Treesearch

Species richness (SR) is a tool that managers can use to include diversity in planning and decision-making and is a convenient and useful way to characterize the first level of biological diversity. A richness list derived from existing inventories enhances a manager’s understanding of the complexity of the plant and animal communities they manage. Without a list of species, resource management decisions may have negative or unknown effects on all species occupying a forest type. Without abundance data, a common quantitative index for species diversity cannot be determined. However, SR...

Hydrologic variability during 2005-2011 was observed and analyzed at an upland oak/pine forest in the New Jersey Pinelands. The forest experienced defoliation by Gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) in 2007, drought conditions in 2006 and a more severe drought in 2010. By using sap flux and eddy covariance measurements, stream discharge data from USGS, soil water changes, precipitation (P) and precipitation throughfall, a local water balance was derived.

Cogongrass, an invasive grass native to Asia, has infested thousands of hectares in the southeastern United States. Although numerous studies have examined cogongrass control, no published studies, to our knowledge, have tested strategies for cogongrass eradication. Cogongrass has a persistent, thick rhizome mat but an ephemeral seedbank; therefore, successful eradication methods must largely focus on the rhizomes. A field study to evaluate specific herbicide treatments and application timings for cogongrass patch eradication was conducted at two locations in southwestern Alabama. Herbicide...

This resource update provides an overview of forest resources in North Dakota based on an inventory conducted by the U.S. Forest Service, Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program at the Northern Research Station in cooperation with the North Dakota Forest Service. Estimates are based on field data collected using the FIA annualized sample design and are updated yearly. The estimates presented in this update are for the measurement year 2014 with comparisons made to data reported in 2009. In the 2014 inventory, NRS-FIA is now measuring 1/7th (14.3 percent) of the plots annually and plans...

Current policies in the European Union (EU) requiring renewable and low greenhouse gas-emitting energy are affecting wood products manufacturing and forests in the United States. These policies have led to increased U.S. pellet production and export to the EU, which has in turn affected U.S. forests and other wood products manufacturing. At this time, the primary exporting region in the United States is the South, and the primary importing countries in the EU are the United Kingdom, Belgium, and the Netherlands. The policies and some Member State subsidies are expected to continue in place...

Proceedings from the 2014 Central Hardwood Forest Conference in Carbondale, IL. The published proceedings include 27 papers and 47 abstracts pertaining to research conducted on biofuels and bioenergy, forest biometrics, forest ecology and physiology, forest economics, forest health including invasive species, forest soils and hydrology, geographic information systems, harvesting and utilization, silviculture, and wildlife management.

This report traces the flow of timber harvested in Alaska during calendar year 2011, describes the composition and operations of the state’s primary forest products industry, and quantifies volumes and uses of wood fiber. Historical wood products industry changes are discussed, as well as trends in timber harvest, production, export, sales of primary wood products, employment, and emerging issues important to Alaska’s forest industry.

This resource update provides an overview of forest resource attributes for the State of Tennessee based on an annual inventory conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program at the Southern Research Station of the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service in cooperation with the Tennessee Department of Agriculture Division of Forestry. These annual estimates, along with Web-posted supplemental tables, will be updated annually. For more information regarding past inventory reports for this State, inventory program information, field sampling methodology, and...

Reinforced natural rubber (NR) nanocomposites were prepared by solution mixing, casting, and evaporation of pre-vulcanized natural rubber latex and an aqueous suspension of cellulose nanofibrils (CNFs) extracted from bleached eucalyptus kraft pulp. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images showed that there were no micro-scaled aggregates observed in the nanocomposites.The addition of CNFs changed the mechanical behavior of the nanocomposites as observed in tensile tests. The tensile strength was significantly enhanced with CNFs, but the material became brittle at higher CNFs loading...

The performances of five yeast strains under three levels of toxicity were evaluated using hydrolysates from lodgepole pine pretreated by Sulfite Pretreatment to Overcome the Recalcitrance of Lignocelluloses (SPORL). The highest level of toxicity was represented by the whole pretreated biomass slurry, while intermediate toxicity was represented by the hydrolysate with partial loading of pretreatment spent liquor. The zero toxicity was represented using the enzymatic hydrolysate produced from thoroughly washed SPORL lodgepole pine solids. The results indicate that strains D5A and YRH400 can...