Treesearch

Tornadoes drastically impact managed forest landscapes, altering structure, composition, and economic valuation. Tornadoes occur frequently in the US and are projected to increase in the southeastern region, which is a substantial timber-producing region. Quantifying tornado damage in managed forest landscapes is important for guiding management decisions and modeling recovery efforts to recoup economic losses. We assessed the spatiotemporal effects on forest structure, volume, and carbon in 13–17 year old loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) stands after an EF-3 tornado, with a path length of...

Although many species display relationships – both positive and negative – with various forest successional stages, researchers often rely on datasets that describe forest presence rather than forest age (i.e., National Landcover Database). In 2023, the USDA Forest Service introduced standardized region-specific mature and old-growth (MOG) forest definitions for the United States, but these definitions have not been readily integrated to address questions in ecology and conservation. Here, we introduce ‘mapMOG’—an open access R function that applies the recently adopted federal MOG...

This resource bulletin consolidates data from the ninth complete survey of Tennessee’s forest resources which was conducted during the period 2015–2019 by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry (TDF). Data on the extent, condition, and classification of forest land and associated timber volumes, as well as growth, removals, and mortality rates are described and interpreted. Data on forest health and forest landowner characteristics are also...

It is widely perceived that wildfire activity has increased across the western United States (WUS), with studies generally focusing on large wildfires. This study examines changes in the number of wildfire ignitions and burned area in the WUS using a comprehensive record of more than 750 000 wildfire incidents from 1992 to 2020 across biophysical gradients, seasons, and ignition causes. It further analyzes the environmental conditions associated with elevated fire activity. Our analysis comparing the periods 1992–2006 and 2007–2020 indicates that the annual number of recorded wildfires...

Wildfire extent is growing in the United States (US), a fact attributable to increasingly favorable weather and climatic conditions and the net result of human interventions. US federal land management agencies act upon the wildfire threat by managing hazardous fuels, discouraging human‐caused ignitions, and suppressing active fires. Costs of these actions are rising, so policy makers and wildland managers seek information that can help them understand the trade‐offs of resource allocations. This study generates new information about potential future wildfire and suppression demands by...

The Community Forestry (CF) program in Nepal is often lauded as a successful global example of the participatory forest management model, particularly for restoring degraded forest in the midhills However, recent socio-economic, demographic, ecological, and governance change have transformed forest-people relationships, creating uncertainty about the program's long-term sustainability. In this context, this study aims to identify the socio-ecological and institutional factors shaping community forest users' perceptions of the future of CF in Nepal. Using survey data from 873 households...

Collaborative governance plays a critical role in wildfire risk mitigation efforts. This study examines collaborative wildfire governance networks within the Colorado Front Range, a landscape that was designated under the USDA Forest Service's Wildfire Crisis Strategy (WCS). Collaborative governance networks in the Colorado Front Range leverage partnerships across multiple organizational actors including federal, state, and local agencies, non-profits, fire districts, and research institutions. Through survey data collected from 281 respondents revealing a collaborative network of 401...

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 Texas. 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 the...

Macrochelys temminckii (Alligator Snapping Turtle) is a large freshwater turtle that occurs in a broad range of stream orders in the southeastern US. The species has experienced range contraction and population declines throughout its range. Environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling is an effective method for indirect detection of the Alligator Snapping Turtle when trapping or radio tracking is not feasible. Environmental conditions and resource availability vary across stream orders, potentially influencing Alligator Snapping Turtle occupancy patterns and eDNA detection probabilities. In this...

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 Virginia. 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...