Treesearch

The TreeMap 2016 dataset provides detailed spatial information on forest characteristics including number of live and dead trees, biomass, and carbon across the entire forested extent of the continental United States at 30 x 30m resolution, enabling analyses at finer scales where forest inventory is inadequate. We used a random forests machine learning algorithm to assign the most similar Forest Inventory Analysis (FIA) plot to each pixel of gridded LANDFIRE input data. The TreeMap 2016 methodology includes disturbance as a response variable, resulting in increased accuracy in mapping...

The coastal temperate rainforest of southeast Alaska is part of the largest temperate rainforest in the world and delivers a vast array of goods and services for local and global economies. Even-aged western hemlock-Sitka spruce (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.)/Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière) forests that regenerated after past harvests are projected to be the primary source of future value as landowners transition away from old-growth harvesting. Although current knowledge of long-term thinning effects in this region is limited compared to other regions, managers have options for the...

In seed-obligate conifer forests of the western US, land managers need a better understanding of the spatiotemporal variability in post-fire recovery to develop adaptation strategies. Successful establishment of post-fire seedlings requires the arrival of seeds and favorable environmental conditions for germination, survival, and growth. We investigated the spatiotemporal limitations to post-fire seedling establishment and height growth in dry to moist mixed conifer forests with and without post-fire forest management treatments (salvage logging, grass seeding) in areas burned from low to...

The Miombo woodland is the most extensive tropical woodland in south-central Africa. However, field sample plot data on forest cover changes, species distribution and carbon stocks in the Miombo ecoregion are inadequate for effective forest management. Owing to logistical challenges that come with field-based inventory methods, remote sensing plays an important role in supplementing field methods to fill in data gaps. Traditional satellite and manned aircraft remote sensing platforms have their own advantages and limitations. The advent of unmanned aerial systems (UASs) has made it...

Conservation scientists recommend maintaining and restoring ecological connectivity to sustain biodiversity in the face of land-use and climate change. Alternative connectivity assessments conducted at multiple spatial scales are needed to understand consequences of varying assumptions and for use in multi-scale conservation planning.

Wildfire is a natural phenomenon with substantial economic consequences, and its management is complex, dynamic, and rife with incentive problems. This article reviews the contribution of economics to our understanding of wildfire and highlights remaining knowledge gaps. We first summarize economic impacts to illustrate scale and trends. We then focus on wildfire management in three phases: mitigation before fires occur, response during fires, and response after fires. The literature highlights economic interdependencies and spillover effects across fire-prone landscapes as the source of...

The amenity migration phenomenon and outdoor recreation growth has led to rapid amenity-based development of many gateway communities in the American West, particularly in regions adjacent to protected public lands. This amenity-based development typically enhances traditional regional economic indicators of income, employment, and taxes but can result in run-away housing costs, a hollowing out of income distribution, residential sprawl, and conflict among long-term residents and new arrivals. However, little research has focused specifically on how such migration and the existence of...

Growth releases of individuals that survive disturbances are important compensatory response mechanisms that contribute to ecological resilience. However, the role of fine-scale spatial heterogeneity in shaping compensatory growth responses is poorly understood for many broad-scale disturbances.

The species endangerment listing process is governed not solely by causal factors but also by human perception, particularly as it relates to observability. Because human perception is important in species detection, we hypothesized that ecological indicators associated with human perception would change noticeably over time. Testing our hypothesis on species listed under the US Endangered Species Act, we found that - in general and across (not within) different taxa - body mass and geographic range of listed species decreased over time and that animals that produced vocalizations and...