Pacific Southwest Research Station

Education

B.S. Forest Management. Humboldt State University, Arcata CA (1981).
M.S. Forest Managment. Oregon State University, Corvallis OR (1985).
M.S. Statistics. Oregon State University, Corvallis OR (1990).
Ph.D. Forest Modeling. Oregon State University, Corvallis OR (1992).

Research Interests/Duties

• Growth and yield of mixed-conifer forests, with emphasis on dynamics of young plantations.
• Interdisciplinary research to quantify the effects of resource management activities (timber harvest, cattle grazing, and prescribed fire) on an array of forest components such as wildlife, sustainable productivity, and biodiversity in interior pine forests.
• Methods of accelerating development of late successional forest vegetation.

Current Emphases, Studies, Projects

• Blacks Mountain Interdisciplinary Research
• CONIFERS; Young Stand Simulator for the Klamath Province
• Goosenest AMA Research Project

Selected Publications

• Zhang, J.; Oliver, W.W.; Ritchie, M.W.; Neal, D. 2013. Overstory and understory dynamics in planted ponderosa pine plantation vary with stand density in the Sierra Nevada: 40-year results. Forest Science In Press.
• Ritchie, Martin W.; Knapp, Eric E.; Skinner, Carl N. 2013. Snag longevity and surface fuel accumulation following post-fire logging in a ponderosa pine dominated forest. Forest Ecology and Management 287:113-122
• Ritchie, Martin W.; Zhang, Jianwei; Hamilton, Todd A. 2013. Aboveground Tree Biomass for Pinus ponderosa in Northeastern California. Forests 4, no. 1: 179-196.
• Crotteau, Justin; Varner, Morgan; Ritchie, Martin 2012. Post-fire regeneration across a fire severity gradient in the southern Cascades. Forest Ecology and Management 287:102-113.
• Ritchie, Martin; Zhang, Jianwei; Hamilton, Todd. 2012. Effects of stand density on top height estimation for ponderosa pine. West. J. Appl. For. 27(1): 18-24.
• Wing, Brian M.; Ritchie, Martin W.; Boston, Kevin; Cohen, Warren B.; Gitelman, Alix; Olsen, Michael J. 2012. Prediction of understory vegetation cover with airborne lidar in an interior ponderosa pine forest. Remote Sensing of Environment. 124: 730-741.
• Vaughn, Nicholas R.; Turnblom, Eric C.; Ritchie, Martin W. 2010. Bootstrap evaluation of a young Douglas-fir height growth model for the Pacific Northwest. Forest Science 56(6): 592-602.
• McDonald, Philip M.; Fiddler, Gary; Ritchie, Martin; Anderson, Paula 2009. Naturally seeded versus planted ponderosa pine seedlings in group-selection openings. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 24(1): 48-54.
• Rabin, Lawrence A.; Oliver, William W.; Powers, Robert F.; Ritchie, Martin, W.; Busse, Matt, D.; Knapp, Eric E. 2009. Historical growth plots in the Pacific Southwest. Gen. Tech. Rep. PSW-GTR-213. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 83 p.
• Wells, Gail; et al. 2009. Experimental forests and ranges : 100 years of research success stories. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-182. Madison, WI: USDA-Forest Service, Forest Products.
• Maguire, C.C.; Maguire, D.A.; Manning T.E.; Garber, S.M.; Ritchie, M.W. 2008. Response of small mammals to alternative stand structures in the mixed-conifer forest of northeastern California. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38:943-955
• Ritchie, M.W.; Hamann, J.D. 2008. Individual-tree height, diameter, and crown width growth equations for young Douglas-fir plantations. New Forests 35:173-186
• Ritchie, Martin W.; Wing, Brian M.; Hamilton, Todd A. 2008. Stability of the large tree component in treated and untreated late-seral interior ponderosa pine stands. Canadian Journal of Forest Research.
• Zhang, Jianwei; Ritchie, Martin W. 2008. Restoring eastside ponderosa pine ecosystems at the Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest: a case study. In: Deal, R. tech. ed. General Technical Report, PNW-GTR-733. Portland, Oregon, USA. USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 306 p.
• Zhang, Jianwei; Ritchie, Martin W.; Oliver, William W. 2008. Vegetation response to stand structure and prescribed fire in an interior ponderosa pine ecosystem. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38:909-918.
• Maleki, Sussanne; Featured: Skinner, Carl; Ritchie, Martin 2007. Tested by fire: the cone fire and the lessons of an accidental experiment. Science Perspective PSW-SP-008. Albany, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Research Station. 6 p.
• Ritchie, Martin W.; Skinner, Carl N.; Hamilton, Todd A. 2007. Probability of wildfire-induced tree mortality in an interior pine forest of northern California: effects of thinning and prescribed fire. Forest Ecology and Management 247: 200-208.
• Ritchie, M.W.; Hamann, J.D. 2006. Modeling dynamics of competing vegetation in young conifer plantations of northern California and southern Oregon, USA. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:2523-2532
• Zhang, J.W., W.W. Oliver & M.W. Ritchie. 2007. Effect of stand densities on stand dynamics in white fir (Abies concolor) forests in northeast California, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 244:50-59.
• Vaughn, N., and M.W. Ritchie. 2005. Estimation of crown cover in interior ponderosa pine stands: Effects of thinning and prescribed fire. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 20(4):240-246.
• Ritchie, M.W. 2005. Ecological research at the Goosenest Adaptive Management Area in Northeastern California. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-192. Albany CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 119 p.
