Treesearch

Douglas-fir, the most important timber species in the Pacific Northwest, US (PNW), has high stiffness and strength. Growing it in plantations on short rotations since the 1980s has led to concerns about the impact of juvenile/mature wood proportion on wood properties. Lumber recovered from four sites in a thinning trial in the PNW was analyzed for relationships between thinning regime and lumber grade yield. Linear mixed-effects models were developed for understanding how rotation age and thinning affect the lumber grade yield. Log small-end diameter was overall the most important for...

Gyroporus (Gyroporaceae, Boletales) is a highly diverse genus of poroid ectomycorrhizal mushrooms with a nearly worldwide distribution. Previous attempts to unravel the diversity within this genus proved difficult due to the presence of semicryptic species and ambiguous results from analysis of ribosomal RNA markers. In this study, we employ a combined morphotaxonomic and phylogenetic approach to delimit species and elucidate geographic and evolutionary patterns in Gyroporus. For phylogenetic analyses, the protein-coding genes atp6 (mitochondrial adenosine triphosphate [ATP] synthase...

Many rural coastal regions are distinctly vulnerable to sea level rise because of their remoteness, isolation from central planning agencies, and poverty. To better plan for future sea level changes in these regions, an interdisciplinary approach to assess the social and environmental impacts of sea level rise and their dynamic feedbacks is important. In this paper, we use a socio-ecological system framework to investigate sea level rise impacts to the Albemarle-Pamlico Peninsula, a rural, low-lying coastal region in eastern North Carolina. Specifically, we show that 42% of the region...

The Haines Index is used in wildland fire management to evaluate the potential for ‘large and/or erratic’ fire behaviour. Published in 1988 as the Lower Atmospheric Severity Index, it was widely adopted and has become popular among fire managers, especially in the United States. Meteorologists have questioned its validity, however. This study revisits the original publication to consider the scientific basis of the Index. It then examines subsequent studies of the Index’s performance. The original Index formulation is found to be incomplete. Some studies suggest that, nonetheless, there...

We assessed density of emerald ash borer (Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire) (Coleoptera: Buprestidae) larvae over a 6-yr period by felling and sampling a total of 315 green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh.) trees that were left untreated or treated with imidacloprid, dinotefuran, or emamectin benzoate products at 1-yr, 2-yr, or 3-yr intervals. Our study, conducted across a 32-ha forested area, began soon after emerald ash borer became established and continued through the peak and eventual decline of the emerald ash borer population. Less than half of the 96 trees in the pretreatment sample...

This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in Georgia based on an inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program, the Southern Research Station (SRS) in cooperation with the Georgia Forestry Commission. Estimates are based on field data collected using the FIA annualized sample design and are updated yearly. The estimates presented in this update are for the measurement year 2016 with comparisons made to data reported in 2015 and prior years.

Clemmys guttata is known to inhabit a wide variety of wetland types, such as shallow grassy marshes, forest swamps, ponds, and even bays of large lakes (Ernst 1976. J. Herpetol. 10:25–33; Litzgus and Brooks 2000. J. Herpetol. 34:178–185; Stevenson et. al. 2015. Chelon. Conserv. Biol. 14:136–142). C. guttata populations inhabiting wetland complexes often display seasonal shifts in habitat use (Ward et. al. 1976. Herpetologica 32:60–64; Beaudry et. al. 2009. J. Herpetol. 43:636–645). Individuals have also been documented moving among wetlands over short time intervals, sometimes remaining...

Pine wilt disease (PWD) invaded southern Japan in the early 1900s and has gradually expanded its range to northern Honshu (Japanese mainland). The disease is caused by a pathogenic North American nematode, which is transmitted by native pine sawyer beetles. Recently, the disease has invaded other portions of East Asia and Europe where extensive mortality of host pines is anticipated to resemble historical patterns seen in Japan. There is a critical need to identify the main drivers of PWD invasion spread so as to predict the future spread and evaluate containment strategies in newly...

This resource update provides an overview of timber product output (TPO) and use in Nebraska based on questionnaires designed to determine the size and composition of the State's primary wood-using industry, its use of roundwood, and its generation and disposition of wood residues. This study was a cooperative effort between the Nebraska Forest Service (NFS) and the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Northern Research Station (NRS) of the USDA Forest Service. The NFS surveyed all known primary wood-using mills and FIA processed and analyzed the survey responses. Mill...

Climate change is already resulting in changes in cold desert ecosystems, lending urgency to the need to understand climate change effects and develop effective adaptation strategies. In this review, we synthesize information on changes in climate and hydrologic processes during the past century for the Great Basin and Columbia Plateau and discuss future projections for the 21st century. We develop midcentury projections of temperature and climate for the Great Basin and Columbia Plateau at timescales relevant to managers (2020-2050) and discuss concepts and strategies for adapting to the...