Treesearch

In the William B. Bankhead National Forest, AL, the Sipsey Fork River Watershed’s stream network is composed of many small tributaries that are short in length, ephemeral, and have low average discharges when wet. However, the potential to transport considerable amounts of sediment during significant storm events has not been thoroughly investigated. Sediment runoff was collected from small tributaries that drained recently burned, thinned, and control stands during heavy seasonal storms in early 2016. Water samples were analyzed for Total Suspended Solids. Results from between burned,...

The ponderosa pine forests (Pinus ponderosa Laws.) in the Davis Mountains of west Texas recently experienced a major mortality event that resulted, in part, from profound regional drought predisposing trees and stands to mortality from both western pine beetle (Dendroctonus brevicomis) and wildfires. To evaluate alternatives for restoration and recovery, the Texas A&M Forest Service (TFS) initiated “Operation Ponderosa” in cooperation with The Nature Conservancy (TNC), on the TNC Davis Mountains Preserve in Jeff Davis County, TX. The loss of overstory pines and lack of natural regeneration...

Given the diversity of environmental, historical, social, economic and cultural contexts in which forest landscapes (and their degradation) occur, restoration efforts require the effective engagement and mobilization of the social and human capital that exists within these socio-ecological systems. This involves the utilization of diverse knowledge systems (von der Porten and de Loe, 2014), which in some cases, includes a significant body of Traditional knowledge and expertise that was marginalized during colonial periods (Stewart, 2002). Importantly, these knowledge systems remain largely...

The United States regulatory landscape for managing nontimber forest products (NTFPs) is as complex as the broad spectrum of harvesters, consumers, species, and products that make up this category. This overview briefy highlights some of the important historical foundations of United States natural resource laws and introduces more recent concepts and attitudes to management and resource access that are affecting current approaches toward regulation of NTFPs in the United States, which are discussed in this chapter. For a more in-depth discussion of the evolving relationships between...

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) has good seed years at irregular intervals. Although previous researchers found significant relationships between weather variables and size of the cone crop for a given year, they have stopped short of developing a predictive model. In this study, seed crops were classified as bumper, good to fair, and poor to failed. A canonical discriminant analysis based on weather data was performed to develop a classification function. We then developed a computer program that implemented the results of this canonical discriminant analysis to predict the class of...

A study of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) reproduction began in January 2015 at the International Forest Company seed orchard near Evans, LA. Three levels of fertilization and two levels of irrigation were planned to favor reproduction. Fertilization levels were August broadcast application of (1) 112 kg ha-1 nitrogen plus boron (1N), (2) 1N plus August application of 28 kg ha-1 phosphorus (1N1P), or (3) 1N1P plus September application of 112 kg ha-1 nitrogen (2N1P). Irrigation treatments were no irrigation or drip irrigation of 1090 l ramet-1 day-1 between mid-July and late September....

Attributes of shoots and their female reproductive organs from six ramets of a single loblolly pine clone were assessed in 2015 and 2016 at a Louisiana seed orchard. Seasonal developmental patterns were similar between years. Female strobilus buds were visible in December of year 1, and female strobili were pollinated in early March of year 2. Conelets (pollinated female strobili) stopped increasing in length from June of year 2 until March of year 3 when rapid expansion occurred over the next 4 months. In March and April of 2016, 61 percent of female strobili and conelets of the 2017 crop...

The 19th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference was held in Blacksburg, VA, March 14–16, 2017. This conference provided a forum for silviculturists, researchers, and practitioners to exchange the latest research information on the ecology and management of southern forests. Of the 70 oral presentations and 55 posters presented during the conference, 56 papers and 16 poster abstracts were submitted for these proceedings. The papers cover 15 topics, which include Oak Silviculture, Invasive Species, Disturbance and Damaging Agents, Forest Mensuration and Modeling, Pine Bark...

Wildland fires are generally classified into three categories: ground fires, surface fires, and crown fires (Fig. 1). Soils are described worldwide by the various layers that have formed or been deposited on top of bedrock or other parent material. In wildland areas, the layer closest to the surface is composed of organic material deposited by plants (Foth 1978). The organic layer is divided into two parts – the O1 layer at the surface and the O2 layer which forms under the O1 layer. Ground fires burn the matted and decomposed organic material that forms the O2 layer. Surface fires burn...

Lignocellulosic biomass is a vast resource for the sustainable production of renewable fuels, chemicals, and materials for mankind.1,2 Biomass, especially wood, has been used for millennia as a building and construction material for myriad applications and a source for heat as a fuel. The majority of mass in plants is in the cell walls, which are primarily composed of the polysaccharides cellulose, hemicellulose, and pectin along with the alkylaromatic heteropolymer lignin. The three basic building blocks of lignin, p-coumaryl alcohol, coniferyl alcohol, and sinapyl alcohol, are synthesized...