treasured - alabama forestry commissionforestry.alabama.gov/.../magazine/2005_summer.pdf ·...

22nd AnnualAlabama Landowner & TREASURE Forest

ConferenceOctober 6 - 7, 2005

Auburn, ALMake your plans now! - (See pages 16-17)

TTALABAMA’S

FORESTSREASUREDREASURED

A Publication of the Alabama Forestry CommissionA Publication of the Alabama Forestry Commission

SUMMER 2005SUMMER 2005

22nd AnnualAlabama Landowner & TREASURE Forest

ConferenceOctober 6 - 7, 2005

Auburn, ALMake your plans now! - (See pages 16-17)

Every summer the media turns our attention to the western region of the UnitedStates as raging wildfires burn across the land. We watch as fires consume acresand acres of trees and in many cases, homes and other structures. We shake ourheads and say we’re glad things such as that don’t happen in Alabama.

What they never tell you is that the 13 southern states lead the nation in the number ofwildfires, averaging about 45,000 fires each year, and many areas of Alabama have thepotential for the catastrophic fires that we see out west.

With our state’s population increasing each year, more and more homes are being built inforested areas or in the interface where the urban area and wildlands meet. With this rapidincrease in urbanization, the potential for loss of life and property increases with each struc-ture that is built.

According to a newly released publication, Fire in the South: A Report by the SouthernGroup of State Foresters, the status and characteristics of the wildland fire problem in thesouthern states are changing. The growing fire problem, combined with decreasing statecapacity, is providing an environment for problems in the future.

Some of the key findings of the Fire in the South report include:

•State agencies are responsible for wildland fire suppression on 94% of the South’s 214 million acres of land. The greatest portion of this land is owned by private landowners.

•The 13 southern states produce 65% (almost two-thirds) of the nation’s wood fiber. Forest industries in the south employ more than 2.2 million workers and they contribute over $251 billion to the southern economy each year.

•The South is one of the fastest growing regions in the nation. In 2001 we were home to seven of the nation’s ten fastest growing counties.

•Because of changing demographics, traditional firefighting tactics such as prescribed fire and plowed fire breaks are more difficult to employ. With the increasing wildland/urban interface, structural losses and loss of life from wildfire will be a greater risk.

This report, along with the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment that will be released soon, provides state agencies with valuableinformation that will assist them in working with counties, cities, and communities in prioritizing and planning in order to providethe best fire protection service that we can with the resources that we have available. Hopefully, we will be able to reduce thepotential and severity of wildfires, thus providing a safer environment to work in and raise our families.

2 / Alabama’s TREASURED Forests Summer 2005

A MESSAGE FROM . . .

Alabama farmers, forest landowners, and small rural producers are some of themost productive in the world. Farm and forest products grown by Alabamianshelp to feed, clothe, and shelter thousands of people both inside and outside ourstate boundaries.

A new program is available to rural producers of all venues and sizes to help improvetheir economic incomes as well as help increase tourism dollars for the entire state.Alabama’s Agri-Tourism Trail is a partnership between the Alabama Cooperative ExtensionSystem, the Alabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel, the Alabama Department of Agricultureand Industries, and the Alabama Farmers Federation to promote the state’s rural producersand their products to tourists from around the country.

Currently over 70 rural producers and businesses are participating in the program includ-ing u-pick operations, produce stands, pumpkin patches, nurseries, TREASURE Forests,hunting opportunities, riding trails, farm bed and breakfasts, and agricultural historical sites.Specific information about the products and services these rural farmers and businesses pro-vide is available on the Trail’s web site (www.alabamaagritourism.com) where tourists

nationally and internationally can see what fresh produce, product, or agri-tourism experience is available during their stay in ortheir trip through Alabama.

Although this program will bring many benefits to our rural farmers, landowners, and entrepreneurs, one of the greatest benefitsto visitors will be the exposure to the beautiful rural areas of our state and our exceptional quality of life. The Alabama Agri-Tourism Trail will showcase the heartbeat of our state – our farms, forests, and rural businesses.

BOB RILEY

Governor, State of Alabama

TIMOTHY C. BOYCE

State Forester

Summer 2005 Alabama’s TREASURED Forests / 3

GovernorBob Riley

Alabama Forestry CommissionGary Fortenberry, ChairmanJerry Lacey, Vice ChairmanJohnny DennisTed DeVosJett FreemanDon HeathDavid Long

State ForesterTimothy C. Boyce

Assistant State ForesterRichard H. Cumbie

Administrative Division DirectorJerry M. Dwyer

Fire Division Director

Management Division DirectorBruce Springer

Northwest RegionRegional Forester Wayne StrawbridgeAsst Regional Forester, Administration Bart Williams

Northeast RegionRegional Forester Phearthur MooreAsst Regional Forester, Administration Charles Hall

Southeast RegionRegional ForesterAsst Regional Forester, Administration Dave Duckett

Southwest RegionRegional Forester Gary ColeAsst Regional Forester, Administration Otis French

Editorial BoardBruce Springer Alabama Forestry CommissionDavid Frederick Alabama Forestry CommissionElishia Ballentine Alabama Forestry CommissionGus Townes Alabama Forestry CommissionDon Stinson Alabama TREASURE Forest Assoc.Coleen Vansant Alabama Forestry Commission

EditorElishia Ballentine

Managing EditorColeen Vansant

Vol. XXIV, No. 2 Summer 2005

Alabama’s TREASURED Forests (ISSN 0894-9654) is published quarterly by the Alabama ForestryCommission, 513 Madison Avenue, Montgomery, AL 36130. Telephone (334) 240-9355. Bulk rate postagepaid at Montgomery, Alabama. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Alabama’s TREASURED Forests,P.O. Box 302550, Montgomery, AL 36130-2550. Web site: www.forestry.state.al.us

The publication of a story or article in this magazine does not constitute the Alabama Forestry Commission'sendorsement of that particular practice, but is an effort to provide the landowners of Alabama with informa-tion and technical assistance to make informed decisions about the management practices they apply to theirland. The Alabama Forestry Commission is an equal opportunity employer and provider.

4 Roy and Mary Reeves: In Love with Their Land by Coleen Vansant

7 The Benefits of “Releasing” Seedlings by Mac Prince

8 How You Can Prevent Forest Fires in the Hurricane Ivan Impact Area by Lou Hyman

10 How to Grow Beetle Bait -- Revisited! by Jim Hyland

12 Selling Your Timber in Today’s Market by Walter E. Cartwright and Bruce Springer

15 Alabama’s Agri-Tourism Trail by Coleen Vansant

16 Alabama Landowner & TREASURE Forest Conference Information and Registration

18 Battling the Japanese Beetle by Coleen Vansant

20 Things to Consider Before Planting Your Seedlings by Craig Frazier

21 Seedlings Available from E.A. Hauss Nursery

22 Precision Forestry by David Mercker

23 Is Your Home Firewise? by Gerald Steeley

26 Field Expedient Methods of Time and Directionby Douglas A. Smith

28 Beating the Heat in the Sunny South by Coleen Vansant

30 Field Borders: Giving Bobwhites the Edge by Stanley D. Stewart

DEPARTMENTS2 Message from the Governor and the State Forester

32 TREES OF ALABAMA: Honeylocust by Coleen Vansant

CONTENTS

Cover and overlay: "Pine Glade at Dawn" by W. C. Baggett. Recipients of the HeleneMosley Memorial TREASURE Forest Award and the prestigious W. Kelly Mosley EnvironmentalAward for Achievements in Forestry, Wildlife and Related Resources at this year’s Landowner &TREASURE Forest Conference will receive a framed, limited-edition reproduction of this beautiful depiction of forestry and wildlife. It is the third in a series of paintings commissionedfor the Mosley award, all of which were painted by W. C. Baggett.

Persons interested in submitting a nomination for the Mosley award should contact Dr.Kathryn Flynn by email: [email protected]; phone: (334) 844-1036; or write to: MosleyProfessor, School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences, Auburn, AL 36849-5418. The Steering andSelection Committee meets twice a year to review nominations which are accepted year-round.

It takes someone special to be aTREASURE Forest owner. Theyseem to stay a little longer, work alittle harder, and love a little more

than anyone else – these are the qualitiesthat place them in the elite group they arein. These are the qualities of Roy andMary Reeves of Randolph County.

“Most people that have land – theylove it!” says Roy. Both he and his wifeMary have a passion for their farm and atremendous sense of pride in the decadesof sweat they have put into the improve-ments on their land. All one has to do toknow this, is talk to them about theirfarm.

Both Roy and Mary were born andraised in South Alabama, coming toRandolph County in 1968 when Roy gotthe position as president of a local bank.In 1968 they purchased their first land

and began to actively manage 220 acres.They say when they first acquired theland it had been cut over, so their task athand was to reclaim it by replanting. Thiswas the beginning of their love affairwith the farm. Since then, they haveadded to their property holdings bringingthe total acres to 355.

Turning Disaster into a TREASURE

Although they had been good stewardsof their land for many years, the couplesays they did not begin intense manage-ment under the TREASURE Forest con-cept until 1996. When Hurricane Opalraged through the state the year before,the couple had around 70 acres of timberthat was 90% damaged. After salvagingwhat they could, they were interested inreplanting. They were introduced to the

TREASURE Forest program whenAlabama Forestry Commission personnelserviced a cost share referral. Roy begangoing to the Randolph County ForestryPlanning Committee meetings where helearned more about TREASURE Forest,along with meeting other landowners thatwere participating in the program.

“When Opal hit, things changed,” Roysays. “I was doing things in a small way,but had to change and do things in a bigway.”

Roy and Mary have three managementobjectives on their land. The first is tim-ber, the second is wildlife, and the third isaesthetics. The timber on their property isvery diverse; they have everything fromthree-year-old cherry bark oak and saw-tooth oak, to mature timber that was partof their first reforestation effort in 1968.Although much of the property is in vari-


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Roy and MaryReeves:

In Love With

Their Land

By Coleen Vansant,Public Information Manager,

Alabama Forestry Commission

ous ages of longleaf and loblolly planta-tions, Roy says he has 20 acres of mixedeven-age timber. He is managing both tosee what the pros and cons are for eachand determine “which is the best way togo.” The mature pine has been thinnedthree times.

Roy is currently working to prune hisyoung pine. His goal is to try to get to a24-foot height. He has done all of thework himself with the help of his grand-son Luke. The couple also takes advan-tage of prescribed burning on the proper-ty, and they are currently on a three-yearburning rotation in their pine plantations.

They finally got over the impact ofOpal, only to be plagued with two naturaldisasters this winter. A tornado crossedthe farm and damaged 25–30 acres oftimber, including some large hardwoodsin one of the streamside managementzones. Also, the ice storm this year dam-aged many of the young longleaf.

Taking Care of the Farm’sNatural Resources

The Reeves say that when they firstpurchased the property, there were veryfew quail and no turkey. Now, after man-aging intensively they have abundantwildlife. Roy tells of seeing 3 gobblersand 18 hens at one time. A natural gaspipeline cuts through their property andRoy uses this for food plots. He keeps thegrass bush hogged, but not all at one timeto allow cover for the animals and birds.They have summer food plots with thingssuch as corn, soybeans, peas, grain

sorghum, and sunflowers, aswell as winter plots withtasty things such as turnips,wheat, and clover. There is ayoung orchard of fruit treesincluding pear, peach, andplum. Cherry bark oak, saw-tooth oak, and chestnut havebeen planted to providemast during the winter. Theysay it is very hard to cometo the farm now and not seedeer, turkey, and quail.Family and close friendshunt on the property.

