Treesearch

The decline of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) in the northern United States is causing concern, and several studies have identified soil properties that are linked to the observation of dead/dying trees. Unfortunately, the sample of trees supporting these studies is purposive in nature; soil properties are assessed only on those plots where dead trees are observed. In this study, we used the U.S. Forest Service's Forest Inventory and Analysis database (FIADB) to conduct an exploratory analysis of a broader population of sugar maple (live and dead) across a wide range of soil types....

This article gives a brief history of the efforts of the Southern Forest Nursery Management Cooperative (SFNMC) in testing methyl bromide (MBr) alternatives for soil fumigation. In the southeastern United States, fumigation with MBr has been the most commonly used method for producing high quality, pest-free forest seedlings in an environment that is conducive for soil-borne pathogens, nematodes, and weeds. As a result of the Montreal Protocol, the production and use of MBr was to be incrementally phased out beginning in 2005. Included in this process are exemptions allowing for continued...

The importance of developing a market for quality native plant materials in a region prior to the establishment of a nursery is crucial to ensure its success. Certain tactics can be applied to help develop a demand for native plant materials in a region. Using these tactics will help create a new market for native plant materials.

As the demographic of gardeners and farmers changes, retail nurseries should update their marketing approach. This paper reviews best marketing practices and discusses marketing technologies, including quick response (QR) codes, websites, online marketing, and social media.

American beech (Fagus grandifolia) is one of the three most dominant tree species occupying the northern hardwoods forest of New England. We studied Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York to capture those areas with higher concentrations of beech. The status of beech in the northern hardwood forests is important because of the long-term impacts of beech bark disease (BBD) (Neonectria ssp.) on the composition and regeneration of aftermath forests within the region. We assessed the current conditions of beech trees at the stand level by comparing 2011 Forest Inventory and Analysis...

Hydrogels have a variety of potential uses including application to plants in the nursery and at the time of outplanting. Absorptive capacity of these gels is influenced by their chemical and physical composition as well as the ion concentration of the liquid being absorbed. The most common uses for hydrogels in nurseries or during outplanting are incorporation or root dips. Research results are mixed regarding hydrogel influences on plant water uptake and vary by product and environmental conditions. It is recommended that growers or planters conduct small trials to determine whether...

Afghanistan is a semi-arid, mountainous country with a climate similar to New Mexico. Unfortunately, much of the country has been deforested by unsustainable fuelwood harvesting, overgrazing, and even concerns over security. The senior author was invited to assess the Afghanistan forestry situation in 6 provinces as part of the Afghanistan Water, Agriculture, and Technology Transfer (AWATT) program. The objectives of the assessment were to evaluate the capabilities of the Afghanistan nursery industry sites identified for reforestation; identify potential improvements to seedling production;...

Munro’s globemallow (Sphaeralcea munroana [Douglas] Spach) is an herbaceous perennial and an important candidate for use in restoration due to its ecological significance and environmental resilience. The species’ popularity among growers and land managers has recently increased but there is still a lack of information regarding seed dormancy and early seedling physiology, making the effective use of the species difficult. This paper provides a review of existing literature on S. munroana’s habitat, restoration potential, seed dormancy, and seedling physiology.

This study showed that Eco-Buffers are characterized by rapid establishment and superior survival when compared to single species buffers. Height of green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica Marsh. var. subintegerrima (Vahl.) Fern.) after eight growing seasons averaged 415 cm when growing in an Eco-Buffer compared to 333cm in the single species buffer. Site capture in the Eco-Buffer was 100 percent after eight years whereas the single species buffer had heavy herbaceous weed understory. In eight years plant density increased from 5000 to 35,000 plants/ha plants in the Eco-Buffer compared to a...

Tree cavities provide important habitat features for a variety of wildlife species. We describe an approach for using historical FIA data to estimate the number of trees containing cavities during the 1990s in seven states of the Upper Midwest. We estimated a total of 280 million cavity-containing trees. Iowa and Missouri had the highest percentages of cavity-containing trees; Michigan and Minnesota had the lowest. The percentage of trees containing cavities was higher for the hard hardwood species group and dead trees, and it generally increased with increasing diameter at breast height....