• Ritchie, M.W.2005. Effects of thinning and prescribed fire on understory vegetation in interior pine forests of California. In: Peterson, C.E.; Maguire, D.A., editors. Balancing ecosystem values: innovative experiments for sustainable forestry. Conference Proceedings. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-635. Portland OR: Pacific Northwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 297-307.
• Skinner, C.N., M.W.Ritchie, T. Hamilton, and J. Symons. 2005. Effects of prescribed fire and thinning on wildfire severity: the Cone Fire, Blacks Mountain Experimental Forest. In: S. Cooper, editor. 25th Annual Forest Vegetation Management Conference, January 2004. University of California Cooperative Extension, Redding, CA.
• Ritchie, M.W. 1999. A compendium of growth and yield simulators for the Pacific States. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-174. Albany CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service. 59p.
• Uzoh, F.C.C., Ritchie, Martin W.  1996.  Crown area equations for 13 species of trees and shrubs in northern California and southwestern Oregon. Res. Paper PSW-RP-227. Albany, CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 13p.
• Ritchie, M.W., D.A. Maguire and A. Youngblood, Technical Coordinators. 2005. Proceedings of the Symposium on ponderosa pine: Issues, trends and management. 2004 October 18-21; Klamath Falls, OR. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-198. Albany CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture. 281 p.
• Ritchie, M.W. and K.A. Harcksen 2005. Accelerating development of late-successional features in second-growth pine stands of the Goosenest Adaptive Management Area. In: Ritchie, M.W.; Maguire, D.A.; Youngblood, A., Technical Coordinators. Proceedings of the Symposium on ponderosa pine: Issues, trends and management. 2004 October 18-21; Klamath Falls, OR. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-198. Albany CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 81-93.
• Ritchie, M.W. and K.A. Harcksen. 1999. Long-term interdisciplinary research on the Goosenest Adaptive Management Area, Klamath National Forest, California. Forestry Chronicle 75(3):453-455.
• Ritchie, M.W. 1998. Methods for development of a simulator for young Douglas-fir stands in southern Oregon. P. 19-26 In: Alicia Ortega, Salvador Gezan: Editors. Proceedings of IUFRO Conference: Modelling growth of fast-grown tree species. September 3-5, 1997; Valdivia, Chile.
• Ritchie, M.W. 1997. Minimizing the rounding error from point sample estimates of tree frequencies. Western Journal of Applied Forestry 12(4):108-114.
• Ritchie, M.W. and D.W. Hann. 1997. Implications of disaggregation in forest growth and yield modeling. Forest Science 43(2): 223-233.
• Ritchie, M.W. and D.W. Hann. 1997. Evaluation of individual-tree and disaggregative prediction methods for Douglas-fir stands in western Oregon. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 27:207-216.
• McDonald, P.M., M.W. Ritchie, and C.S. Simpson. 1996. Ten-year diameter and basal-area growth of trees surrounding small group selection openings. Northwest Science 70:341-347.
• Powers, R.F., D.J. Mead, J.A. Burger, and M.W. Ritchie. 1994. Designing long-term site productivity experiments. p. 247-285 In: Impacts of Forest Harvesting on Long-Term Site Productivity. W.J.Dyck, D.W. Cole and N.B. Comerford, Editors. Chapman and Hall, London, UK.
• McDonald, P.M. and M.W. Ritchie. 1994. Epicormic branching in California black oak: Effect of stand and tree characteristics. Northwest Science 68:6-10.
• Ritchie, M.W. and R.F. Powers. 1993. A user's guide for SYSTUM-1 (Version 2.0): Simulating trends in young stands under management in California and Oregon. General Technical Report PSW-GTR-147. Albany CA: Pacific Southwest Research Station, USDA Forest Service. 45 p.
• Ritchie, M.W. and D.W. Hann. 1990. Equations for predicting the 5-year heightgrowth of six conifer species in southwest Oregon. Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University. Research Paper 54. 14 p.
• Powers, R.F., M.W. Ritchie, and L.O. Ticknor. 1989. SYSTUM-1: Simulating the growth of young conifers under management. p. 101-115 In: A Decade of Forest Vegetation Management. Proc. 10th Ann. Forest Vegetation Management Conference, Nov. 1-3, 1988, Eureka CA. Forest Vegetation Managment Conference, Redding CA. 226 p.
• Ritchie, M.W. and R.F. Powers. 1988. Modeling height growth of young ponderosa pine plantations: influence of weed competition and crown ratio. P 79-91 In: Proceedings 9th Annual Forest Vegetation Management Conference, Nov. 3-5, 1987, Redding CA. Forest Vegetation Management Conference, Redding, CA. 226 p.
• Ritchie, M.W. and D.W. Hann. 1988. Equations for predicting height to crown base for fourteen tree species in southwest Oregon. Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University. Research Paper 50. 14 p.
• Hann, D.W. and M.W. Ritchie. 1987. Height growth rate of Douglas-fir: A comparison of model forms. Forest Science 34:165-175.
• Ritchie, M.W. and D.W. Hann. 1986. Development of a tree height growth model for Douglas-fir. Journal of Forest Ecology and Management 15:135-145.
• Ritchie, M.W. and D.W. Hann. 1985. Equations for predicting basal area increment in Douglas-fir and grand fir. Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University. Research Bulletin 51. 9 p.
• Ritchie, M.W. and D.W. Hann. 1984. Nonlinear equations for predicting diameter and squared diameter inside bark at breast height for Douglas-fir. Forest Research Laboratory, Oregon State University. Research Paper 47. 12 p.