forest resources - mississippi state university · recently donated the tom baker slide ... • dr....

RESOURCESFORESTNEW RESEARCH CENTERNEW RESEARCH CENTERNEW RESEARCH CENTERNEW RESEARCH CENTERNEW RESEARCH CENTER — Commemorating the formal Jan. 23 opening

of the Franklin Center for Furniture Manufacturing and Management were (l-r)Gov. Haley Barbour; MSU President Charles Lee; furniture executive HassellFranklin; and Dr. Vance Watson, vice president for agriculture, forestry andveterinary medicine. Franklin, president and chief executive officer ofHouston-based Franklin Corp., made a $1 million signature contribution forconstruction of the center that bears his name.

College of

SPRING 2004

Forest Resourcesn e w s l e t t e r

COMMENTS

Dean’s Comments

2 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2004

DEAN’S

Bob Karr

Fifty Years! Yes, we arecelebrating the 50th anniversary of theCollege of Forest Resources. Mygoodness, it seems only yesterdaythat we were celebrating the college’s25th anniversary.

What started as a few farmforestry courses in the 1930s hasevolved into the College of ForestResources with departments ofForestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, andForest Products. The college was firstrecognized by the university as aprofessional program in 1954 with thenaming of the School of Forestry.

We can all look with pride at thecontributions that the college hasmade to the management ofMississippi’s natural resources and itsenvironmental quality and to economicdevelopment. More importantly, wecan look at the thousands of men andwomen trained in natural resources.Our alumni are employed in highranking positions throughout theindustry. From entrepreneurs, tomanagers of manufacturing facilities,to managers of national parks andrefuges, the CFR can boast of thestudents it has educated and guided.

The 50th Anniversary Committeeis working diligently preparing for ourcelebration. Throughout the year,events will be planned to bring alumniand friends home to celebrate. I hopeyou can join us for some of theactivities, including the culmination ofthe celebration on Sept. 24, 2004.Watch our Web site for exciting details.

Many things have changed in thepast 50 years. The global economyand marketplace impact forestresources all over the United States.International issues have becomevitally important to the forest

resources in Mississippi. We aretraining our students to be activeplayers in this arena. We haveinitiated study abroad programs andinternational internships to facilitateour students in receiving significantworldwide experiences. One studentrecently completed a joint graduateprogram with the Universiti SainsMalaysia, and another student willattend the Universidad Austral de Chilethis fall while a student from thatuniversity will attend the CFR.Currently, the CFR has studentsenrolled from 10 foreign countries.

Faculty members also are fine-tuning their international skills. Whileon sabbatical leave, faculty membershave been participating in internationalactivities. These activities add depthto our college and are exceptionalexperiences for them, as well. Dr. EricDibble returned in January from a six-month sabbatical in Brazil where hetaught and conducted research at theFundacas Univerisdade Estadud deMaringa. Dr. Tom Matney will be onsabbatical leave to Sweden where hewill work with Haglof Inc.

While we have many internationalexperiences of which to boast, let usnot forget the exciting new additionsback in Mississippi. The FranklinCenter for Furniture Manufacturing andManagement was formally opened inJanuary by Gov. Haley Barbour, MSUPresident Charles Lee and other stateand university officials.

Additionally, the faculty, staff andstudents continue to excel, evenduring the hardships of a difficulteconomy. Throughout the newsletteryou will read about the outstandingachievements of our students and

examples of our faculty’sexcellence in research.

I am very proud of the faculty,staff and alumni of the College ofForestry Resources. I am alsoextremely pleased with ourstudents and I want you to bealso—they are our future.

Sincerely,

3College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2004

Jim Sledge named CFR Alumni FellowJames L. “Jim” Sledge has been

named 2003 Alumni Fellow for theCollege of Forest Resources.

The Alumni Fellows program bringsgraduates of distinction back tocampus to share their professionalexperiences and provide careerguidance for current students and theirfaculty mentors.

Sledge is a 1961 forestry graduatefrom Crystal Springs. He is the current

Jim Tisdale has been named 2004College of Forest Resources Alumnus

of the Year.This alumni honor

recognizes theachievements ofoutstanding alumniwhose personal lives,professionalaccomplishments andcommunity servicebest exemplify the

Tisdale named CFR Alumnus of the Yearmission of Mississippi StateUniversity.

Tisdale recently retired after 41years of service with the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service, including 18 years asmanager of the Noxubee NationalWildlife Refuge. He received hisundergraduate degree in forestry andhis master’s degree in wildlifemanagement from Mississippi StateUniversity.

Tisdale’s accomplishments for therefuge include helping start the LarryBox Environmental Educational Centerwith the Starkville School District andconstructing a new $2 million RefugeOffice and Visitor Center on the banksof Bluff Lake. He also helped bring theendangered red cockaded woodpeckerup from 16 colonies to 45 colonies.

Tisdale graduated in 1963.

Tisdale

Bob Holland, a retired GeorgiaPacific forester with a long history inMississippi wood procurement,recently donated the Tom Baker slidecollection to the college and the center.

Tom Baker was a forest engineer forSt. Regis who made dramatic changesin logging and wood supply.

Procurement and the era of forestrycovered through the images is animportant one, often overshadowed byland management history.

Procurement never has developedan institutional history because of therapid changes in this sector of forestry.

The Tom Baker slides are beingscanned and prepared for archival use.

Slide collection donated to the college

Joined by his wife, Sledge is congratulated by Bob Karr, interimdean of the College of Forest Resources.

Mississippi State Foresterand formerly served aswoodlands manager forMead Corp.’s Stevenson,Ala., paper and saw mills.Sledge is the formerpresident of the NationalAssociation of StateForesters.

Bill Stuart (r)accepts theslide collectionfrom BobHolland.

