Treesearch

Strategic foresight, also known as Futures, is an applied field that uses a suite of methods to explore possible, plausible, and preferable future states in order to support today's decision making and management. Strategic foresight is widely used by (among others): All U.S. military branches and intelligence agencies, Many companies from the Fortune 500 as well as smaller businesses, and The United Nations and International Monetary Fund. Because the work tends to be proprietary or classified, the results are rarely made public, making strategic foresight less well known than its...

Complex socio-environmental interdependencies drive biological invasions, causing damages across large spatial scales. For widespread invasions, targeting of management activities based on optimization approaches may fail due to computational or data constraints. Here, we evaluate an alternative approach that embraces complexity by representing the invasion as a network and using network structure to inform management locations. We compare optimal versus network-guided invasive species management at a landscape-scale, considering siting of boat decontamination stations targeting 1.6...

The total value of private construction (residential and nonresidential) put in place in the United States was over a trillion dollars ($1,245 billion) in 2021, up 12.4% from $1,108 billion in 2020. Spending in all residential categories increased in 2021, including a 33.0% increase for single family, a 15.6% increase for multi-family, and a 13.7% increase for residential improvements. Spending on nonresidential construction, however, declined by 2.1%. The number of single family housing units started in 2021 was 1,127,200 an increase of 13.8% from 2020 and the tenth consecutive increase...

The present study seeks to investigate the use of husbandry waste and sawdust in the construction of degradable pots as a suitable alternative to plastic pots. Six mixture ratios of cattle manure and sawdust (85:15, 80:20, 75:25, 70:30, 65:35, and 60:40) were used along with three types of natural binders (sheep’s wool, cornstarch, and sheep's wool:cornstarch) in phase I of the project. Phase I was replicated in triplicate to identify the best composition for each binding agent. International standards dictate that evaluations of biological pots include investigations into thickness...

Walnut genetic improvement and orchard management would significantly benefit from accurate prediction of critical yield-related traits. In this study, an adaptive neuro-fuzzy interface system (ANFIS) was used to predict walnut kernel percentage and kernel quality. ANFIS uses principles of artificial neural network (ANN) learning as well as fuzzy principles. A total of 14 morphological characteristics of 100 walnut genotypes from Golestan province in Iran were used as model inputs. Correlation analysis and principal component analysis (PCA) were tested for their ability to reduce the model...

The Superior National Forest (SNF) is preparing forest ecosystems for the challenges of continued climate change. Covering over 3 million acres in northern Minnesota, the SNF consists of boreal-temperate transition forests including several species expected to decline over the next century, such as jack pine, black spruce, and quaking aspen. As one possible adaptation action, silviculturists on the SNF have been implementing small-scale pilot projects to test assisted migration of tree species, including reforesting with new seed sources of existing species as well as introducing novel...

Black ash (Fraxinus nigra) swamps represent 4.5% of the forested area in the western Great Lakes region (Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin). Within the swamp hardwood cover type, black ash comprises 40% to almost 100% of the canopy cover and acts as a foundational species, impacting hydrologic regime, nutrient cycling, and wildlife habitat. The dominance of black ash in these stands makes them particularly vulnerable to the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB) (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae). EAB infestation can result in a mortality rate of up to 99% for ash species...

The Crosby Farms ASCC site sits in a Saint Paul Park and Recreation Area, owned and managed by the City of Saint Paul, that is embedded within the Mississippi National River and Recreation Area (MNRRA), a national park. Within the 736-acre park, there has been significant mortality of overstory green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica) due to the invasive emerald ash borer. Utilizing these already established mortality centers, three areas (or blocks) were identified. Prior to the removal of the mostly dead overstory, pretreatment conditions were measured. Overstory trees were removed during the...

The varied and wide-reaching impacts of climate change are occurring across heterogeneous landscapes characterized by a broad diversity of soil types. Despite the known importance of soils in mediating biogeochemical nutrient cycling, there is little experimental evidence of how soil characteristics may shape aqueous nutrient losses from forest ecosystems under climate change. Our objective was to clarify how soil characteristics modify the impact of climate changes on carbon and nutrient leaching losses in temperate forests. We therefore conducted a field-based mesocosm experiment with...

Public participation processes influencing National Forest management in the United States have shifted significantly because of the global COVID-19 pandemic. Although the United States Forest Service has used virtual participation tools in the past to support participation, the pandemic was the first time staff had to solely rely on such methods. Using the Trinity of Voice theory concepts of access, standing, and influence, we discuss how each has been and can be impacted by virtual vs. in- person public participation in federal land governance. Lessons are drawn from two peer-to-peer...