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Forestry Reference Resources

Reference materials can often be used effectively as starting points in searching the scientific literature. Following are reference materials of interest to the forest scientist and manager. They are organized by category of reference material rather than subject. Resources marked with a are key resources or databases.

Literature Guides


These resources discuss the organization of research literature and list reference materials in forestry. In a sense this research guide fits this category. Listed below are more formal ones. For guides to forestry literature on the Internet see Internet Directories/Portals/Gateways in Forestry.

  • Forestry and Forest Products (Johnson) IN Guide to Sources for Agricultural and Ecological Research (Blanchard & Farrell) 1981 (ref S 493 G85) Lists reference materials in forestry. Updated by Reference Collection Update (McDonald) IN Literature of Forestry and Agroforestry.
  • Literature of Forestry and Agroforestry (McDonald & Lossoie) 1996 (SD 387 D6 L58 1996)

Dictionaries and Encyclopedias


These resources provide definitions of discipline-specific terminology and/or general introductions to topics and concepts in forestry. Most encyclopedias include references to important references in the "primary" literature.

  • Collegiate Dictionary of Botany (Swartz) 1971 (ref QK 9 S88 1971)
  • Complete Natural Resource Inventory Glossary with an Emphasis on Forestry (Lund & Nix)
  • Dictionary of Forestry (Helms) 1998 (ref SD 126 D535) The authoritative dictionary published by the Society of American Foresters containing definitions for 4,500 terms.
  • Dictionary of Forestry in Five Languages (Weck & Kirchhoff) 1966 (ref SD 126 W35)
  • Ecological Glossary (Carpenter) 1956 (ref QH 541 C3 1956)
  • Elsevier's Dictionary of Trees and Shrubs: in Latin, English, French, German, Italian (Vaucher) 1986 (ref QK 474.87 V38 1986)
  • Encyclopedia of Agricultural Science (Arntzen & Ritter) 1994 (4 volumes) (ref S 411 E713 1994)
  • Encyclopedia of American Forest and Conservation History (Davis) 1983 (ref SD 143 E53 1983) ( 2 volumes) Scholarly encyclopedia on the "history of forestry, conservation, forest industries, and other forest-related subjects in the United States."
  • Encyclopedia of Forest Sciences (Burley, Evans and Youngquist) 2004 (ref SD 126 E53 2004) (4 volumes) Contains over 60 articles on recent advances in forest science techniques, the basic information vital to comprehensive understanding of the important elements of forestry, as well as relevant biology and ecology, different types of forestry (e.g. tropical forestry and dryland forestry), scientific names of trees and shrubs, and the applied, economic, and social aspects of forest management. A Table of Contents is available.
  • Encyclopedia of Plant Pathology (Maloy and Murray) 2001 (ref SB 728 E53 2001)
  • Encyclopedia of Soil Science (Fairbridge & Finkl) 1979 (ref S 592 E52)
  • English-Spanish Glossary of Terminology used in Forestry, Range, Wildlife, Fishery, Soils, and Botany (Medina) 1988 (USFS General Technical Report RM-152) (Docs A 13.88:RM-152)
  • FAO Terminology (Food and Agriculture Organization) Multilingual database in Arabic, Chinese, English, French and Spanish.
    covering FAO's specialized subjects: agriculture, biology, forestry, fisheries, economics, statistics, nutrition, etc.
  • Forest Terminology: A Glossary of Technical Terms used in Forestry (Society of American Foresters) 1958 (ref SD 126 S6 1958) Superceded by Dictionary of Forestry (Helms) but still contains historical terms not found in the new dictionary.
  • Glossary for Agroforestry (International Centre for Research in Agroforestry)
  • Glossary of Fire Terminology (US Forest Service. Fire Effects Information System)
  • Glossary of Forest Protection (Finnish Forest Research Unit. Forest Damage Service) Derived from Diagnosing Injury to Eastern Forest Trees. Pennsylvania State University.
  • Glossary of Forestry Terms (British Columbia Ministry of Forests)
  • Glossary of Soil Science Terms (Soil Science Society of America) 1970 (ref S 592 S6 1970)
  • Glossary of Terms Used in Range Management (Society for Range Management) 1989 (ref SF 85 G56 1989)
  • Glossary of Terms Used in Timber Harvesting and Forest Engineering (Stokes, Ashmore, Rawlins, & Sirois) 1989 (USFS General Technical Report S0-73) (Docs A 13.88:S0-73)
  • Glossary of Wildland Fire Management Terms Used in the United States (McPherson, Wade, and Phillips) 1990 (ref SD 421.3 M26)
  • Glossary of Wildland Fire Terminology (National Wildfire Coordinating Group) 1996
  • Historical Dictionary of Forestry and Woodland Terms (James) 1991 (SD 179 J349 1991) Compilation of historical terms concerned with woodlands, trees, and forestry. Includes selective quotations from the literature. British in orientation.
  • Illustrated Glossary of Plant Pathology (D'Arcy, Eastburn and Schumann) Hosted by the American Phytopathological Society.
  • Oxford Dictionary of Natural History (Allaby) 1985 (ref QH 13 O9 1985)
  • Pulp & Paper Dictionary (Lavigne) 1986 (ref TS 1085 L38 1986)
  • Resource Conservation Glossary (Soil Conservation Society of America) 1982 (ref S 922 R47 1982)
  • SilvaTerm (International Union of Forestry Research Organizations) Multilingual terminologydatabase.
  • Terminology of Forest Science, Technology, Practice and Products (Joint FAO/IUFRO Committee on Forest Bibliography and Terminology) 1983 (ref SD 126 T47 1983)
  • Terms of the Trade (Random Lengths) 2000 (ref SD 126 T4 2000) Defines words and phrases used in forestry, logging, wood products manufacturing, marketing, and construction.
  • Woods Words: A Comprehensive Dictionary of Loggers Terms (McCulloch) 1958 (ref PE 3727 L8 M3) Emphasizes colloquial terms used in Pacific Northwest logging.

