Treesearch

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...

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program provides this resource update yearly as an overview of forest resources in Alabama. These estimates are derived from field data collected across a systematic network of fixed-radius forest monitoring plots located on both public and private land. New updates are provided annually as a subset of plots within the State are remeasured. Each year, field crews visit and measure a subset of all FIA plots across the entire State (the size of the subset varies by State and year). Combining all...

Agroforestry practitioners face numerous barriers, including narrowly focused agricultural and forest land support programs that are targeted toward conventional crop and timber production. Preferential property tax programs (PPTPs) are one of the critical support programs that offer economic relief for landowners of enrolled lands. However, eligibility criteria for these programs may prevent inclusion of agroforestry lands, and thus, disincentivize the diversification of working lands. This study reviewed State statutes, administrative rules, tax guides and manuals, and other supporting...

Wood specific gravity (SG) is an essential indicator of wood quality, carbon stock, and the universality of tree functional traits influenced by both genetic and environmental factors. This study investigates the influence of natural physical variables, topography, water availability, and wind exposure on the specific gravity of the Quercus genus across a wide geographic range. Using a Bayesian regression model, we analyzed the relationships between SG and the selected physical variables. Our results indicate that these variables explain a significant proportion of the variation in SG...

Ticks present a significant risk to people in the southern United States, particularly those who spend time outdoors, as ticks can transmit agents that cause various diseases. This study evaluated the risk of exposure to ticks positive for spotted fever group (SFG) Rickettsia species among forestry workers. From 2017 to 2021, forestry workers passively collected ticks during field surveys for the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis program. We screened 1395 ticks for SFG-Rickettsia, including Amblyomma americanum (51.5% positive, N = 1,279), A. maculatum (40% positive, N =...

There is little published data available on herbicidal control for invasive Callery pear (Pyrus calleryana) or its ecological effects in North American forests. A previous field study exploring herbicide control for Callery pear was completed in 2019, providing an opportunity to (1) quantify reinfestation of Callery pear in the medium-term (3–4 years after treatment) along with changes in the woody plant community, and (2) determine how millipedes (Diplopoda) and earthworms (Clitellata: Oligochaeta) are affected by changes in the woody plant community following herbicide applications on...

Callery pear ( Pyrus calleryana Decne.) is a problematic woody invasive plant in eastern North America that invades old fields, forests, and disturbed sites. While management guidance typically suggests foliar, basal bark, cut stump, and hack-and-squirt applications of herbicides for P. calleryana , there is a dearth of studies focusing on the efficacy of specific treatments. We evaluated seven herbicide treatments for control of midstory P. calleryana . Cut stump and hack-and-squirt applications of glyphosate, imazapyr, and triclopyr and a soil application of hexazinone were repeated at...

China is a vast nation that has relatively low forest coverage and suffers chronic soil erosion and water shortages due to intensive human activities and natural conditions. Modern forest hydrology research in this populous country started late but has made important advancement during the past 40 years. This chapter provides a summary of the historical development of forest hydrology research in China, highlighting the major research methods, field installation and achievements. We present key research progress in terms of forest canopy interception, evapotranspiration, and the relationshi...

This indicator measures the area and percentage of protected forested land that could be used to fulfill social, cultural, and spiritual needs and values. Cultural connectedness to forests can be tangible or intangible. For example, hunting, chopping firewood, hiking, or other tangible acts embody forest-related cultural practices. On the other hand, simply the existence of forests—whether or not an individual has physically been there—can shape personal and community values (Halla et al. 2023). People can attribute meaning to natural phenomena of forests but can also be connected to...