4

DEPARTMENTUPDATES

• The MSU SAF Student Chapter/Forestry Club hosted the 47thannual ASFC Conclave in Marchat the Equipment Show site southof Starkville on Highway 25. Thestudent organization is veryappreciative of the sponsors ofthis event, which included Stihl,RLH Logging Inc., MSU College ofForest Resources Alumni Associa-tion, Georgia-Pacific Inc., the MSUStudent Association, and manyothers. Conclave results will bepresented in the fall issue of thealumni newsletter.

• Dr. Steven H. Bullard is servingas trustee, Mid-South Section,Forest Products Society, and alsoserves the society as chair,Furniture and Hardwood Veneer/Plywood Technical Interest Group.

• Dr. Andrew W. Ezell, professor, isthe chairman of the ForestrySection of the Weed ScienceSociety of America for 2004-05.He also serves on the board ofdirectors for the Mississippi AgIndustry Council.

• Dr. Robert A. Daniels, extensionprofessor, has been appointed to athree-year term on the Society ofAmerican Foresters Committee onForest Policy.

• Dr. Terry Sellers Jr. recentlyretired from the Department ofForest Products with more than 23years of service.

• Sandy Stewart, researchscientist, recently retired from theDepartment of Forest Productswith more than 16 years of service.

• The Department of ForestProducts had its CSREES reviewin February. Alumnus CatalinoBlanche of the Cooperative State

College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2004

WILDLIFE AND FISHERIES• James E. Miller, extension/

outreach research professor,recently was honored with the2003 Clarence W. Watson Award atthe Southeastern Association ofFish and Wildlife Agencies Ban-quet in Mobile, Ala. Considered thegroup’s most prestigious honor, theWatson Award is presented jointlyby the Southeastern Section of theWildlife Society, Southern Divisionof the American Fisheries Societyand the Southeastern Associationof Fish and Wildlife Agencies’Directors.

• Dr. Lou D’Abramo is the newassociate director for theMississippi-Alabama Sea GrantConsortium.

• Dr. Jeanne Jones is the newlyelected president of theSoutheastern Section of theWildlife Society.

• Jared Quillen, wildlife andfisheries extension associate, hasaccepted a position in New York.New employees in the extensionprogram of the department include:Diane Weeks, administrativesecretary; Tatum Freeman,extension associate; JonathanPeeples, extension associate; andJanelle Midtbo, extensionassociate. The department alsohas a relatively new employee:Laura Andrews has returned asthe assistant to the director of theBerryman Institute and also as thepurchasing agent for wildlife andfisheries and the South FarmAquaculture Unit.

• Dr. Bruce Leopold has beenelected as Southeastern SectionRepresentative to the WildlifeSociety Council

• Shelley McNamara, graduatestudent, received the 2002MidSouth Aquatic PlantManagement Society Scholarship.

FORESTRY• Dr. Keith Belli has been named

associate dean for the College ofForest Resources.

• Dr. Scott D. Roberts, associateprofessor, returned from sabbaticalleave in January. He spent a one-year sabbatical working with theUSDA Forest Service, PacificNorthwest Experiment Station inOlympia, Wash.

• Dr. Thomas G. Matney, professor,has requested sabbatical leave forJune-November. Matney has anopportunity to collaborate withHaglof Inc. and will be developinglarge- and small-scale forestinventory and forest growthmodeling software.

• Dr. Kathryn G. Arano was hired inJanuary as a postdoctoral re-search associate. She will beworking with Dr. Ian Munn for aone-year period conductingresearch pertaining to NIPFowners, forest land taxation andother topics.

• Curtis A. Collins was hired inJanuary as a research associate I.He will be working with Dr. DavidEvans on programs in remotesensing, geographic informationsystems, forest inventory, biomet-rics, and data distributionapplications.

• Dr. John D. Hodges was hiredDecember 2003 as an assistantextension professor on a half-timebasis for three years. He will leadthe department’s statewideforestry extension educationprogram in hardwood forestmanagement.

• Dr. Chuan-Yu Hsu was hiredOctober 2003, as a postdoctoralresearch associate. She isworking with Dr. Cetin Yuceerthrough September 2005 in thearea of tree reproductive develop-ment.

• Dr. John D. Kushla was hiredDecember 2003, as an assistantextension/research professor. Heis located at the North MississippiResearch and Extension Center inVerona and specializes in pinemanagement and forest soils.

Research Education andExtension Service was the teamleader.

FOREST PRODUCTS

UPDATES5College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2004

DEPARTMENT

Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge

Three alumni participated in the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge Office and Visitor Center Dedication and CentennialCelebration in December. Established in 1940, the refuge includes more than 48,000 acres in three counties, and hosts avariety of habitats including prairie, upland hardwoods, pine hardwood, bottomland hardwood, field, and more than 1,400acres of water in lakes, rivers and streams.

Dedication and CelebrationDr. Bruce Leopold,head of wildlife andfisheries, was oneof the featuredspeakers. Leopoldearned a master’sdegree in forestryin 1979.

Refuge manager JimTisdale served asmoderator and host forthe dedication event.He is a 1961 forestrygraduate and received amaster’s degree inwildlife and fisheries in1963.

Sarah Palmisano,assistant manager atthe ChassahowitzkaNational WildlifeRefuge and 2001wildlife andfisheries graduate,performed thenational anthem.

David Hall, Ramon Callahan and Jim Tisdale honored formerprofessor Denzel Ferguson at the Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge inDecember. The three alumni were members of the first graduatingclass in wildlife management in 1963.

Ferguson was a professor in the Biology Department when he, inessence, started the wildlife management degree program atMississippi State in 1961. The program began as a master’s degreeprogram with Ferguson as the primary motivator and major professor.Dr. Dale Arner was hired in 1962 as the first head of the Departmentof Wildlife and Fisheries.

Ferguson eventually left MSU and accepted a position at OregonState University. He died in 1999 and left a request that a portion ofhis ashes be spread at Noxubee National Wildlife Refuge. The threealumni honored their former professors’ desires and spread a portionof his ashes on Bluff Lake.

