ENGLISH 202C

Internet Resource Guide

Forest Science Majors

Celine Colbert

2/11/2014

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Table of Contents

1. Background Information ............................................................................................................................................. 3

Content of the Guide .......................................................................................................................................................... 3

Audience of the Guide ....................................................................................................................................................... 3

Assumptions of the Guide ............................................................................................................................................... 3

Organization of the Guide ................................................................................................................................................ 3

Tips for Using the Guide ................................................................................................................................................... 3

2. Class Help ............................................................................................................................................................................. 4

2.1 Statistical Abstract of the United States ............................................................................................................. 4

2.2 Virginia Tech Dendrology ........................................................................................................................................ 4

2.3 Timber Market Report .............................................................................................................................................. 5

3. Research ................................................................................................................................................................................ 6

3.1 Index to periodical literature ................................................................................................................................. 6

3.2 Society of American Foresters Journal of Forestry ....................................................................................... 6

3.3 Catalog of U.S. Government Publications .......................................................................................................... 7

4. Job Search ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7

4.1 USA Jobs .......................................................................................................................................................................... 8

4.2 Society of American Foresters Jobseeker .......................................................................................................... 8

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1. Background Information

1.1 Content of the Guide This guide is filled with information that will help undergraduate forest science majors at The

Pennsylvania State University in navigating various aspects of the field. This guide will help students

obtain information that will help with classes, research, and the job search.

1.2 Audience of the Guide This guide is designed for undergraduate forestry majors at Penn State seeking help with classes,

research, or the job search. It would also serve as a resource for advisors and undergraduates in related

majors such as wildlife studies.

1.3 Assumptions of the Guide This guide assumes an interest in forestry. It also assumes basic computer knowledge so that the reader

can find and navigate websites.

1.4 Organization of the Guide This guide is organized with sections dedicated to class help, research, and job search tools. A table of

contents has also been included to aid in finding desired information.

1.5 Tips for Using the Guide Use the table of contents to guide you to the section that best meets your needs. From there, explore

the resources discussed online so that you can familiarize yourself with these helpful resources.

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2. Class Help

2.1 Statistical Abstract of the United States www.census.gov/compendia/statab

The Statistical Abstract of the United States can be accessed using the above web address. This site is a

compilation of social, political, and economical statistics within the United States. To use this resource,

use the side bar to the left hand side of the page to identify your topic and subtopic of interest. Options

include agriculture, prices, transportation, etc. An example selection from this side bar would be

"Forestry, Fishing, and Mining" and then in the pop up bar which appears after this selection, "Forest

Land and Timber-Based Manufacturing." Once making these selections from the sidebar, thirteen

documents related to this subject appear. The top document is entitled "Timber-Based Manufacturing

Industries--Establishments, Shipments, Payroll, and Employees: 2007" and both a pdf and excel

document are available for it. The excel document will be more useful if you would like to perform

calculations with this data. Data found at this site would be useful in completing lab reports in classes

such as Forest Management (FOR466W) or for gathering information for a research project. Another

section that may provide useful information on this site is Labor Force, Employment, & Earnings this

section provides a variety of information on salaries and employment rates for different areas which

may help when job searching to determine if a salary is reasonable for the area.

Tips: This information is helpful for FOR 266 and FOR 466W

2.2 Virginia Tech Dendrology dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/tools.htm

The website that can be accessed from the above link is an extremely helpful resource for the

identification of trees, otherwise known as dendrology, in the United States. It is a website designed

and sponsored by the Department of Forest Resources and Environmental Conservation at Virginia Tech

University. This website is extremely helpful to foresters and other natural resource related

professionals because it allows them to quickly identify unknown species based on the characteristics of

the unknown. This website is extremely helpful when taking both FOR 203 and FOR 204 because it helps

in learning species that are not seen every day in Pennsylvania. This website operates in one basic way

with several variations. First it uses a dichotomous key of either twig or leaf features. A dichotomous

key is a step by step guide of differing features that allows you to narrow down and specify a tree

species based on simple observation. Users of the website can choose either key or they can choose a

combined multichotomous key to identify their unknown species. Once they have identified the species

in question the website provides a list of key characteristics such as shade tolerance, range, and typical

habitat.

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Tips: The quiz section is a helpful study tool for field dendrology

2.3 Timber Market Reporthttp://dendro.cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/tools.htm extension.psu.edu/natural-resources/forests/timber-market-report

The website that can be accessed from the link above is a website that displays quarterly the

Pennsylvania Woodlands Timber Market Report. This report details the price of a million board

feet(MBF) of saw lumber by different species type in 4 different regions of the state of Pennsylvania.

This report also has graphs of trends of prices to show the past history of the species and region price so

that anyone could follow these trends over time. The website also gives a comprehensive report of the

price of pulpwood per ton both by private landowners and companies as well as by the Bureau of

Forestry. These reports are depended on heavily by many people in the timber industry in the state of

Pennsylvania as a guideline of what prices to buy and sell lumber at. This website is sponsored and

updated by the Pennsylvania State University extension program. Specifically it is maintained by Dr.

Michael Jacobson a professor in the School of Ecosystem Science and Management and his graduate

student Kyle Kovach.