The prescribed burningand bush hogging helps withthe aesthetic quality of theland, and the couple hasplanted flowers to make itmore attractive.

Water quality is veryimportant to the Reeves andthey have taken extra mea-sures to ensure that theintegrity of the water flow-ing through their land is pre-served. They have around25 water bars along theirroads, plus fire lanes todivert water from the road-ways and to prevent erosion.“It’s rough to drive, but youhave to protect the soil,”Roy says. “We try to keep the roads ingood shape.” In addition, grasses andother plants are also planted in high ero-sion areas to keep the soil from washingaway.

They also work hard on their streamcrossings to make sure that they are sta-ble. Mary herself laid brick on the groundat one stream crossing to make a securepath for vehicles to cross the water.

Education on the FarmUsing their farm as an educational tool

is very important to the Reeves. Over theyears, hundreds of people – from schoolchildren and boy scouts, to landownerson a farm tour – have visited the property.

For several years Reeves Farm hasbeen the host of “Classroom in theForest/Forest in the Classroom” wherefifth grade students from the local schoolcome to learn about forest managementand good stewardship. The children visitdifferent stations including tree identifica-tion, fire and prescribed burning, forestmanagement, water quality, and huntingsafety. A beautiful nature trail has beenbuilt by the couple that includes trees ofdifferent species marked with signs. Footbridges have been constructed so that the

(Continued on page 6)


Diversity of the forest is evident on the Reeves Farm.

A Fathers Day gift that took three months to find.

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children can go from one side of thestream to the other with ease.

Hundreds of boy scouts have visitedthe farm over the years to camp, learnabout nature, and work on their skills. Atone time the Reeves place was referred toas the Boy Scout farm. The couple hoststhe annual county forestry judging com-petition and several forestry tours havebeen held there.

Roy and Mary both agree that educat-ing children is very important. By visitingtheir farm and learning about good andresponsible stewardship, they are hopingthat the children will know that it is notbad to cut a tree and the experience willhopefully teach them to be better stew-ards of the land.

The forest and wildlife managementpractices also support one of Roy’s hob-bies – bee keeping. He currently has 20hives that provide 10-12 gallons of honeyeach.

Over the past few years Roy has dis-tinguished himself as a leader in the area

forestry circle. In addition to being a for-mer president of the local ForestryPlanning Committee, he is currently serv-ing as president of the county AlabamaTREASURE Forest Association (ATFA)chapter. Roy also serves as the Northeast

Regional Coordi-nator for ATFA.

One of the thingsthat Roy is theproudest of is thefact that he has donemost of the work onthe farm himself. Hehas had two heartbypass surgeries andis on his secondpacemaker. “Thisplace has helped meto live longer,” hedeclares. “It’s beentherapeutic andgiven me a betterquality of life. WhenI’m working, I’mhappy.”

A Family AffairAs you travel

over the Reevesproperty you havemany opportunitiesto see that they shareit all with the family.Every road and inter-esting stop on thefarm is named for a

daughter, son-in-law, or grandchild. Asidefrom Reeves Road and Mary’s Ford thereare interesting places like Leigh’s Loop,Seth’s Overlook, and Kem’s Cutoff.

Roy likes to tell a funny story on him-self regarding a couple of signs on hisproperty. Several years ago one of hisdaughters and grandson gave him a spe-cial Fathers Day present. All he was toldwas that it was green and white, some-where on the farm, and that he wouldhave to look for it. After three monthsand a lot of searching, he finally foundhis gift – two signs that read, “LongleafPines Planted by Roy Reeves (Grand-daddy) 2000-2001.”

The couple has passed on to their chil-dren and grandchildren their stewardshipethic and love for the land. Mary and Royexplain that at first, their two daughtersdid not care that much about the land.But over the years, Roy and Mary’senthusiasm and passion for their farm hasrubbed off. Both daughters and their fam-ilies are now TREASURE Forest owners.“We work to encourage them and teachthem. I think they will carry on what theyhave started,” Roy explains. He adds thatthey have promised that his and Mary’sproperty would be the “Reeves Farm” fora long time.

“We hope in the future that our chil-dren and grandchildren will carry onwhat has been started here,” Mary says.“Maybe they don’t love it as much as wedo, but they will learn to as they getolder.”

A natural gas pipeline cuts through the property dividing a mature stand and ayounger plantation. The open area is planted with seasonal wildlife foods.


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This young plum tree is just one of hundreds of fruit and nuttrees that have been planted on the property.

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Why do we, as landowners/land managers, considerthe release of seedlings?There are two main rea-

sons. The first is to let the seedlings out-grow any competing vegetation. The sec-ond is to lessen competition betweentrees of the desired species.

Why don’t we just release allseedlings that we plant? The reason torelease in the first place is to make thestand more profitable. All the “up front”money spent just makes it take longer topay off the invest-ment. So, you shouldweigh the return ver-sus the expenditure. Ifyou spend $25 peracre to make a returnof $15 per acre,release does not makegood financial sense.If you are releasing tomake sure you have awell stocked stand,then it does makegood sense. If you arereleasing to add threeadditional cords peracre at the first thin-ning, you need toassess the cost versusreturn.

What is release? Itcan be something assimple as mowing between the rows of aplantation, or something as sophisticatedas a helicopter-applied tank mix torelease natural seedlings.

The most often used method of releaseis herbaceous weed control used whenplanting pine seedlings. This is a provenmethod for improving return on invest-ment and increasing survival numbers.When looking for adequate stocking, theexpenditure is warranted and pays itsown way.

Many times the question of releasecomes up when the stand has competinghardwoods. There are several chemicalsthat will do a good job of releasing the

crop trees. The question is: Will therelease pay for itself? First, are the croptrees taller than the competition? If theyare a foot or so taller than the competi-tion, then they will outgrow their compe-tition and make a stand which can becleaned up with fire at a later date. Thecost of the release spray will be around$80 - $100 per acre. How many cords ofpulpwood will it take per acre to pay forthe release? At the current price of $19per cord, it will take 5 1/2 cords. Will therelease increase production the 5 1/2 cords

for repayment to investment, plus inter-est? If so, then do it. If not, then the deci-sion will need to be made of whether therelease is needed to ensure that the standis viable. If stand viability is the question,then the release is needed, and the standwill just have to be less profitable.

A note on taxes here may be appropri-ate. Any release that is done before Year4 must be amortized as a “stand estab-lishment cost.” A release in Year 4 orafter can be taken as an ordinary expense.If Uncle Sam is going to pay part of thetab, a release may look better.

There are a number of methods thatcan be utilized by landowners to release a

stand that has hardwood competition.Velpar had been used successfully bymany landowners with sandy soil apply-ing a grid pattern of treatment, and it isfairly economical. Mechanical treatmentscan also be employed to good effect.Weed eaters may be used to lower thenumber of competing trees, regardless ofspecies, but these should be taken care ofat a smaller size, if possible.

A mower or drum chopper can also beutilized with good success to lower com-petition by mowing or chopping in strips,

leaving about oneswath betweentreated swaths. Thismethod gives yourselected trees thejump on the compe-tition. It should beemployed where thecrop trees are grow-ing “on site.” Thismethod uses thegrowth rate of thecrop trees, pinesusually, to allowthem to stay aheadof the competitors.

Remember, anacre of land is onlygoing to grow aspecific number ofcords of wood peryear. You can grow

those cords on 500 trees or you can growthem on 1500 trees.

Sometimes a combination of methodsused during the rotation can be profitable,such as mowing strips in natural regener-ation and releasing with chemicals at alater time.

Release is just another tool to makethe timber stand more profitable. The cur-rent low pulpwood prices make releasefor improved production a practice thatneeds to be analyzed. If you are releasingto help ensure a well stocked stand, it is aviable practice.

The Benefits of “Releasing” Seedlings

By Mac Prince, Staff Management Specialist Southeast Region, Alabama Forestry Commission

An example of pine seedlings that have been chemically released.

When Hurricane Ivan hitAlabama last fall, it dam-aged an estimated 11.8million acres of forestland

across the state. While a lot of the dam-age has been salvaged, many landownersstill have stands with trees that are blowndown or have tops broken out.

As the dead trees and tops dry out,they create increased wildfire hazards.These heavy fuels could cause even asmall forest fire to intensify to dangerouslevels.

Fire Behavior ProblemsIn February, 2005, the Alabama

Forestry Commission (AFC) brought in ateam of nationally certified Fire BehaviorAnalysts to look at the hurricane dam-aged area and identify potential firebehavior problems. The team found thatstorm damage varied greatly within thearea, based on timber types and localwind conditions.

The biggest problem they identifiedwas the heavy fuel loading as a result oftree blow-downs. These damaged areashad high fire hazards because of the large

amount of fuel on the ground, whichmeans that a small fire can quickly esca-late into a major conflagration. As thesetops dry out, they become even moredangerous. In addition, the piled fuelscreate “fuel ladders” which enable thefires to climb off the ground surface andburn into the remaining tree crowns.Here they can cause severe damage andthrow embers across the fire lines,increasing the spread of the fire.

Hurricane damage also creates firecontainment problems and obstacles thathamper the building of control lines


How You Can Prevent Forest Fires in the Hurricane Ivan Impact Area

By Lou Hyman, Assistant Fire Division Director, Alabama Forestry Commission

around wildfires. The tops and fallentrees slow down the tractor-plows usedby the AFC, forcing them to pushthrough the obstacle or go around it. In aforest with heavy brush, these obstaclescause safety problems for the fire fightersby restricting their movements.

As a landowner, there are two ways toreduce the wildfire risk to your forest.One is to reduce the fuel loading andcontainment constraints, so that any fireswould be low in intensity. The otheraction is to reduce the number of firesthat occur.

Fire Mitigation The first step that you as a landowner

can take to reduce wildfire risk is toimprove access within your forest.Existing firebreaks and woods roadsshould be cleared so that fire fighters canuse them as a line of defense to stopwildfire. This is especially importantaround any homes or structures on theproperty. New firebreaks should be estab-lished to break up the property into man-ageable stands. These also help improveaccess into the property for recreationand when prescribed burning is done.

The best way to reduce fuel loading isto salvage the damaged timber. Salvagealso reduces or eliminates the contain-ment obstacles so that wildfires can bemore easily controlled. Many landownerswere able to salvage their timber thiswinter. Although damaged pine trees arenot sellable for sawtimber now, harvest-ing them for pulpwood, even atdepressed prices, will bring in someincome and reduce the potential forcatastrophic wildfires in your forest.

In some parts of the state, local con-tractors are available to come into theforest and chip up downed trees and tops.The resulting chips can be used forindustrial fuel or other forest products,depending on local markets. There arealso in-woods mulchers, which grind upthe tops and spread the chips across theforest floor where the nutrients can berecycled. Both of these operations reducethe fire hazard by eliminating the heavyavailable fuel loads and opening up thestands for easy access.

Another way to reduce wildfire haz-ards is by prescribed burning. The carefuluse of controlled fire under exactingenvironmental conditions can eliminatehazardous fuels with minimal damage to

existing stands. Prescribed burning instands with heavy hurricane damage isdangerous and requires the use of anexperienced Prescribed Burn Manager.Burns need to be done during times ofsomewhat high relative humidity, andmay take two or more burns to eliminateall the hazards.

