Treesearch

Background: Individual tree attributes such as volume, biomass and carbon mass are widely known to be highly correlated. As these attributes are typically predicted from statistical models, frameworks that provide compatible relationships among these attributes are usually preferred over approaches that provide independent predictions. However, the propagation of model error can be a concern as this compatibility often relies on predictions for one attribute providing the basis for other attributes. In this study, a compatible tree volume, biomass, and carbon prediction system was evaluated...

What key characteristics of forest sites and trails contribute to enjoyable and healthy immersive nature experiences for visitors? Previous research has helped identify the conceptual structure and criteria important in facilitating successful experiences, but there remains a knowledge gap in translating this information into operational guidelines. To address this gap, the present work used a descriptive inventory approach combining field research with a variety of secondary data to develop a protocol for assessing four site level criteria (beauty, integrity, tranquility, accessibility)...

The rising introduction of invasive species through trade networks threatens biodiversity and ecosystem services. Yet, we have a limited understanding of how transportation networks determine spatiotemporal patterns of range expansion. This knowledge gap may stem from two reasons. First, current analytical models fail to integrate the invader’s life-history dynamics with heterogeneity in human-mediated dispersal patterns. Second, classical statistical methods often fail to provide reliable estimates of model parameters, such as the time and place of species introduction and life-history...

A 2020 analysis of the urban forest in Baltimore, Maryland reveals that this area has an estimated 1.9 million live trees across all ownerships. The most common tree species by number are tree of heaven, northern white-cedar, American elm, green ash, and Norway maple. The majority of trees are found on forest land (39.2 percent; 731,696 trees). Trees in Baltimore are estimated to store about 440,635 tons of carbon (1.6 million tons of carbon dioxide) valued at $75.2 million. In addition, it is estimated that these trees remove about 15,200 tons of carbon per year (or 56,000 tons carbon...

In Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota, 76 percent of the more than 800,000 hectares of red pine (Pinus resinosa) forests are plantations. Plantations of commercial timber species have increased over the last several decades due to the global demand for wood. In the western Great Lakes region, many of these plantations are on sites where red pine occurred naturally and were sometimes established on abandoned farmland that was unproductive for agriculture.

Background: Root system architecture is a key determinant of plant establishment, particularly in species such as Pistachio (Pistacia vera L.), which inherently display limited lateral root formation and low survival rates after transplanting. This study evaluated the impact of radicle-tip excision on root architecture and overall seedling vigor in ‘Ohadi’ pistachio cultivar. A factorial experiment was conducted using five distinct radicle length categories at the time of excision: L1 (0.5–1.0 cm), L2 (1.01–2.0 cm), L3 (2.01–3.0 cm), L4 (3.01–4.0 cm) and L5 (4.01–5.0 cm), and three cutting...

The Ordway-Swisher Biological Station (OSBS) is a 38-km2 reserve owned by the University of Florida and is part of the National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON). The reserve contains several iconic Florida habitats, such as sandhill, mesic hammock, and scrubby flatwoods. While plants and animals have been extensively studied at OSBS, the fungi remain poorly known. Fungal inventories are critical to increase knowledge of both fungal diversity and species ranges, and thus to provide foundational data for a wide array of applications in ecology and resource management. Here, we present...

1. Bats are important but threatened insectivorous predators, making them a core group to consider when weighing the risks and benefits of insecticide use for combating pest outbreaks. Bats may benefit from open spaces created when insect pests defoliate tree canopies. Applying insecticides could also make treated areas less attractive to bats by lowering insect availability and increasing canopy densities. 2. Here, we examined the effects of a one-time insecticide treatment of oak forest plots with tebufenozide under outbreak and non-outbreak scenarios of the forestry pest species...

Peatland conservation and restoration are globally important goals because of peatlands’ potential to sequester and store carbon for millennia, regulate hydrology, and emit greenhouse gases (GHGs) when degraded. To provide information that can be used to identify possible targets for restoration, we have developed a peatland condition map for the conterminous US and Hawaii using existing GIS-based information. We intersected gSSURGO histosols and histic epipedons (HE) with layers for land use, crops, ditches, roads, and railroads (within 150 m buffers for the last three), land protection...

Carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) cycles are closely coupled in forested ecosystems. Studies of interactions between nitrogen cycling and forest succession have been challenging due to the broad spatial and temporal scales involved in feedbacks between successional dynamics and N cycling mechanisms. In this study, algorithms were added to a forest landscape model (LANDIS-II/PnET-Succession extension) to account for nitrogen cycling and its effects on growth and competition. In the revised model, PnET-CN-Succession, with coupled C and N cycling, forest species compete for not only light and water...