Segundo Coloquio de Silvicultura en Bosques Nativos — Establishing OSU as a Cooperating Partner

The goal of this project is to establish Oregon State University as a cooperating partner that contributes to addressing regional forestry challenges in temperate forests of South America. Led by Dr. Klaus Puettmann, a professor of forest, wildlife, and landscape ecology at the college, and Ph.D. student Daniel Soto, OSU established a close relationship with Chilean partners to develop and implement a research agenda to increase our understanding about restoration and management of native forests and to integrate native forests in a broader, more diverse, and sustainable forest sector.

Using Acoustic Sensors and Mobile Terrestrial LiDAR for Market-Driven Harvest Planning and Forest Management

LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) is well suited to quantify wood volume and wood quality at tree- and stand- levels. Led by Dr. Temesgen Hailemariam, professor in forest biometrics and measurements, the project partners with Chilean counterparts to evaluate the use of acoustic measurements and mobile terrestrial LiDAR to provide reliable estimates of wood volume and wood quality; examine a combination of model-assisted and non-parametric methods to quantify wood volume and wood quality under varying stand density and structure; and determine how variables-derived from acoustic sensors and mobile terrestrial LiDAR could be integrated with traditional forest inventory techniques to predict wood volume and wood quality.

Geologic and Topographic Control on Mean Transit Time of Water in the Coastal Range of Chile

Led by Dr. Catalina Segura, assistant professor of forest watershed management at OSU, this two-year project will investigate the relationship between mean transit time, geology, and hydrologic connectivity in a set of catchments in Chile with contrasting rock characteristics over a wide range of drainage areas. The project will enhance our understating of the controlling factors of water movement, and its potential relation to water quality and hydrologic response to timber harvesting.

OSU, University of Bío Bío, and National Science Foundation Collaborative Education and Research

Led by Dr. Fred Kamke, professor of composite materials at OSU, the program focuses on providing international opportunities for students, and includes undergraduate internships and graduate student assistantships at OSU for Chilean students from UBB. While at OSU, students engage with the Wood-Based Composite Center, an NSF funded project aimed at advancing the science and technology of wood-based composite materials.

Ecosystems in the Sky: Dynamic Processes of Old-Growth Tree Canopies in Chile and the Pacific Northwest

The project seeks to conduct parallel research investigations into the forest canopies of old-growth Chilean Alerce trees and western red cedars native to the Pacific Northwest. Led by Dr. Chris Still, associate professor of forest, wildlife, and landscape ecology, and Dr. Dave Shaw, associate professor and extension forest health specialist, the project will use the similarities in Alerce and western red cedar canopies to understand the health of forest ecosystems. Results will benefit timber management practices and the rural communities that live in and around native forests in the U.S. and Chile.

Vulnerabilities to Climate Change of Forest Plantation Species and Their Bi-Continental Competing Vegetation: Research Planning Phase

Led by Dr. Carlos Gonzalez-Benecke, assistant professor and the director of the Vegetation Management Research Cooperative at OSU, and Dr. Barbara Lachenbruch, professor of ecophysiology at OSU, the research project aims to contribute to the development of a process-based forest modeling system that can account for the effects of climate change. Such a modeling system could be used to increase the efficiency of early growth silviculture by determining which weedy competitors require more and less intensive management. The results should aid silviculture management decisions in years to come as Pacific Northwest and Chilean climates are expected to see drier weather with more sporadic rainfall.