Articles of Interest
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY RESEARCH FOR THE FOREST PRODUCTS INDUSTRY, AGENDA 2020
BACKGROUND
In 1994, the American Forest & Paper Association (AF&PA) released Agenda 2020: A Technology Vision and Research Agenda for America’s Forest, Wood, and Paper Industry. This document described the research needed by the forest products and paper industry to allow it to pursue a sustainable future. The US Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Industrial Technology, has played an important role in helping the industry initiate this research through a Memorandum of Understanding between the DOE and AF&PA. Recently, the USDA Forest Service (FS) has become a supporting partner in the Sustainable Forestry Research component of Agenda 2020.
Agenda 2020 identifies Sustainable Forestry as one of six critical research topics (the others are Recycling, Environmental Performance, Sensors and Control, Energy Performance, and Capital Effectiveness). The AF&PA Forest Science and Technology Committee (FSTC) has determined that forestry research efforts under Agenda 2020 will focus on achieving substantial and sustainable increases in US forest productivity. Such gains are needed for the US forest products industry to remain competitive in world markets and meet future demands.
SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY RESEARCH AREAS TARGETED FOR YEAR (FY) 2000
The FSTC has identified four research focus areas for the Sustainable Forestry component of Agenda 2020: (1) Biotechnology, (2) Basic Physiology of Forest Productivity, (3) Sustainable Soil Productivity, and (4) Remote Sensing Technologies to Improve Forest Inventory and Stand Management.
(1) Biotechnology
Precompetitive research is needed in forest biotechnology to accelerate the development and deployment of genetically superior lines of trees. In addition, precompetitive research is needed to address questions about the ecological consequences of genetic engineering and clonal forestry.
Biotechnology has great potential to yield needed step-change improvements in growth rates, wood properties, and other traits in commercially important tree species. Priority topics for precompetitive research are:
- (a) identification and cataloging of potentially useful genes,
(b) validation of marker-aided selection methods for use in conventional breeding programs,
(c) genetic transformation methods for tree species,
(d) mass propagation methods for tree species,
(e) methods for inducing and demonstrating sterility in tree species, and
(f) gains in productivity and associated benefits to energy efficiency and carbon sequestration.
Proposals that complement past and ongoing research on Pinus taeda and Populus species are encouraged, although highly innovative proposals for work with other commercially important species will be considered.
Realizing the potential of biotechnology will require the consent of regulatory agencies and the general public. Several scientific panels have analyzed potential ecological risks of biotechnology in forestry and agriculture and recommended guidelines for testing and deployment of genetically-engineered organisms. Ecological risks appear to be minimal for most proposed forestry applications, but there is still a need to test and refine this general assessment through rigorous case studies of representative applications. Proposals may address one or more ecological concerns associated with the testing and/or deployment of a genetically-engineered line of trees. Proposals may also address concerns about clonal forestry systems using material produced through conventional selection and breeding. Concerns should be stated as testable hypotheses about mechanisms for potential ecological effects.
(2) Basic Physiology of Forest Productivity
Precompetitive research is needed to improve basic understanding of tree physiological and biochemical processes that control important traits affecting forest productivity.
Basic understanding of tree physiology and biochemistry is essential to long-term progress in both genetic tree improvement and silvicultural practices. Priority research topics include carbon gain and allocation, wood formation and quality, uptake and utilization of nutrients and water, juvenile/mature transition, secondary metabolism, and insect/disease resistance. Two general approaches to research on these topics are of particular interest: (a) determine mechanisms of genetic and biochemical regulation of physiological processes, and (b) determine physiological mechanisms of tree and stand response to silvicultural treatments. Preference will be given to proposals in which process models are used to formulate and justify hypotheses.
(3) Sustainable Soil Productivity
Precompetitive research is needed to develop cost-effective management options for enhancing long-term soil productivity.
Soil productivity is often viewed as fixed, but experience in Scandinavia, US Southeast and Northwest, and other regions shows that substantial and sometimes dramatic improvements are possible. Research is needed to identify additional cost-effective, environmentally-acceptable options for enhancing soil productivity to increase growth rates and realize the full potential of genetically improved trees. Proposed projects should be experiments that test well-justified hypotheses about soil conditions that limit the productivity of a specific soil type (e.g., a soil series, a phase of a series, or a group of similar series). Hypotheses should be tested using experimental treatments designed to ameliorate limiting soil conditions. Treatments of interest include irrigation, nutrient addition using fertilizers or biosolids, and mechanical alteration of soil physical properties and water regimes.
(4) Remote Sensing Technologies to Improve Forest Inventory and Stand Management
Precompetitive research is needed to accelerate development of remote sensing applications for forest inventory and management.
Forest managers routinely use aerial photographs and other sources of information obtained by remote sensing. Rapid advances in sensors and data processing suggest opportunities to develop new remote sensing applications in forest inventory and management. Our highest priority research objective is the development of near-term options for improving estimates of forest area by type (and change in area by type) for the US nationwide forest inventory system operated by the US Forest Service. Research in support of finding improved and more efficient inventory techniques through remote sensing is highly encouraged. Another important objective is to improve and automate procedures for: (a) selecting control points for georectification of images, (b) delineating and classifying stands (e.g.,) to determine stocking, species composition, standing volume), and (c) detecting change in stand conditions and forest health. A third priority is to demonstrate the feasibility of using remote sensing methods to identify nutrient deficient stands that would respond favorably to nutrient amendments.
PROPOSAL SUBMITTAL AND SELECTION PROCESS
Researchers interested in competing for FY 2000 funding are asked to describe their research ideas in 5-page (single-sided) proposals. These 5-page proposals must be received by March 1, 1999.
Approximately 20 proposals will be selected for further review by April 5, 1999. Proposal selection will be based on both technical and programmatic criteria.
- Technical Criteria are:
(1) relevance of the proposal to the topics identified in the RFP
(2) clarity of the objectives
(3) general scientific and technical quality
(4) probability of achieving the objectives within the proposed schedule and budget
(5) innovation (either in terms of providing improved fundamental understanding that could lead to solving an important problem or suggesting a new approach to solving an important problem).- Programmatic Criteria are:
(1) research should support significant gains in forest productivity
(2) research should be precompetitive
(3) results should be broadly applicable within the industry
(4) results should enhance competitiveness of US industry
(5) projects should be well-coordinated with related scientific work
(6) preference will be given to research that addresses the relationship of the project outcome to energy efficiency and carbon cycles
(7) preference will be given to projects with high levels of direct industry support through co-funding and/or in-kind contributions.
To qualify for agency funding, projects must have significant industry support and a minimum of 20% non-federal cost share (i.e., at least 20% of total project support must come from non-federal sources). Preference will be given to projects with significantly higher levels of non-federal cost share, provided other criteria are met. Requests for agency funding should not exceed $150,000 per year for three years.
Cost-share estimates from potential co-funding organizations should be provided at the time of proposal submission. Proposals should provide a realistic assessment of prospects for obtaining cost share. Letters of support from prospective co-funding and collaborating organizations may be attached to proposals.
Authors will prepare final proposals with firm cost-share commitments by May 3, 1999; letters of support with firm cost-share commitments must be received by this time. The proposals will be reviewed and ranked by the FSTC and invited representatives of universities, agencies, and national laboratories. It is expected that funding will be available for successful proposals in October 1999.
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