Chris R. Hennigar

Benefit-cost analysis of spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) control: Incorporating market and non-market values

This study employs a benefit-cost analysis framework to estimate market and non-market benefits and costs of controlling future spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreaks on Crown forest lands in New Brunswick, Canada. We used: (i) an advanced timber supply model to project potential timber volume saved, timber value benefits, and costs of pest control efforts; and (ii) a recent contingent valuation method analysis that evaluated non-market benefits (i.e., changes in recreation opportunities and existence values) of controlling future spruce budworm outbreaks in the Province. A total of six alternative scenarios were evaluated, including two uncontrolled future budworm outbreak severities (moderate vs. severe) and, for each severity, three control program levels (protecting 10%, 20%, or 40% of the susceptible Crown land forest area). The economic criteria used to evaluate each scenario included benefit-cost ratios and net present values. Under severe outbreak conditions, results indicated that the highest benefit-cost ratio (4.04) occurred when protecting 10% (284,000 ha) of the susceptible area, and the highest net present value (

Imputing Tree Lists for New Brunswick Spruce Plantations Through Nearest-Neighbor Matching of Airborne Laser Scan and Inventory Plot Data

111 M) occurred when protecting 20% (568,000 ha) of the susceptible area. Under moderate outbreak conditions, the highest benefit-cost ratio (3.24) and net present value (

Advances in Aerial Application Technologies and Decision Support for Integrated Pest Management

58.7 M) occurred when protecting 10% (284,000 ha) of the susceptible area. Inclusion of non-market values generally increased the benefit-cost ratios and net present values of the control programs, and in some cases, led to higher levels of control being supported. Results of this study highlight the importance of including non-market values into the decision making process of forest pest management.

ForGATE - A Forest Sector Greenhouse Gas Assessment Tool for Maine: Calibration and Overview

ABSTRACT Light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has greatly improved the spatial resolution and accuracy of operational forest inventories. However, a cost-effective method to impute species-specific tree-level inventory is needed, to be used as input to tree or stand growth models to project single-point-in-time LiDAR estimates. We evaluated a method to match stand structural variables estimated from LiDAR to those in a library of over 5,500 sample plot measurements to impute tree lists for LiDAR grid cells across 83,000 ha of spruce (Picea sp.) plantations. Matches were determined based on planted species and minimum sum of squared difference between 6 inventory variables. Forest inventory variables obtained by the plot matches were highly correlated (r = 0.91–0.99) with those measured on 98 validation plots. Basal area distributions derived from plot matching were statistically equivalent to those observed on the validation plots 86% of the time (α = 0.05). When we aggregated the predictions for all validation plots, there was minimal difference between predicted and actual basal area distributions by planted species and species compositions were similar. Plot matching is a valid method to impute tree lists for LiDAR cells that combine the wealth of existing plot data with high resolution LiDAR-derived variables.

Role of pest management in sequestering carbon in forests: integration with CBM-CFS3 and economic analyses

Ian M. McLeod1, Christopher J. Lucarotti2,3,*, Chris R. Hennigar3, David A. MacLean3, A. Gordon L. Holloway4, Gerald A. Cormier1 and David C. Davies1 1Forest Protection Limited, Fredericton International Airport, Lincoln, 2Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service Atlantic Forestry Centre, Fredericton, 3Faculty of Forestry and Environmental Management and 4Department of Mechanical Engineering, The University of New Brunswick, Fredericton Canada

A novel approach to optimize management strategies for carbon stored in both forests and wood products

This report describes the background calibration, inputs, and outputs of ForGATE, a forest sector greenhouse gas (GHG) accounting tool designed primarily to communicate information relevant to the evaluation of projected net GHG exchange in the context of Maines forests, the Northeast forest sector, and alternative national or regional carbon (C) accounting guidelines. It also provides forest managers and policy makers with an easy-to-use tool for examining the relative merit (C credit revenue vs. project cost) of C offset projects and forest sector life cycle GHG accounting. GHG accounts include: 1) storage in aboveground and belowground live biomass and dead organic matter components; 2) storage in forest products in use and in landfill; 3) forest sector emissions by harvest, transport, and mills, or avoided emissions (substitution, bioenergy); as well as 4) landfill methane release and avoided emissions from methane energy capture. Different forest and forest product pools can be included in result summaries to reflect different C accounting guidelines (e.g., Climate Action Reserve, Voluntary Carbon Standard). Results can be compared for baseline and C offset project scenarios. Where possible, the marginal differences between baseline and project scenario performance indicators are calculated. All forest-level emission or storage measures are expressed in tonnes of CO2 equivalents for comparison purposes. Finally, economic indicators such as net present value and benefit-cost ratios for C offset projects can be evaluated using alternative assumptions for the value of stumpage, C credits, and offset project costs. The user enters their own inventory of stand type area by treatment regime data for baseline and offset project scenarios and can quickly adjust many GHG accounting parameters. ForGATE is available without charge from http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/tools/forgate/.

Differences in Spruce Budworm Defoliation among Balsam Fir and White, Red, and Black Spruce

.......................................... ................................................................................ i ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS................................................................................................... ii RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES .................. ................................................... 1 KEY FINDINGS.................................................................................................................... 1 1. Research components: ........................................................................................... 1 1.1. Evaluating the impact of insect outbreaks on f orest carbon dynamics from 2008-12 and determining the influence of pest management on forest carbon dynamics .................... 1 1.2. Assessing the cost-effectiveness of investing in forest pest management activities for forest carbon sequestration ......................................................................................... 3 1.3. Exploring long-term costs and benefits of fore st pest management ........................... 3 2. Research results and contributions............................................................................. 5 2.1. Historical and future SBW and FTC outbreaks in Eastern Canada ................................. 5 2.2. The influence of SBW outbreaks and management on forest carbon dynamics ............. 6 2.3 Cost-effectiveness of investing in SBW control programs for sequestering carbon in forests............................................ ..................................................................................... 7 2.4. Long-term costs and benefits of investing in S BW control programs............................. 7 KEY DELIVERABLES................................... .......................................................................... 9 BENEFITS TO PROJECT PARTNERS AND OTHERS...................................................... 12 MANAGEMENT/POLICY IMPLICATIONS...................................................................... 13 SUGGESTIONS FOR FUTURE RESEARCH.................... ................................................... 13 REFERENCES .................................................................................................................. 14