1. Trails and Tribulations From a Hardwood Forestry Literature
Junkie: The Hardwood
Information Project
Brian Roy Lockhart
USDA Forest Service Southern Research Station
Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research,
Stoneville, Mississippi
Sixth Biennial Conference on University Education in Natural Resources
March 6, 2006, East Lansing, Michigan

2. Teaching Experience optional, senior-level hardwood management
Background
Teaching Experience
optional, senior-level hardwood management
course for 10 out of 12 years
emphasis on the ecology, silviculture, and
management
readings heavily
emphasized

3. Objectives coarse – to provide students with a large listing of
Background
Objectives
coarse – to provide students with a large listing of
literature for future reference
THIP – The Hardwood Information Project
combines research literature with coarse literature
hobby
seek ideas for improving THIP
to serve the natural resource professions

4. Overview centered on Forestry Abstracts monthly journal
THIP
Overview
centered on Forestry Abstracts
monthly journal
complete listing of forestry literature (10,000
abstract annually)
tradeoffs
usually 6 months to 1 year old
acceptable for more complete coverage

5. Abstract Selection based on hardwood coarse lecture topics 62 total
THIP
Abstract Selection
based on hardwood coarse lecture topics
62 total
introduction, ecology, silviculture, management
lectures still being completed
represent “summary reports”
used for service-oriented endeavors
guest lectures, workshops/shortcourses, general
presentations
manuscript and research proposal preparation

6. THIP
Example
Mississippi Hardwood
Notes notebook

7. Publication Acquisition
THIP
Publication Acquisition
3 attempts
National Agricultural Library
one of the world’s largest and most accessible
agricultural research libraries
over 500 journals online
personal subscriptions
direct to author
interlibrary loan services

8. Filing done by lecture topic
THIP
Filing
done by lecture topic
serves as hardwood literature filing system
copies made available upon request
subject to time constraints
copyright issues

9. THIP not exclusive to hardwoods – tropical species,
Conclusions
THIP
not exclusive to hardwoods – tropical species,
southern pines, western conifers

10. THIP goal is to have one of the best collections of
Conclusions
THIP
goal is to have one of the best collections of
hardwood literature in the World
located in one place
easily retrievable format
World Wide Web?

11. “Do not exploit the hardwood resource –
The End
“Do not exploit the hardwood resource –
it is what got us here and it is what
will provide for us in the future”