Directories


These resources are commonly alphabetical or subject listings of people, organizations, or products. In addition to those listed below many of the Internet Directories/Portals/Gateways in forestry list other Internet-based directories.

Scientific Reviews


Scientific reviews or "state-of-the-art" reviews critically survey a narrowly defined topic in a discipline. Review papers identify and evaluate research which has appeared in the "primary" literature and typically include extensive bibliographies. Scientific reviews typically appear in annual publications entitled "Annual review of ...", "Advances in ..."; and in journals, especially those which have "review" as part of the title. As part of a search strategy, review papers are an excellent "research tool" to use since they pull together information on the existing state of knowledge of a specific topic.

There are several ways to locate scientific reviews:

  1. Many annual review series have cumulative indexes.
  2. Individual review papers are commonly included in indexes. Create a search using the keyword "review" as part of your search strategy.
  3. The 39 titles in the "Annual Review of ..." publication series can be browsed or searched by keyword as far back as 1930.

Annual reviews of interest in forestry include the following. Use the Journal and Newspaper Finder for determine location and format.

  • Advances in Agronomy
  • Advances in Ecological Research
  • Advances in Soil Sciences
  • Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics
  • Annual Review of Entomology
  • Annual Review of Phytopathology
  • Annual Review of Plant Physiology
  • Critical Reviews in Plant Science

Bibliographies


Bibliographies are compiled lists of literature references which gather together known research on a specific topic. They are generally more useful for retrospective rather than current searching. There are many specialized bibliographies in forestry. In the HSU Library Catalog, a keyword search can be done using the word "bibliography" and a subject or taxonomic keyword. As part of a search strategy, a bibliography that someone else has produced saves you from having to use other "research tools" to identify literature in a specific topic.

  • Subject
    • Agroforestry Literature: A Selected Bibliography (International Council for Research in Agroforestry) 1988 (S 494.5 A45 L33 1988)
    • Annotated Bibliography of the Effects of Logging on Fish of the Western United States and Canada (Gibbons & Salo) 1974 (USFS General Technical Report PNW-10) (Docs A 13.88:PNW-10)
    • Bibliography of Articles on the Effects of Air Pollution on Trees and Forests (Grant and the Committee for the National Institute for the Environment) Emphasis is on the southern and eastern US, Canada and Europe. References are arranged by type of publication--articles, proceedings, reports, books, theses, and newspaper stories--and then alphabetically by author.
    • Bibliography of Dendrochronology (University of Arizona. Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research)
    • Effects of Competing Vegetation on Forest Trees: A Bibliography with Abstracts (Stewart, Gross, & Honkala) 1984 (USFS General Technical Report WO-43) (Docs A 13.88:WO-43)
    • Effects of Fire on Forests: A Bibliography (US Forest Service Library) 1938 (Docs A 13.2 F51/25) Includes 605 references arranged by subject.
    • Environmental Effects of Postfire Logging: Literature Review and Annotated Bibliography (McIver and Starn) 2000 (US Forest Service General Technical Report PNW-486) (Docs A 13.88:PNW-486)
    • Fire in North American Wetland Ecosystems and Fire-Wildlife Relations: An Annotated Bibliography (Kirby, Lewis and Sexon) 1988 (print copy available in Docs I 49.89/2: 88 (1)) (US Fish and Wildlife Service Biological Report 88 (1)) Searchable bibliography containing 300 references on fire in North American wetland ecosystems and a subject index of all fire-related literature that has appeared in Wildlife Review
    • Fire: A Summary of Literature in the United States from the Mid-1920s to 1966 (Cushwa) 1968 (Docs A 13.62:13-2 F51) Includes 823 references categorized by broad topic.
    • Fire Ecology Database (Tall Timbers Research Station) Covers a broad range of fire-related information with emphasis on North America, and in particular, the southeastern US. Includes nearly 16,000 references to books, chapters within books, journal articles, conference papers, state and federal documents. Search by author, keywords, periodical, year, or title. A thesaurus is available to assist in keyword searches.
    • Fire Research Institute Library (Fire Research Institute) Contains over 60,000 wildland fire literature references.
    • FIREDOC (US National Institute for Standards and Technology, Building and Fire Research Laboratory) Includes over 70,000 references in the Fire Research Information Services database. Topics covered include wildland fire.
    • Forest and Wildlife Management Planning: An Annotated Bibliography (Barlow and Grado) 2001 (Mississippi State University. Forest and Wildlife Research Center. FWRCR Research Report) Includes 177 references dating from 1960 to 2000 on forest management planning in general and more specifically on the effects of manipulating timber stock on wildlife habitat.
    • Forest Nursery Reference Database (USFS Reforestation Nurseries & Genetic Resources) Database includes over 8,000 references on nursery production, seedling nutrition genetics, weed and pest management, water and soil relations, mycorrhizae and beneficial microorganisms, and outplanting performance.
    • Herbaceous Vegetation in Forests of the Western United States: An Annotated Bibliography (Loucks & Harrington) 1991 (QK 133 L68 1991)