Tips: Useful for assessing stand value for FOR 266 and FOR 440

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3. Research 3.1 Index to periodical literature cabi.org/fc

This site is an index to literature that provides helpful information when researching forestry and related

topics. This resource requires a login but the university has a membership so you will automatically be

logged in on Penn State computers. Once logged in, you can search abstracts for your research topic or

investigate the datasheets. Each data sheet covers a specific species of tree, shrub, or bamboo or a

specific forest pest. These provide a comprehensive overview of the subject as are not only useful for

research but would be helpful to reference when taking Dendrology (FOR 203 and FOR 204) and Plant

pathology (PPEM 318). Abstracts are gathered from various periodicals and publications and provide

reputable information that can be used for a class report or in completing a research project. They can

be accessed by selecting the Abstracts Database option in the menu bar which will open a new tab to

the cabdirect simply enter a keyword relevant to your research topic and abstracts will help you to

find helpful articles. A library tab found at the top of the forestry compendium page organizes

information into large categories such as Timber and Tropical Forests. This area may be a good

starting point when beginning researching a topic if you are unsure which keywords to search.

Tips: Great for research but can also help for classes including PPEM 318

3.2 Society of American Foresters Journal of Forestry safnet.org/publications/jof/index.cfmhttp://safnet.org/publications/jof/index.cfm

The Society of American Foresters, the main national professional society for foresters, publishes two

documents that provide regular information on the latest in forest management. The more scientific

option is their bimonthly periodical entitled the Journal of Forestry. This periodical is designed to keep

forestry professionals up to date on anything new in the field in order to help them to be better land

managers. It discusses the latest research being applied in the field and helps to educate land managers

of the best was to implement these practices. This journal is available online through the link above and

requires a subscription, but the university has a subscription so access will be granted on Penn State

computers. The other publication SAF produces is a monthly newspaper that provides less in depth

information on the latest land management practices than the periodical but also serves as a useful

resource for information about the field. It can be found at:

safnet.org/publications/forestrysource/index.cfm. Sample issues are available, although membership is

needed to explore the back issues available. The university does not have a subscription to this

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publication.

Tips: Use this to stay on top of current events which will help in writing reports and interviewing for jobs

3.3 Catalog of U.S. Government Publications catalog.gpo.gov

The Catalog of U.S. Government Publications is a resource that provides a comprehensive search of all

government publications. It combines documents from all branches and agencies of the U.S.

government. These documents have a variety of different forms from pamphlets to research

documents. This is useful to forestry majors as it contains a multitude of forest service management

publications and forest products lab research findings along with other research and management plans

relevant to the field. To use this resource, enter the above address and a page with a search bar will

appear which you can use to search your topic of interest. An example search would be Hemlock

Woolly Adelgid. The document at the top of the list of search results is Implementation and status of

biological control of the hemlock woolly adelgid. This is a 2011 document by Richard Reardon. The site

not only provides the title, year, and author of the document in the search results but also the SuDoc

number and where internet access is available to the document and a link to it if it is. When clicking on

the documents title, more information about the work is provided including publisher info and a

description of the document. This document was produced by the Forest Service, Forest Health

Technology Enterprise Team and is described as 1 online resource (230p.). Another link to the

document is included on this page. Clicking the link brings up a pdf of the document which contains

information on hemlock woolly adelgid, potential biological controls of it, and ways in which to

implement these controls.

Tips: Useful in obtaining information when writing reports

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4. Job Search 4.1 USA Jobs Usajobs.gov

The above listed website is a very highly used resource for many different professions, from nursing to

forestry it lists thousands of jobs across the country with almost every federal government agency. The

focus of this website is as a listing and application site for government jobs across the country. Those

using the site can apply for jobs with agencies such as the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, and National

Forest Service. Those looking for jobs navigate to the website and then select from a drop down menu

or type the field of interest they are looking for into a search box. The site then returns all jobs that

return that same search criterion and the user can view the facts about the job such as salary, different

locations the position is available in, description of required duties, and list of qualifications necessary to

apply. If the user decides they would like to apply for a position they need to create an account on the

website. This account holds all the information that any of the federal government agencies would

possibly require when you are applying for a job, including all your personal information, drivers license,

social security number, home address, etc. You also have the highly recommended option to upload a

resume and cover letter onto the website, so that any job that you apply to receives an automatic copy

of both of these documents.

Tips: Pathways openings are designed especially for student internships and recent graduates

4.2 Society of American Foresters Jobseeker careercenter.eforester.org/jobseeker/search/results/

The above listed website is sponsored by the Society of American Foresters which is forestrys

professional organization. This website has a wide arrangement of resources one of the most important

being a job listing service for the United States, and a variety of other countries. Users of this site can

search jobs very easy through an interactive menu where they can narrow down there search by

specifying a field, such as biofuels, forest consulting, or regeneration among several others. They can

also narrow down their search by location, and specific skills required. This site in comparison focuses

solely on forestry where the usajobs.gov website had all federal jobs available. This site contains jobs

with state agencies, universities, and private companies, and thus provides a way of searching in the

other side of the public/private equation. Another valuable resource of the site is certification; it allows

people to search for a Certified Forester in their area. This allows people to search for a professional

that can help them achieve their goals knowing that they are getting the best possible help.

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Tips: Great resource for jobs in the private sector