All three members of the first wildlife and fisheries graduatingclass have had successful careers and recently embarked on a newcareer—retirement. Hall worked 36 years for the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service as a federal game warden, Callahan worked 30-plusyears as a wildlife biologist for the Natural Resources ConservationService and Jim Tisdale worked 41 years for the U.S. Fish andWildlife Service before retiring as refuge manager at NoxubeeNational Wildlife Refuge.

Three alumni pay tribute to former professor

David Hall, Ramon Callahan and Jim Tisdale pay tribute toDenzel Ferguson at the Noxubee National WildlifeRefuge.

DEVELOPMENTUPDATES


DEVELOPMENTu p d a t e

Montgomery named coordinator for CFR/CVMMelissa E. Montgomery assumed

the position of advancementcoordinator for the colleges of ForestResources and Veterinary Medicine inJanuary. Montgomery has beenemployed by the colleges in the officeof development since November 2000.

A Starkville native and MSUgraduate, Montgomery completed herbachelor’s degree in businessadministration in 2000. While a studentfrom 1997 to 2000, she worked in theEntomology and Plant PathologyDepartment. Following graduation,Montgomery joined the People’s Bank& Trust Co. in Tupelo as a creditunderwriter.

After returning to Starkville, shejoined MSU as a staff member. Shethen completed a master’s degree ininstructional technology in 2003.

In this new position, Montgomerywill be responsible for assisting thedirector of development and the deansof the colleges of Forest Resourcesand Veterinary Medicine with activitiesrelated to the identification, cultivation,solicitation, and stewardship of donorsand prospects.

“Since joining the development staffthree years ago, I have learned the

importance of the MSU Foundation,”said Montgomery. “Without privatecontributions, MSU and the twocolleges I work with would not be asequipped to achieve our goals. I amexcited to serve the university in thisposition.”

She continued, “MSU has had apositive impact on my life over theyears and through this position I hope

to have the same type impact onothers.”

“Melissa is a tremendous asset tothe College of Forest Resources, theCollege of Veterinary Medicine and theMSU Foundation,” said Keith Gaskin,director of development. “She willbring a lot of positive energy to thisnew position, which is critical as wemove forward in our major gift fund-raising efforts.”

Many people are fortunate enough to own forest land, an investment thatoften increases in value over the years. While growth of such an asset iscertainly preferred, managing the land to maximize its productive capabilitycan be a challenge for owners.

As you and your financial adviser plan for your future, consider thebenefits of giving your appreciated property to the College of ForestResources. A lifetime income through a trust arrangement, called a lifeincome agreement, could provide these benefits:

Bypass capital gains tax,Reduce current taxes through a charitable deduction,Select a competitive rate of return that is fixed or variable,Reduce size of taxable estate, if applicable, andEnsure the future of forestry education and research.For more information about giving appreciated property in return for

lifetime income, telephone Keith Gaskin at 662-325-3815 or e-mail him [email protected].

Your inquiry will remain strictly confidential.

Forest land, a special kind of asset

Celebrating 50 years of educaSetting the pace for the f

In 1954, the Mississippi Legislatureauthorized a School of Forestry with acurriculum leading to a professionaldegree at then-Mississippi StateCollege. The program began with sixfaculty members and 48 students and

awarded its first two diplomas in 1955.Since its inception, some 3,109students have graduated from what isnow known as the College of ForestResources with bachelor’s, master’sand doctoral degrees. This year we

will be looking back over the past 50years as, at the same time, we lookforward to future years. Please join usin celebrating the College of ForestResources’ 50th anniversary.


DEVELOPMENTu p d a t e

ation, leadership and researchfuture of forest resources

1954 Legislature created School of Forestry1955 First two professional forestry degrees awarded1955 8,000 acres of land given to the university for a school

forest1961 The School of Forestry becomes a separate entity from the

College of Agriculture1961 Robert T. Clapp named dean1964 Forest Products Utilization Laboratory authorized by the

Legislature1966 School of Forestry moves from Montgomery Hall into

Dorman Hall1967 School of Forestry renamed School of Forest Resources1967 Forestry undergraduate education program accredited by

Society of American Foresters1967 Department of Wood Science and Technology established

and approved to offer master’s degrees1968 Department of Wildlife Management established and

approved to offer master’s degrees1968 Department of Forestry authorized to offer master’s

degrees1969 Department of Wildlife Management renamed to

Department of Wildlife and Fisheries1970 Fishery management undergraduate curriculum was

established1974 R. Rodney Foil named dean1975 Department of Wood Science and Technology approved to

offer bachelor’s degrees1978 J. Charles Lee named dean1978 Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit was

established1978 School forest was named the John W. Starr Memorial

Forest after the first forest manager1979 IHL approved the Ph.D. program in forest resources

T I M E L I N E

1979 Graduate program in wildlife ecology accredited by theSoutheast section of the Wildlife Society

1980 First students enrolled in doctoral program1980 Wildlife and Fisheries’ research and educational facility

created1983 Forest products laboratory renamed R.T. Clapp Forest

Products Utilization Laboratory1983 Warren S. Thompson named dean1987 The Legislature created the Furniture Research Unit1989 Department of Wood Science and Technology renamed

Department of Forest Products1993 Departments of Forestry, Wildlife and Fisheries, and the

office of the dean move from Dorman Hall into new facility1994 The Legislature combined the research programs of

forest products, forestry, and wildlife and fisheries into anewly created Forest and Wildlife Research Center

1994 Bob L. Karr named interim dean1995 John Gunter named dean1996 New facility named Thompson Hall after Dean Emeritus

Warren S. Thompson1996 School of Forest Resources renamed College of Forest

Resources1997 Department of Wildlife and Fisheries approved to offer

bachelor’s degrees1999 Bob L. Karr named interim dean2001 G. Sam Foster named dean2001 The Institute of Furniture Manufacturing and

Management created2003 Bob L. Karr named interim dean2003 Berryman Institute East created2004 The Franklin Center for Furniture Manufacturing and

Management is dedicated by Gov. Haley Barbour

FEATURES8 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2004

Research to ensure long life for new housesEnsuring that newly constructed

homes have a chance to survive to aripe old age is the goal of a recentlyestablished collaboration atMississippi State.