    • International NTFP Bibliography Database (Institute for Culture & Ecology) Includes references to publications on the commercial, recreational, and subsistence extraction of non-timber forest products, e.g., mushrooms.
    • Linking Wilderness Research and Managment: an Annotated Reading List. Vol 1-- Wilderness Fire Restoration and Management (Wright) 2001 (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:RMRS-79) (US Forest Service General Technical Report RMRS-79) This reading list summarizes more than 150 books, articles, and online resources that provide context for wilderness fire restoration and management. The first section provides background information on fire ecology, behavior, and effects that forms a foundation for managing fire in wilderness. The second section focuses more closely on wilderness and protected areas and emphasizes the restoration of fire to areas affected by fire suppression. The final section lists additional resources, such as Web sites and sample fire plans, useful in wilderness fire planning.
    • Selected References in Forest Pathology (Worrall)
    • Tropical Forest Conservation and Development: A Bibliography (University of Minnesota Forestry Library) Includes literature from 1992 to the present on tropical forest resources, deforestation, conservation, indigenous peoples, management, policy, trade and industrial development, and nontimber forest products.
    • Urban Forestry Bibliography (Michigan State University Extension) 1996
    • Urban Forestry Bibliography (University of Minnesota Forestry Library) Indexes literature from 1982 to the present.
    • Vegetation Monitoring: An Annotated Bibliography (Elzinga & Evenden) 1997 (USFS Gen. Tech. Rep. INT-352) (Docs A 13.88:INT-352) Contains over 1,400 references on the design and implementation of vegetation monitoring. Subject index includes keywords for type of monitoring or method used.
  • United States
    • Environemental History Bibliography (Forest History Society) Includes over 35,000 references to books, articles, and dissertations on the history of natural resources utilization, management, and utilization with an emphasis on forest related resources. References through 1975 were also published in North American Forest and Conservation History: A Bibliography (Fahl) 1977 (ref SD 140 F33). Includes over 1800 references on California environmental history.
    • Selected Bibliography of North American Forestry (Munns) 1940 (USDA Misc. Publication #364) (ref SD 121 M85) - Classified bibliography of forestry literature through 1930
    • U.S.-Canadian Range Management 1935-1977: A Selected Bibliography on Ranges, Pastures, Wildlife, Livestock, and Ranching (Vallentine) 1978 (ref SD 397 R3 F75)
    • The U.S. Forest Service: An Historical Bibliography, 1876-1972 (Ogden) 1976 (ref SD 565 O44 1976) Bibliography on the history, policies, and development of the USFS which includes references from a variety of sources, including USFS documents.
  • California
    • Annotated Bibliography for Fire Ecology in California (California Association for Fire Ecology) Search bibliography by author, title, subject keyword, or year; or by one of six different vegetation classifications used in California.
    • Bibliographies on Chaparral and the Fire Ecology of Other Mediterranean Systems (Keeley) 1984 (California Water Resources Center Report #58) (TD 224 C3 C3 No.58)
    • Forest Fire Research in California: An Annotated Bibliography, 1923-1961 (Wilson & Nilsson) 1962 (Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station Miscellaneous Paper No. 75) (Docs A 13.62/9:75)
    • Key to the Literature Presenting Tree Volume and Taper Equations for Species in the Pacific Northwest and California (Hann) 1994 (Oregon State University. Forest Research Laboratory. Research Contribution 6) (SD 144 A13 R4 #6)
    • Selected Fire References Related to the Sierra Nevada (Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Fire Information Cache)
      References are categorized by "General Literature/Information", "Technical & Scientific Literature" and "Historic & Background Literature". Concentration is on Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks and the southern Sierra Nevada but also includes other fire related references that may be of general interest. Papers are listed by date within each section
  • Species
    • Annotated Bibliography of the Biology of the Coast Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens (D.Don) Endl.) (Rogers) (print copy available in SD 397 R3 R65 1997) Covers literature from 1955-1997. Update to California Coast Redwood: An Annotated Bibliography.
    • Annotated Bibliography on the Ecology of Redwood, Sequoia Sempervirens (Jacobi & McBride) 1977 (SD 397 R3 J33) Prepared for the National Park Service.
    • California Coast Redwood: An Annotated Bibliography (Fritz) 1957 (ref SD 397 R3 F75) Covers literature through 1955.
    • Encyclopedia of World Timbers: Names and Technical Literature (Boutelje) 1980 (ref SD 434 B68) Includes technical literature references to 4,000 timber species. Organized by both scientific name and commercial/local name.
    • Mistletoe Annotated Bibliography (US Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station Mistletoe Center) Includes 13,600 references from books, proceedings, and journals which discuss mistletoe lore, use, biology, or management.
    • Red Alder: A Bibliography with Abstracts (Heebner & Bergener) 1983 (USFS General Technical Report PNW-161) (Docs A 13.88:PNW-161)
    • Tanoak: A Bibliography for a Promising Species (McDonald) 1977 (USFS Forest Service General Technical Report PSW-22) (Docs A 13.88:PSW-22)
  • Government Agencies.

