Fire and insects are natural disturbance agents in many forest ecosystems, often interacting to affect succession, nutrient cycling, and forest species composition. We review literature pertaining to effects of fire-insect interactions on ecological succession, use of prescribed fire for insect pest control, and effects of fire on insect diversity from northern and boreal forests in North America. Fire suppression policies implemented in the early 1900s have resulted in profound changes in forest species composition and structure. Associated with these changes was an increased vulnerability of forest stands to damage during outbreaks of defoliating insects. Information about the roles that both fire and insects play in many northern forests is needed to increase our understanding of the ecology of these systems and to develop sound management policies.

In 2008, there were 282 primary wood-processing mills in Michigan, three fewer mills than in 2006. These mills processed 349.7 million cubic feet of industrial roundwood, of which 311.4 million cubic feet was harvested from within the State. Another 34.9 million cubic feet of the industrial roundwood harvested in Michigan was sent to primary wood-processing mills in other states and countries. Pulpwood accounted for more than half of the total harvest. The harvesting of industrial roundwood products generated 98.8 million cubic feet of harvest residues. Primary wood-processing mills generated 2.6 million green tons of mill residues, with 1 percent of the mill residues generated not used for other products. PRIMARY TIMBER INDUSTRY IN MICHIGAN Industrial Roundwood• Michigan's primary wood-using industry included 235 sawmills, 4 veneer mills, 8 pulp and composite product mills, 13 post and pole mills, 7 industrial fuelwood mills, and 15 mills that produced other products (Table 2, Fig. 2).

Beginning in 1991, periodic surface fires (frontal fire intensities <200 kW m–1) were introduced into a mixed red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and white pine (P. strobus L.) plantation (dbh 16–60 cm). Replicated plots of 0.4–0.5 ha were either burned three times at biennial intervals (early May of 1991, 1993, and 1995), burned once (early May 1991), or not burned. Measurements were conducted during the 1994 and 1995 growing seasons. The pine overstory was largely unaffected by the fires. The understory on unburned plots contained 16 111 large seedlings (>1 m, ≤ 1.9 cm dbh) and 3944 saplings (2.0–5.9 cm dbh) per ha, consisting of 23 woody angiosperm taxa. Plots burned once contained 60% of the large seedlings, 7% of the saplings, and 6 fewer taxa than unburned plots. No large seedlings and few saplings were found in plots burned biennially. Cover of low (<1 m) woody and herbaceous vegetation in plots burned once or three times was twice that of unburned plots, even in the growing season immediately following the May 1995 re-burn. Recovery of low vegetative cover in the re-burned plots was rapid, exceeding that in once-burned or unburned plots by late summer following the burn. Species richness of low vegetation was 20–25% higher in burned than unburned plots, except in the year immediately following reburning. Taxa dominating this site following burning were Sassafras albidum (Nutt.) Nees, Rubus spp., Phytolacca americana L., and Dryopteris spinulosa (O.F. MÜll.) Watt. Restoration of low-intensity surface fires to ecosystems dominated by mature red pine or white pine is feasible, but major changes in understory structure and composition will occur.

This resource update provides an overview of timber product output (TPO) and use in Michigan based on questionnaires designed to determine the size and composition of the State's primary wood-using industry, its use of roundwood, and its generation and disposition of wood residues. This study was a cooperative effort between the Michigan Department of Natural Resources (MI-DNR) and the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) unit at the Northern Research Station (NRS) of the U.S. Forest Service. The MI-DNR surveyed all known primary wood-using mills and FIA processed and analyzed the survey responses. Mill responses from earlier TPO studies, or other ancillary data were used for any mills that did not respond to the 2014 TPO study. This update presents results from the 2014 survey with comparisons to the 2010 survey. Certain terms used in this report-retained, export, import, production, and receiptshave specialized meanings and relationships unique to the FIA program that surveys timber product output (Fig. 1).

The American woodcock (Scolopax minor; hereafter, woodcock) is an important game species in central and eastern North America. In this paper, we argue that the wildlife community should consider several novel ideas. At the landscape level, one of the most effective ways to perpetuate aspen (Populus spp.) forests is through commercial forest management. Aspen underpins the major forest products industries: its fiber is highly sought after for pulp, paper, oriented strand board and other engineered lumber products, and lumber. The most cost-effective and reliable way to maintain woodcock habitat is through commercial forest management and through periodic timber harvests. Non-commercial habitat management is possible but expensive and time-consuming. Support for forest products industry business attraction and development is good for woodcock habitat, good for local communities, and good for local economies. We recommend that the wildlife community consider greater involvement in the broader social discussion over the use of wood products, and be actively engaged in discussions involving economic development and energy use by the forest products industry at the state and local level.