A joint endeavor among severalcampus units, the university’s neweffort in Southern climatic housingresearch is providing an organizedapproach to developing, testing andtransferring new housing technologiesto prevent the premature failure ofresidential structures.

Funded by an initial $126,000 grantfrom the U.S. Forest Service, theprogram is part of that agency’sCoalition for Advanced Housing andForest Products Research Laboratory.It includes MSU faculty members inforest products, civil engineering,landscape architecture, andarchitecture.

The Forest Service is an arm of theU.S. Department of Agriculture, whoseadvanced housing coalition bringstogether higher education institutionsto focus on residential wood productand systems research in specificclimates. In addition to MississippiState and Iowa State universities,member schools include theuniversities of Arizona, Minnesota andNorth Dakota.

“Approximately 70,000 new housesare built each year in the South,” saidproject coordinator Terry Amburgey.“The team will conduct research todetermine designs, constructionpractices and building products bestsuited for the Southern climate.”

The effort is critical to a region inwhich almost 50 percent of newhouses are at risk because of highheat, humidity and Formosansubterranean termites, addedAmburgey, a professor in the Forestand Wildlife Research Center.

Structures often suffer because“housing designs well suited for oneclimate are transferred to otherclimatic regions without making

necessary modifications,” heexplained. “Also, emphasis on energyefficiency has resulted in housingdesigns that trap moisture and causedeterioration of housing systems.”

With initial funding, the researchteam will design a research anddemonstration test house atMississippi State to serve as a modelfor evaluating building designs,construction techniques and air-handling systems for use in the South.

“The test house will be dynamic,rather than static, and will be alteredas the team generates new data andbegins additional research,” said JaneB. Greenwood, associate dean of theCollege of Architecture. “We currentlyare working on the design phase of theproject. Once completed, the testhouse will serve as a teaching facilityfor our students and as ademonstration site for builders.”

In addition to conducting research,the housing center will serve as atechnology transfer hub to educatearchitects, builders, building officials,building material suppliers, repair andremodeling contractors, and othersabout creating houses that will bedurable in the South, Greenwoodadded.

Determining the durability ofbuilding materials exposed to thevoracious Formosan subterraneantermite will be another component offield-testing efforts. An exotic speciesnow infesting 11 states, the yellowish-brown insect—which grows to a half-inch in size—is one of the mostdestructive termite species in theworld. In the United States alone, ithas caused tremendous propertydamage, with a single colony capableof eating approximately 1,000 poundsof wood per year.

Greenwood said College ofArchitecture researchers will designstructures to be placed over termitecolony locations at university-developed test sites in SouthMississippi. Their campus colleaguesin the Forest Products Departmentthen will test both treated anduntreated building components todetermine how materials respond tothe invasive termite.

“We’re currently in the first year offunding,” Amburgey said. “We’ll seekadditional funding for projects thatstrive to make housing durable, energyefficient, disaster resistant,environmentally friendly, andaffordable.”

A recently completed multi-statestudy at Mississippi State will helpforest managers better predict firerisks and patterns in the South.

The analysis by the university’sForest and Wildlife Research Centercovered more than 100 million acres inthe Southeast. The finished project isexpected to provide a powerfulplanning instrument in the arsenal offire-fighting tools for forest managers.

“The study area includes youngpine and mixed pine and hardwood

Research helps analyze, minimizunder 10 years old, which have thehighest potential for wildfires,” saidproject investigator Ian Munn.

The professor of forestry said the2002 fire season alone caused morethan seven million acres to be lost inflames nationwide. While most firesoccur in the West, the South also is athigh risk for potentially destructivefires, he added.

To analyze the area, the MSUresearchers developed a geographicinformation system with both forest

FEATURES9College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2004

ze forest fire risksinventory analysis data collected bythe USDA Forest Service and U.S.census data that provideddemographic characteristics of theregion.

“The geographic information systemhelps organize and analyze thecomplex spatial relationships amongmultiple factors of importance,” saidassociate professor David Evans,project co-investigator.

Their conclusion: highest-risk areasin the South are public forests, urban-

forest interface locations and youngpine and mixed stands, each withpotentially serious hazard and damageconsequences in the event of majorfires.

To analyze the data, the MSUscientists classified forest fires intothree categories: natural fires,accidental and/or arson fires, andperson-controlled fires or prescribedfires.

Munn said person-caused forestfires—whether prescribed or accidental/

arson—represent “more than two-thirdsof all forest fires.” By combining theforest service and census data intoGIS, the university team developed anequation to predict fire probability.

Added Munn: “Using readilyavailable data, we were able to identifywhere efforts are most needed to limitthe impact of wildfires.”

Northern bobwhite initiative launchedAn agreement signed in August

2003 is establishing a major regionalbobwhite quail conservation initiativeto be directed by Mississippi Statewith oversight by the USDA’s WildlifeHabitat Management Institute.

The agreement enables wildliferesearchers at the university tocoordinate conservation efforts withmore than 20 state, federal and otherconservation partners.

“Hunting northern bobwhite inMississippi and other Southeasternstates is both a socially andeconomically significant sport that issteeped in tradition,” said MSU avianecologist Wes Burger. “The sport,however, is threatened by decliningpopulations of the game bird.”

A Forest and Wildlife ResearchCenter professor, Burger said the newinitiative seeks to developquantitative, habitat-orientedrestoration of bobwhite quailpopulations.

Support for the program originatedwith last year’s Farm Security andRural Investment Act, in whichCongress included a stipulation thatconservation programs seekimprovement of northern bobwhitequail habitat on private working lands.