      See Natural Resources Agency Government Documents and Technical Reports for general bibliographies to federal and California state agency publications and U.S. Forest Service Publications for specific bibliographies of USFS publications.

    • Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations
      • FAO Catalogue Includes all documents and publications produced by FAO since 1945. Provides links to fulltext when available.
      • Forestry Index 1945-1966 (ref SD 371 F66) Includes author and title/subject keyword indexes.
      • Forestry Index 1967-1973 (ref SD 371 F66) Includes author and title/subject keyword indexes.
    • Oregon
      • FRL Publications Database Lists publications from the Oregon State University Forest Products Laboratory. Most material in the database can be requested for free.

Treatises and Comprehensive Databases


These are more exhaustive works or databases that either contain extensive information or summarize the state of knowledge of broad topics in forestry. These tend to be broader in scope than "scientific reviews" and are well documented with frequent references to important "primary" literature.

  • Core historical literature of agriculture (Mann Library Cornell University) Electronic collection of important US agricultural texts published between the early 19th and middle 20th century. Currently contains approximately 40 works in forestry.
  • Databook on Endangered Tree and Shrub Species and Provenances (Food & Drug Organization of the United Nations. Forest Resources Division) 1986 (ref QK 86 A1 D37 1986) Has species accounts for 81 endangered tree and shrub species worldwide.
  • Dendrome: Forest Tree Genome Database (Institute of Forest Genetics) Serves as a central resource for the study of forest tree genomes. Also the Tree Genes database includes genetic map, DNA sequence, germplasm, and other related information for a large number of forest tree species. Includes links to genome resources for researchers.
  • Diseases of Trees and Shrubs (Sinclair, Lyon, & Johnson) 1987 (SB 762 S56 1987) Comprehensive text covering pathogens of trees and shrubs mainly in temporate North America. Divided into three major groupings - foliage and flowers; twigs, trunks and bark; and roots and - with further subdivisions by fungi, bacteria, virus, nematodes, plant pests, abiotic factors, and unknown agents. Includes many full color plates.
  • E-Answers: Your Extension Information Source (Agricultural Communicators in Education) Database of research-based and authoritative information in fulltext format on a wide range of Extension or Outreach-oriented subjects, including forestry, contributed by Land Grant universities around the nation through the USDA Cooperative Extension program. Search by keyword or by region by keyword. See Access to Extension and Experimentation Station Publications for additional Internet sites.
  • Exotic Forest Pest Information System for North America (North American Forest Commission. Insect and Disease Study Group) Identifies exotic insects, mites and pathogens with potential to cause significant damage to North American forest resources. "Pest Fact Sheets" contain background information for each pest that includes risk rating based upon establishment potential, economic impact and environmental impact, geographical distribution, biology, pest significance, detection and identification, means of movement, and dispersal. Searchable by taxonomy, geographic region, or risk rating.
  • Fire Effects Information System (US Forest Service. Rocky Mountain Research Station Fire Sciences Laboratory) Searchable database that provides a synopses of the fire effects on 900 plant species, 100 animal species, and 16 Kuchler plant communities found on the North American continent. Background information on the taxonomy, distribution, basic biology, and ecology of each species is also included along with references to pertinent literature.
  • Forest Cover Types of the United States and Canada (Eyre & Society of American Foresters) 1980 (ref QK 115 F67 1980) Contains descriptions and ecological relationships of 145 forest types. For a subset of major forest cover types see The American Forest Type (About.com Guide to Forestry).
  • Forest Roads: A Synthesis of Scientific Information (Gucinski, Furniss, Ziemer, & Brookes) 2000
  • Forestry Department Country Profiles (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) For each country includes sections on forests and forestry sector; policy, institutions and programmes; resources; geography; ecological zones; forest types; forest area statistics; planted forests; endangered species (IUCN red-list); management; policy; national forest programme; legislation; forest management; protected areas map; products and trade; statistics; non wood forest products; and removals.
  • Forests and Water: Effects of Forest Management on Floods, Sedimentation, and Water Supply (Anderson, Hoover, & Reinhart) 1976 (USFS General Technical Report PSW-18) (Docs A 13.88:PSW-18) Comprehensive review of the literature on forest hydrology.
  • Growth and Development of Trees (Kozlowski) 1971 (QK 731 K68) Treatise in two volumes characterizes the growth and developemnt of trees. Volume 1 covers seed germination, ontogeny and shoot growth; Volume 2 covers combined growth, root growth, and reproductive growth.
  • Hopkins U.S. System Index (HUSSI) (US Forest Service) The Hopkins U.S. System Index (HUSSI) is an insect damage database designed for forest entomologists and pest management specialists. The HUSSI database contains 160,000 records of "insect and damage specimens" from forests or wood products in the U.S. (mainly), Canada, Mexico, Central and South America, and other regions. Included in each record is information about location, data, taxon, and insect and plant host associations.
  • Pesticide Action Network (PAN) Pesticide Database (Pesticide Action Network North America) Database provides information on toxicity, regulatory status, aquatic ecotoxicity, and general identification for over 5,400 pesticides. Data is derived from US EPA and other sources.
  • Principles of Wood Science and Technology (Kollman & Cote) 1968-75 (TA 419 K64) Treatise in two volumes. Volume 1 covers the structure of wood, its chemical composition, defects and abnormalities, biological deterioration, wood preservation, and physics of wood. Volume 2 covers wood-based materials.
  • REFORGEN: The FAO Worldwide Information System on Forest Genetic Resources (Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN) Contains information on forest genetic resources in approximately 150 countries and on 1,600 species. Search by country or species.
  • Regional Silviculture of the United States (Barrett) 1995 (SD 143 R47 1995) Provides general descriptions of eleven forest regions in the United States and their silvicultural problems and practices.
  • Seeds of Woody Plants in North America (Young) 1992 (SB 170 Y68 1992) For nearly 400 genera includes information on growth habit, flowering and fruiting characteristics, seed collection and storage, seed germination, and nursery and field practice. Updates Seeds of Woody Plants in the United States (USDA Agriculture Handbook 450) (Docs A 1.76:450)
  • Wildland Fire in Ecosystems (U.S. Forest Service) 2000-2001 (Docs A 13.88: RMRS-42 vol 1-5) USFS General Technical Report RMRS-GTR-42) Five volume state-of-the-knowledge review emphasizing the principles and processes that influence the effects of fire on ecosystems in the United States and Canada. The five volumes in the "Rainbow Series" include 1) Effects of Fire on Fauna, 2) Effects of Fire on Flora, 3) Effects of Fire on Cultural Resources and Archeology, 4) Effects of Fire on Soil and Water, and 5) Effects of Fire on Air.
  • Wood Properties (USFS Forest Products Laboratory. Center for Wood Anatomy Research) Database contains descriptions of individual species of North American hardwoods, North American softwoods, and tropical woods. Each entry includes information on scientific and common nomenclature, tree distribution and characteristics, and wood characteristics (general weight, mechanical properties, drying, shrinkage, working properties, durability, preservation, uses, and toxicity). Most entries are derived from Tropical Timbers of the World (Chudnoff) 1989 (USDA Agricultural Handbook 607) (Docs A 1.76:607), Hardwoods of North America (Alden) 1995 (USFS General Technical Report FPL-83) (Docs A 13.88:FPL-83), and Softwoods of North America (Alden) 1995 (USFS General Technical Report FPL-102) (Docs A 13.88:FPL-105). The Common Names Database allows one to search by common name, scientific name, family, country, or region.
  • World Timbers (Rendle) 1969-70 (SD 536 R4) In three volumes contains information on approximately 200 woods of commercial importance. Descriptions of properties and uses are accompanied by illustrations in color showing wood sections.

Species Accounts/Life History Information


Species accounts typically include natural history and life history information on individual species. Topics frequently covered include description, taxonomy, distribution, life history, habitat, status, and management considerations.

