Treesearch

Plant gas exchange systems are widely used to study leaf physiological processes and properties such as stomatal function and the maximum carboxylation rate of Rubisco. Increasingly, these systems are used to assess how leaf gas exchange varies with temperature in order to better understand how rising temperature will impact plant function. Examples of such studies include variation in optimal temperatures of photosynthesis as a function of species and growth environment, and respiratory acclimation to higher temperatures. Leaf thermoregulation leading to homeothermy has been reported...

Kill‐site investigations can yield valuable data about elusive predators and predator–prey interactions, provided the predator species can be definitively identified as the one responsible for the predation event. The traditional method of visually analyzing prey remains to identify predators is prone to observer bias and may be particularly challenging when few remains are present or in systems with congeneric predators. Other potential evidence left by predators, such as scat, may be difficult to reliably link to the responsible predator, whereas tracking requires adequate substrate...

Forestry in the Southeastern United States has long focused on converting natural stands into pine plantations or managing exclusively for hardwoods. Little consideration has been given to managing stands containing pine and hardwood mixtures, as these stands were considered inferior in terms of productivity and/or quality. Recent declines in small-diameter softwood markets and logging workforce have, however, begun to stress the traditional pine production model in some locations, raising interest in management alternatives. Here, we provide biological, economic, and sociocultural...

Native fish conservation areas (NFCAs) are watersheds where management emphasizes proactive conservation and restoration for longterm persistence of native fish assemblages while allowing for compatible uses. Native fish conservation areas are intended to complement traditional fisheries management approaches that are often reactive to population stressors and focused on single-species conservation efforts rather than complete assemblages. We identified potential NFCAs in the upper Snake River basin above Hells Canyon Dam using a process that ranked all subwatersheds (Hydrologic Unit Code...

Shared stewardship is about working together in an integrated way to make decisions for the land. The USDA Forest Service (USFS) works collaboratively with stakeholders to set landscape-scale priorities and to invest in projects that will have the most impact. USFS Research & Development has played a key role in developing and supporting the USDA Shared Stewardship Strategy. Shared stewardship has always been, and will always be, a part of the way we do business at the Rocky Mountain Research Station.

The social, economic, and ecological impacts of wildfire are an increasing concern in many areas of the world. In North America, the U.S. state of California stands out in terms of recent - 2017 and 2018 - high-loss fire events. California provides an interesting case study to examine the social, economic, and ecological conditions that influence and are affected by wildfire. California is the most populated U.S. state with an estimated 2018 population of over 39 million, or 12 percent of the total U.S. population. The California population is highly urbanized - 94 percent - with 1.8...

Fire science emphasizes that mitigation actions on residential property, including structural hardening and maintaining defensible space, can reduce the risk of wildfire at a home. Accordingly, a rich body of social science literature investigates the determinants of wildfire risk mitigation behaviors of residents living in fire-prone areas. Here, we investigate relationships among wildfire hazards, residents’ risk perceptions, and conditions associated with mitigation actions using a combination of simulated wildfire conditions, household survey responses, and professionally assessed...

Heirs’ property, or land and other assets passed from one generation to the next without the benefit of clear title, has been described as a major impediment to individual and community development for African Americans, particularly in the rural South. While the reasons for heirs’ property are many, including mistrust of the legal system and overt take- away schemes from local officials, little research has been conducted to examine the impact of heirs’ property at the community level.

Heirs’ experiences with heirs’ property vary considerably. In some cases, the use of heirs’ property, and harmonized expectations about those uses, may be difficult to coordinate amongst cotenants. In these cases, heirs may be concerned about their ability to use the land to support wealth creation. On the other hand, some heirs may fear that another heir or non-family cotenant will seek to partition the cotenancy and, as a result, they may be concerned about their vulnerability to forced displacement from the property. These experiences—wealth and vulnerability—both arise because of the...

Much of this material is derived from the Tribal Leaders Handbook on Homeownership, published by the Center for Indian Country Development, July 2018.