Burger said bobwhite populations inthe Southeast have declined over thepast three decades at an annual rateof nearly 4 percent. To reverse thattrend and attempt to restore birdpopulations to 1980 levels, nationalhabitat and populations goals will bestepped down to 22 bird conservationregions which comprise the bobwhite’srange.

“Individual states will have theresponsibility for implementing thehabitat and populations goals withintheir boundaries,” Burger said.

Burger said the initiative “is thefirst landscape-scale habitatrestoration and population recoveryplan for northern bobwhites in theUnited States.”

To meet the goal, the initiative willdepend on land management actionsby agricultural producers and non-industrial, private forest landowners.The major limiting factor on bobwhitepopulations “is the insufficient nestingand brood-rearing habitat over most ofthe bird’s range,” Burger said.

Dr. Bruce D. Leopold, wildlife andfisheries department head, saidMississippi State’s selection tocoordinate the project recognizes theuniversity’s longstanding

investigations into quail ecology andwildlife values of federal farmconservation programs.

“I look forward to five years workingwith MSU, the SoutheasternAssociation of Fish and WildlifeAgencies and Quail Unlimited to helppreserve and enhance bobwhite andwildlife habitat in Mississippi and theother Southeastern states,” said BruceI. Knight of Washington, D.C., chief ofthe Natural Resources ConservationService.

Commemorating the bobwhite partnership were(l-r) Bruce Knight of the Natural ResourcesConservation Center, Corky Pugh of theSoutheastern Association of Fish and WildlifeAgencies, Dave Howell of Quail Unlimited, andVance Watson.

FEATURES10 College of Forest Resources Newsletter/Spring 2004

Untangling pine forest provides habitatScientists in the Forest and Wildlife

Research Center have found a newway to replicate certain features ofpre-colonial forests and untangle thepine forests of today. Their goal: tobenefit both 21st century forests andthe wildlife species inhabiting them.

“Fire was a natural and essentialprocess in Southern pine forests usedby Native Americans for landmanagement,” said wildlife biologistSteve Demarais, a professor in theWildlife and Fisheries Department.“These fires burned underbrush andpromoted growth of vegetationbeneficial to wildlife.”

Today, however, manySoutheastern pine forests are atangled mess as a result of fireexclusion. Demarais said the thick,low-quality hardwood brush and treesthat flourish beneath the pine canopymake wildlife habitat scarce.

In 1998, MSU’s Forest and WildlifeResearch Center joined with BASFCorp. to test the effects of a combinedvegetation management regime knownas Quality Vegetation Management ina Noxubee County site. The test sitewas researched by MSU graduatestudent Scott Edwards of Meridian.

“The key to re-establishing pinewildlife habitat quality is to ‘re-capture’the pine forest from the controllinginfluence of low-quality hardwoodunderbrush such as hickory and

sweetgum,” Demarais explained. “Ourinitial study showed that QVMaccomplishes this goal.”

With the competition eliminated,the soil nourishes high-quality broad-leaved plants and grasses—nativevegetation that provides beneficialhabitat for wildlife species.

“We identified 99 plant species inQVM-treated forests, compared to 38in untreated areas,” said Wes Burger,avian ecologist and wildlife andfisheries professor. “This nativevegetation serves as a buffet table fordeer, turkey, quail, and certain otherwildlife.”

In the QVM regime, a selectiveherbicide is applied in the fall, followedby a prescribed burn during winter.Fertilizer is not required, but willpromote faster growth and greaterseed production of native plantcommunities.

“QVM provides cost-effective long-term benefits,” Demarais said.“Establishing QVM costs as little as$115 per acre and the benefits can bemaintained with prescribed fire everythree to five years. Planting wildlifefood plots is nearly three times moreexpensive without many of thebenefits,” he added.

Private, non-industrial landownershold about 135 million acres in theSoutheast. Not realizing the need foractive management, many have

adopted a “hands-off” forestmanagement approach that promoteslow-quality wildlife habitat.

“Landowners can create a mosaicof habitats that game and non-gamespecies use for food and cover byrotating QVM treatments throughouttheir property,” Burger said. “This typeof management creates diversity thatbenefits all wildlife.”

As a result of the MSU research,agencies within the U.S. Departmentof Agriculture included components ofQVM for cost-sharing as part of thefederal 2002 Farm Bill. Landownerswith conservation reserve programpine plantations may benefit fromthese financial programs. Additionally,the Mississippi Forestry Commissionoffers financial assistance to establishQVM.

A new study comparing the cost-effectiveness of QVM on mid-rotationpine production and wildlife habitatquality is being funded by the U.S.Fish and Wildlife Service as part ofMSU’s Wildlife and FisheriesEconomic Enterprises federalinitiative. Research and demonstrationsites have been established innorthern and southern parts of thestate by the Forest and WildlifeResearch Center, MississippiAgricultural and Forestry ExperimentStation, MSU Extension Service, andBASF Corp.

Study analyzes impact of marine resourcesA new Mississippi State study

confirms that commercial sport fishingis both good recreation and very goodbusiness—more than $35 million ingood business, to be exact.

A recent research project by theForest and Wildlife Research Centerfocused both on the Mississippi GulfCoast and the state as a whole.

Forestry graduate student EmilyLoden of Fulton surveyed 630 anglersand marine activity participants during2001 to gather data on spendingpatterns and recreational choices.

She found that marine-relatedeconomic impacts totaled $31.8 millionin coastal Hancock, Harrison andJackson counties and $35.9 millionstatewide. Additionally, coastal marine

resources supported 685 statewide full-and part-time jobs.

Funded by the MississippiDepartment of Marine Resources, thestudy was designed to helppolicymakers and the public realize theeconomic value on areas of low-impactnatural resource-based recreationactivities, said Steve Grado, anassociate professor of forestry.

