United States Department of Agriculture Proceedings Forest Service 18th Central Hardwood Northern Research Station Forest Conference General Technical Report NRS-P-117 Morgantown, WV March 26-28, 2012 This document is being published in electronic format only (Web and CD). Any corrections or additions will be posted to the Web site (www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs). Cover photo of a morel mushroom by Shawn T. Grushecky, West Virginia University, used with permission. The findings and conclusions of each article in this publication are those of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Forest Service. All articles were received in digital format and were edited for uniform type and style. Each author is responsible for the accuracy and content of his or her paper. The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Forest Service of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. This publication/database reports research involving pesticides. It does not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses discussed CAUTION: here have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered PESTICIDES by appropriate State and/or Federal agencies before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife—if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and pesticide containers. Manuscript received for publication January 2013 Published by: For additional copies: U.S. FOREST SERVICE U.S. Forest Service 11 CAMPUS BLVD SUITE 200 Publications Distribution NEWTOWN SQUARE PA 19073 359 Main Road Delaware, OH 43015-8640 Fax: (740)368-0152 July 2013 Email: [email protected] Visit our homepage at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/ 18th CENTRAL HARDWOOD FOREST CONFERENCE Proceedings of a Conference held at West Virginia University Morgantown, West Virginia March 26-28, 2012 Edited by: Gary W. Miller, U.S. Forest Service Th omas M. Schuler, U.S. Forest Service Kurt W. Gottschalk, U.S. Forest Service John R. Brooks, West Virginia University Shawn T. Grushecky, West Virginia University Ben D. Spong, West Virginia University James S. Rentch, West Virginia University Sponsored by: West Virginia University Division of Forestry and Natural Resources U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station FOREWORD Th e Central Hardwood Forest Conference is a series of biennial meetings dedicated to the sustainability and improvement of Central Hardwood forest ecosystems. Th e objective of the conference is to bring together forest managers and scientists to discuss research and issues concerning the ecology and management of forests in the Central Hardwood region. Th e conference has been hosted by diff erent institutes across the region. Th e18t Central Hardwood Forest Conference was hosted by the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources of West Virginia University, and the Northern Research Station of the U.S. Forest Service. Th e conference includes presentations pertaining to biofuels and bioenergy, forest biometrics, forest ecology and physiology, forest economics, forest health including invasive species, forest soils and hydrology, geographic information systems, harvesting and utilization, silviculture, and wildlife management. Th e conference consisted of 54 oral presentations, resulting in 44 papers and 10 presentation abstracts as well as 31 poster presentations and associated abstracts published herein. Th e 19t Central Hardwood Forest Conference (2014) will be hosted by Southern Illinois University and the Northern Research Station; and the 20t Central Hardwood Forest Conference (2016) has been proposed to be hosted by Th e Pennsylvania State University and the Northern Research Station. STEERING COMMITTEE SUBJECT MATTER REVIEWERS Co-chairs: Kurt W. Gottschalk, U.S. Forest Service John R. Brooks, West Virginia University Gary W. Miller, U.S. Forest Service Kurt W. Gottschalk, U.S. Forest Service Th omas M. Schuler, U.S. Forest Service Patrick C. Tobin, U.S. Forest Service Committee members: Gary W. Miller, U.S. Forest Service Kathryn G. Arano, West Virginia University Th omas M. Schuler, U.S. Forest Service John R. Brooks, West Virginia University Patrick C. Tobin, U.S. Forest Service John W. Edwards, West Virginia University Shawn T. Grushecky, West Virginia University Kathryn G. Arano, West Virginia University Sheldon F. Owen, West Virginia University Shawn T. Grushecky, West Virginia University James S. Rentch, West Virginia University Sheldon F. Owen, West Virginia University Ben D. Spong, West Virginia University James S. Rentch, West Virginia University Nicolas P. Zegre, West