Treesearch

Habitat characteristics mediate predator-prey coexistence in many ecological systemd but are seldom considered in species introductions. When economically important introduced predators are stocked despite known impacts on native species, understanding the role of refuges, landscape configurations, and community interactions can inform habitat management plans. We measured these factors in basins with introduced trout (Salmonidae) and the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) to determine which are responsible for observed patterns of co-occurrence of this economically important predator and its...

Founder effects, new environments, and competition often produce changes in species colonizing islands, although the resulting endemism sometimes requires molecular identification. One method to identify fruitful areas for more detailed genetic study is through comparative morphological analyses. We measured 210 museum specimens to evaluate the potential morphological consequences of colonization across the Philippine archipelago by the Philippine Falconet (Microhierax erythrogenys). Measurements of both males and females differed clearly from island to island. Univariate and multivariate...

Sequestration by Arkansas forests removes carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, storing this carbon in biomass that fills a number of critical ecological and socioeconomic functions. We need a better understanding of the contribution of forests to the carbon cycle, including the accurate quantification of tree biomass. Models have long been developed to predict aboveground live tree biomass, but few of these have been derived from Arkansas forests. Since there is geographic variability in the growth and yield of pine as a function of genetics, site conditions, growth rate, stand stocking,...

Foresters and landowners have a growing interest in carbon sequestration and cellulosic biofuels in southern pine forests, and hence need to be able to accurately predict them. To this end, we derived a set of aboveground biomass models using data from 62 small-diameter loblolly pines (Pinus taeda) sampled on the Crossett Experimental Forest in southeastern Arkansas. Of the 25 equations initially evaluated, we chose 17 that best fit our dataset and compared them using a suite of conventional test statistics, including pseudo-R2, root mean squared error (RMSE), and bias. Because most of the...

This study was conducted to assess the effect of genotype on the early performance of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings planted on the University of Arkansas at Monticello School Forest located in southeast Arkansas.We used a split-plot design consisting of two spacing treatments (3.05 m × 3.05 m and 3.05 m × 4.27 m) randomly assigned as main plots and three loblolly pine genotypes (Arkansas Foresty Commission 3-Star half-sibling seedling, Cellfor® clone Q3802, and Cellfor® L3791) randomly assigned to the subplots. Survival, ground line diameter, height, and flush length...

Most of the tree species that characterize riparian woodlands are early or facultative seral species including Fremont cottonwood (Populus fremontii), Arizona alder (Alnus oblongifolia), Arizona sycamore (Platanus wrightii), Modesto ash (Fraxinus velutina), boxelder (Acer negundo), and narrowleaf poplar (Populus angustifolia). Arizona walnut (Juglans major) is a riparian species that can persist at a low density in late seral or climax forests. The Southwest is a harsh environment for trees. The frequent occurrence of early-seral tree species in riparian forests reflect the frequency,...

CORRIM, the Consortium for Research on Renewable Industrial Materials, has derived life cycle inventory (LCI) data for major wood products and wood production regions in the United States. The life cycle inventory data cover from forest regeneration through to final product at the mill gate. Research has covered nine major forest products including both structural and nonstructural uses and four major regions: in this report we focus on planed dry softwood lumber produced in the US Northeast-North central (NE-NC) region. The NE-NC regional data is a representative cross-section of forest...

Accounting for carbon sequestration in LCA illustrates the limitations of a single global warming characterization factor. Typical cradle-to-grave LCA models all emissions from end-of-life processes and then characterizes these flows by IPCC GWP (100-yr) factors. A novel method estimates climate change impact by characterizing annual emissions with the IPCC GHG forcing functions (w/m2/yr), integrated over the same 100-year time horizon, and then relating the warming to the equivalent time-zero equivalent (TIZE) CO2 emissions. Net life cycle carbon sequestration for lumber using TIZE and...

About one-third of North America is forested. These forests are of incalculable value to human society in terms of harvested resources and ecosystem services and are sensitive to disturbance regimes. Epidemics of forest insects and diseases are the dominant sources of disturbance to North American forests. Here we review current understanding of climatic effects on the abundance of forest insects and diseases in North America, and of the ecological and socioeconomic impacts of biotic disturbances. We identified 27 insects (6 nonindigenous) and 22 diseases (9 nonindigenous) that are notable...

Savanna and woodland were historically prevalent in the midwestern United States, and managers throughout the area are currently attempting to restore these communities. Better knowledge of the responses of breeding and non-breeding birds to savanna and woodland restoration is needed to inform management.We surveyed abundance of winter resident birds across a gradient of tree stocking encompassed by savannas, woodlands, and non-managed forests in the Missouri Ozark Highlands, USA, and assessed the effect of stocking on bird densities. We conducted point counts at 560 locations along 42...