEWS

You might say the whole world is awaiting theresults of a couple of research projects Professor

Stith T. (Tom) Gower currently hasunderway. The projects seek todetermine what impact globalwarming might have on borealforests, the second most commonforest type in the world. Borealforests comprise a band of predomi-nantly evergreen coniferous forestsacross high latitudes in Canada,Russia, Alaska, and smaller partsof China and Scandinavian coun-ties. The U.S. Department of

Energy has funded Prof.Gower and research col-leagues to construct alu-minum-frame chambersthat look like a crossbetween the set for a sci-fifilm and high-tech corncribs. Many of the materi-als used to build the struc-tures were delivered to thestaging area nearThompson, Manitoba, bysemi-trucks from Madisonand were lifted to theresearch site by helicopter.

The project involveslaying heating cables undera half-acre area of soil andbuilding chambers fromaluminum frames 25 ft. indiameter around plots ofsix to eight young blackspruce trees. The air tem-perature inside the cham-bers and soil beneath thechambers is heated 5degrees C. above the tem-perature in the adjacentcontrol plots. All the envi-ronmental conditions arecontrolled electronically,

with data transmitted to UW-Madison via satellite. Of particular interest is the effect the warmed soil

has on the release of carbon dioxide produced from car-bon stored in the soil in the form of dead organic mat-ter. “We use the warmed chambers nested on soilwarming plots to examine the direct effects of ecosys-tem warming,” says Prof. Gower. The chambers allowProf. Gower and his fellow researchers to adjust thetemperature within the chambers while the chambershelp minimize changes in radiation, humidity, and car-bon dioxide concentration. The project builds onGower’s earlier work in northern Wisconsin andSweden. Cooperators in the project include ManitobaHydro, Manitoba Conservation, and the Swedish

University of AgriculturalSciences.

A second three-year proj-ect, also based in Manitoba,explores the impact of wild-fires on the growth of vege-tation in boreal forests.Prof. Gower hopes thisNASA and NSF fundedproject will advance hislong-term efforts to linkfield measurements, remotesensing, and ecosystemmodeling to quantify theeffects of global change onthe carbon budget of borealforests.

Prof. Gower and fellowresearch scientist, DougAhl, theorize that forest dis-turbance, especially wild-fire, plays a role in the trendtoward earlier “green-up” inthe spring. Fire frequency innorthern Manitoba andSaskatchewan boreal forestshas increased by 200% ormore in the last 20 years.Gower and Ahl hope theirresults will demonstrate a

Gower continues on page 6

Faculty Feature - Prof. Stith T. (Tom) Gower

Prof. Gower and his research colleagues constructedaluminum-frame chambers to enclosed plots of blackspruce trees. Air in the chambers is heated 5 degrees C.above that in the control plots.

Prof. Tom Gowerand his horse“Saqr.”

Page 6 FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT NEWS

Gower continued from page 5link between the increased number offires and the corresponding earlier green-up. They have set up light sensors ineight study stands of trees to measure theamount of light absorbed by the canopy,which can be used to quantify the phe-nology of the forest. These data can thenbe compared to MODIS satellite data.Watch future issues of this newsletter forproject results.

Prof. Gower has been on the facultyin the department since 1987. Hereceived his undergraduate degree atFurman University, his M.S. in ForestEcology and Soil Science at NorthCarolina State University, and his Ph.D.in Forest Ecology at the University ofWashington. He and his wife, Connie,have two daughters. When he has the

Prof. Buongiorno receivesaward from IUFROProf. Joseph Buongiorno was recentlynamed a recipient of the InternationalUnion of Forest Research Organizations(IUFRO) Scientific Achievement Award.The award, to be presented during theXXII IUFRO World Congress in Augustin Brisbane, Australia, recognizes indi-viduals for their scientific achievementsand for promoting forestry research.

