Treesearch

Shortleaf pine has the broadest range of the southern pine species, occurring in 22 states and extending north into New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York (Staten Island). Shortleaf pine has been understudied compared to loblolly pine and longleaf pine, typically favored for timber production and conservation value, respectively. The extensive range of shortleaf pine contributes to a high degree of variability within and among its ecosystems and contributes to the need to understand regional context in considering its ecology and management. The goal of this paper is to review and synthesiz...

National Forest Inventory (NFI) data are typically limited to sparse networks of sample locations due to cost constraints. While design-based estimators provide reliable forest parameter estimates for large areas, there is increasing interest in model-based small area estimation (SAE) methods to improve precision for smaller spatial, temporal, or biophysical domains. SAE methods can be broadly categorized into area- and unit-level models, with unit-level models offering greater flexibility, making them the focus of this study. Ensuring valid inference requires satisfying model distributiona...

Green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) is increasingly preferred to traditional stormwater management as it may confer environmental, social, or health co-benefits from its planted vegetation, although evidence for co-benefits remains sparse. Using the Southeastern Pennsylvania Household Health Survey, we conducted a study of the impact of GSI installations in Philadelphia neighborhoods from 2010 to 2018 on resident perceptions of the neighborhood social environment that reflect social cohesion. Exposure was estimated as the total area of GSI within 250 m and 1 km of participants’ homes,...

Invasive plant species (IPS) are causing vast changes across the landscape. They have widespread impacts from aesthetics to agricultural and ecological damage, costing billions of dollars to mitigate. Despite their negative impacts, many are planted for erosion control and site reclamation due to their quick colonization and ability to withstand harsh environments. Additionally, these species are utilized for herbal, medicinal, and aesthetic qualities. The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Inventory Analysis(FIA) program collects invasive plant data on both public and...

We present Stewardship Salons as meaningful engagements with different ways of knowing and caring for ecosystems. They are facilitated as non‐hierarchical gatherings where everyone has the ability to be a teacher and a learner. This approach was first inspired by an exchange between NYC‐based practitioners and Native Hawaiian educators and practitioners in 2017. Since then, partners from U.S. Forest Service and NYC Parks have organized experiential salons that engage land managers, artists, researchers, and practitioners in learning from place and each other. Salons are rooted in co‐learnin...

Natural disturbance is increasing in temperate forests worldwide as global change impacts intensify, potentially shifting the balance between forest harvesting and natural disturbance as drivers of biomass change and forest dynamics. Using national forest inventory data, we show that the balance between forest harvesting and natural mortality shifted considerably over the past two decades in the northeastern USA due to a rise in natural mortality, with harvesting accounting for 5% greater biomass loss than natural mortality in 2009 but natural mortality accounting for 39% greater biomass...

Human-wildlife research has frequently examined attitudes toward single species, especially carnivores and mammals in rural areas. Recent research has expanded in scope to evaluate urban residents’ multifaceted attitudes toward multiple species or taxa. This paper presents a taxonomically inclusive examination of attitudes toward small mammals, birds, reptiles, and insects in metropolitan Phoenix, Arizona (USA) using survey measures that inform human-wildlife coexistence, specifically: tolerance of common wildlife, appreciation of different pollinators, and stewardship of iconic species in...

Understanding forest canopy structure is essential for monitoring ecosystem function, carbon dynamics, and wildfire risk. In this study, we developed an unsupervised classification framework that integrates 21 LiDAR-derived vertical structure metrics with Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) to characterize canopy heterogeneity across the Kawishiwi Ranger District of the Superior National Forest in Minnesota, USA. The resulting structural classes support ladder- and canopy-fuel–relevant assessment and management. The PCA-based dimensionality reduction preserved...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station provides sound science on the health and use of the Nation’s forests and grasslands and delivers scientific knowledge and innovative technologies to inform land management decisions. While much of this research happens in rural forests, residential lands are abundant and also the subject of studies because residential yards offer substantial, and often overlooked, opportunities to conserve and protect plants and wildlife in urban, suburban, and rural landscapes.In the United States, yards make up more than four...

Forests of the northeastern US have experienced multiple environmental changes over the last three decades, including rising temperatures and atmospheric CO2 concentrations and declines in acidic deposition, including nitrogen (N) deposition. We used measurements over a 32-year time span (1992–2023) from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA to assess the overall impact of these environmental changes on foliar chemistry (N, carbon, and phosphorus concentrations) and isotopic composition (δ15 N and δ 3 C) of three dominant northern hardwood species: sugar maple, American...