Fire Prevention on Your FarmThe best way to prevent wildfire dam-

age on your farm is keep wildfires out ofthe forest. The most common causes forwildfires in Alabama are careless debrisburning and arson. Surprisingly, lightningcauses less than one percent of forestfires in Alabama.

The AFC has guidelines for landown-ers to use when burning debris so thatyou can do it safely and not cause furtherdamage or loss to your forest.

Burn one pile of forest debris at a timeand keep the piles small (less than 10feet in diameter). The piles should con-tain only natural vegetation or untreatedwood products. Clear the area around theburn pile of any flammable material,including grass andpine straw. Keepthe burn piles atleast 50 feet fromstructures and anyforest vegetation.Only burn whenthe winds are calmor light. It is toowindy to burn iftrees are swaying,flags are extended,or waves appear onopen water.

Be prepared toextinguish the fireif it becomes a nui-sance. Maintain aconnected waterhose or at least fivegallons of waterand a shovel near-by. Attend the fireuntil it is complete-ly extinguished.Before you burnany large debrispiles or more than1/4 acre of forest-land, call theAlabama ForestryCommission for a

burn permit. The number is on the insidecover of your local phone book.

Arson, the intentional setting fire toanother person’s property, is hard to fullyprevent. However, a landowner can dosome things to reduce your risk. Maintaingood relationships with your neighbors.This eliminates many causes of arson andalso increases the number of people look-ing out for your land. The biggest deter-rent to arson is having the communityexpress displeasure at arson incidents. Ifthe community feels that woods arson isbad, community members are less likelyto set the woods on fire.

Another arson prevention technique isto reduce access to your land by out-siders. Installing gates on roads and hav-ing the main access go past the housewill eliminate many arson chances.

No single technique will eliminate allrisk for a wildfire on your forest, but bydoing hazard mitigation and basic fireprevention you can have a better chanceof protecting the TREASURE that isyour Forest.


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Containment obstacles - Tops and fallen trees not onlyhamper the tractor-plows used to build control lines aroundwildfires, but also cause safety problems for fire fighters.


Over the last 30-some oddyears, the Alabama ForestryCommission (AFC) hasworked with landowners in

controlling Southern Pine Beetle (SPB)infestations and has tried to encouragelandowners to take the easy way by pre-venting the conditions needed to feed thebeetle. All pine forest management plansthat are produced by AFC forestersinclude SPB hazard ratings and informa-tion on how to prevent attack by beetles.The best way is, of course, when thestand is established to plant fewer pinetrees per acre. No more than 500 treesper acre should be planted; 450 would beeven better.

What about stands that already existwith 700-900 trees per acre? An SPBprevention thinning project was fundedin 2003-2004 to encourage landowners toreduce the SPB hazard rating of theirstands. A new SPB Prevention project isbeing funded for 2005-2006 to encouragethat additional stands be rated and thehazard reduced. The acceptance of theidea that SPB damage can be preventedhas been a slow concept for somelandowners to buy into. There is oneissue that keeps recurring: Is it economi-cal to thin a pine stand to reduce the SPB

hazard? The following is a discussion ofthe importance of SPB prevention bythinning your pine stand, viewed from aneconomic perspective.

The level of susceptibility of pinestands to attack by the Southern PineBeetle is a result of the interaction ofstand variables such as site index (howproductive the site is), age, stocking level(number of trees per acre), site competi-tion, and cultural practices. All of thesevariables contribute to the single-mostimportant factor in a pine stand’s suscep-tibility to SPB attack: stand vigor. In theabsence of injury due to cultural prac-tices or weather, stand vigor is influencedprimarily by the basal area present on agiven site at a given time.

The initial stocking level plays anessential part in determining stand basalarea at any time during the stand’s rota-tion. It therefore plays an essential part inthe susceptibility of pine stands to SPBattack as the stands progress throughtime.

Low initial stocking levels can pro-long the entry of pine stands into pre-ferred sites for SPB attack. But is it eco-nomically feasible, in terms of stand pro-ductivity and financial return, to uselower initial stocking levels?

As demonstrated by the graphs ofSPB susceptibility in Figures 1 and 2,when initial stocking levels increase, thefollowing can be observed: 1) standsenter hazard categories at earlier ages rel-ative to stands on the same site but atlower initial stocking levels, and 2) thedegree of hazard within a certain hazardrating is more pronounced than for standson the same site at the same point intime.

These two occurrences relate, on theground, to a higher risk of attack by theSPB as initial stocking levels increase.Likewise, the severity of infestations canbe more pronounced in stands of higherinitial stocking levels due to the morewidespread occurrence of trees suscepti-ble to attack. For a forest landowner, thiscould lead to unplanned activities detri-mental to the overall profitability of thestand.

For example, on highly productive oldfield sites where the SPB hazard reachesconcerning levels at early ages, an infes-tation can occur before trees are of mer-chantable size. Therefore, the landownercould be forced to salvage (at a reducedstumpage price) or cut and leave theinfested portion of the stand in order tocontrol the outbreak. Furthermore, the

By Jim Hyland, Alabama Forestry Commission

situation could dictate a complete pre-commercial thin in order to reduce therisk of further loss. Often this is not adesired cultural practice within the finan-cial framework of a forest landowner,particularly when cash flow is consid-ered.

By using lower initial stocking levelsin appropriate situations, the chance ofthis type scenario occurring can be great-ly reduced. This reasoning makes a verygood argument for using low initialstocking levels in reducing SPB hazardof stands, but is it economically feasible?

ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY

Economic feasibility is based not onlyon the product you are growing, but alsothe landowner’s management objectives(pulpwood company feeding a mill, aTree Farmer, a sawmill company, a mul-tiple-use landowner, a TREASUREForest, or a combination of any of these).In this article we are using pulpwoodproduction and chip-n-saw as objectives.Comparisons were made using theMississippi B SPB Hazard RatingSystem (Nebaker and Honea 1984) andYIELDplus with SMART version 2(TVA, 1990).

As seen in the comparisons, forinstance, where fiber production is theobjective, higher initial stocking levelsmake the best use of most all sites onshorter rotations with no merchandisingpossible or planned at the time of har-vest. This results from the higher yield interms of cords produced per acre over therotation. However, based on economic

indicators, when product merchandisingis implemented, certain sites perform bet-ter at lower initial stocking levels.

Table 1 is the comparison of differentnumber trees per acre, rotations, prod-ucts, and economic indicators. For sim-plicity, we will use Annual EquivalentValue (AEV) as a factor to determine iflower spacings are economical.

Although in most instances the eco-nomic indicators support the use of thehigher initial stocking levels for pulp-wood rotations, the AEV offers a moregraspable interpretation of the differencebetween the initial stocking levels interms of profitability. The AEV expressesthe Net Present Worth (NPW) in terms ofannual per acre payment (in 1990 dol-lars). This figure can be used in morecomprehensible fashion. By comparingthe difference in AEV between the vari-ous initial stocking levels for the sameset of circumstances, with the differencein SPB hazard between the same initialstocking levels, an idea of the validity ofusing one initial stocking level over thatof another can be more readily evaluated.

For example, in Table 1A the AEV for908 trees per acre for a 25-year pulp-wood rotation with no chip-n-saw marketis $18 per acre. The AEV for 436 treesper acre is $19. Comparing this benefit tothe difference in SPB hazard rating(Figure 1) for the 25-year period, we seethat another benefit afforded by 436 treesper acre over 908 trees per acre is


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TABLE 1. ECONOMIC COMPARISON OF SIX COMMON TREE SPACINGS

Pulpwood Rotations of 20 and 25 Years with Product MerchandisingOld-Field Loblolly SitesSite Index: 65 @ Age 25

A. Pulpwood and Sawtimber Product Merchandising

Age 20 Age 25Trees/Acre NPW AEV IRR NPW AEV IRR

908 $255 $21 13.2% $264 $18 11.7%807 $248 $20 13.4% $252 $18 11.9%726 $247 $20 13.7% $256 $18 12.2%622 $246 $20 14.0% $262 $19 12.5%544 $244 $20 14.3% $267 $19 12.8%436 $241 $19 14.7% $267 $19 13.2%

B. Pulpwood, Chip-n-Saw, and Sawtimber Product Merchandising

Age 20 Age 25Trees/Acre NPW AEV IRR NPW AEV IRR

908 $413 $33 15.4% $421 $30 13.4%807 $407 $33 15.7% $405 $29 13.6%726 $405 $33 16.0% $397 $28 13.7%622 $397 $32 16.3% $385 $27 13.9%544 $383 $31 16.5% $371 $26 14.0%436 $368 $30 16.7% $361 $26 14.4%

Note: All values are per acre.NPW: Net Present Worth / AEV: Annual Equivalent Value / IRR: Internal Rate of Return



Markets for all timber prod-ucts have been on a roller-coaster ride for mostlandowners. Hurricane Ivan

timber salvage flooded markets, but saw-timber prices were partially offset bygood markets for lumber, plywood, andengineered wood such as oriented strandboard. Pulpwood markets have beenespecially bad, due again to oversupplyand poor local and international marketsfor pulp. This article will explain thosetrends, track stumpage prices over thepast year, and provide landowners with atool to assist them in selling timber intoday’s market.

Also included in this article are loca-tions of the major wood using industriesin Alabama that purchase timber fromlandowners, information on how to con-tact timber buyers, and how to contactforestry vendors that can help get yourproperty site prepared and reforestedafter harvest.

Combined harvests of all four majortimber products (pine sawtimber, hard-wood sawtimber, pine pulpwood, andhardwood pulpwood) increased byapproximately 67% during 2004, withsawtimber harvests reaching a nine-yearhigh (Figure 1). The forest industryresponded well to improved domestic andinternational markets by increasing pro-duction levels, buying and storing hurri-cane-salvaged wood utilized in supplying

materials to rebuild homes and business-es that were destroyed by four major hur-ricanes in the United States and theCaribbean.

Alabama harvests of pine sawtimberin 2004 were approximately 1.8 billion

board feet, while hardwood sawtimberwas 313 million board feet. Sawtimberaccounted for 34% of the total volumeharvested. Pulpwood harvested in 2004increased significantly to approximately

Selling Your Timber in Today’s Market

By Walter E. Cartwright, Assistant Director Forest Management Divisionand Bruce Springer, Director Forest Management Division, Alabama Forestry Commission

Figure 1 - Alabama Harvest Trends for 2004

Figure 2 - Alabama’s Price Trends by Timber ProductsSource: Timber Mart-South Price Report



Figure 3 - Major Wood-Using Industries in AlabamaMap produced by and used with permission of the Alabama Power Company;

data supplied by the Alabama Forestry Commission.


6.7 million cords pine and 3.3 millioncords hardwood. Pulpwood accounted for66% of the total volume harvested, andwas partly the result of salvaging sawtim-ber-sized hurricane-damaged timber aspulpwood.

Figure 2 shows Alabama’s price trendsby timber product from 1993 to 2004, aspublished by Timber Mart-South.Sawtimber prices rose slightly during2004 and continue to remain strong thefirst quarter of 2005 as a result of astrengthening economy and a historicallyhigh level of housing startups. Pulpwoodshowed some price declines in 2004 buthas since increased by roughly 15% dur-ing the first quarter of 2005. Unit pricesrose slightly in north Alabama anddecreased slightly in the southern half ofthe state. However, with the oversupplyof hurricane-damaged timber, the slight

drop in south Alabama was not signifi-cant.

