Treesearch

On the island of Hawaii, gorse (Ulex europaeus L.) is limited to an isolated core infestation of approximately 2000 hectares with scattered plants and small patches in the surrounding 10,000 hectares. Between 1985 and 2000, seven biological control agents were introduced, five of which successfully established. By 2000, their combined impact had reduced the yearly growth of new shoots by over 50%. In 2001/2002, the ranch leasing the area decided to solve the gorse problem with an area wide program of aerial spraying and burning that destroyed over 95% of the gorse in the core area. With no...

The stem mining weevil, Ceutorhynchus litura Fabricius, the gall forming fly, Urophora cardui L., and the seedhead weevil, Larinus planus Fabricius, were established as biological control agents on an 1800 hectare multiple-habitat wildlife refuge in northwestern Oregon in the mid-1990s. At the time, Canada thistle was the most wide spread, aggressive, and difficult weed to control and was being contained only by an extensive herbicide control program. A ten-year monitoring program for these natural enemies (1997 through 2007) showed a significant decline in Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense...

Your woods are always changing and adapting as they grow and mature, or regrow after agricultural abandonment, natural disturbances, or harvesting activities. Events like storms, droughts, insect and disease outbreaks, or other stressors can damage trees or slow their growth. A changing climate may make your woods more susceptible to the problems these events can cause.

Timberland ownership patterns and national forest timber harvesting policy have undergone significant changes in South Carolina over the past five decades. Timber output studies for the state commonly focused on short time frames and seldom addressed timberland ownership patterns in detail. We describe fifty-year timber output for South Carolina, allowing us to address economic cycles, industrial expansions and contractions, hurricanes, shifting ownership patterns, and national forest timber harvesting policies. We also addressed the relationship between mill capacity and industrial timber...

Projects to develop biological control solutions against invasive plants are midto long-term endeavors that require considerable financial support over several years. Discussions of concerns and potential conflicts of interests often occur when biological control agents are first being proposed for release into the environment. Such late discussion, which in some cases results in delays or in the halt of ongoing biological control programs, has led to uncertainty, confusion and frustration among the various stakeholder groups, including the biological control practitioners. Russian olive...

A comprehensive review of biological control of weeds in Hawaii was last published in 1992, covering 74 natural enemy species released from 1902 through 1980. The present review summarizes releases of 21 natural enemies targeting seven invasive weeds from 1981 to 2010. These projects were carried out by Hawaii Department of Agriculture (HDOA), USDA Forest Service (USFS), University of Hawaii (UH), and US Geological Survey Biological Resources Discipline. An appendix summarizing the chronology and outcomes of releases is included (Appendix 1).

The Smith River originates in west central Montana and flows north approximately 100 miles before joining the Missouri River. The central 60 miles of the river flows through a relatively inaccessible, forested, scenic limestone canyon famous for its trout fishing. Because of its popularity, the area was designated Montana's first and only controlled river, with access by a permit system. By 1995, leafy spurge (Euphorbia esula L.) infested roughly 639 acres of the canyon, threatening riparian ecosystems and the natural, cultural, agricultural, and recreational resources along the river...

The gall mite, Aceria genistae (Nal.) Castagnoli s.l., an accidentally introduced natural enemy of Scotch broom (Cytisus scoparius (L.) Link), was first discovered in the Portland OR and Tacoma WA region in 2005. It has since been reported from southern British Columbia to southern Oregon. Observationally, the mite appears to reduce Scotch broom seed production and at high densities can cause extensive stem die-back and plant mortality. In order to utilize the mite as a classical biological control agent, a study of its host range and potential nontarget attack was started in 2006 and...

Spatial analyses of ecosystem system services that are directly relevant to both forest management decision making and conservation in the subtropics are rare. Also, frameworks that identify and map carbon stocks and corresponding forest management drivers using available regional, national, and international-level forest inventory datasets could provide insights into key forest structural characteristics and management practices that are optimal for carbon storage. To address this need we used publicly available USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis data and spatial analyses...