Treesearch

Summary 1. Computers are widely used in all aspects of research but their application to in-field data collection for forest plots has rarely been evaluated. 2. We developed digital data collection methods using ESRI mapping software and ruggedized field computers to map and measure ~30 000 trees in two 4-ha forest dynamics plots in wet and dry tropical forest in Hawaii. We then compared our data collection and entry effort with published values for other forest dynamics plots with the same tree measurement protocols to estimate the efficiency of our methods relative to the more typical...

Planting tree seedlings in small patches (islands) has been proposed as a method to facilitate forest recovery that is less expensive than planting large areas and better simulates the nucleation process of recovery. We planted seedlings of four tree species at 12 formerly agricultural sites in southern Costa Rica in two designs: plantation (entire 50 × 50 m area planted) and island (six patches of three sizes). We monitored seedling survival, height, and canopy area over 3 years. To elucidate mechanisms influencing survival and growth, we measured soil and foliar nutrients, soil compaction...

Sudden oak death and Phytophthora ramorum, both first recognized about a decade ago, have been the subject of hundreds of scientific and popular press articles. This document presents a comprehensive, concise summary of sudden oak death and P. ramorum research findings and management activities. Topics covered include introduction and background, identification and distribution, the disease cycle, epidemiology and modeling, management and control, and economic and environmental impacts.

Interest in soil C storage and release has increased in recent years. In addition to factors such as climate/land-use change, vertebrate animals can have a considerable impact on soil CO2 emissions. To date, most research has considered herbivores, while the impact of omnivorous animals has rarely been investigated. Our goal was to determine how European wild boars (Sus scrofa L.), large omnivores that consume soil-inhabiting animals and belowground plant parts by grubbing in the soil, affect soil C dynamics. We measured soil respiration (CO2), temperature, and moisture on paired grubbed...

Temperatures well in excess of the lethal threshold for roots (60°C) have been measured in forest soils when woody fuels are burned. Whether this heat pulse is strongly moderated by soil moisture or soil texture is not fully understood, however. We measured soil heat profi les during 60 experimental burns, identifying changes in maximum soil temperature and heat duration above 60°C as a function of soil moisture and soil texture. Experimental treatments included a factorial combination of soil moisture (~5, 15, 30, and 45% v/v) and soil textural (sandy loam, sandy loam–pumice, loam, clay...

Updated version available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/57245

Updated version available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/treesearch/pubs/57259