When you decide to sell timber, thefirst step is to locate potential buyers ofyour timber. Figure 3 shows the locationsof major wood-using industries across thestate. A directory of forest industries maybe found on the Alabama ForestryCommission’s website at www.forestry.state.al.us. You may also callyour local county forester for a list oftimber buyers and/or forestry vendors, orprint a list using the Commission’s web-site.

A wealth of other information is alsoavailable on the Commission’s websitefor landowners to use in managing theirproperty, such as ManagementInformation Sheets. You should reviewthe Management Information Sheetsunder the Harvest, Regeneration, and Site

Preparation subheadings prior to sellingyour timber. The “Selling Timber” sheetshould be extremely helpful when begin-ning the process to sell your timber.

Alabama Forestry Commissionemployees in each county are available toprovide you with specific stand manage-ment recommendations, direct you toother technical and financial assistanceprograms, and even provide direct ser-vices such as prescribed burning and firelane construction.

ReferencesForestry Resource Report, 2003. Alabama

Forestry Commission.

Stumpage Price Mart and F.O.B. Mill PriceMart, Timber Mart-South. The Daniel B.Warnell School of Forest Resources, TheUniversity of Georgia, Athens, Georgia.Website address: www.tmart-south.com.

Visit the AFC website at wwwwww.f.forestrorestryy.state.state .al.us.al.us

Selling Your Timber(Continued from page 12)

Mr. Elliot L. Salter, age 70 of Luverne, Alabama died on January 29, 2005. Hewas one of the first landowners to serve on the State Forester’s Outreach AdvisoryCouncil, and he was a devoted community volunteer and mentor for other minoritylandowners. He always led by example and held several tours on his property todemonstrate Best Management Practices. Because of his land ethic and work, hewas one of the featured landowners in the Alabama Forestry Commission’sMinority Outreach brochure.

This Crenshaw County residenthad retired as Systems Manager ofBailey Controls Systems. He attend-ed Alabama A&M University,Lakeland College, and the BaptistBible Institution. He was a deacon ofStar Hope Missionary Baptist Churchand a Third Degree Master Mason.

Elliott Salter lived a life of deepconvictions and loved his family andfriends immeasurably. During his life-time he met and influenced manypeople, all the while assisting hisneighbors. Mr. Salter is survived byhis wife, Georgia; two sons; fourdaughters; six grandchildren; and hisfather, Jesse L. Salter, Sr.

Elliott Salter, a silvopasture practitioner, and the AFC’s Dana McReynoldsinspect his goat herd.

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Managing a forest or farm tomake it provide income foryour family is one of theprimary goals of most

landowners. In the business we’re in, thismainly involves growing a crop of trees,which we all know is a long term invest-ment. For those landowners who haveother forestry-related crops or attractionson their land, there is now a program inAlabama that may interest you.

Alabama’s Agri-Tourism Trail can pro-vide forest landowners an opportunity toraise capital while dealing with tourists ina farm setting. The program is a partner-ship between the Alabama CooperativeExtension System, the AlabamaDepartment of Agriculture and Industries,the Alabama Farmers Federation, and theAlabama Bureau of Tourism and Travel.

The Agri-Tourism program is designedto improve the income and economichealth of small farms and rural communi-ties. Categories and activities that may beof interest to forest landowners include:Direct Sales (agriculture-related crafts,farmers’ market, u-pick operations);Outdoor Recreation (camping, fishing,bird watching, game/wildlife preserves,horseback riding, nature walks, trail rides,photography, shooting sports; even sea-

sonal activities such as hunting);Educational Experience (farm tours,school tours, etc.); Entertainment (specialevents, festivals, fairs, etc.); Accommo-dations (farm/ranch vacation, farm stay,guest ranch, farm skills, farm work con-ference facility); Miscellaneous(guide/outfitter operation).

According to Extension TourismSpecialist J. Thomas Chesnutt at Auburn,the Agri-Tourism Trail was patterned afterother similar programs existing across theUnited States. In the future, the partnersof the program hope to provide work-shops that address things such as pricing,liability, and other concerns a ruralentrepreneur might have. Chesnuttstressed that this program is not for any-one who does not want to deal withtourists.

When a farm is included on the trail,the operation will be listed not only onthe Alabama Agri-Tourism Trail webpage(www.alabamaagritourism.com), butalso the national agri-tourism site(www.farmstop.com) as well.

Many of our state’s tourists and visi-tors enjoy purchasing locally-grown or -made products while they are visitingother states. The Agri-Tourism Trail web-site will give people a chance to find the

products or rural experiences they want,plus all of the details including days andhours of operation, website addresses,directions, and products and servicesgrown or offered.

How to be Listed on the TrailAny farm, rural business, or other

operation interested in generating incomewhile inviting visitors to your propertycan submit information for the AlabamaAgri-Tourism Trail. There is no fee to belisted on the Trail. All you have to do iscomplete the application form (availableon the agri-tourism web page). Photo-graphs are welcome and desired. You cansend any photo by e-mail or regular mail.

To remain on the Trail, you must sub-mit written confirmation via e-mail orregular mail, that you are still open totourists and that the information currentlyon file regarding your attraction, service,or activity is correct.

The Extension System requests thatyou submit applications on-line if possi-ble to speed up the process and reduceerrors. If this is not possible, you maymail applications and photos to AlabamaAgri-Tourism Trail, c/o ExtensionTourism Specialist, 218 Extension Hall,Auburn University, AL 36849.

Alabama’sAgri -Tourism Trail

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By Coleen Vansant, Public Information Manager, Alabama Forestry Commission


22nd Annual Alabama Landowner &TREASURE Forest Conference

October 6 - 7, 2005Auburn Hotel and Conference Center

Auburn, Alabama

Thursday, October 69:00 am Registration opens

10:00 am Buses leave hotel for Auburn University School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences11:15 am Box Lunch11:30 am Buses depart for field day. Hosted by former Alabama Chief Justice C. C. “Bo” Torbert.

Highlights of tour include:• Forestry/Herbicide – Michelle Isenberg, BASF• Pond Management – Barry Smith, American Sport Fish• Invasive Species Management – Dr. James Miller, USDA Forest Service• Forest Floor Mulching Machine Demonstration• History of Property – Honorable C. C. “Bo” Torbert

6:45 pm Awards Banquet followed by Dessert Social

Friday, October 78:00 am Indoor program sessions

• The Forest Biorefinery – Dr. Harry Cullinan, Auburn University• Wood Bowl Carving – Dr. Robert Parker, TREASURE Forest Landowner, Retired• Quail Initiative – Stan Stewart, AL Dept Conservation & Natural Resources, Div of Wildlife & Freshwater Fisheries

• Invasive Species Control & Cost Share Programs – Sarah O’Sullivan, AL Forestry Commission• AU School of Forestry & Wildlife Sciences Update – Dr. Graeme Lockaby, Auburn University

12:00 pm TREASURE Forest Association Luncheon

TREASURE Forest AssociationSILENT AUCTION

Don't miss this year's annual silent auction sponsored by theAlabama TREASURE Forest Association. Bids will be receivedon items until break on Friday during indoor sessions. Itemsawarded to high bidder will be announced during the luncheon.


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CONFERENCE INFORMATIONThursday, Oct. 6: Registration will begin at 9:00 am in the lobby of the Auburn Conference CenterThursday, Oct. 6: Buses will depart for the lunch and tour at 10:00 am from the parking lot of hotel. Please dress

appropriately and wear comfortable shoes. Buses will return to hotel in time to change clothes for the banquet.

Thursday, Oct. 6: Banquet begins at 6:45 pm followed by a dessert social to honor award winners.Friday, Oct. 7: Indoor sessions begin at 8:00 am; a separate agenda will list meeting rooms andtopics.Friday, Oct. 7: ATFA Luncheon begins at 12:00.

Pre-registration fee is $75 per person if postmarked before September 30.Registration fee for conference after September 30 is $85.No refunds will be made after September 30.Mail upper portion of form and fee payable to “Alabama Forestry Planning Committee” to:

Fran Whitaker, Alabama Forestry Association, 555 Alabama St., Montgomery, AL 36104Phone: (334) 265-8733 Fax: (334) 262-1258 email: [email protected]

EXHIBIT SPACE IS AVAILABLE. Contact Bill Jones or Fran Whitaker at (334) 265-8733.

HOTEL INFORMATIONRoom Rate: Auburn Conference Center $89Please specify that you are attending the TREASURE Forest Conference when making your reservations.Hotel cut-off date is September 7, 2005.

Auburn Hotel and Conference Center241 South College StreetAuburn, Alabama 36830

(800) 228-2876 or (334) 821-8200

CATEGORY OF ATTENDEE (mark category of each attendee)#1 #2 #3 #4______ ______ ______ ______ TREASURE Forest Landowner______ ______ ______ ______ Government Agency/TREASURE Forest Landowner______ ______ ______ ______ Landowner______ ______ ______ ______ Government Agency/Landowner______ ______ ______ ______ Government Agency______ ______ ______ ______ Private Forest Industry/Consultant______ ______ ______ ______ Other

I am attending the conference and enclosing:$75 pre-registration x _______ attendee(s) = ____________

*NOTE: Registration includes tour & lunch, banquet on Thursday; indoor sessions and lunch on Friday.

Name of Attendee(s): Tour on Thursday Lunch on Friday1. _____________________________________________________ ❏ Yes ❏ No ❏ Yes ❏ No2. _____________________________________________________ ❏ Yes ❏ No ❏ Yes ❏ No3. _____________________________________________________ ❏ Yes ❏ No ❏ Yes ❏ No4. _____________________________________________________ ❏ Yes ❏ No ❏ Yes ❏ No

Company ________________________________________________Address _________________________________________________City ___________________________ State ______ Zip ___________Email ___________________________________________________

22nd ANNUAL ALABAMA LANDOWNER & TREASURE FOREST CONFERENCE

October 6-7, 2005 Auburn, AlabamaAuburn Hotel and Conference Center

Bus transportation will be provided for thetour. No personal vehicles can be driven.


Keeping beautiful and healthylawns, pastures, trees and gar-dens is hard enough when youhave to battle the normal nui-

sances that Mother Nature sends ourway. Too much rain, drought, and a hostof different insects and diseases keep usconstantly digging, spraying, and pickingto keep our plants beautiful andproductive. In the past fewyears many residents ofAlabama have had to take on afoe like no other – the Japanesebeetle.

The Japanese beetle was firstdiscovered in the United Statesin Riverton, New Jersey in thesummer of 1916. As its nameimplies, it originated in Japanand came into this county onplants shipped from overseas. Ithas spread rapidly across thenation with more than one-halfof the continental United Statesreporting infestations fromMaine to Florida, the GreatLake states, and westward toOklahoma and Kansas. It feedson more than 400 species ofbroad leaf plants that includeornamental plants, shrubs,vines, shade and fruit trees, gar-den, and row crops. The beetlegrubs feed on plant roots – pri-marily turf (lawns, golf courses,parks and pastures) – and manyother plants and crops. TheJapanese beetle spreads at a rateof 5-10 miles per year.

