From urban centers to wildland, the Restoration and Conservation of Rural and Urban Forests research unit pursues science related to restoration of forests affected by disease, insect attacks, introduction of new species, fragmentation, or changing environmental conditions.
 

Research includes breeding trees that have all but disappeared due to invasive disease and insects, such as the American elm and ash, and developing management strategies to restore imperiled species such as the American chestnut. Unit science addresses issues important to land managers, including environmental factors such as soil chemistry, insects, fungi, flooding, air pollution, and climate change that affect tree health. Scientists are working with partners to restore degraded forests to ensure the survival of individual trees and the overall health of the forest system.
 

Research developed by scientists with the Restoration and Conservation of Rural and Urban Forests Unit and our partners is used by many stakeholders, from National Forest System managers to families owning a small woodlot to commercial forest managers. Understanding tree physiology, the role of fungi, and the insects and diseases that challenge forest health is a critical part to managing these lands for multiple uses today and well into the future.

We work on developing knowledge and methods to address the effects of invasive species and surface mining on forested and urban landscapes in the Northeast and Midwest.  Our approaches include development of microbial controls and field methods for use against invasive insects; generation of hardwood trees with resistance/tolerance to invasive pathogens or insects through genetics; development of methods to use pathogen and insect resistant/tolerant hardwood tree strains to restore tree species and/or landscapes; development of controls and management methods to address invasive weeds within the urban landscape; and generation of methods to facilitate reforestation of reclaimed mine lands.