FEATURES11

“We knew that marine-relatedrecreational and tourism expenditurescontributed to both the state and localeconomy,” Grado said. “Littleinformation was available, however, onthe actual economic impacts of marineresources of the Mississippi GulfCoast.”

The study recommended that theamount and quality of public outdoor

recreation sites and events on theMississippi Gulf Coast be increasedand improved to promote the use andconservation of marine resources.

“Our research clearly indicates thatfishing and related activities on theGulf Coast benefit the three coastalcounties and Mississippi,” said JeanneJones, an associate professor ofwildlife and fisheries.

To better assess overall marineangling expenditures in Mississippi,the researchers called for additionalstudy of expenditures by private pieroperators and private-boat marineanglers.

Technology to provide market for landownersA new demonstration plant unveiled

in December 2003 at Mississippi Statehas the potential to stimulatealternative, profitable markets forsmall-diameter trees thinned from pineplantations.

Through a partnership with TimTekAustralia Ltd., scientists at the Forestand Wildlife Research Center willdemonstrate technologies they hopewill ultimately produce commerciallyviable engineered wood products fromthree- to eight-inch diameter Southernyellow pines.

Following an international search,company officials earlier selectedMississippi State as a partnerbecause of the university’s long-established and widely recognizedcomposite wood product researchprogram in the Department of ForestProducts.

Developed in Australia by theCommonwealth Scientific IndustrialResearch Organization, the TimTekprocess forms high-strength,engineered lumber using small-diameter trees that are crushed intostrands. Coated with an exterior-typeadhesive and dried, the strands thenare formed to desired shapes in aspecialized steam-injection hot press.

Recently completed with $1 millionfunding from the state Land, Water andTimber Resources Board, the plant islocated on the western edge of

campus, near the intersection ofBlackjack Road and Locksley Way.

During opening ceremonies, TimTekrepresentatives and MSU PresidentCharles Lee joined Lester Spell, statecommissioner of agriculture andcommerce, in emphasizing thesignificance of the collaboration to thestate’s economy.

“This plant and thetechnology being developedhere once again demonstrateMississippi State’s desire tohelp stimulate competitivemarkets for Mississippilandowners and the state’sforest industry and to helpcreate new value-addedproducts for Mississippimanufacturers,” Lee said.

Spell, observing thatMississippi has more than 18million acres of forest land,said the partnership “will begood for our state, especiallyfor private landowners who hold about70 percent of the state’s forest landsand are seeking new revenues for theirsmall-diameter trees.” A member of theLand, Water and Timber ResourcesBoard, he praised TimTek forexemplifying the kind of innovativeproject the board supports.

Company director Walter Jarck saidTimTek’s product “is a unique, long-fiber structural engineered lumber withhigh-strength properties of select-grade

sawn timber. It can be produced inlengths and cross sections greaterthan can be achieved from the largestlogs available.”

Since the process can beincorporated into existing plants,owners of wood-processing operationshave the potential to realize immediateeconomic benefits, Jarck added.

Further research will both determinethe strength values of the product andtest the product to help gain buildingcode acceptance. Initial examinationsin MSU’s forest products departmentindicate that the engineered lumberhas the potential to compete favorablywith beams and timbers used inresidential and commercialconstruction.

Lester Spell, Charles Lee and Walter Jarck


EVENTSAlumni


The CFR Alumni Society is focused on supporting the College of Forest Resources. Although we work cooperatively with the MSUAlumni Association, we are an entirely separate organization. To be a full-fledged member of the CFR Alumni Society, you mustpay yearly dues of $25. These are not the same dues that you pay to the MSU Alumni Association. The MSU Alumni Associationdoes not collect dues for the CFR Alumni Society. Membership is on an annual basis. If you would like to support the CFR AlumniSociety and its activities, please tear off this application and return it with a check or money order for $25 to:

MSU College of Forest Resources Alumni SocietyBox 9681Mississippi State, MS 39762

Name______________________________________ Year Graduated _______Department ________________________Address ____________________________________ City _______________________________State _______ ZIP ________Telephone _____________________________________ E-mail _________________________________________________

National Park Service Director FranMainella recently announced theselection of Edy Williams-Rhodes asthe chief of the Division of Fire andAviation, located in Washington, D.C.Williams-Rhodes will assume her newresponsibilities June 15.

“Edy brings with her a wealth ofexperience in the natural resourcesfield, all of which have been in supportof fire management activities,”Mainella said. “She is one of only fourarea commanders in the interagencyfire arena and is highly respected byher peers across agency boundaries.We are fortunate to have Edy join ourteam, and I look forward to workingwith her.”

As the division chief, located withinthe office of the associate director forvisitor and resource protection,Williams-Rhodes will be responsible foroverall program formulation, directionand coordination of the National ParkService wildland fire, structural fire andaviation management programs.

“It is an absolute honor andprivilege to be selected as the nextchief of fire and aviation for theNational Park Service,” said Williams-Rhodes. “I have devoted most of mycareer to wildland fire managementactivities which has given me a

Become a member of the MSU College of Forest Resources Alumni Society

’76 graduate named National Park Service chief, Division of Fire and Aviation

Doug Lamb, a 1974 forestry graduate, hasembarked on a new enterprise, Sis & D’sHandmade Spoons. Based in Clarksdale, thehusband/wife team crafts wooden spoons,spatulas, forks, and other kitchen utensils.

profound sense of purpose and pride.I look forward to working with theemployees of the NPS, as well as ourinteragency partners on the resourceand public protection challenges andopportunities that we share.”

Since February 2000, Williams-Rhodes has served as regionaldirector for aviation and firemanagement for the SouthwesternRegion of the USDA Forest Service inAlbuquerque, N.M. Prior to that, shewas stationed in Washington, D.C., atthe Forest Service nationalheadquarters. While there, 1996-2000,Williams-Rhodes served in theaviation and fire management staffunit in three positions, includingassistant director for planning, branch

chief for cooperative fire, and branchchief for planning, analysis andinformation resource management.Prior to her experience in Washington,she worked in various staff and lineofficer positions in the SouthernRegion of the Forest Service.

