Treesearch

Rhizomorpha corynecarpos Kunze was originally described from wet forests in Suriname. This unusual fungus forms white, sterile rhizomorphs bearing abundant club-shaped branches. Its evolutionary origins are unknown because reproductive structures have never been found. Recent collections and observations of R. corynecarpos were made from Belize, Brazil, Ecuador, Guyana, and Peru. Phylogenetic analyses of three nuclear rDNA regions (internal transcribed spacer, large ribosomal subunit, and small ribosomal subunit) were conducted to resolve the phylogenetic relationship of R. corynecarpos....

This report assesses the potential for collaboration in New York State between the arts and field stations: places and programs where scientific researchers conduct long-term studies of diverse ecosystems. It provides an overview of how and where this transdisciplinary work is currently taking place, and makes recommendations to advance this effort across the state. It seeks to encourage further opportunities for artists that, when combined with environmental research, can aid community development and quality of life by advancing awareness of social-ecological systems: how people use,...

Black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), a large tree native throughout the eastern United States, produces a highquality edible nut. Our goal was to maintain the integrity of black walnut breeding programs by verifying the identity of accessions. We sampled 285 ramets of 78 cultivars from the black walnut nut breeding orchards and clonal repositories at the University of Missouri and Kansas State University. We employed both phenotypic and genotypic methods to identify and differentiate cultivars. Phenotypes were evaluated using seven phenological traits. Cultivars varied for all traits among...

The planning units of the National Forest System are beginning to revise their existing land management plans using the 2012 Forest Service regulations. Ecological integrity is a central concept to the regulations. However, implementing the concept is challenging in light of climate change. Historical ecology, particularly the concept of natural range of variation, informs planning for ecological integrity and climate change. This report discusses a March 2016 workshop held for the Intermountain Region to address ecological integrity, NRV, and climate change, all high priority topics for...

The smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu) is a cool-water fish species native to central North America. Widespread introductions and secondary spread outside of its historical range have led to new recreational fisheries and associated economic benefits in western United States, but have also resulted in a number of ecological impacts to recipient ecosystems, including threats to Pacific salmon. Management of introduced smallmouth bass populations, now and into the future, relies on accurate detection and monitoring of this species. To address this need, we developed an environmental DNA...

Due to the interest in status and trends in forest resources, many countries conduct a national forest inventory (NFI). To better understand the characteristics of woody vegetation in areas that are typically not forested, there is an increasing emphasis on urban inventory efforts where all trees both within and outside forest areas are measured. Often, these two inventories are entirely independent endeavours from data collection through analytical reporting. To holistically explore landscape-scale phenomena across the rural-urban gradient, there is a need to combine information from both...

In the western United States and elsewhere, the need to change society’s relationship with wildfire is well-recognized. Suppressing fewer fires in fire-prone systems is promoted to escape existing feedback loops that lead to ever worsening conditions and increasing risks to responders and communities. Our primary focus is how to catalyze changes in fire manager behavior such that responses are safer, more effective, and capitalize on opportunities for expanded use of fire. We daylight deep-seated, systemic drivers of behavior, and in so doing, challenge ingrained ways of thinking and...

Changing climate may impact species through several processes, including phenologic shifts in seasonal timing of food supplies. These temporal changes can create trophic mismatches for species during major life-cycle events such as migration. For long-distance Neotropical–Nearctic migratory songbirds, body condition prior to migration is related to quality and quantity of food supply, which is a function of precipitation and temperature conditions on the wintering grounds. We assessed how future climate-change scenarios might affect wintering habitat of Setophaga kirtlandii (Kirtland's...

The behaviors of Anoplophora glabripennis (Motschulsky) (Coleoptera: Cerambycidae) during inter- and intrasexual interactions between both solitary and paired individuals at different sex ratios were observed on Acer platanoides L. (Sapindales: Sapindaceae) branches in the laboratory. Intrasexual contact was generally ignored by females, but between males resulted in battles from which one male ultimately retreated. When male size differed, larger males won battles, whereas equally sized males split the wins and battled longer. When males initiated intersexual contact, they quickly found...

Emerald ash borer (EAB) is an invasive beetle that kills native North American ash species, threatening their persistence. A classical biological control program for EAB was initiated in 2007 with the release of three specialized EAB parasitoids. Monitoring changes in the health and regeneration of ash where EAB biocontrol agents have been released is critical for assessing the success of EAB biocontrol and predicting future changes to the ash component of North American forests. We sampled release and control plots across southern Michigan over a three-year period to measure ash health...