Treesearch

Long-term planning is crucial in forestry, where decisions often need to be made decades in advance. However, anticipating the future is difficult because changes are happening faster and becoming more complex. In addition, many changes that could affect forestry— for example, social trends, technological advances, and economic disruptions—come from fields outside of forestry.

The 1964 Wilderness Act famously defines wilderness as an area “untrammeled by man.” But what does it mean to “trammel” the wilderness? Many have interpreted trammeling as any intentional human action or manipulation that affects wilderness ecosystems, which means that any management intervention, even one aimed at helping a wilderness area’s natural conditions, must be considered a trammeling action.

Climate change is increasing the frequency and intensity of large precipitation events that flood soils and establish anoxic conditions that promote microbial denitrification, a predominant source of atmospheric nitrous oxide (N2O, a strong greenhouse gas). Denitrification may be favored within topographic depressions in otherwise flat fields that are prone to ponding, establishing “hotspots” of N2O emissions. The location of N2O hotspots may also depend on the distribution of soil microbial communities that are responsible for the production and consumption of N2O in soils. Yet, relating...

This report in support of the Southern Forest Outlook assesses current and future risks associated with wildfire and smoke in the Southern United States, through a synthesis of literature review and new analysis. Key questions concern wildfire risk management and resilience-building efforts in the face of a changing climate, risks to forest ecosystem services, the potentially disproportionate impacts of fire and smoke on socioeconomically vulnerable populations, and how the growing wildland-urban interface, changes in fire regimes, and changes in safe prescribed burning conditions are...

Selected organosilicon compounds proved effective in stabilizing waterlogged wood dimensions upon drying. However, detailed knowledge about their effect on wood is necessary before introducing them as safe waterlogged wood consolidants in conservation practice. Our previous research showed that organosilicons can chemically react with wood polymers, infiltrate cell walls and/or fill cell lumina. These interactions can mechanically reinforce the cell wall or have a plasticizing effect on wood, depending on the compound applied. To better understand their stabilizing effect on waterlogged...

Protected areas play an important role in wildlife conservation, yet evaluating their effectiveness can be difficult. We assessed the efficacy of protected areas for Mexican Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis lucida) by examining how federally designated Protected Activity Centers (PACs) and nest cores aligned with true Mexican Spotted Owl space use for roosting and foraging. We also examined if Mexican Spotted Owls used multiple PACs - a behavior commonly observed in California Spotted Owls (Strix occidentalis occidentalis) - and how Mexican Spotted Owl home range size compared to PAC size....

Forest Landscape Models (FLMs) project responses to different climate, disturbance, and management scenarios and can inform decision-making that shapes ecosystems. However, use of FLM outputs by decision makers can be hampered by a lack of transparency and credibility in the calibration of modeled processes. Landscape modelers typically use fine-scaled (i.e., plot- or stand-level) information to calibrate the growth functions central to FLMs, but methods vary widely and are often poorly documented. We suggest best practices for calibration and assessment of tree growth in FLMs adapted from...

The complex social-ecological dynamics of homelessness in natural resource management have become increasingly apparent in recent years. Systematically understanding and engaging with these dynamics across sectors, disciplines, and landscapes has presented a conceptual and methodological challenge for both practitioners and researchers. Though some interdisciplinary research has expanded in recent years, the understanding it has fostered largely remains fragmented across disciplines, and its implications for practice are poorly understood. To help create connections across this fragmented...

Forest soil amendments are increasingly used in western US forests to dispose of unmerchantable woody residues, reduce wildfire risk, and improve soil properties. Our objective was to determine the effect of fertilizer and organic amendments on tree growth and organic matter decomposition after thinning. Treatments were a control, three single soil amendments (wood chips, fertilizer, and biochar), and one combined soil amendment (biochar + fertilizer), each applied after thinning a ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex. Laws) stand. After 10 years, amendment treatments had no effect on...

Forest management activities that are intended to improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic fire generate low-value woody biomass, which is often piled and open-burned for disposal. This leads to greenhouse gas emissions, long-lasting burn scars, air pollution, and increased risk of escaped prescribed fire. Converting low-value biomass into biochar can be a promising avenue for advancing forest sustainability and carbon neutrality. Biochar can be produced either in a centralized facility or by using place-based techniques that mitigate greenhouse gas emissions and generate...