Williams-Rhodes has activelyserved in incident management since1979. She holds two bachelor’sdegrees from Mississippi State: onein forest management and another ineducation.

Edy is the daughter of Dan andElsie Williams of Prentiss. Dan is a1950 MSU graduate and one of thefirst 1955 forestry graduates.

National Park Service News Release

13

Student ServicesStudent places inannual conclave

STUDENTSERVICES


2003 GRADUATESA special reception and ceremonyhonoring fall 2003 graduates andtheir families was held inDecember. The dean presented thestudents with a certificate ofcompletion as they marched in, anda class photo was taken for thestudents.

Mississippi State’s studentchapter of the Society of AmericanForesters continues among the toporganizations of its kind in the nation.

The 50-member university chapterrecently placed first in the 2003 SAFStudent Chapter Web site competitionand now is ranked third overall in theoutstanding student chapter rankings.

The group has finished atop theoverall chapter rankings for the pastfive years, capturing first place in1996-97 and 2000-01, and secondplace in 1998-99 and 2001-02.

Because the chapter entered thatcategory of the annual competition forthe first time this year, this year’s Website honor is additionally noteworthy.Designed and maintained by studentmembers, http://www.cfr.msstate.edu/studentorgs/saf/index.htm was judgedon design and content, among othercriteria.

The 2002-03 officers includedPresident Shane Harrington ofDouglasville, Ga., Vice President BrittA. Hubbard of New Albany, andTreasurer Bryan M. McElroy ofCarrollton, Ala. Associate professor offorestry Donald L. Grebner is chapteradviser.

Founded in 1900, SAF is theworld’s largest professionalorganization for foresters. Its 18,000active members are engaged in avariety of programs to improve thehealth, productivity and use of thenation’s forest lands.

The 2003 awards presentationwas held as part of the organization’snational convention in Buffalo, N.Y.Grebner also was recognized duringthe ceremony for his contribution tothe student organization.

STUDENT FORESTRY GROUPAGAIN TOPS AMONG PEERS

A wildlife study of an endangered waterfowl species in her native Puerto Ricois earning a Mississippi State graduate student recognition from an internationalorganization.

Marisel Lopez-Flores, a master’s degree student in wildlife and fisheries underthe direction of Francisco J. Vilella, is being honored by the NeotropicalOrnithological Congress for the best student research presentation at theorganization’s 2003 assembly. Her report was among 100 scientific studies bystudents from nearly 30 countries presented at this year’s meeting in Puyehue,Chile.

Titled “White-cheeked Pintail Hen and Brood Survival in Wetlands of EasternPuerto Rico,” Lopez’s study described her investigations at the Humacao NatureReserve. Her work was supported by a Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration grantthrough the Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources.

The duck is common throughout the West Indies and Central and SouthAmerica. Found primarily in mangrove swamps, salt or brackish lagoons andtidal creeks and estuaries, it currently is at risk due to habitat loss and illegalhunting, among other factors.

Founded in 1987, the Neotropical Ornithological Congress includes membersfrom around the world. In addition to meeting every four years, the organizationpublishes an annual journal of scholarly articles.

Prior to enrolling at MSU, Lopez received a bachelor’s degree in wildlifemanagement at the University of Puerto Rico.

RESEARCH PRESENTATION RECEIVES MAJOR RECOGNITION

CAREER CENTER NOT JUST FOR STUDENTSThe MSU Career Center and the College of Forest Resources have teamed

up to make job search services easier for students, alumni and employers.With one-stop shopping, the Career Center offers opportunities to MSU alumniwho are seeking employment and those who are seeking new hires.

The Career Center works closely with the CFR in monitoring job listings andseeking opportunities for graduates. Alumni who are back in the job search canestablish a free account with the Career Center. This account allows them toupload their resume, apply for jobs online and participate in on-campusinterviewing.

Alumni who are now employers seeking to hire MSU students and graduatescan utilize the Career Center’s Employer Services, which are also free ofcharge. Employer registration allows companies to post jobs on the CareerCenter Web site, schedule on-campus interviews, as well as register for eventssuch as Career Day. Whether employers are looking for co-op students, internsor full-time employees, the Career Center offers it all.

If you are interested in utilizing the services of The Career Center, contactJodi Roberts at 662-325-3344 or by e-mail at [email protected].


ALUMNIUPDATES

Ramon Callahan (forestry 1961,wildlife and fisheries 1963) is workingas a consulting forester/biologist forCallahan Timber and Wildlife Services.Ramon has three children and ninegrandchildren. He and wife MaryKatherine live in Terry.

James L. “Jim” Sledge (forestry 1961)is the Mississippi State Forester andhead of the Mississippi ForestryCommission. He is also the CFR 2003Alumni Fellow.

Jim Tisdale (forestry 1961, wildlife andfisheries 1963) recently retired asmanager of the Noxubee NationalWildlife Refuge. He is the 2004 CFRAlumnus of the Year.

David Hall (forestry 1961, wildlife andfisheries 1963) worked 36 years for theU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service as afederal game warden and recentlyretired. He lives in Slidell, La.

Hurston O. Nicholas (forestry 1964)retired in 1991 as training coordinatorfor fire and aviation, Region 8 for theU.S. Forest Service. Nicholas has 30-plus years with the U.S. ForestService. He and wife Mary Ann live inAcworth, Ga., and have three childrenand four grandchildren.

William L. Kearney (forestry 1965) andwife Marilyn are living in Cleveland,Tenn. He is a forester with the USDAForest Service. He has twograndchildren: Trip, 7, and Abbey, 5.

Joe Hensley (forestry 1972) is a timbercruiser living in Pachuta. He has oneson, Todd, 30, and one granddaughterAshtyn, 6.