According to the CaliforniaDepartment of Food and AgriculturePlant Quarantine Manual, in July of 2004the Alabama counties of Autauga,Chilton, Colbert, Cullman, Elmore,Fayette, Montgomery, and Walker werelisted as infested with the Japanese bee-tle. Data from the National AgriculturalPest Information System shows thatinfestations are in Alabama fromLauderdale County down to TuscaloosaCounty, and from Jackson County southto Montgomery, Lee, and MaconCounties. The only areas of the state not

infested are the Black Belt and extremesouth Alabama.

The Japanese beetle is brilliantly col-ored, oval, and less than 1/2 inch long(about the size of a dime). Its body ismetallic green with coppery wings. Manypeople say it resembles a very small Junebug. Its distinguishing characteristics are

five tufts of white hairs projecting fromunder the wing covers on each side, andtwo patches of white hairs at the tip ofthe abdomen.

Adults feed in the daytime from earlyJune to Labor Day, eating leaves as wellas flowers. The beetles eat the leaf tissuebetween the veins making the affectedleaf look like lace. They are gregarious innature and are often found feeding inmasses on a few plants, allowing othernearby plants to remain un-infested. Theycan skeletonize the leaves of a host plantand damage mature fruit. Adults are goodflyers and can easily go from plant to

plant for feeding and into previouslynon-infested areas.

During feeding period, females stopeating the plants from time to time toburrow 2-3 inches into the ground andlay eggs. She repeats this cycle until 40-60 eggs have been laid. By midsummer,the eggs hatch and the young grubs begin

to feed. Each grub is about aninch long. In late autumn, thegrubs burrow 4-8 inches into thesoil and remain inactive all win-ter. This insect spends about tenmonths of the year in the groundduring the larval state. In earlyspring, the grubs return to the topand feed on roots until latespring, when they change intopupae. In about two weeks, thepupae become adult beetles andemerge from the ground. InAlabama and other southernstates, this life cycle takes about ayear. In northern states it takes upto two years. Newly infestedareas commonly have very heavyinfestations for the first four tosix years.

Control – There are no quickfixes to get rid of the Japanesebeetle. Scientists with the UnitedStates Department of Agriculture(USDA) recommend an integrat-ed pest management (IPM) pro-gram that includes cultural, chem-ical, mechanical, and biologicalstrategies.

Habitat Modification – Sincethe eggs and young grubs are very sus-ceptible to dry soils, do not irrigate dur-ing the time the eggs and first larvae aredeveloping. If natural rainfall occurs, thistactic will not work. You can also modifyhabitat by planting trees, shrubs, andplants to which the beetle is not attracted(see accompanying sidebar).

Hand picking – In areas where infes-tations are not severe or if adult beetlesare only affecting individual species ofplants, you can hand pick the beetlesfrom the plant. They can be destroyed byputting them in a bucket of soapy waterwhere they drown.

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Battling the Japanese BeetleBy Coleen Vansant, Public Information Manager, Alabama Forestry Commission

Natural Control – Several parasiticwasps, especially Tiphia popilliavora andT. vernalis, have been imported and areknown to be established in several east-ern states. Unfortunately, they do notseem to be reliable in reducing theJapanese beetle populations below dam-aging levels. The Tiphia wasp seems tobe more effective in southern states.

Many species of birds eat adult bee-tles. Moles, shrews, and skunks feed onthe insect in the grub stage.

Chemicals – Adults can be controlledby spraying susceptible plants with insec-ticides. Over-the-counter pesticides avail-able for this include acephate (Orthese),carbaryl (Sevin), and several pyrethroids:bifenthrin, cyfluthrin, deltamethrin, lamb-da-cyhalothrin, permethrin, and others.Be sure to read the label and follow all ofthe manufacturer’s application and safetydirections. During heavy adult activityperiods, you may have to spray everythree to ten days. For grubs, granularproducts containing the active ingredientstrichlorfon or carbaryl can be used. You

can refer to Alabama CooperativeExtension System publication ANR-500-B, Alabama Pest Management Handbook,Volume 2 for more recommendations ongrub control in home lawns. A copy ofthis publication is available from yourlocal Extension office.

Traps – Both easy and inexpensive,traps are a good way to reduce beetlepopulations and curtail the laying ofeggs. Because traps actually attract morebeetles than they capture, be sure not toput them near your garden or favoriteplants. They should be placed at the bor-ders of your property, away from plantsthey could damage. Traps are most effec-tive whenmany ofthem arespread overan entirecommunity.Again, keepin mind thatthey canattract thou-

sands of beetles in a day and only a por-tion of them are actually caught.Sometimes traps in a home landscape canactually increase problems rather thanreduce them. Be sure to keep them awayfrom susceptible plants.

You can see maps, data, and otherfacts on Japanese beetles in Alabama byvisiting: www.ipmcenters.org/northcen-tral/jbeetle/Alabama.htm. This will giveyou the site for Japanese Beetle Watch:Alabama.


Japanese beetles eat the leaf tissue between the veins making the affectedleaf look like lace (above and right).

Many fruit trees (apple, crab apple,plum, apricot, cherry, peach)BirchBlack walnutCornCrepe myrtleGrapeJapanese mapleOkraPin oak

RoseRose of SharonRunning beansSassafrasSoybeansVirginia creeperWillowZinniasPerennial ryegrass (affected by larva)Tall fescues (affected by larva)

Plants Susceptible to Japanese Beetle

AshBoxwoodBurning bushCedarClematisDogwoodForsythiaHolly (most all)

HydrangeaJuniperLilacMagnoliaMulberryNorthern red oakPine

PoplarRedbudRed mapleRed oakSpruceSweet gumYew

Plants Resistant to Japanese Beetle

Resources:http://www.pueblo.gsa.gov

http://www.ivyhall.district96.k12.il.us/4th/kkhp/1insects/japbeetle.html

http://www.ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2504.html

http://www.ag.auburn.edu/landscape/STGOoctober00.html

http://www.ipmcenters.org/northcentral/jbeetle/

http://www.aces.edu/pubs/docs/A/ANR-1250/For a more complete list of resistant plants visit:

www.ag.auburn.edu/landscape/STGOoctober00.html

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For the 2005-2006 planting

season, the Alabama ForestryCommission’s E. A. HaussNursery has both bareroot

hardwood and longleaf pine for sale.Seedlings start selling on June 1st. Thereare fourteen different varieties of hard-woods available, and the longleaf is afirst generation seed source. Whether youare planting a few seedlings in the backyard or planting several acres, there are afew things to consider when planting yourtrees.

Bareroot vs.Containerized

There are several ways you can pur-chase seedlings. A bareroot seedling isgrown in beds in fields, and when theyare ready to be out-planted they are liftedor pulled up out of the ground and theirroots are exposed (as in photo above).Another type is a container-grownseedling where the plant is grown in acontainer of some sort. In this situation,the seedling produces a root ball wherethe root system is contained in a ball ofsoil. This leaves the root system undis-turbed when pulled out of the container.There are also seedlings that are grown inthe ground and removed with a largespade or transplanter. The spade lifts a

ball of soil along with the root system outof the ground and then a type of materialis wrapped around the root ball to main-tain it during transport before planting.

When to PlantIf you are planting a bareroot seedling,

you need to wait until seedlings are intheir dormant state. Winter is the time ofthe year when most plants become dor-mant, when the growth of the seedlingslows down and the bud of the seedling ishardened. The seedling can better handlethe process of transplanting from thenursery to the forest since there is verylittle growth activity.

At Hauss Nursery, we receive a lot ofcalls in the spring for tree seedlings,mainly because people see plants andtrees for sale at Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, andHome Depot, etc. These are potted treesor container grown seedlings. Althoughyou can plant these in the spring, theystill need to be watered until the root sys-tem has a chance to establish itself. Eventhese potted trees will do better whenplanted in the fall and winter monthsbecause they are in the dormant state asmentioned earlier. When planting in thespring, not only will the root system betrying to grow but also the top will begrowing as well, putting the tree in a

stressful state if it gets dry. By planting inthe late fall or winter months, you givethe seedling time to get the root systemestablished without having to supportheight growth at the same time.

Choosing the Right Species

Remember to choose a tree or treesthat will successfully grow in the areathat you want plant it. Different specieshave different habitats in which they willthrive. Some things to consider arewhether the site is a dry site or a wet site.Another has to do with your location,whether you live in North Alabama orSouth Alabama.

Seedling growth will depend on sever-al factors. Rainfall, soil fertility, soil type,tree species, and whether the species isplanted in an area that it will thrive. Forexample, slash pine can be planted insandy dry sites, but that is not where theythrive. They prefer wet-natured sites suchas flatwoods and swamps.

If you are in need of forest manage-ment advice, or for more information onhow to plant tree seedlings or where youcan obtain tree seedlings, contact yourlocal Alabama Forestry Commissioncounty office or the Commission’s E. A.Hauss Nursery at 251-368-4854.

Things to Consider

BeforePlanting

Your SeedlingsBy Craig Frazier, Manager, E. A. Hauss Nursery

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Tree Seedlings Available from AFC’s E. A. Hauss Nursery

2005-2006 Season Prices

LONGLEAF PINE SEEDLINGSPrice per 500 Price per 1000

1st Generation $45.00 $70.00

HARDWOOD and WILDLIFE Packages

Crab Apple Cherrybark Oak Sawtooth Oak Persimmon

Chinese Chestnut Nuttall Oak Shumard Oak Chickasaw Plum

Dogwood Overcup Oak White Oak Yellow Poplar

Prices: $15.00 per 25 $35.00 per 100 $135.00 per 500 $200.00 per 1000

4165 Ross Road �Atmore, Alabama 36502 � Phone: 251-368-4854 �FAX: 251-368-8624

E-mail: [email protected] �Web Site: www.forestry.state.al.us

Business Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30a.m. - 4p.m.

Ordering Information•TO PLACE YOUR ORDER - Call Hauss Nursery at 251-368-4854 or your county Alabama Forestry Commission office.OR visit our website at www.forestry.state.al.us where you can print out an order form and fax it to 251-368-8624. You willreceive an acknowledgment within five to seven working days.

•UPON RECEIPT OF ACKNOWLEDGMENT - Remit a 10% non-refundable deposit if your order is for more than50,000 pines or 10,000 hardwoods. Remit full payment for all other orders.

•PAYMENTS - All payments/deposits are due within 30 days of the acknowledgment date. We accept credit cards andchecks or money orders payable to the Alabama Forestry Commission. For proper credit, please note your customer ID number on your payment. We do not accept cash.

•AVAILABILITY - Orders are available for delivery during December, January, and February only.

•HAUSS NURSERY PICK-UP - Schedule your delivery at least two weeks in advance by calling 251-368-4854.

•UPS DELIVERY - Orders of less than 30,000 hardwood seedlings are shipped via UPS or are available for pick-up atHauss Nursery. UPS charges (available upon request) are based on the number of seedlings shipped per order.

•COOLER DELIVERY - All pine seedlings and orders of more than 30,000 hardwood seedlings may be shipped to ourcooler locations in Opelika and Tuscaloosa. Schedule your delivery at least two weeks in advance, then call your cooler location to verify delivery.

