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Water From Colorado's Bark Beetle Forests -Scope of I?o?k <br />Elder, Rhoades, Hubbard and Lee; USFS Rocl?y Mountain Research Station; 5/15/08 <br />collected and incubated annually. Seedling density and understory cover estimates will <br />occur in September of Years 1, 2 and 3 and a subset of seedlings will be harvested in year <br />three to quantify biomass and nutrient content. Over-winter resin bags will be installed in <br />late September each year and retrieved in late May/early June after snowmelt. We plan <br />to maintain the plots installed by the proposed study and conduct periodic measurements <br />of seedling stocking and growth. Elder will be responsible for all snow measurements. <br />Elder and Hubbard will be responsible for temperature and moisture instrumentation. <br />Rhoades will be responsible for soil and water quality measurements. Hubbard will <br />oversee regeneration monitoring. <br />Task 5. Data Analyses and Reporting -Changes in on-site water quantity (snow <br />accumulation and retention, and soil moisture), water quality, soil chemistry, site <br />productivity and seedling regeneration will be analyzed to compare the effects of the No <br />Action alternative and the three active management scenarios. Study findings will guide <br />recommendations for management of beetle-killed forest stands. Decision tools and <br />methodology will be developed to help managers assess site water balance potential, <br />protect water quality, and maximize site productivity based on various management <br />treatment options. A protocol will also be developed to maintain long-term monitoring of <br />study areas to minimize cost and maximize collection of valuable long-term hydrological, <br />biogeochemical, and silvicultural data. <br />DELIVERABLES <br />Project outreach activities benefit from outdoor educational programs conducted on the <br />Colorado State Forest. The Colorado State Forest is a regional center of natural resource <br />management and science delivery for the North Park School District and State <br />Universities as well as federal, state and county agencies and the public. The State Forest <br />maintains meeting facilities and a wide variety of field demonstration areas that facilitate <br />field trips, short courses and field exercises. The State Forest's well-established science <br />delivery program ensures that North Platte Basin Roundtable will receive research <br />findings in a timely manner. <br />Peer review will take place at multiple levels. All scientific products produced by the <br />project, including reports, will be reviewed internally by Forest Service scientists and <br />statisticians for method, content and conclusions. Publications such as General Technical <br />Reports (GTR), and conference proceedings will be reviewed additionally by external <br />reviewers. Journal articles undergo rigorous external review as part of the standard <br />publication process. An effort will be made to publish and disseminate the results as <br />GTRs as these are often the most accessible to practitioners in the field. Field visits to <br />state forest offices, national forest districts, and basin roundtables will be made to discuss <br />results and maximize information transfer of results from this project. <br />Scientific Publications -Our management assessment will generate publications <br />reporting on the controls on snowpack accumulation, streamflow, water quality, site <br />productivity and seedling regeneration in salvage-logged and beetle-killed forest <br />landscapes.