Treesearch

The importance of international trade for the welfare of actors in the forest sector was estimated by comparing the current state of the world with a world in pure autarky with zero imports and exports of roundwood and manufactured wood products. The analysis was done with a comparative statics application of the Global Forest Products Model. The model was first calibrated in replicate observations in the base year 2013, and then solved under autarky conditions. The results showed much variation in the effects of international trade on production, consumption, and prices across countries...

Human trade and travel are breaking down biogeographic barriers, resulting in shifts in the geographical distribution of organisms, yet it remains largely unknown whether different alien species generally follow similar spatiotemporal colonization patterns and how such patterns are driven by trends in global trade. Here, we analyse the global distribution of 241 alien ant species and show that these species comprise four distinct groups that inherently differ in their worldwide distribution from that of native species. The global spread of these four distinct species groups has been...

The increased availability of mapped environmental data calls for better tools to analyze the spatial characteristics and information contained in those maps. Publicly available, userfriendly and universal tools are needed to foster the interdisciplinary development and application of methodologies for the extraction of image object information properties contained in digital raster maps. That is the overarching goal of GuidosToolbox, which is a set of customized, thematically grouped raster image analysis methodologies provided in a graphical user interface and for all popular operating...

Aleurodiscus tenuissimus and A. tropicus, on dead bamboo, are new species from tropical Asia. Both species have effused basidiocarps and simple-septate generative hyphae. Aleurodiscus tenuissimus, from southern China, lacks acanthophyses and possesses echinulate basidiospores, whereas A. tropicus, from southern China and Vietnam, has abundant acanthophyses and smooth basidiospores. Phylogenetic analyses of the nuc rDNA internal transcribed spacer region sequences (ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 = ITS) support the recognition of the taxa as distinct. The new species are described and illustrated, and a...

Hawaii is unique among the United States because of its tropical climate, geographic isolation, high rates of species endemism and discontinuous land mass. The year-round warm, wet climate on the windward sides of islands and the high fertility of relatively young volcanically derived soils are ideal conditions for carbon input, storage and carbon sequestration in ecosystems of the main Hawaiian Islands. A number of plot- and stand-level studies examining the physical and biological controls over tropical ecosystem carbon storage and flux provide evidence of the high carbon sequestration...

Surface mining is widespread throughout the Appalachian coalfields, a region with extensive forests that are rich in wildlife. Game species for hunting, nongame wildlife species, and other organisms are important contributors to sustainable and productive ecosystems. Although small breaks in the forest canopy are important to wildlife diversity, most native Appalachian wildlife species require primarily forested habitats (Wickham and others 2013). This Forest Reclamation Advisory provides guidance on reforestation practices to provide high-quality habitat for native forest wildlife on...

American chestnut was formerly a major component of forests throughout the Appalachian coalfields and beyond. Chestnut's strong, lightweight wood was naturally rot-resistant, making it a preferred timber tree for many purposes. Unlike many nut-producing trees that flower early in the year, American chestnuts flower in June and July, so they were less susceptible to a late freeze or frost that could damage the flowers. Due in part to its late flowering, American chestnuts produced a reliable and abundant nut crop that was an important source of nutrition for wildlife, livestock, and humans.

Climate change is having important effects on forest ecosystems, presenting a challenge for natural resource professionals to reduce climate-associated impacts while still achieving diverse management objectives. Regional projections of climate change and forest response are becoming more readily available, but managers are still searching for practical ways to apply this information. We propose that commonly collected forest inventory data be used in conjunction with species distribution models to better understand the potential response of forests to climate change and inform management...