Taxonomic Works: Keys, Checklists, Field Guides

  • Monographs and Keys
    • Complete Trees of North America: Field Guide and Natural History (Elias) 1980 (ref QK 481 E38) Identification guide to over 750 North American trees with keys to groups, genera, and species. Each species account includes information on distribution, range, and morphology, along with range maps and illustrations.
    • Concise Descriptions of North American Ectomycorrhizae (Goodman, Durall, Trofymow, & Berch) Identification guide to North American ectomycorrhizae including morphology, anatomy, and DNA characteristics.
    • Conifers: Morphology and Variation (Vidakovi'c) 1991 (QK 494 V5313 1991) Monograph on conifers worldwide, with an emphasis on their morphology and variation. Includes keys to genera and species. Horticultural varieties are also listed. Includes some range maps and illustrations.
    • Conifers of California (Lanner) 1999 (ref QK 494 L36 1999) For each species gives information on identification, habitat distribution, and range map. Includes color photographs of each species along with illustration of cones. Appendix includes keys based upon cone or leaf characteristics.
    • Forest Trees of the Pacific Slope (Sudworth) 1908 (print copy available in ref QK 481 S95) Classic illustrated guide to Pacific Coast trees that gives distinguishing characteristics, range, and occurence for each species. While the names and classifications are outdated the fine line drawings and detailed information on geographic distribution remain very useful.
    • Guide to Standard Floras of the World: an annotated, geographically arranged systematic bibliography of the principle floras, enumerations, checklists, and chorological atlases of different areas (Frodin) 1984 (ref QK 45.2 F76)
    • Illustrated Manual of California Shrubs (McMinn) 1939 (QK 484 C2 M24) Scholarly work on the shrubs of California with taxonomic keys and descriptive accounts for each species. Includes selective photos and illustrations.
    • Illustrated Manual of Pacific Coast Trees (McMinn, Maino, & Shepherd) 1937 (print copy available in QK 482 M25 1937) Older scholarly guide to the native and introduced trees along the Pacific coast from California to British Columbia. Includes keys to genera and species with accompanying short species accounts.
    • Manual of Cultivated Broad-leaved Trees & Shrubs (3 volumes) (Krussmann) 1984-86 (ref SB 435 K7413 1984) Contains taxonomic descriptions and selective illustrations of cultivated broad-leved trees and their horticultural varieties. Arranged alphabetically by genus with keys to individual species.
    • Manual of Cultivated Conifers (Krussmann) 1985 (QK 494.5 C75 K7813 1985) Contains taxonomic descriptions and selective illustrations of cultivated conifers and their horticultural varieties arranged alphabetically by genus.
    • Manual of the Trees of North America (Exclusive of Mexico) (Sargent) 1922 (QK 481 S21 1926) With 783 illustrations classic scholarly guide to the trees of North America. Includes key to genera chiefly based on the character of their leaves and more detailed species keys. Each species account includes information on leaves, flowers, fruit, winter buds, bark, wood, growth habits, and distribution.
    • Native Conifers of North America (Nearctica.com)Serves as an introduction and field guide to all of the conifer species native to North America except 2 shrub species. Each species account includes information on morphology, identifying features, and distribution, along with line drawings, photographs, a distribution map, and the links to other websites with information about the species. Line drawings, text, and range maps are taken from other sources as referenced in the Introduction. Includes a key to the genera and species and a checklist arranged by genus with links to each species.
    • North American Trees: Exclusive of Mexico and Tropical Florida (Preston) 1989 (QK 110 P74 1989) Identification guide to over 550 native, naturalized, or commonly planted exotic species. Includes key to identify genera and species. Concise descriptions of botanical and silvical characteristics are included for each species. Includes distribution maps and illustrations.
    • Silva of North America (Sargent) 1890-1902 (ref QK 481 S24) (14 volumes) Authoritative turn-of-the-century work that includes taxonomic descriptions, distribution notes and wood characteristics along with detailed drawings of leaves, flowers, fruit or cones for all North American species known at the time.
    • Tree Fact Sheets (Virginia Tech Department of Forestry) Contains tree identification fact sheets and images on over 450 tree species. Browse by Latin name, search by common name or a checkable species map. Also use their ID It leaf and twig keys.
    • Trees and Shrubs of California (Stuart & Sawyer) 2001 (California Natural History Guides 62) (ref QK 149 S73 2001) Manual for the identification of California trees and shrubs. Includes separate keys to conifers and broad-leaved trees and shrubs. Species descriptions include information on morphology, habitat and range, other remarks, range maps, and illustrations. Appendices include genera grouped by distinctive morphological features and a checklist of trees and shrubs.
    • Trees of the Pacific Northwest (Littlefield & Jensen, Oregon State University College of Forestry) Includes a dichotomous key and information about common Pacific Northwest trees.
  • Checklists
    • Botanic Nomenclature for Agroforestry Trees (International Centre for Research in Agroforestry) Search by common or scientific name.
    • California List of Scientific and Common Plant Names (DeCarmo) 1980 (ref QK 149 D44)
    • Checklist of United States Trees (Native and Naturalized) (Little) 1979 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #541) (ref QK 482 C58) - Includes common and scientific names for 679 species.
  • Field Guides
    • Audubon Online Field Guides (eNature.com) This database of 4,800 plant and animal species is derived from 35 different Audubon Society Field Guides, Regional Guides, and Nature Guides. The database is keyword-searchable by group (mammals, amphibians, fishes, trees, etc.) or browseable within subheadings for each group. The field guide entries include a large thumbnail image, description, and varying additional information. Users can also conduct an advanced search by size, color, habitat, region, and other options within each group.
    • Audubon Society Field Guide to North American Trees, Vol. 1 Eastern Region, Vol. 2 Western Region (Little) 1980 (QK 481 L49 1980) The Eastern volume includes over 350 species, the Western volume over 500 species. Organized by the shape of the leaf or needle, by the fruit, by the flower or cone, or by autumn coloration.
    • Field Guide to Western Trees (Petrides) 1992 (Peterson Field Guide Series #44) (ref QK 133 P48 1992) Includes nearly 400 native and naturalized trees in western North America. Color illustrations.
    • International Field Guides (Schmidt) Includes annotations for over 5500 field guides covering plants, animals, rocks, minerals, astronomy and weather. Browse by broad taxonomic category or search by keyword.
    • Trees of North America and Europe (Phillips) 1978 (QK 477.2 I4 P45 1978) A colored photographic guide to more than 500 coniferous and broad-leaved trees. Contains separate leaf indexes for conifers, simple broad-leaved trees, and compound broad-leaved trees. Each species entry includes a short annotation and additional illustrations of the cones and flowers.
    • What Tree is That?: A Guide to the More Common Trees Found in the Eastern and Central U.S. (National Arbor Day Foundation)

