CORVALLIS - The 2008 Starker Lectures at Oregon State University start next week, bringing in leading experts to discuss the issues of managed forestry.

The title for this year's series is "The Role of Planted Forests in the Pacific Northwest: Meeting Societal Demands in a Dynamic Environment."

Each presentation will be on a Thursday at 3:30 p.m. in Richardson Hall Room 107 on the OSU campus. The lectures will also be available via streaming video on the web, with more information about the web broadcast, speakers and topics available at http://www.cof.orst.edu/starkerlectures.

The presentations and topics include:

• Feb. 21: Robert Flynn of RISI, an information provider for the forest products industry, and Darius Adams of the OSU College of Forestry will explore the evolution of plantation forestry and its current and potential impacts on markets, especially with respect to the Pacific Northwest. Flynn will speak on "International Timberland Investments, Plantation Development, and Global Forest Products Markets," and Adams will discuss "The Impact of Forest Management Investment on Pacific Northwest Timber Supply."

• March 6: Speakers will discuss environmental services from forest plantations, including biomass, biofuels and carbon sequestration, as well as the challenges involved, such as compensating landowners for conservation of biodiversity, enhancing water quality or supporting wildlife populations for hunting or viewing. Gordon R. Smith of Ecofor will speak on "Greenhouse Gas Emission Mitigation and Planted Forests: Hype, Unintended Consequences and Real Opportunities."

• April 3: The presentation will continue its discussion of environmental services from plantations. Robert Powers, program manager for the Pacific Southwest Research Station Silviculture Laboratory, will present "Carbon Sequestration and Biomass Production in Ponderosa Pine Plantations: Does Management Really Matter."

• April 17: The lectures will examine the role of planted forests in conserving biodiversity in forest stands and landscapes. T. Bently Wigley Jr., of the National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, will discuss "Planted Forests and Conservation of Biodiversity: An Industry Perspective." Brenda McComb of the University of Massachusetts at Amherst will speak on "Putting Plantations Into the Landscape Puzzle: Bicoastal Ideas for Biodiversity Conservation."

A field trip will be conducted May 29 with discussions on specific issues of plantation establishment and management, especially the impacts of planted forests in the Oregon Coast Range. The trip will be led by representatives of both private and public sectors, and will leave from the Richardson Hatfield Courtyard. The time and more details will be announced later.

The presentations, which are free and open to the public, are supported by the OSU College of Forestry and the Oregon Forest Resources Institute, and sponsored by the Starker Family, in honor of T.J. and Bruce Starker, prominent leaders in the history of the Oregon forest products industry.

Democrat-Herald