(Please order in multiples of 25, 100, 500, or 1000)



Precision agriculture is a conceptthat is accepted and practiced onrow crop acreage, particularlythroughout the Midwest where

land is well suited for tillage. Precisionagriculture uses satellite technology toguide the application of fertilizer/herbi-cides/lime etc. at precise rates, varyingthroughout the field depending on the soilcharacteristics. This method makes bestuse of these soil additives, assuring thatno area receives too much or too little.Each acre is treated uniquely, as thoughthere are a series of small fields all fallingwithin one larger field, working togetherfor maximum profit.

Though not commonly practiced inforestry, this same “precision” manage-ment concept can be applied. Most pri-vately owned forests have considerablehabitat diversity. Site factors, such as soil,will vary according to position on theslope (ridge tops and upper slopes are lessproductive than mid and lower slopes).Slope aspect, or direction the slope faces,also has a measurable impact on produc-tivity (south and west slopes are less pro-ductive than north and east slopes).

Further, past practices within a forestoften result in an assortment of treespecies, varying in age and in differentcondition. For example, if portions of theforest were previously exposed to live-stock pasturing, ground fire, timber har-vesting or even row cropping, these areaswill have different attributes than otherportions of the forest that were notexposed.

Too often, a generalized broad-brushforestry prescription is made and imple-mented in forests when instead, due to itsdiversity, the forest needs “precisionforestry.” Many private forests are more aconglomerate of small, unique stands,falling within the larger forest tract. Eachof these smaller stands should, based onboth economics and ecology, be managedwith careful analysis of what it indicatesis needed.

For example, a 75-acre hardwood for-est tract may have 20% of its acreagewith poor quality trees, previously mis-managed and without good economicpotential. This area could be regenerated(clearcut) to create young growth andearly successional habitat. An additional

50% of the acreage might have fine quali-ty, middle-aged sawtimber, needing to bethinned to gain some monetary return andto energize the remaining trees so thatthey’ll be ready for a follow-up harvest15-20 years hence. The balance (30%),simply too young for commercial harvest,is overstocked thus experiencing sup-pressed growth. Here an owner couldimplement “crop tree release” by deaden-ing weed trees with a chainsaw, therebyassuring a future forest with well-spaced,highly desirable crop trees.

In the Southeast, we are experiencingan increase in the number of forestlandowners, with each owning smalleracreages. This situation is ideal for preci-sion forestry. With precision forestry,essentially all crop trees are allowed toreach their economic maturity, rather thanbe sacrificed (harvested) too early. Plus,precision forestry creates great diversityin habitat, age structure, and species . . .conditions highly desirable for thoselandowners who consider the other usesof their forest (recreation, wildlife, andaesthetics) equally important!

By David Mercker, Extension Forester, The University of Tennessee


Remember when folks eitherlived in town or out in thecountry? Things seemed muchsimpler then. Houses were

mostly concentrated in the cities andtowns, with the few homes scatteredabout the rural areas of the country. Backthen, wildland fires were generally notconsidered much of a threat to homeown-ers. The city fire departments took careof house fires within their jurisdictions.Those in the rural areas were either putout by the state forestry agency, local cit-izens, or were allowed to burn them-selves out. Farmers knew how to cleararound their barns, fences, and homes,and how to use their plows to make firebreaks to protect themselves from woodsand field fires.

Around the 1970s, the United Statesbegan to see evidence of a large migra-tion of people from the urban areas to therural areas. This migration resulted invast areas of Alabama and other regionsacross the nation with homes in the inter-face – the area where fuel feeding a wild-fire changes from natural (wildland) fuelto man-made (urban) fuel. In 1985 disas-trous wildfires swept the country,destroying more than 1,400 homes andclaiming 44 lives in the U.S. This disas-ter shocked fire officials into realizingthat the expansion of people into subur-ban and rural areas seriously complicatedthe duties of both the urban and wildlandfirefighters.

This migration of homes into thewoods and other wildlands made the fireproblem worse in at least three ways:

1. Increased frequency of firesbecause more people means more

fires – 93% of wildland fires in theSouth are caused by people.

2. Fires are more severe because thenatural vegetation that contributesto privacy and scenic beauty pro-vides a ready trail of fuel, leadingany fire right up to the combustiblefuels of the home itself.

3. It takes much more time to set upthe complex logistics necessary tocontrol a major situation thatrequires a multi-jurisdictional fireattack.During extreme wildfire events, wild-

fires can spread out over several hundred

By Gerald Steeley, Wildland Urban Interface Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission

Burning embers can becarried more than a mileby strong winds.

Continuous fuels that leadright up to the house canput homes at risk.

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or even thousands of acres, simultaneous-ly exposing numerous structures toflames and firebrands. These events usu-ally occur during periods of high windsand low humidity with dried fuels, andoften in difficult terrain and drought con-ditions. Under such circumstances, it isdifficult for firefighters to provide fireprotection for each individual homewhen multiple structures are affected.

Homeowners must accept someresponsibility for taking actions to pro-tect their homes before a wildfire occurs.Understanding how homes ignite duringwildland-urban fires provides the basisfor appropriately assessing the risk fac-tors involved. Around each home is anarea called the “home ignition zone.”This area, which includes the home andthe radius surrounding the home within100-200 feet, determines the home’s igni-tion potential from a wildfire. Becausethis home ignition zone is controlled bythe homeowner – not the fire services,only the homeowner has the authorityand responsibility to take action toreduce the likelihood of a devastatingfire. A homeowner may think that a gar-den hose will be sufficient to wet downthe roof and surrounding area when awildfire occurs, but he or she may notunderstand that in a raging fire a waterhose is virtually ineffective. Steps mustbe taken before an incident occurs todefend a home from damage or destruc-tion from wildfire.

For this reason a program called“Firewise” may help a landowner planand execute a fire prevention plan aroundthe home. Firewise is a cooperative effortamong federal, state, and private agen-cies and organizations to promote firesafety in the wildland-urban interface.The Firewise goal is that homes shouldbe designed, built, and maintained towithstand a wildfire without the interven-tion of the fire services.

During a wildland-urban fire, a homeignites from two possible sources: (1)directly from flames (radiation and con-vection heating), and/or (2) from fire-brands (lofted embers) accumulatingdirectly on the home. Highly ignitablehomes can ignite during wildfires with-out fire spreading near the structure. Thisoccurs when the intense heat from a for-

est fire creates strong winds that dropburning firebrands far in advance of theflames (1/2 mile or more). This blizzardof firebrands collects on and directlyignites flammable home materials, orignites adjacent flammable materials thatthen ignite the house.

Wildfires do not spread by flowingover the landscape, like avalanches andtsunamis. Each location along the path ofa wildfire must meet the requirements for

combustion – that is, a sufficiency offuel, heat, and oxygen (otherwise knownas the fire triangle). In a fire situation thehome is the fuel and the surroundingvegetation becomes the heat source.Oxygen is not a limitation with exteriorignitions.

We see many instances on the newseach year of dozens of homes in a subdi-vision being destroyed and only a fewescaping the catastrophe unscathed. The

Wildfire Risk Assessmentfor Southern Homeowners

This risk assessment is organized into two major components: The Fuel Componentand The Structure Component. The fuel component assesses the vegetation around a home. The structure component identifies hazardous characteristics of a home’sdesign and building materials. During a wildfire, the fuel and structure components work together to affect the home’s survivability. That’s why both components must beassessed to determine the wildfire risk of a particular home.

A. Fuel ComponentSelect the most appropriate point rating for each of the two fuel factors (natural plantcommunity and defensible space) and multiply the points together to determine thefuel component score. Refer to plant community descriptions in Appendix A if youneed clarification on which surrounds your home.

1. Ratings for the major plant communities of the southern United States: Points

Very Low Fire Hazard 0Cultivated agricultural lands

Low Fire Hazard 1Hardwood forest (e.g., oaks, hickories, maples, poplars)Mature pine plantations that are open underneath trees (few shrubs)Seasonally flooded swamps (e.g., cypress or bay swamps)

Moderate Fire Hazard 3Pine savannas (low density pines with grasses underneath)GrasslandsSeasonal marshes

High Fire Hazard 4Pine forests with shrubs <6 feet tallYoung hardwood forests with dense shrubsRecently logged forests with downed woody debrisOther plant communities dominated by shrubs <6 feet tall

Very High Fire Hazard 5Dense shrubs >6 feet tall; may or may not have trees above the shrubs

Total points for natural plant community around your house ____

2. Defensible Space Points

>100 feet of defensible space 160-100 feet of defensible space 1.530-60 feet of defensible space 2<30 feet of defensible space 4

Total points for defensible space ____

A. Fuel Component Total: multiply points from 1 and 2: ___ x ___ = _____

Is Your Home Firewise?(Continued from page 23)

(1) (2)


reason is that the requirements for com-bustion – the fire triangle – were not metat the homes that remained undamaged.One or more elements of the fire trianglewere not present. A California studyshows that houses with nonflammableroofs and a vegetative clearance of 10 to18 meters had an 86% survival rate.Raised homes (mobile homes and modu-lar homes) without skirting are more vul-nerable to wildfire because firebrands(hot embers) can be blown under thefloor, increasing the possibility of igni-tion. Also, mobile home occupants aretwice as likely to die from a fire as occu-

pants of other one or two-family resi-dences.

Saving homes from wildfires requiresa fundamental change in our way ofthinking. Landowners cannot depend onfire services to protect their homes incatastrophic fire situations where multi-ple structures are threatened. Each home-owner must take the responsibility toensure that his or her property is defend-ed in the event of a wildfire.Accompanying this article is a WildfireRisk Assessment guide that you as ahomeowner can conduct to determine thelevel of risk for loss to your home. After

doing the assessment, if your rating fallsin the high or very high risk category,you should take an active role in elimi-nating the contributing factors. Contactyour county Alabama ForestryCommission office or local fire depart-ment, rangers, or firefighters to assist youin identifying practices that can beachieved on your property to lower yourrating and make your home Firewise.You can also get information from theresources listed below.

Don’t wait until you smell smoke toact. Begin now making your homeFirewise.

ReferencesCohen, Jack D. What is the Wildland

Fire Threat to Homes? 2000.

Cohen, Jack D. Wildland-Urban Fire – ADifferent Approach. www.firelab.org

Cohen, Jack D. Reducing the WildlandFire Threat to Homes: Where andHow Much? 1999.

Dennis, Johnny. Comments on theNational Fire Plan. 2003.

Fire in the South: A Report by theSouthern Group of State Foresters.www.southernforests.org

Firewise Communities.www.firewise.org

Firewise Communities/USA.www.firewise.org/usa

Long, Alan J. and Cotton K. Randall.Wildfire Risk Assessment Guide forHomeowners in the Southern UnitedStates. Southern Center for Wildland-Urban Interface Research andInformation. 2004. www.interfacesouth.org

Wildfire Strikes Home! The Report of theNational Wildland-Urban FireProtection Conference. 1987.

B. Structure ComponentCheck only the highest rated factor in each list that describes a structural characteristicof your house or surrounding area. Then record the points from the highest rated factorthat you checked as the subtotal for that group of factors (only one factor per group). Ifnone of the listed factors are represented on your property, then your rating for that groupwill be zero.