Handbooks and Manuals


Handbooks commonly contain data and descriptive information compiled from the "primary" literature and organized into tables or articles. Many basic and factual questions in the discipline can be answered from handbooks. Manuals usually contain procedures for experimental analysis in the field or laboratory. For an older list of manuals and handbooks from natural resource agencies in the Western U.S. see Burke (1978) Bibliography of Manuals and Handbooks from Natural Resource Agencies (Docs I 49.18:N21)

  • 1995 Forestry Handbook (New Zealand Institute of Foresters) 1995 (SD 244.2 N49 1995)
  • Aimes and Methods of Vegetation Ecology (Mueller-Dombois & Ellenburg) 1974 (QK 901 M8)
  • Atlas of Insects Harmful to Forest Trees (Novak, Hrozinka, & Stary) 1976 (SB 931 N6) Contains information on approximately 100 insects. Emphasis is on European insects.
  • California Forestry Handbook (Arvola) 1978 (ref SD 144 C2 A74)
  • Container Tree Nursery Manual (US Forest Service) 1995-2000 (Agricultural Handbook #647) (print copy available in Docs A 1.76:674; 7 volumes)
  • Crop Protection Manual (American Crop Protection Association) Annual (ref SB 950.9 C76) Indexes by broad name, crop use, pest use, and mode of action. Supplemental Greenbook website includes copies of specimen labels, MSDSs and supplemental labels.
  • Department of Defense Urban Forestry Manual (US Department of Defense) 1996
  • Diseases of Forest and Shade Trees of the United States (Hepting) 1971 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #386) (Docs A 1.76:386) Contains information on the pathology of 200 important forest and shade trees in the United States. Arranged by tree host species, then by the part of the tree attacked (foliage, stem, root, or trunk).
  • Diseases of Pacific Coast Conifers (Scharpf) 1993 (USDA Agriculture Handbooks #521) (Docs A 1.76:521) Handbook provides basic information needed to identify more than 150 common diseases of Pacific Coast conifers. Includes information on hosts, distribution, disease cycles, and identifying characteristics. Arranged by type of disease - abiotic diseases, needle diseases, cankers, diebacks, galls, rusts, mistletoes, root diseases, and rots. A descriptive key for field identification is provided for some diseases. Includes index by host plant.
  • Field and Laboratory Guide to Tree Pathology (Blanchard & Tattar) 1997 (SB 761 B614 1997)
  • Fire Management Toobox (Arthur Carhart National Wilderness Training Center and Wilderness.net) Provide wilderness managers and others interested in stewardship of the National Wilderness Preservation System with information, guidelines, examples, and other resources about managing fire in wilderness.
  • Forest Management Chemicals (USDA Agriculture Handbook #585) (Docs A 1.76: 585)
  • Forest Measurements Field Manual (Lakehead University Faculty of Forestry)
  • Forest Mensuration Handbook (Hamilton) 1975 (Forestry Commission Booklet #39) (SD 45 A412 #39) British in scope, but general concepts are of general interest.
  • Forest Nursery Manual (Duryea & Landis) 1984 (SD 404.25 F67 1984)
  • Forest Nursery Pests (Cordell) 1989 (USDA Agricultural Handbook #680) (print copy available in Docs A 1.76:680) Contains general chapters on diagnosis and treatment of forest nursery pests; and individual entries for diseases and insects with each entry containing information on hosts, distribution, damage, diagnosis, biology, and control. Supercedes Forest Nursery Diseases in the United States (USDA Agricultural Handbook #470) 1975.
  • Forest Sampling Desk Reference (Johnson) 2000 (SD 387 S73 J65 2000)
  • Forest Service Handbooks (US Forest Service) (print copies available in Docs A 13.36/2:FSH) Collection of handbooks that contain instructions for implementing the policies and standards detailed in the Forest Service Manual.
  • Forestry Handbook (Wenger) 1984 (ref SD 373 F58 1984) Provides reference data and methods on all aspects of forestry, primarily for the working field forester. Prepared under the aspices of the Society of American Foresters.
  • Forestry Handbook for British Columbia (Watts) 1983 (SD 371 B7)
  • Generic Forest Health Surveys Guidebook (British Columbia Ministry of Forests) 2001. Contains guidelines for B.C. forest managers in planning, prescribing and implementing sound forest practices that comply with the Forest Practices Code.
  • Handbook for Forest and Ranch Roads: A guide for planning, designing, constructing, reconstructing, maintaining, and closing wildlife roads (Weaver & Hagans) 1994 (TE 229.5 W43 1994)
  • Handbook for Forest Roads (Washington Department of Natural Resources) 1982 (SD 389 H34 1982)
  • Handbook for Forest Vegetation Management in Recreation and Historic Parks (Helms & Johnson)
  • Handbook of Reference Methods for Plant Analysis (Kalra) 1998 (QK 865 H26 1998)
  • Herbicide Handbook (Weed Science Society of America) 1994 (ref SB 951.4 H43)
  • Insects of Eastern Forests (USDA Forest Service) 1985 (USDA Miscellaneous Publication #1426) (Docs A 1.38:1426) Manual designed for the professional forester. Contains "Keys to the Orders and Families of Forest Insects and Allies Based on Types of Injury." Information on the biology, life history, and damage of forest insects and their allies is provided in taxonomic order. Indexed by host tree or shrub and then by part of tree affected. Companion volume to Western Forest Insects.
  • Introduction to Vegetation Analysis: Principles, Practice, and Interpretation (Causton) 1988 (QK 901 C33 1988)
  • Log Scaling and Timber Cruising (Bell & Dilworth) 1993 (SD 551 D5 1997)
  • Logging Practices: Principles of Timber Harvesting Systems (Conway) 1982 (SD 538 C713 1982)
