Treesearch

Warming in the Arctic is causing soils to decompose more rapidly, even during winter. Now, estimates of winter carbon dioxide loss indicate that it can offset carbon gains during the growing season, meaning that the region is a source of carbon.

Although numerous and varied users harvest, trade, and consume nontimber forest products (NTFPs), relatively little is known about the organization of the markets for these products and the market value or contribution to local and regional economies. In this article, we review and synthesize economic research and information on the markets and market values of NTFPs in the United States. We describe formal and informal markets for NTFPs, and the extent to which and reasons why many of the details of these markets remain unknown to researchers and decisionmakers. We provide examples of the...

Environmental DNA (eDNA) assays for single‐ and multi‐species detection show promise for providing standardized assessment methods for diverse taxa, but techniques for evaluating multiple taxonomically divergent assemblages are in their infancy. We evaluated whether microfluidic multiplex metabarcoding on the Fluidigm Access Array™ platform and high‐throughput sequencing could identify diverse stream and riparian assemblages from 48 taxon‐general and taxon‐specific metabarcode primers. eDNA screening was paired with electrofishing along a stream continuum to evaluate congruence between...

We examine networks of collaboration among civic environmental stewardship organizations in Philadelphia and New York City to understand which factors shape collaborative ties between organizations. Environmental issues in cities are increasingly complicated and often involve many actors, including citizens, governments, and organizations. Organizations frequently collaborate to tackle collective action problems related to environmental management. Here, we study two such networks collected as part of the U.S. Forest Service's Stewardship Mapping and Assessment (STEW-MAP) project that...

Aridity indices have been widely used in climate classification. However, there is not enough evidence fortheir ability in identifying the multiple climate types in areas with complex topography and landscape, especially in thoseareas with a transition climate. This study compares a traditional meteorological aridity index (AI), defined as the ratioof precipitation (P) to potential evapotranspiration (PET), with a hydrological aridity index, the evaporative stress index(ESI) defined as the ratio of actual evapotranspiration (AET) to PET in the Heihe River Basin (HRB) of arid northwesternChi...

Information on site quality, the capacity of forested land to grow wood, is an important component in forest inventories. Site index and site class are two variables that describe forest site quality. Site index is usually defined as the average total height that the dominant and codominant trees in fully stocked, even-aged stands will attain at key ages. Site class is a classification of forest land in terms of the capacity to grow repeated crops of industrial wood. This classification is based on the maximum mean annual increment, in cubic feet per acre, of natural, well-stocked,...

The Southwest Washington Adaptation Partnership (SWAP) was developed to identify climate change issues relevant for resource management in southwest Washington, specifically on Gifford Pinchot National Forest. This science-management partnership assessed the vulnerability of natural resources to climate change and developed adaptation options that minimize negative impacts of climate change on resources of concern and facilitate transition of diverse ecosystems to a warmer climate. The vulnerability assessment focuses on fish and aquatic habitat, vegetation, special habitats, recreation,...

Forests across the U.S. and U.S. aliated islands of the Caribbean and Pacific constitute rich and dynamic social-ecological systems that, while heterogeneous in many ways, share certain characteristics and trends that underscore the utility of sustainability assessments that go beyond single jurisdictional e orts. This paper summarizes a recent e ort to assess the sustainability of tropical island forests of and politically aliated with the U.S. using the Montréal Process criteria and indicator framework (MP C&I), which address ecological, social, economic, and institutional dimensions...

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is an important commercial tree species in the New England and Great Lakes regions of the USA and adjacent Canada, yet cedar-dominated stands are comparatively less harvested. This is mainly attributed to the operational challenges associated with fragile and poorly drained soils in lowlands where the species is commonly found. In terms of forest operations, such conditions can pose safety hazards for both crew and machines and harvesting might not be economically viable. The objectives of this study were to 1) estimate cost and productivity of...

The emerald ash borer (EAB) has been the most destructive and costly nonnative insect to threaten the health of ash (Fraxinus) species in North America for at least the past 25 years. The development of methods for detecting visually-hidden EAB galleries at early stages of infestation would provide a useful tool to more effectively facilitate the planning and implementation of targeted EAB pest-suppression and management activities. We tested the efficacy of using a dual-technology electronic-nose (e-nose)/gas chromatograph device as a means for detection of EAB infestations in green ash...