1. Firebrand Ignition Factors (Check only the highest rated factor): Points

Wood shingles or shakes on roof (Class C or not rated) 5Wood deck 3Open or combustible soffits 3Open space under house without skirting 3None of the above 0

Total points for Firebrand Ignition Factors (maximum 5 points) ____

2. Other Indirect Ignition Factors (Check only the highest rated factor): Points

Slopes >30% 2Wood fence (connected to house) 2Adjacent house or outbuilding <50 ft. from house 1Stacked firewood and/or propane tanks <30 ft. from house 1None of the above 0

Total points for Indirect Ignition Factors (maximum 2 points) ____

3. Heat-Related or Direct Ignition Factors (Check only the highest rated Pointsfactor): *Include these factors ONLY if you have <100 feet of defensible space*

Wood siding 3Vinyl siding or soffits 2Single paned, non-tempered glass 2None of the above 0

Total points for Heat-related Ignition Factors (maximum 3 points) ____

B. Structure Component Total; add points from 1-3: ___+___+___=____

Combine the Fuel and Structure Components to determine youroverall wildfire risk rating.

Overall Wildfire Risk Rating:

A. Fuel Component Total _____ + B. Structure Component Total ____ = ______

Interpreting your overall risk rating:

< 5 = Low Risk 5-8 = Moderate Risk 9-13 = High Risk >13 = Very High Risk

(1) (2) (3)

FireTriangle


If you have been following this seriesof articles on distance, direction, andmaps, you have been exposed toskills that allow you to use a variety

of applications to help you navigate andmeasure. The approach described hereoffers the same answers but in a different,more fun way. These methods may notalways be practical for your situation, butthey are fun to study and try. They seemto have an extraappeal for young-sters.

Suppose you areout on a sunny day,don’t have yourcompass, and wantto determine north.Try the “Shadow-Tip Method” andthe “WatchMethod.”

The shadow-tipmethod is a four-step process, andcan also be used toapproximate time.Step One requiressticking a stick orbranch verticallyinto the ground. Thearea around the stickshould be fairlylevel where a dis-tinctive shadow canbe cast. Mark the

shadow tip. (The first mark is always thewest direction compared to any othermarks.)

Step Two, wait 10-15 minutes until theshadow tip moves a few inches. Mark thenew position of the shadow tip.

Step Three is to draw a straight linethrough the two marks to obtain anapproximate east-west line.

In Step Four, stand with the first mark(west) to your left, then the other direc-tions are simple. North is to your front,east is to the right, and south is to yourrear.

The standing view is one way to orientyourself. Another way is to draw a lineperpendicular to the E-W (east-west) line,and the new line will approximate N-S(north-south). See Figure 1.

Field-ExpedientMethods

of Time and Directionor,

Figure 1. Determining direction and time by shadow.

Part 8 in a Series by Douglas A. Smith, Alabama Forestry Commission, Retired


Still uncertain which way is west?Remember that the first shadow-tipmark is always west, anywhere onearth.

The shadow-tip method can alsobe used to approximate time. (SeeFigure 1.) To find the time of day,move the stick to the intersection ofthe N-S (north-south) E-W (east-west) line. The west part of the E-W(east-west) line indicates 6:00 a.m.or 0600 hours and the east part is6:00 p.m. or 1800 hours. (Theseexamples use military time, or 24-hour days. Midnight starts a newday. The following twelve hours are1 through 12. The next twelve hoursare 13 through 24.)

The N-S (north-south) linebecomes the noon line. A twelve-hour grid now exists with noon at thecenter. All you need to do is dividethe remaining areas into six equalparts and mark the hour on theground. Follow the shadow of thestick to an hour mark for an approximatetime.

Note: The shadow clock is not a time-piece in the ordinary sense. The time isclosest to conventional clock time at mid-day, but the spacing of the other hoursvaries compared to locality and date. It isnot intended for use in polar regions(above 600 latitude in either hemisphere).

If a shadow forming a direction canbecome a watch, how can a watch deter-mine direction? In the north temperatezone only, the hour hand is pointedtowards the sun. (Those of you with digi-tal watches are out of luck). A south linecan be found midway between the hourhand and 1200 hours, standard time. If ondaylight savings time, the N-S (north-south) line is found between the hourhand and 1300 hours. If there is anydoubt about which end of the line isnorth, remember that the sun is in the eastbefore noon and the west after noon.

The system for the south temperatezone is similar, but the 1200 hour dial ispointed at the sun, and north is halfwaybetween 1200 and the hour hand. SeeFigure 2.

Lower latitudes present problems notcovered in this article.

The shadow and watch methods obvi-ously require daytime and sunlight. Sowhat about night, when the stars are out?The stars offer another opportunity for

determining direction, but the process istoo complicated to be covered in this arti-cle. However, one star does have particu-lar significance.

Star clusters, or constellations, that wesee depend partly on where we are locat-ed on the earth, the time of year, and thetime of night. The night sky changes withthe seasons and from hour to hour. Butthere is one star that is in almost exactlythe same place in the sky, all night long,on every night. It is the North Star, alsoknown as the Polar Star, or Polaris.

The North Star is less than 1o off trueNorth. The north end of the axis of theearth points towards the star. The NorthStar is part of what is known as the LittleDipper, and is the last star in the handle.If you have trouble locating the Little

Dipper, maybe you can find the BigDipper which, in turn, will help youfind the North Star. (If you cannotfind either dipper, you may need todo additional research.) Upon locat-ing the two big stars at the end ofthe Big Dipper bucket, draw animaginary line to connect them. Inyour mind, extend the line awayfrom the bucket opening, five timesthe length of the original line. Youhave located the North Star. SeeFigure 3. There are many starsbrighter than the North Star, butnone are more important because ofits location. (The Southern hemi-sphere uses the Southern Cross con-stellation for a directional guide.)After some practice, you will beable to find the star without goingthrough a procedure.

Often it is cloudy and you can’tsee the sun or stars. Become part ofthe technical generation and useGPS, Global Positioning System. It

is a system of navigational satellites thatwork in conjunction with your portableunit to precisely determine location. Mostof the articles in this series have suggest-ed sharing what you have learned with ayoungster. When learning to operate aGPS, maybe you should ask a youngsterto explain it to you.

Figure 3. Determining direction by the North Star.

Figure 2. Determining direction by using awatch.

Editor’s Note: Doug Smith’s earlier articles in this series on directionand map reading may be found in thefollowing previous issues ofAlabama’s TREASURED Forests:Summer 2002, Winter 2003, Spring2003, Summer 2003, Fall 2003, andSpring 2004.

MMany people refer to thestates below the Mason-Dixon Line as the SunnySouth, but for those of us

who live here, we just call it “hot.”Living in the South in the summer hasmany rewards and benefits – scorchingsummer heat and breath-taking humidityare not included on the list.

Because of the extremely hot andmuggy summer months, we are suscepti-ble to heat-related illnesses. Althoughvery preventable, many people become illor die annually as a result of extremeheat. According to the Center for DiseaseControl, from 1979 to 1999 excessiveheat exposure caused 8,015 deaths in theUnited States. During this period, morepeople in this country died from extremeheat than from hurricanes, lightning, tor-nadoes, floods, and earthquakes com-bined. In 2001, 300 deaths were causedby excessive heat exposure.

Heat-related illnesses occur when ourbodies are unable to compensate andproperly cool themselves. The body nor-mally cools itself by sweating but undersome conditions sweating isn’t enough,causing the person’s body temperature torise rapidly. Several things can affect the

human body’s ability to cool itself duringextremely hot weather. In high humidity,sweat will not evaporate as quickly, pre-venting the body from releasing heatquickly. Other risk factors include age,obesity, fever, dehydration, heart disease,mental illness, poor circulation, sunburn,certain prescription drugs, and alcoholuse.

Most people do not realize that evenexposure to short periods of high temper-atures can cause serious problems. Heat-related illnesses can occur by doing toomuch on a hot day, spending too muchtime in the sun, or even staying in anoverheated place. Two of the most seriousheat related health conditions are heatstroke and heat exhaustion.

Heat StrokeHeat stroke is the most serious heat-

related illness. It occurs when there isexcessive fluid and salt loss in hot orhumid conditions, leading to generaldehydration and exhaustion. The body’sability to cool itself shuts down, causingthe body temperature to rise rapidly. Thenatural sweating mechanism shuts down.Under these conditions body temperaturemay rise to 106o F or higher within 10 to

15 minutes. Heat stroke can cause deathor permanent disability if emergencytreatment is not provided.

Some of the warning signs of heatstroke include:

•An extremely high body temperature(above 103o F, orally)

•Flushed, hot and dry skin (no sweating)

•Rapid, strong pulse

•Throbbing headache

•Dizziness

•Nausea

•Confusion

•UnconsciousnessIf any of these signs occur, you could

be dealing with a life-threatening situa-tion. Immediately call 911 and begincooling down the victim.

Ways to cool down the victim: •Get the person to a shady area.

•Cool them rapidly using whatevermethods you can. Examples: immersethe victim in a tub of cool water; placethem in a cool shower; spray the vic-tim with cool water from a gardenhose; sponge them with cool water; or


By Coleen Vansant, Public Information Specialist, Alabama Forestry Commission

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wrap the victim in a cool, wet sheetand fan him or her vigorously.

•Monitor the body temperature and con-tinue cooling the body until the vic-tim’s temperature drops to 101-102o F.

•Do not give a heat stroke victim fluidsto drink. Cool the body from the out-side.

•Get medical assistance as soon as pos-sible.

Heat ExhaustionHeat exhaustion is not as serious as

heat stroke, and it usually develops afterseveral days of exposure to high tempera-tures or inadequate/unbalanced fluidreplacement. This illness is the body’sresponse to an excessive loss of the waterand salt contained in sweat. People mostprone to heat exhaustion are the elderly,those with high blood pressure, and per-sons who work or exercise in a hot envi-ronment.

Some of the warning signs of heatexhaustion are:

•Heavy sweating

•Dry tongue and thirst

•Cold, clammy skin with an ashen pallor

•Muscle cramps

•Tiredness

•Weakness

•Headache

•Nausea or vomiting

•Feeling faint, dizzy, or weakWhen a person is suffering from heat

exhaustion, their pulse rate will be fastand weak, and breathing will be fast andshallow. The skin may be moist and cool.If untreated, heat exhaustion can progressto heat stroke. If the victim has heartproblems or high blood pressure or if thesymptoms are severe, call 911 for medi-cal services immediately. If these condi-tions do not exist, you should assist thevictim in cooling off.

Cooling measures may include:•Move person to a cool place.

•Loosen tight-fitting clothing or removeextra layers of clothing.

•Drink cool, non-alcoholic beverages.

•Rest.

•Take a cool shower or bath.

•Apply cool wet cloths to the body.You should limit physical activity until

the symptoms disappear.The best preventative measure against

heat-related illnesses is to stay indoorswhere there is air conditioning. But forthose who work or have activities requir-ing you to be outside in the summer heat,there are measures you can take that willaid the body’s cooling mechanisms toprevent a heat-related health crisis.

Drink plenty of fluids – In hot weath-er you should increase your fluid intakeregardless of your activity level. Whiledoing outdoor activities or anything in ahot environment, you should drink two tofour (16-32 ounce) glasses of cool fluidseach hour. Don’t drink liquids that con-tain caffeine, alcohol, or large amounts ofsugar – these can make you lose bodyfluid.

Replace salt and minerals – This canbe done by drinking sports drinks. If youare on a low-salt diet, you may want toavoid sports drinks.