  • Low-Volume Roads Engineering: Best Management Practices Field Guide (Keller and Sherar) 2003. Provides an overview of the key planning, location, design, construction, and maintenance aspects of roads that can cause adverse environmental impacts and ways to prevent these impacts. "Best management practices" are techniques or design practices thate, when applied, will prevent or reduce pollution and maintain water quality. Available as a MS Word document. Funded by the US Forest Service and the US Agency for International Development.
  • Manual of Forest Mensuration (Beers & Miller) 1973 (SD 555 B44 1973)
  • Manual of Methods for Forest Soil and Plant Analysis (Kalra) 1991 (Northern Forest Research Centre (Canada) Information Report #319) (SD 14 N67 #319)
  • Measurements for Terrestrial Vegetation (Bonham) 1989 (QK 911 B57 1989)
  • Measuring Trees and Forests (Philip) 1994 (SD 551 P494 1994) Textbook covering the theory and practice of forest mensuration that presents measurement techniques and methods of data analysis.
  • Methods in Ecological and Agricultural Entomology (Dent & Walton) 1997 (SB 933.3 M47 1997)
  • Monitoring Guidelines to Evaluate Effects of Forestry Activities on Streams in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska (MacDonald) 1991 (SD 387 E38 M33 1991) (EPA 910/9-91-001) Contains guidelines for developing water quality monitoring plans, including design of monitoring projects and the selection of monitoring parameters.
  • Monitoring Plant and Animal Populations (Elzinga, Salzer, Willoughby and Gibbs) 2001 (QH 541.15 M64 M72 2001)
  • National Forestry Manual (US Natural Resources Conservation Service) 1998 (print copy available in Docs A 57.6/2:F76) Describes policy for forestry and agroforesty activities within the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
  • Participatory Techniques for Community Forestry (Jackson & Ingles) 1998 (SD 431 J33 1998)
  • Redwood Forest Handbook (Reveal & Wallen) 1948 (SD 373 R45 Humboldt County Collection) Older handbook prepared by California Division of Forestry on redwood logging.
  • Reforestation Practices in Southwestern Oregon and Northern California (Hobbs) 1992 (SD 409 R39 1992) Synthesis of research information for successful reforestation in the mixed conifer and mixed evergreen forests of southwest Oregon and northern California. Chapters describe reforestation problems; physical, biological, and ecological principles for reforestation practices in the region; regeneration methods; and post-planting operations.
  • Root Methods: A Handbook (Smit) 2000 (QK 644 R656 2000)
  • Service Forester's Handbook (USFS Southern Region) 1986 (Miscellaneous Report R8-MR11) (Docs A 13.110/11:R8-MR11) Practical handbook for many forestry calculations and operations. Applications are not limited to the southern United States and can be used nationwide.
  • Silvicultural Best Management Practices (BMPs) (National Association of State Foresters) Contains links to individual state BMPs designed to meet EPA water quality requirements.
  • Silvicultural Systems for the Major Forest Types of the United States (Burns) 1983 (USDA Agriculture Handbook #445) (Docs A 1.76:445)
  • Slope Stability in Road Construction: A Guide to the Construction of Stable Roads in Western Oregon and Northern California (Burroughs, Chalfant and Townsend) 1976 (Docs I 53.7/2: R53/2)
  • Sustainable Forestry Handbook: A Practical Guide for Tropical Forest Managers on Implementing New Standards (Higman) 1999 (SD 387 S87 S878 1999)
  • Technical Guide to Urban and Community Forestry (World Forestry Center) 1993
  • Techniques for Wildlife Habitat Management of Uplands (Payne and Bryant) 1994 (SK 355 P39 1994) Compilation of techniques for natural and cultural habitat improvements to enhance wildlife biodiversity on forestlands, rangelands and farmlands.
  • Vegetation Description and Analysis: A Practical Approach (Kent & Coker) 1992 (QK 901 K37 1992)
  • Westcott's Plant Disease Handbook (Westcott and Horst) 1990 (Ref SB 731 W47 1990) In two main sections--the plant section lists for each included plant the diseases to which the plant is susceptible, the scientific names of
    disease-causing organisms and states where each disease has been reported; and the plant disease section includes for each genus a general classification, diagnostic characteristics, common names, typical symptoms, and control measures.
  • Western Forest Insects (Furniss and Carolin) 1977 with corrections to 1980 (USDA Miscellaneous Publication #1339) (Docs A 1.38:1339) Manual designed for the practicing forester to facilitate the recognition of insects and their damage, and to provide information on a recommended courses of action. Part I discusses in a general way forest insects and their environment. Part II provides information on forest insects and their allies in taxonomic order. Indexes by host tree or shrub and then by part of tree affected. Companion volume to Insects of Eastern Forests.
  • Wood Handbook: Wood as an Engineering Material (USFS Forest Products Laboratory) 1999 (USFS General Technical Report FPL-113) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:FPL-113) Summarizes information on the engineering properties of wood and wood-based products. Updates the Wood Handbook (USDA Agriculture Handbook #72) (Docs A 1.76:72) published in 1987.
  • Woodland Handbook for the Pacific Northwest (Oregon Woodland Publications Council & Washington Woodland Council) 1969 (SD 144 A13 W6 1969)

Laws and Regulations

Geospatial Resources: Atlases, Maps, GIS, Imagery


For a more general guide to print and digital geospatial resources available in the HSU Library or on the Internet see Geospatial Resources.

