Treesearch

Large-scale delimiting surveys are critical for detecting pest invasions and often undertaken at different governance levels. In this study, we consider two-level hierarchical planning of surveys of harmful invasive pests including a government agency with a mandate to report the spatial extent of an invasion, and regional governments (counties) concerned about the possible threat of an outbreak. The central agency plans delimiting pest surveys across multiple administrative subdivisions. Counties could participate in these surveys if funds become available. Our goal is to find the optimal...

This document was created by the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science in collaboration with the Land Trust Alliance. This Quick Guide was developed specifically to support land trusts and serve as a steppingstone for the process of adaptation planning. Information from this toolkit was adapted from the USDA Forest Service report Forest Adaptation Resources: Climate Change Tools and Approaches for Land Managers, 2nd edition. This Quick Guide includes an updated "Short Version" of the Adaptation Workbook that was originally described in the Forest Adaptation Resources (Appendix 4)....

This document was created by the Northern Institute of Applied Climate Science in collaboration with the USDA Northern Forests Climate Hub. The Quick Guide was developed as an entry point to adaptation planning for natural resources professionals. It parallels an adaptation guide developed specifically for Land Trusts in collaboration with the Land Trust Alliance, A Quick Guide to Adaptation Planning for Land Trusts but has a slightly different focal audience. Information from this toolkit was adapted from the USDA Forest Service report Forest Adaptation Resources: Climate Change Tools and...

Virtually all states have developed best management practices (BMPs) to mitigate potential adverse effects associated with timber harvesting. This study examined how BMP implementation on Minnesota's family forest lands varied according to whether the land had a forest management plan, the timber sale was administered by a forester, or a written timber harvesting contract was used. Analysis of field monitoring data from 174 commercial timber harvesting sites on family forest lands found that BMP implementation is only modestly influenced by a forest management plan, supervising forester,...

Yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) is a small-seeded hardwood tree native to forests across northeastern North America. Genetic diversity of this species is high due to high levels of seed dispersal and pollen flow, though few parameters that describe gene flow have been reported. Yellow birch is capable of hybridizing with other Betula species. Common garden studies revealed relatively weak clines for growth traits but strong variation in phenological traits, indicating that seed transfer may be deleterious if seed is moved long distances. No empirical transfer distances have...

Sapwood comprises much above-ground forest biomass, but its mycobiome in living trees is largely unknown. Here, we characterize the endophytic fungal communities of the functional sapwood of young and mature living beech trees (Fagus sylvatica) at multiple scales, from within individual trees to woodland sites across the southern United Kingdom. Fungal community composition was determined using both culture-based and molecular approaches across two loci. Wood decay fungi, including those that cause heart rot, were detected in approximately 80% of all samples. Fungal community composition...

The biogeochemical model, PnET-BGC, was modified and parameterized using field data from an experimental whole-tree harvest of watershed (W5) in 1983–1984 at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), New Hampshire, USA. The model simulated the hydrology, biomass accumulation, and soil solution and stream water chemistry responses to forest cutting. The parameterized model was then applied to other experimentally cut watersheds at the HBEF; including a devegetation experiment (W2; devegetation and herbicide treatment) and a commercial strip-cut (W4) to evaluate the ability of the model...

Forest and freshwater ecosystems are tightly linked and together provide important ecosystem services, but climate change is affecting their species composition, structure, and function. Research at nine US Long Term Ecological Research sites reveals complex interactions and cascading effects of climate change, some of which feed back into the climate system. Air temperature has increased at all sites, and those in the Northeast have become wetter, whereas sites in the Northwest and Alaska have become slightly drier. These changes have altered streamflow and affected ecosystem processes,...

Fire has transformative effects on soil biological, chemical, and physical properties in terrestrial ecosystems around the world. While methods for estimating fire characteristics and associated effects aboveground have progressed in recent decades, there remain major challenges in characterizing soil heating and associated effects belowground. Overcoming these challenges is crucial for understanding how fire influences soil carbon storage, biogeochemical cycling, and ecosystem recovery. In this paper, we present a novel framework for characterizing belowground heating and effects. The...