Doug Lamb (forestry 1974) is theowner of Sis & D’s Handmade Spoons.Based in Clarksdale, he crafts woodenspoons, spatulas, forks, and otherkitchen utensils.

Edy Williams-Rhodes (forestry 1976)is the chief, Division of Fire andAviation for the National Park Servicein Washington, D.C.

I. Winston Savelle, Jr. (forestry 1977and 1983) is living in Alpharetta, Ga.

Sally Johnson Mangum (forestry1983) is living in Columbus.

Jeff Sullivan (forestry 1983) is asenior consultant with PBS&J inSouthwest Georgia. He is living inEvergreen, Ala.

Jeff Keeton (forestry 1991) is one ofthe forestry tech program teachers atJones County Junior College inEllisville. Jeff received the MississippiSociety of American ForestersOutstanding Young Forester Award for2002.

Anissa Roark Young (forest products1996) is working for Hinds CommunityCollege as a workforce trainingspecialist—Health and Safety. Sheand husband Chris are living in Clinton.

Will Cox (forest products 1997) is anaccount executive with AmeriSafe inMadison.

Seth Swafford (wildlife and fisheries1998) works for the USDA APHISWildlife Services as a wildlife biologist.He lives in Stoneville.

Shane D. Jackson (wildlife andfisheries 1998) is living in Decatur, Ala.He is working as a contract specialist

for the U.S. Army Aviation and MissileCommand at Redstone Arsenal inHuntsville. He received a master’sdegree in management from theUniversity of Alabama in May 2003.

Kendrick Joseph Ladner (wildlife andfisheries 2000) is living in Gonzales,La., and working for Vulcan Chemicals.

Ben Bingham (forestry 2001) isworking as the Monroe County foresterfor the Mississippi ForestryCommission. He and wife Suzannelive in Nettleton.

Freddie Davis (forestry 2001) isworking for International Paper as aforester in Lumberton, N.C.

Sarah Palmisano (wildlife andfisheries 2001) is an assistantmanager at the ChassahowitzkaNational Wildlife Refuge in CrystalRiver, Fla.

Mark Batson (forestry 2002) works forthe USDA Natural ResourcesConservation Service as a soilconservation technician. He lives inStarkville.

Neil Simpson (forestry 2002) is anaccount executive with AmeriSafe inClinton.

Courtney White (forestry 2003) is atimber buyer for Shuqualak Lumber Co.in Shuqualak.

Carrie Crosby (forestry 2003) is livingin Vicksburg.

John and Sandy Rhine (wildlife andfisheries 2003) are proud parents of alittle girl, Susan Olivia, born Oct. 4,2003.


As part of the College of Forest Resources newsletter, the alumni updates helpkeep us all connected. Please let us know about you, your careers, and family so we can let your friends andclassmates keep up with you. Please use the form below to share career changes, recognitions or honorsreceived, family updates, or other news. If you need more space, include a separate sheet of paper.

Name Spouse

CFR Degree(s) and Year(s) Received

Address

City State ZIP

Home Phone Business Phone

E-mail

Occupation

Name of Business

Children/Grandchildren

Update Information

We want your news! To be included in the update, completeand return the form to MelissaMontgomery, Box 9680, MississippiState, MS 39762-9680 or [email protected].

The CFR Alumni Society helps support the College of Forest Resources. Although we work cooperatively withthe MSU Alumni Association, we are an entirely separate organization. To be a full-fledged member of the CFRAlumni Society, you must pay $25 dues annually. These dues are separate from any paid to the MSU AlumniAssociation. The alumni association does not collect dues for the CFR Alumni Society. CFR society dues arevalid from October 1 to September 30. If you would like to support the CFR Alumni Society, you may remit thisform with a $25 check or money order. You do not, however, have to be a member of the CFR Alumni Society tohave your news included in “Alumni Updates.”

Become a member of the CFR Alumni Society

College of Forest ResourcesBox 9680Mississippi State, MS 39762-9680

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PAIDMississippi State, Mississippi

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Mississippi State University does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, sexual orientation or group affiliation, age, disability, or veteran status. www.msstate.edu

Winter-flooded rice fields provide waterfowl habitat and agricultural valueswww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/ricefields.pdf

More than three million acres of rice are grown annually in the United States, primarily in the LowerMississippi Alluvial Valley (the Delta). However, only about 10 percent of the rice acreage in the Delta is

currently managed to provide winter wetlands for waterfowl. Extraordinary potential exists on rice lands forincreasing the availability of wetland habitat for waterfowl and other water birds.

Wetland reserve programwww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/wetland.pdfThe amount of Delta bottomland hardwood forests has decreased approximately 50 percent since the Europeans begansettling in the area over a century ago. Reforestation in these farmed wetlands provides economic help through timberproduction and hunting and fishing revenues.

Composting may offer a solution to the costly wood waste handling problemwww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/compost.pdfFurniture manufacturing, Mississippi’s great and growing industry, generates huge amounts of wood waste. Wood wastedisposal is difficult and expensive. Composting appears to offer a viable option that could result in a value-added product.

FORVAL for Windowswww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/forval1pdfFORVAL (FORest VALuation) for Windows is a computer program for cash flow analysis of forestry investments. FORVALwas written in Visual Basic and is user-friendly and includes a Windows Help file.

Change in wood use patterns by the furniture industrywww.cfr.msstate.edu/forestp/furn.pdfThis study was conducted to provide a comprehensive assessment of material use by the furniture industry and to trackthe changes in material use since 1993.

Furniture research: Key to the future of the industry in Mississippiwww.cfr.msstate.edu/fwrc/furn.pdfIn 1987, the Mississippi Legislature authorized the establishment of a Furniture Research Unit at the Mississippi ForestProducts Laboratory. Its purpose was to provide technical assistance to the Mississippi furniture industry. Evaluation ofthe program after five years indicates that it has been a wise investment by the State of Mississippi.

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