Treesearch

Aim: Non-destructive methods for quantifying above-ground plant biomass are important tools in many ecological studies and management endeavours, but estimation methods can be labour intensive and particularly difficult in structurally diverse vegetation types. We aimed to develop a low-cost, but reasonably accurate, estimation technique within early-successional Bahamian broadleaf shrub vegetation. Location: Eleuthera, The Bahamas. Methods: Our biomass estimation technique was based on a visual obstruction method originally developed for use in grassland vegetation, but modified to suit...

Despite being widespread and abundant, little is known about the breeding ecology and natural history of the Eastern Wood-Pewee (Contopus virens), in part because nests are often high in the canopy, difficult to view, and adults are monomorphic. We monitored nests of Eastern Wood-Pewees and recorded the feeding rate of nestlings by adults as part of a larger study on breeding demography of Eastern Wood-Pewees across a gradient of savanna, woodland, and forest in the Missouri Ozarks in 2010-2011. We monitored 287 nests between 26 May and 22 August and conducted feeding rate observations for...

Guidelines for using prescribed fire to regenerate and restore upland oak forests, woodlands, and savannas in eastern North America were developed by synthesizing the results of more than 100 scientific publications. The first four chapters provide background information on the values of oak ecosystems, eastern fire history, oak's adaptations to fire, and the findings of fire-oak research conducted over the past 50 years. The final chapter synthesizes that background information into guidelines that explain how to use prescribed fire to facilitate oak seedling establishment, release oak...

Documenting the environmental performance of building products is becoming widespread because of many green-marketing claims made without scientific merit (i.e., green-washing). Developing environmental product declarations (EPDs) for building products is one way to accomplish this objective for scientific documentation and to counter green-washing. EPDs are based on life-cycle assessment (LCA) data and are similar to nutritional labels for food. To develop a business-to-business (B2B) EPD for uncoated cellulosic fiberboard, gate-to-gate life-cycle inventory (LCI) data must be developed to...

Expanding bioenergy production has the potential to reduce net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and improve energy security. Science-based assessments of new bioenergy technologies are essential tools for policy makers dealing with expanding renewable energy production. Using life cycle inventory (LCI) analysis, this study evaluated a 200-kWe modular advanced biomass pyrolysis system, referred to as the Tucker renewable natural gas (RNG) unit. Similar to pyrolysis systems except no bio-oil is produced, the Tucker RNG unit converts forest and woody residues at high temperatures in an extremely...

Whole-building life-cycle assessments (LCAs) populated by life-cycle inventory (LCI) data are incorporated into environmental footprint software tools for establishing green building certification by building professionals and code. However, LCI data on some wood building products are still needed to help fill gaps in the data and thus provide a more complete picture for whole-buildings LCAs. Specifically, no LCI data are available in North America on producing hardboard and engineered wood siding and trim (EWST). This study used the internationally recognized LCI method to develop the...

Paper and paperboard are the most widely-used green materials in the world because they are renewable, recyclable, reusable, and compostable. Continued and expanded use of these materials and their potential use in new products requires a comprehensive understanding of the variability of their mechanical properties.

Analysis of microbial communities is a valuable tool for characterization and identification of microbes in a myriad of environments. We are currently using the molecular method terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis to characterize changes in bacterial and fungal communities on treated and untreated wood in soil. T-RFLP uses fluorescently labeled primers that bind to DNA and provide a fluorescent tag for each unique organism in a sample. The result is a microbial fingerprint that can be used to characterize the community of organisms present in the sample....

Wood fromtwovarieties of beetle-killed trees was used to fabricate wood–plastic composites. Loblolly pine and lodgepole pine beetle-killed trees were defibrated mechanically and thermomechanically, respectively, into fiber. Fiber and sawdust produced from the trees were modified with potassium methyl siliconate (PMS) and injection-molded into fiber/sawdust reinforced plastic composites. Modification of fiber and sawdust with PMS improved the compatibility between lignocellulosic materials and ethylene plastic in the composites, resulting in decreased water sorption, increased dimensional...

This science update provides an overview of nonnative invasive plants found in Oklahoma forests based on an annual inventory conducted by the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program at the Southern Research Station (SRS) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service in cooperation with the Oklahoma Forestry Services. These estimates and coverage maps will be updated periodically. For more information regarding past inventory reports for Oklahoma, inventory program information, field sampling methodology, and estimation procedures, please refer to the citations at the end of this...