Wear appropriate clothing and sun-screen – Wear lightweight, light-colored,loose-fitting clothing. If you go out-doors, protect yourself from the sun bywearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglass-es, and an SPF-15 or higher sunscreen.

Plan outdoor activities – Limit youroutdoor activities to the morning andevening hours. Consider postponing out-door sports events for the sake of bothplayers and spectators. If you do workor play outside, take frequent breaks in ashady place and drink plenty of liquids.

Pace yourself – The best rule is tostart slowly and pick up the pace gradual-ly. If exertion in the heat makes yourheart pound or makes you gasp forbreath, stop and get into a cool area orshade.

Use a buddy system – Partners cankeep an eye on each other. Check on co-workers and have them check on you. Ifyou are planning to work outside in theheat alone, let someone know and sched-ule a check-in time with them. Keep yourcell phone close by.

Monitor those at high risk – Those athigh risk include infants and children upto four years old, people 65 years old orolder, overweight people, people whooverexert during work or exercise, thephysically ill (especially with heart dis-ease or high blood pressure), and peoplewho take certain medications.

Use common sense:•Avoid hot foods and beverages andheavy meals – they will add heat toyour body.

•Drink plenty of fluids.

•Dress in cool, loose clothing and shadeyour face with a hat or umbrella.

•Limit your exposure to the sun duringmid-day hours.

•Do not leave infants, children, or petsin a parked car.


Resources:http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp

http://www.orthoinfo.org

http://www.disastercenter.com/guide/heat.html

http://kidshealth.org

http://www.drreddy.com/heat.html

Water – one of the best defensesagainst heat-related illnesses.

Photo by Coleen Vansant

Alabama’s bobwhite quail popu-lation is now only about 20%of what it was in the mid1960s, when sharp population

declines began throughout the southeast-ern United States. Various factors areinvolved in the decline of quail, but themost important is a great deficiency ofhabitat where breeding bobwhites cannest and raise chicks. About 80% of thequail in a population die each year. Withsuch high mortality, a successful breedingseason is critical for bobwhites to restoretheir numbers from one year to the next.Successful breeding is measured by nest-ing success and chick survival, whichdepend on the availability of nestingcover and brood habitat.

In Alabama, ideal nesting sites arecomposed of standing broomsedge mixedwith briars, legumes, and other broadleafweeds. Adult bobwhites will constructnests at the base of broomsedge clumps,using the dead grass blades for nestingmaterial. The mix of standing broom-sedge and broadleaf plants conceals thebirds and nests from predators whileaffording the birds open travelways toand from the nest. After the nests hatch,the broods of young chicks must have anabundance of insects for growth and sur-vival. Flightless chicks are very vulnera-ble to predators and require plant coversthat conceal them as they move and feed.Ideal habitat for the broods consists ofannual broadleaf weeds, especially rag-weed and partridge pea. Annual weedsare rich in insect life, and their foliageforms a canopy that hides quail broods.

Such natural plant covers are verydeficient in current landscapes that aredominated by thick wood, intensive agri-culture, mowed hayfields, and grazed pas-ture. Quail cannot flourish without anabundance of natural grasses and weedsthat provide nesting cover and broodhabitat.

Agricultural field borders offer anexcellent location to begin installing bob-white reproductive habitat in today’s

landscapes. Field border zones – at least30 feet wide, that remain uncropped andare allowed to volunteer in natural weedsand grasses – provide quail with nestingcover and brood-rearing habitat in agri-cultural environments. In North Carolina,farms with field border habitats on lessthan 10% of the field areas contained fourtimes as many quail nests as farms with-out field border systems. The border cov-ers are also valuable for other wildlife,including various grassland birds that areexperiencing population declines similarto the bobwhite. Naturally vegetated fieldborders trap sediments, pesticides, andexcess nutrients generated by farmingoperations, helping to minimize agricul-tural pollution. Managed field borderzones are being shown to be more worth-while for achieving overall farm conser-vation than to farm them for minimalcrop yields.

Field border habitats should be man-aged with a rotational system of late win-ter-early spring disking. Disk one-fourthto one-third of an established field bordersystem each year, in convenient seg-ments. A segment, for example, may beone side of a field. Rotate disking to anadjacent segment each following year.With this regime, most of the field border

cover remains standing each year, but ismanaged in weed and grass stages perpet-ually useful to quail for nesting and rais-ing broods. Field borders with Bermudagrass or other exotic grass encroachmentwill require herbicide treatments toremove the grass so that natural plantgrowth is not hindered.

Field border habitats of natural grassesand weeds will increase quail populationson farm lands because they supply criticalreproductive habitats that are deficient intoday’s landscapes. Field border systemswill not cure all problems associated withthe loss of quail, but in locations wherethey are being used they are giving bob-whites the edge they need to shift fromdeclining to increasing populations.

For more information, please contactStanley Stewart, Wildlife Biologist,Division of Wildlife and FreshwaterFisheries, 64 North Union Street, Suite584, Montgomery, Alabama, 36130.


By Stanley D. Stewart, Division of Wildlife and Freshwater Fisheries, Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources

The Alabama Wildlife Federation recentlyheld three regional short courses entitled“Managing for Bobwhite Quail in Alabama”which was attended by professional foresters,wildlife biologists, and conservationists fromacross the state. This training was made possiblein part through funding provided by the ForestLand Enhancement Program, administered by theUSDA Forest Service and the Alabama ForestryCommission. All attendees were provided copiesof the following publications to be distributed tolandowners interested in providing early succes-sional habitat for quail and other wildlife habitatmanagement on their timber lands: Ecology andManagement of Bobwhite Quail in Alabama byStan Stewart; Landowners Guide to Native WarmSeason Grasses in the Midsouth by Dr. CraigHarper, UT Extension; and A Guide to ManagingNorthern Bobwhites and Other Birds AssociatedWith Early Successional Habitats by the AlabamaWildlife Federation. To receive assistance, contactyour local Alabama Cooperative ExtensionSystem, Alabama Forestry Commission, or theWildlife and Freshwater Fisheries.

Stan Stewart’s book is also available bydownloading it from Conservation’s web site atwww.outdooralabama.com/hunting/game/quail.cfm or by calling the Wildlife Section at (334)242-3469.


reduced SPB hazard throughout the rota-tion. This information should offer fewquestions as to the most suitable stockinglevel to use.

In Table 1B, comparing the same twoinitial stocking levels but implementingan existing chip-n-saw market, we seethat 908 trees per acre has an AEV of$30 per acre while 436 trees per acre hasan AEV of only $26 per acre. Immedi-ately the increased revenue leans towardsthe use of the higher initial stockinglevel. By referring to the SPB hazard rat-ing (Figure 1) for the two stocking levelswe see again the lower hazard affordedby the lower initial stocking level.

IS IT WORTH THE RISK?The question to be asked is whether or

not the increased risk of SPB attack andpotential value loss is worth the potentialincreased revenue. More precisely, is $4

per acre per year worth the added riskassociated with the higher initial stockinglevel? In relevant terms, $4 per acre peryear is roughly less than the loss of ten,5” DBH, 30-foot pine trees. Questionssuch as these must be evaluated by theprescribing forester and landowner.

The sawtimber rotations reveal thesame total volume (total cords producedper acre over the entire rotation) trend asdoes the pulpwood rotations. The onlyexception is that although total volume isless in the lower initial stocking levels,the volume in MBF per acre producedincreases as the initial stocking leveldecreases. For old-field sites under therotation and parameters used in this com-parison, the advantage of using lower ini-tial stocking levels is expressed throughall of the economic indicators and com-pounded by the lower SPB hazard ratingsfor the periods preceding the first thin-ning at age 15.

Cutover sites, however, are not as pro-nounced, yet are relatively constant withthe middle range of initial stocking levelsproviding the better of the economicindictor levels. Again, the economic indi-cators compared with the related SPBhazard can offer insight in making theproper initial stocking level decisions.

SUMMARY

Initial stocking levels play an impor-tant role in the level of susceptibility ofstands to attack by the SPB. Low initialstocking levels can reduce the rate atwhich stands progress into preferred sitesfor SPB attack. Although higher initialstocking levels often produce more purevolume (cords, tons, etc.) per acre, thetrue economic feasibility must be evalu-ated for each site and management objec-tive. This, combined with an evaluationof the progressive effects of initial stock-ing levels on the level of susceptibility ofstands to SPB attack, can allow for accu-rate decision making.

Low initial stocking levels can offerlower risk during the pre-merchantablephases of stand development, lower lev-els during the merchantable phases, andunder the proper site conditions can offergreater financial return.

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How to Grow Beetle Bait - Revisited!(Continued from page 11)

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“How to Grow Beetle Bait,” by Jim Hyland and Tim Gothard,Alabama Forestry Commission,Alabama’s TREASURED Forests -Summer 1992.

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Known best for its thorny barkand branches, the honeylocustis a broad, flat-topped treegrowing 60-80 feet tall with a

trunk of 2-3 feet in diameter. The bark isblack, rough, and divided into narrow flatplates. The long forked thorns are about2-3 inches long on the branches andtrunk. This tree has a life span of about120 years.

The leaves are 7-8 inches long andpinnately and bipinnately compound. Theleaflets are oval, shiny dark green above,dull yellow-green below, and 1-1 1/2

inches long. Bipinnate leaves have 4-7pairs of pinnae, each with as many as 28leaflets.

Honeylocust can have male andfemale flowers on separate trees or onthe same tree, although most have flow-ers of both sexes. Flowering can begin assoon as 5-10 years.

The fruit is a twisted brown, leathery,flat pod 5-10 inches long. After frost thepods have a sweet juicy pulp that tasteslike honey. Because of the pleasant taste,livestock and wildlife forage for them.The young pods are edible for humanswhen cooked and taste like uncookedpeas. The pod twists and re-twists like acorkscrew scattering the seed in winter.

The tree grows in rich soil alongstreams, bottomlands, and mountainslopes. It also grows well on limestone orhigh pH soil. It demands plenty of sun-light and is tolerant of transplanting,heat, drought, air pollution, and salt.Honeylocust grows all over Alabama but

is most prevalent in north Alabama. Itshabitat extends from Pennsylvania westto southern Minnesota and southwesternSouth Dakota. It grows as far south asFlorida and westward to Texas.

The wood of the honeylocust is veryhard, very heavy, strong, stiff, and highin shock resistance. It is hard to workwith tools and does not glue well. It hasgood nail-holding ability but has a ten-dency to split. It is quite resistant todecay and does not have a characteristicodor or taste.

Honeylocust wood is used for generalconstruction, interior trim, furniture, andcrossties. It has become a desirable orna-mental tree and it trims easily into ahedge. Historically the wood was usedfor fence posts, wheel hubs, farm imple-ments, and furniture. The sharp spineswere used as pins.

The Alabama Champion honeylocustgrows in Baldwin County. It is 114 inch-es in circumference, 56 feet tall, and hasa crown spread of 60.7 feet for a totalpoint value of 185.17. The NationalChampion is found in Frederick County,Maryland. It has a circumference of 236inches. It is 114 feet tall and has a crownspread of 93 feet. Its total point value is373.

(Sweet Locust, Three-thorned Acacia, Thorn Tree)(Gleditsia triacanthos, L.)

By Coleen Vansant, Information Manager, Alabama Forestry Commission

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treasured - alabama forestry commissionforestry.alabama.gov/.../magazine/2005_summer.pdf ·...

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