Treesearch

Cryptogenic species are those that are not yet “demonstrably native or introduced” in a given area, such as crayfish in western Montana, USA. Delving into evidence from diverse fields can help clarify the status of cryptogenic species. Primary historical sources and indigenous knowledge have informed various ecological questions but are seldom used to clarify the status of cryptogenic species, especially aquatic taxa. We summarize types of evidence used to illuminate species status and offer a case study applying historical sources to cryptogenic crayfish in Montana. We searched for...

Maple syrup has been produced in the United States for centuries. This production has been predominantly in the northeast states. Recent studies indicate promising maple syrup potential beyond the traditional boundaries. This study assesses the economic impacts of potential maple syrup production in Kentucky. Using the input-output analytical framework, likely producer price is considered at three maple syrup production potential levels. At a producer price of $9.48 per liter, the potential total impacts range from 336 jobs and $6.2 million in output at the lower production level to 1356...

1. Cyclonic storms, or hurricanes, are expected to intensify as ocean heat energy rises due to climate change. Ecological theory suggests that tropical forest resistance to hurricanes should increase with forest age and wood density. However, most data on hurricane effects on tropical forests come from a limited number of well-studied long-term monitoring sites, restricting our capacity to evaluate the resistance of tropical forests to hurricanes across broad environmental gradients. 2. In this study, we assessed whether forest age and aridity mediate the effects of hurricanes Irma and...

The frequency of tracts of timber offered for sale that do not receive any bids, also known as no-bids, is a concern for public land managers. No-bids can delay forest management and result in lost revenue to federal and state agencies. We used data collected by the USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) and the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (MN DNR) to assess the impact of appraisal adjustments on the appraised value of federal and state timber tracts offered for sale in Minnesota and quantify the impact of appraisal characteristics on the likelihood of a sale. We found that...

Ammonia (NH3) concentration and flux measurements made in 2016 in a mixed deciduous forest at the western North Carolina Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory are analyzed using a multi-layer, one-dimensional column model with detailed canopy physics and bi-directional exchange. Simulations for April 26–30 and July 19–30 are presented to assess the model's ability to represent measured in-canopy NH3 profiles and probe the processes that control bi-directional exchange with the canopy and forest floor. During dry canopy conditions, model simulations are found to well reproduce measured in-canopy...

After one year of surveying semiaquatic earthworms (oligochaeta, Sparganophilidae), we describe Sparganophilus jenkinsi sp. nov., S. carveri sp. nov., S. oconeeae sp. nov., S. williamsae sp. nov., S. muskogee sp. nov., S. youngae sp. nov., and S. borgesae sp. nov. based on extensive differences in morphological characters and molecular data. Three additional species are described morphologically but not formally named due to limited material. the species of Sparganophilus described here can be organized into three species groups: (1) S. jenkinsi, S. oconeeae, S. muskogee, S. carveri, S....

There is a vigorous debate around whether and how to manage forests for climate mitigation or for other goals such as biodiversity. To achieve any of these goals it is necessary to define the parameters within which they can exist; ideally, the metrics used to evaluate progress towards one goal should be able to speak to other goals, especially when there are competing objectives at play. In the pitch pine (Pinus rigida) dominated coastal plain of New Jersey, open-canopy habitats are the locus of biodiversity, so we sought to define ‘open-canopy’ using a common metric of forest occupancy,...

Over 95% of original longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) (LLP) forests have been converted toother land uses, including loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L) (LOP), croplands, urban uses during the past two centuries in the southeastern United States (U.S.) for socioeconomic developments. Restoring the LLP forests represents a contemporary forest management objective to improve wildlife habitat, water yield, and overall ecosystem services and resilience to a changing climate. Given the importance of understanding ecohydrological processes for guiding restoration efforts, this study compared evapotransp...

Recent changes of tree species demography in Texas likely can be attributed to climatic disturbances, particularly hot drought (i.e., drought exacerbated by extreme heat). In this study, we examined demographic change over East, Central and West Texas over a 16-year period (2004–2019), including a widely documented 2011 hot drought event. We used Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data to evaluate changes in tree count for the nine most abundant tree genera in Texas. Furthermore, we examined the associations between tree demography and the distribution of climate variables including the...

Trap colour can be an important consideration in detection programmes for arboreal and saproxylic beetles. Green and purple intercept traps are more attractive than black intercept traps to the emerald ash borer, Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), an invasive species in North America. In four experiments, I tested three commercial multiple-funnel traps (green, purple, and black), baited with various lure blends, to determine the relative effects of trap colour on catches of other bark and woodboring beetles, and their associated predator species, in north–central...