Virginia University Ben D. Spong, West Virginia University Jingxin Wang, West Virginia University Nicolas P. Zegre, West Virginia University REVIEW PROCEDURES A double-blind review process was used in reviewing manuscripts for oral presentations. Each manuscript was assigned to one of the subject matter reviewers and peer-reviewed by at least two professionals. Reviews were returned to authors to revise their manuscripts. Revised manuscripts were then submitted to the Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service for fi nal editing and publishing. Th e conference editorial committee returned some of the manuscripts to the authors as being more appropriate for other outlets. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Th e Steering Committee wishes to thank all the professionals who assisted in reviewing the manuscripts for the proceedings. Th e Steering Committee is grateful to Susan Wright and other members of the Northern Research Station communications group for technical editing and publishing of these proceedings. Th anks also go to Toni Jones and Veronica Maxwell of the U.S. Forest Service in Morgantown, WV, and Joyce Coleman in Princeton, WV, for assistance with conference logistics and preparation of the proceedings. Cindy Gaspie, Karrie Ditmore, and Shane Closkey with the WVU Division of Forestry and Natural Resources were instrumental in the planning and hosting of the conference. Special thanks go to the staff of the Appalachian Hardwood Center at West Virginia University for their assistance in the planning and coordination of the 18t Central Hardwood Forest Conference. HISTORY OF THE CENTRAL HARDWOOD FOREST CONFERENCE Th is Conference is the 18t in a series of biennial meetings that have been hosted by numerous universities and USDA Forest Service Research Stations in the Central Hardwood Forest Region including: 1976 Southern Illinois University 1978 Purdue University 1980 University of Missouri 1982 University of Kentucky 1985 University of Illinois 1987 University of Tennessee 1989 Southern Illinois University and the North Central Forest Experiment Station 1991 Pennsylvania State University and the Northeastern Forest Experiment Station 1993 Purdue University and the North Central Forest Experiment Station 1995 Northeastern Forest Experiment Station and West Virginia University 1997 University of Missouri and the North Central Forest Experiment Station 1999 University of Kentucky and the Southern Research Station 2002 University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign and the North Central Research Station 2004 Ohio State University, Wooster and the Northeastern Research Station 2006 University of Tennessee, Knoxville and the Southern Research Station 2008 Purdue University and the Northern Research Station 2010 University of Kentucky and the Northern Research Station CONTENTS KEYNOTE PRESENTATIONS Initial Landscape Changes Associated with Marcellus Shale Development— Implications for Forests and Wildlife ....................................................................................................2 Margaret Brittingham, Patrick Drohan, and Joseph Bishop The Northern Forest Futures Project: Examining Past, Present, and Future Trends Affecting Forests in and around the Central Hardwood Forest Region .............................................3 Stephen Shifley BIOFUELS AND BIOENERGY Technical Challenges and Opportunities in Cogasification of Coal and Biomass ...........................5 Jagpinder Singh Brar, Kaushlendra Singh, and John Zondlo West Virginia Wood Waste from Uncharted Sources: Log Landings and Active Surface Mines ...14 Shawn T. Grushecky and Lawrence E. Osborn FOREST BIOMETRICS Growth and Yield for a 7-year-old Yellow-poplar Plantation in Northern West Virginia ................22 John R. Brooks Individual Tree, Merchantable Stem Green Weight and Volume Equations for Four Bottomland Hardwood Oak Species in Southeast Arkansas ...........................................................28 Paul F. Doruska, David W. Patterson, Matthew B. Hurd, and Jonathan I. Hartley ForestCrowns: A Software Tool for Analyzing Ground-based Digital Photographs of Forest Canopies....................................................................................................................................35 Matthew F. Winn, Sang-Mook Lee, and Philip A. Araman FOREST ECOLOGY AND PHYSIOLOGY Effect of Weed Control Treatments on Total Leaf Area of Plantation Black Walnut (Juglans Nigra) .....................................................................................................................................43