Treesearch

Restoring the estimated 1 billion hectares of degraded forests must consider future climate accompanied by novel ecosystems. Transformational restoration can play a key role in adaptation to climate change but it is conceptually the most divergent from contemporary approaches favoring native species and natural disturbance regimes. Here, we review concepts of novelty in ecosystems with examples of emergent/neonative and designed novel ecosystems, with application to transformational restoration. Danish forests have a high degree of novelty and provide a realistic context for discussing...

The aim of this study was to quantify street tree population dynamics in the city of Claremont, CA. A repeated measures survey (2000 and 2014) based on a stratified random sampling approach across size classes and for the most abundant 21 species was analyzed to calculate removal, growth, and replacement planting rates. Demographic rates were estimated using a hierarchical Bayesian framework. The community-level (all species) median growth rate was 1.41% per year (95% CI: 1.21–1.65%) with Pinus brutia and Pistacia chinensis growing significantly faster than the community-level median. The...

An effective management plan for invasive herb populations must consider the potential for regeneration from the soil seedbank. To test chis potential, we examined two species, Japanese scilcgrass and garlic mustard, at deciduous forest sites in southeastern Ohio. Seeds were buried in nylon mesh bags and recovered at regular intervals over 24 mo. Recovered seeds were tested for germination and viability. Burial was replicated on north- and south-facing slopes to test for environmental control of dormancy state. Stilcgrass seeds experienced severe mortality in the soil, rarely surviving the...

This update provides an overview of forest resources in Illinois following an inventory by the USDA Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis program, Northern Research Station. Estimates are derived from field data collected using an annualized sample design. Current variable estimates such as area and volume are based on 5,994 (1,046 forested) plots measured in 2011–2017. Change variables such as net growth, removals, and mortality are based on 5,914 (964 forested) plots measured in 2005–2011 and resampled in 2011–2017. See Bechtold and Patterson (2005), O'Connell et al. (2014),...

Regional (climate/soils) and local (aspect) physiography determine plant community composition. However, changes in initial floristic composition after a disturbance may be severe enough to alter the successional trajectory predicted by physiography. We addressed the question of which is more important, disturbance or physiography, in determining vegetation composition and the consequent successional trajectory. We evaluated understory vegetation of forest communities exposed to four disturbance types (control, single burn, diameter-limit cut, and first-removal shelterwood) 2–5 yr postdistu...

Resource managers have long mapped biophysical forest data. Often lacking, however, is relevant social science data for understanding the variety of human needs a given landscape fulfills. For nearly a decade, Lee Cerveny has been exploring how to provide this data on public lands around the Pacific Northwest. Cerveny is a research social scientist with the Pacific Northwest Research Station. In collaboration with several colleagues, she is using in-person mapping exercises and workshops with graphic information system software to capture social values, ecosystem benefits, and resource...

This paper explores predictors of juvenile tree mortality in a newly planted cohort in Worcester, MA, following an episode of large-scale tree removal necessitated by an Asian Longhorned Beetle (Anoplophora glabripennis, ALB) eradication program. Trees are increasingly seen as important providers of ecosystem services for urban areas, including: climate moderation and thus reduction in heating/cooling costs; air and water filtration; carbon uptake and storage; storm water runoff control; and cultural and aesthetic values. Many cities have initiated tree planting programs to receive these...

Significant advances have been made in identifying, quantifying and valuing multiple urban ecosystem services (UES), yet this knowledge remains poorly implemented in urban planning and management. One of the reasons for this low implementation is the insufficient thematic and spatial detail in UES research to provide guidance for urban planners and managers. Acknowledging how patterns of UES delivery are related with vegetation structure and composition in urban green areas could help these stakeholders to target structural variables that increase UES provision. This investigation explored...

Nature provides numerous services that affect the lives and wellbeing of people across the globe. Understanding impacts and benefits of nature will lead to better management decisions and designs in sustaining nature within society. One of the most dominant aspects of nature in many areas of the globe is vegetation, and one of the most dominant elements of vegetation in many areas are trees and forests. In addition to environmental quality, these trees and forests, particularly when within urban areas, have substantial impacts on human population health and well-being. Understanding the...

Unprecedented outbreaks of defoliating insects severely damaged blueberry crops near Port Graham on the Kenai Peninsula in Alaska from 2008-2012. The Native people in this region rely heavily on gathered blueberries and other foods for sustenance and nourishment. Influences of topography and stand structure on blueberry abundance and fruiting were examined and used to develop spatial models to predict abundance and productivity of blueberry plants. Fruiting was associated with decreased canopy density, a low basal area and southwesterly aspects. Stands with relatively high site indices...