  • International
    • Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: the Americas (World Conservation Union & Harcourt) 1996 (atlas G 1101 K3 C6 1996) In two parts - conservation issues and individual country studies.
    • Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: Africa (World Conservation Union & Sayer) 1992 (atlas G 2446 K3 C6 1992) In two parts - conservation issues and individual country studies.
    • Conservation Atlas of Tropical Forests: Asia and the Pacific (World Conservation Union & Collins) 1991 (atlas G 2201 K3 C6 1991) In two parts - conservation issues and individual country studies.
    • Forest Types of the World: Maps and Data of the World's Forest (About.com Guide to Forestry)
    • Geotips.com: A Forester's Guide to GIS, GPS, and Maps (Tadlock)
    • Global Distribution of Current Forests (UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Centre Forestry Programme)
    • Global Forest Watch (World Resources Institute) International data and mapping network that provides information about the state of the world's forests, especially frontier forests that are the remaining large intact natural forest ecosystems - undisturbed and large enough to maintain all of their biodiversity. When complete a forest monitoring network will be established in 21 countries covering 3/4 of the world's remaining frontier forests. Products will include base maps at scales of 1:250,000 and 1:1 million that depict forest cover and condition including remaining significant tracts of primary forest, and the location of major development activities within forested areas. Both an interactive mapper and database are available.
    • Mountains and Mountain Forests (UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Centre Forest Programme) Contains 14 regional maps showing distribution of mountains and mountain forests.
    • Original Forest Cover: Global Distribution of Original and Remaining Forests (UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Centre Forestry Programme)
    • Statistical Analysis of Forests and Protection (UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Forest Programme) Contains maps and statistics of forests and protected areas on a global, regional, and country basis.
    • Temperate and Boreal Forests and Protected Areas (UNEP World Conservation Monitoring Centre. Forest Programme) Contains 11 regional maps showing distribution of temperate and boreal forests.
    • Weltforstatlas - World Forestry Atlas (Bundesforschungsanstalt fur Forst und Holzwirtschaft) 1951-1973 (atlas G 1046 K1 R4 1951) Large format atlas containing 64 global, regional, or country maps that show forest and tree species distribution, vegetation types, and other themes relating to timber production, manufacture, and trade.
    • World Forest Map Showing Certified Forest Sites Endorsed by FSC, 24 May 2000 (UNEP - World Conservation Monitoring Centre Forestry Programme) Shows and lists cites certified by the Forest Stewardship Council.
  • North America
    • Gypsy Moth in the United States: An Atlas (Luzader, Mason, Bush, & Twardus) 1997 (USFS General Technical Report NE-233) (print copy available in Docs A 13.88:NE-233) Includes 52 maps that document the historical spread of gypsy moth from 1900 to the present, historical forest defoliation in the Northeast from 1984 to the present, and the distribution of susceptible forests in the conterminous United States.
    • National Fire Maps (National Interagency Fire Center) Contains wildfire-related maps prepared by NIFC and links to other sites with fire-related maps.
    • National Hierarchical Framework of Ecological Units (ECOMAP) (USFS Ecosystem Classification and Mapping Task Team) System developed by the U.S. Forest Service Natural Resources Conservation Service and the Nature Conservancy for classifying, mapping and describing ecological units in the United States at progressively smaller units (domain, division, province, section, subsection) for geographic planning and analysis purposes. The five ecological subdivisions are classified and mapped based upon associations of biotic and environmental factors (climate, physiography, water, soils, air, hydrology, and potential natural communities) that regulate the structure and function of the ecosystem.
      • Ecoregions and Subregions of the United States, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands (US Forest Service) Interactive mapper that is part of the National Atlas of the United States shows "domains", "divisions", "provinces", and "sections".
      • Ecoregions of the United States (Bailey) 1994 (print copy available in Descriptions of the Ecoregions of the United States (Bailey) 1994 (USDA Miscellaneous Publication #1391) (Docs A 1.38:1391) Maps the "domain," "division," and "province" ecological units of the United States. The accompanying booklet Contains descriptions of each "domain," "division," and "province." For each of the 50 provinces describes land surface form, climate, vegetation, soils, and fauna. The Internet site includes clickable maps for each of the upper three ecosystem subdivisions in addition to ecosystem unit descriptions.
      • Ecological Subregions of the United States (McNab & Avers) 1984. Contains the biophysical descriptions of the "section" ecological units. Each section description includes information on geomorphology, lithology and stratigraphy, soil taxa, potential natural vegetation, fauna, climate, surface water characteristics, disturbance, land use, and cultural ecology.
      • Ecological Units of California: Subsections (Goudey & Smith) 1994 (copy not available in the HSU Library) Map of the "sections" and "subsections" in California.
      • Ecological Subregion of California: Section and Subsection Descriptions (Miles & Goudey) 1997. Includes clickable maps and descriptions of each of the 19 "sections" and 253 "subsections" in California. Subsection descriptions include information on lithology and stratigraphy, geomorphology, soils, vegetation, climate, and surface water.
    • Oregon Wild Atlas (Oregon Natural Resources Council) Text and maps characterize the remaining 5 million areas of forests available for wilderness designation.
    • Rain Forests of Home: An Atlas of People and Place (InfoRain) Covers the coastal temperate rain forests of western North America.
    • Real Time Fire-Weather Intelligence & Smoke Forecast for the Western USA (USFS Rocky Mountain Research Station Rocky Mountain Center) Provides real-time delivery of fire-weather intelligence and smoke forecasts for the Western US. The website supplies hourly information about current and future values of weather elements such as air temperature, relative humidity, precipitation, cloud cover, wind speed and wind direction, as well as several fire indices. Information is delivered in the form of interactive 2-D maps, point observations & point forecasts.
    • Roadless Area Conservation Maps (US Forest Service) Contains national and individual state maps of inventoried roadless areas in US national forests.
  • California --See California - Maps - Agriculture and Forestry

Graphics and Images


One can use a combination of general and specialized Internet search engines to find images on the web. See Search Engines for Images, Multimedia, & Video (HSU Library Digital Media Center) for a list of specialized search engines. However, search engines fail to index the content of the "invisible web", especially information contained within databases. The following sources are either specialized databases or sites devoted to images in forestry.

Environmental Reviews, Assessments, & Plans


Environmental reviews typicaly contain an analysis of environmental issues with accompanying statistical data. Following are those of direct interest to forestry. For more encompassing reviews see the Environmental Reviews listed in the HSU Library Environmental Science research guide.

Software