Treesearch

Newly-established populations of invasive wood-inhabiting insects provide an opportunity for the study of invasion dynamics and for collecting information to improve management options for these cryptic species. From 2011 to 2013, we studied the dynamics of the goldspotted oak borer Agrilus auroguttatus Schaeffer (Coleoptera: Buprestidae), a new pest of oaks in southern California, at six sites that had been colonized recently. At all sites, the percentage of coast live oaks Quercus agrifolia Nee, colonized by A. auroguttatus increased between 2011 (6-33%) and 2013 (23-40%), although...

In the Mississippi River Alluvial Valley (MAV), complete alteration of river-floodplain hydrology allowed for widespread conversion of forested bottomlands to intensive agriculture, resulting in nearly 80% forest loss. Governmental programs have attempted to restore forest habitat and functions within this altered landscape by the methods of tree planting (afforestation) and local hydrologic enhancement on reclaimed croplands. Early assessments identified factors that influenced whether planting plus tree colonization could establish an overstory community similar to natural bottomland...

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 at the Southern Research Station in cooperation with the Georgia Forestry Commission. Estimates are based on field data collected using the FIA annualized sample design and are updated yearly.

In the southern Appalachians, artificial nest-boxes are used to survey for the endangered Carolina northern flying squirrel (CNFS; Glaucomys sabrinus coloratus), a disjunct subspecies associated with high elevation (>1385 m) forests. Using environmental parameters diagnostic of squirrel habitat, we created 35 a priori occupancy models in the program PRESENCE for boxes surveyed in western North Carolina, 1996-2011. Our best approximating model showed CNFS denning associated with sheltered landforms and montane conifers, primarily red spruce Picea rubens. As sheltering decreased, decreasing...

Aims The fruits of Erithalis fruticosa L. and Lantana involucrata L. are important in the diet of US federally endangered Kirtland’s Warblers (Setophaga kirtlandii) wintering in the Bahamas archipelago. These two shrubs occur in tropical and subtropical dry forests, including forests that have been subjected to recent disturbance. Despite their importance to the endangered warbler, the disturbance ecology of these shrubs is poorly understood. We sought to determine, based on functional characteristics of the plants, whether their presence is favored by a particular type or regime of...

This resource update is a brief look at some of the basic metrics that describe the status of and changes to forest resources in Arkansas. Estimates presented here are for the measurement year 2014 with resource changes compared against the 2013 survey year. This information is based on field data collected using the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) annualized sample design, and it is updated yearly.

Over the last two decades wildfire activity, damage, and management cost within the US have increased substantially. These increases have been associated with a number of factors including climate change and fuel accumulation due to a century of active fire suppression. The increased fire activity has occurred during a time of significant ex-urban development of the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI) along with increased demand on water resources originating on forested landscapes. These increased demands have put substantial pressure on federal agencies charged with wildfire management to...

Biomass burning is known to contribute large quantities of CO2, CO, and PM2.5 to the atmosphere. Biomass burning not only affects the area in the vicinity of fire but may also impact the air quality far downwind from the fire. The 2007 and 2012 western U.S. wildfire seasons were characterized by significant wildfire activity across much of the Intermountain West and California. In this study, we determined the locations of wildfire-derived emissions and their aggregate impacts on Salt Lake City, a major urban center downwind of the fires. To determine the influences of biomass burning...

This report investigates the interactions between household location decisions and community characteristics, including green space. Household location decisions are a primary driver of land-use change, and collective location decisions affect community characteristics. At the same time, community characteristics affect location decisions. Neighborhoods or communities that have well-managed green space programs are more attractive to residents, a two-way interaction that tends to be self-reinforcing. Communities with high amenities and public services attract high-income residents,...

Stress in trees is caused by disturbances such as fire, flood, disease, or insect infestations. A single stressor may not be enough to kill a tree, but a combination can be deadly. Tree tissues produce and accumulate ethanol in response to many stressors. Ethanol provides the stressed tissues with an emergency energy source when their normal source of energy from aerobic respiration is impaired by stressors. Many insects, including various bark and ambrosia beetles, can detect ethanol. If the stressed tree releases enough ethanol into the atmosphere, it serves as a signal, attracting the...