Treesearch

Mountain wave wind events (MWWE) pose significant risks to infrastructure, particularly in mountainous regions with extreme downslope winds exceeding 40 m s-1. Although extensively studied in the western U.S., MWWE impacts remain underexplored in the Southern Appalachians, where critical energy infrastructure intersects high-risk areas. This study utilizes high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) model simulations to analyze probable MWWE recurrence and assess transmission line vulnerability. Seven MWWE spanning 41 h at 500-m resolution were modeled, identifying strong...

Changing climate is impacting the health and sustainability of forests throughout the world. It is important for forest resource managers to have abundant and accurate information about the standing, changing, and adaptive genetic diversity of forest tree populations to successfully manage and restore species impacted by climate change, invasive species, and forest fragmentation. This can only be accomplished if genetic resources are widely available for impacted species. For a small number of commercially important conifer species in North America, such resources have been reasonably well...

A primary prediction of climate change ecology is that species will track their climate niche poleward and upslope. However, studies have shown species responding in surprising ways. In this study, we aim to understand the impact of global change on species ranges by considering both climate and habitat changes. Using occupancy analysis of acoustic survey data in the mountains of the northeastern United States, we tested specific predictions of range responses to warming (shifting upslope), precipitation change (shifting downslope), and forest composition change (shifting downslope). We...

Forest conversions are an important consideration of the forest products sector. Both third-party certifications, such as the Sustainable Forestry Initiative, and government regulation, such as the European Union Regulation on Deforestation Free Supply Chains, require knowledge of conversions in fiber supply regions. Here we develop a new approach to estimate some relevant forest conversion metrics for economic regions of the United States. Across economic regions, forest conversion rates were small. For example, gross annual forest loss to agriculture was <0.044%, gross annual natural...

Natural resource systems are being reshaped by changes in climate, resulting in increased likelihoods of wildfire, water scarcity, and heat stress, along with other adverse outcomes that define potential harm across a broad spectrum of locales in the United States. We evaluate fifty-year, multiple scenario projections of resource hazards and population change from the USDA Forest Service 2020 Resources Planning Act Assessment to identify areas of concern based on hazard exposure and social vulnerability criteria and evaluate implications for climate adaptation and risk mitigation planning....

It is clear from research on pollinator declines that some taxa are more vulnerable than others. The sooner these more sensitive species are detected, and the cause(s) contributing to their decline are identified, the better the chance of developing effective conservation plans. Using data from nine studies conducted in northern Georgia, U.S., we present evidence that Augochlora pura (Say) (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), once one of the most abundant of all forest bee species in our study area, is becoming less common as a proportion of all bees collected and has experienced a 70 % decline in...

The South’s production of pulpwood decreased from 56.0 million cords in 2022 to 52.9 million cords in 2023. Roundwood production decreased by 3.3 million cords to 38.2 million cords and accounted for 72 percent of the South’s total pulpwood production. The use of wood residue increased by 1 percent to 14.7 million cords in 2023. Alabama and Georgia led the South in total production, with 8.9 and 8.5 million cords, respectively. In 2023, 70 mills were operating and drawing wood from the 13 Southern States.

This manuscript introduces the current special journal issue International Practices for Regenerating and Restoring Forest Trees by Seeding, for which the concept and effort to undertake were motivated within the IUFRO Task Force on Transforming Forest Landscapes for Future Climates and Human Well-Being. The journal issue, comprised of contributions from North America, South America, Europe, Asia, and Oceania, represents a significant range of seeding activities inclusive of scores of species, forests, forestation sites, and climates. Approached as an information guide and source of...

Seeding is gaining popularity in global forestation for its scalability and cost-effectiveness, especially where nursery stock is limited. It enables rapid, large-scale forest establishment, even on remote or degraded sites, and allows control over species and genetic diversity. Seeding is cost-effective for inaccessible or low-productivity areas and is used in ecological restoration to boost biodiversity. Success depends on species, seed quality, timing, soil, and site management. It is best suited for areas where natural regeneration is infeasible, low-cost forestation is needed, sites...

Temperate broadleaf forests occupying river floodplains of the southern United States are rich in tree species diversity, with various species of bottomland oaks (Quercus spp. L.) often comprising a primary overstory component in these forests across the region. Comprehensive research to support development of seeding as a method for artificially regenerating bottomland oaks began in the early 1980s and quickly advanced to produce reliable practices for establishing oak-dominated stands. Large-scale forest restoration was initiated across the region during the late 1980s at which time...