Prof. Lorimer’s CANOPYresearch receives grantProf. Craig Lorimer received a grantfrom the U.S. Forest Service to study theeffectiveness of silvicultural treatmentsin restoring the development of old-growth features in northern hardwoods.The Wis. DNR, which is initiating acompanion field study of these practiceson four research sites across northernWisconsin, is a cooperator on the proj-

ect. The immediate goal of the project isto use a computer model to simulate thelong-term effects of these treatments onforest habitat structure, growth, andyield. These predictions will then becompared with observed tree responsesfrom the DNR field study. Prof. Lorimerand graduate students Jake Hanson,Corey Halpin, and Jayne Vanderwerkerare developing a model calledCANOPY which simulates the growthof tree crowns and can mimic the small-scale processes of gap formation and

closure. It will also incorporate featuresof natural disturbances regimes such asperiodic windstorms. There will also bea regeneration module that predicts thedensity and species composition ofsaplings in response to disturbance. Thecalibration data is based on records ofmore than 14,000 trees from permanentand temporary plots in managed,unmanaged, and old-growth stands.Model development is currently underway, and preliminary results are expect-ed in 2006.

time, Prof. Gower enjoys endurancehorse racing with his daughters. Racesrange in length from 25 to 100 miles,with mandatory horse checks every 12 –20 miles to ensure the horse is metaboli-cally and structurally sound. Prof.Gower says he finds the sport is espe-cially intriguing because you mustunderstand how to (1) train and condi-tion horses, (2) manage equine physiolo-gy to ensure their diet and supplements(including the special concoctions eachrider makes up to keep the horse’s elec-trolyte and glucose levels optimum) areoptimal, and (3) create strategy to peakhorses for certain races.

Many of the materials used to build thealuminum frame structures were lifted by

helicopter to the research site nearThompson, Manitoba.

Department News

Below is CANOPY's depiction of a 1 ha stand in the Menominee Indian Reservation.

Page 7FOREST ECOLOGY AND MANAGEMENT NEWS

Forest Ecology and Management Capital Fund

We invite you to join us in our efforts to establish a capital fund. Proceeds will be used to support a range ofresearch and instruction activities, help cover the costs of the summer field camp and the southern trip, and toupgrade research space in Russell Labs.

I/we would like to donate: ____ $25 ____ $50 ____ $75 ____ $100 ____ Other _________________________(please specify amount)

I/we would like to pledge $______ each year for ______ years.

I/we would like to donate $_______ to the Graduate Student Travel Fund.

Please charge my gift of $________ to my (please circle): Mastercard Visa American Express

Card Number: __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ - __ __ __ __ Card Expiration Date: ____________________

Cardholder’s Name (please print)______________________________________________________________________

Cardholder’s Signature____________________________________________ Date ____________________________

Name(s)____________________________________________________________________________________________

Street Address ______________________________________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip ______________________________________________________________________________________

If paying by check, please make your gift payable to UW Foundation Forestry Fund, University of Wisconsin Foundation, 1848 University Avenue, P.O. Box 8860, Madison, WI 53708-8860

The Department of Forest Ecology and Management was fortunate in 2004 to receive a number of gener-ous donations. We would like to publicly thank each of you for your contribution and continuing inter-

est in our department, programs, and students. The funds are sometimes tagged for a specific use by thedonor. Other donations support undergraduate scholarships and educational activities, student attendance atprofessional meetings, and special development projects. Below is a listing of contributors.

A heartfelt thank you to our donors

Thomas AlbrechtTerrence BushGregory ColbyConnor FoundationSwift CorwinPatrick and Harriett CulbertRonald and Maureen GieseHamilton Roddis FoundationWilliam HasseRonald HillJoseph House and Lori

Wendricks House

Bruce JohnsonLincoln Financial Group

FoundationDavid LiskaMadison Community FoundationMarilyn McDoleIsabel McKayBlair OrrHeidi and Jeffrey PrestemonThaddeus PyrekLorraine and Richard Ranney

Daniel SchmoldtMartin SchuettpelzJennifer and Jeff SorensonJeffrey and Sandra StierThomas StrakaAlan TatzelMichael WagnerKenneth WeberGregory WinkelsXcel Energy ServicesSteven Zieroth

Alumni UpdateWe’d like to hear what’s new with you, your family, career, etc. Please complete

and return the form below or e-mail the information to <rpguries@wisc.edu>.

Name: _______________________________________________________________________________

Degree and Date Received: ______________________________________________________________

Address: _____________________________________________________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________ Tel No. _______________ Fax No. _______________

Current employer and position: ___________________________________________________________

News to share: ________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Please return the above form to:Department of Forest Ecology and Management

1630 Linden DriveUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison

Madison, WI 53706