Treesearch

Focus groups with northern Minnesota logging business owners were held in spring 2023 to understand perceived and observed winter weather changes, challenges they may be facing due to any winter weather changes, and strategies they are taking to adapt to changing conditions. These discussions focused on logger perceptions of weather-related changes during the winter logging season over the course of their career, impacts of weather-related changes on harvest productivity, changes in business practices due to weather-related changes, and positive impacts due to winter weather changes. Most...

Cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs) are bioderived one-dimensional species with versatile surface chemistry and unique self-assembling behavior in aqueous solutions. This work presents a scientific approach to leverage these characteristics for creating CNC network templates and processing them to engineer a novel silicon (Si)-based material called silicon nano-quill (SiNQ) for energy storage applications. The SiNQ structure possesses a porous, tubular morphology with a substantial ability to store lithium ions while maintaining its structural integrity. The presence of Si suboxides in the SiNQ...

In 2011, industrial roundwood output from the South’s forests totaled 7.17 billion cubic feet, 9 percent more than in 2009. From 2011 to 2017, industrial roundwood increased to 8.51 billion cubic feet, 19 percent. In 2017, pulpwood was the leading roundwood product at 3.80 billion cubic feet; saw logs ranked second at 3.04 billion cubic feet; bioenergy/fuelwood production was third at 554.0 million cubic feet. Between 2011 and 2017, total byproducts generated from primary manufacturers increased 23 percent to 2.59 billion cubic feet. In 2017, 99 percent of produced residues were used for...

Species with extensive geographical ranges pose special challenges to assessing drivers of wildlife disease, necessitating collaborative and large-scale analyses. The imperilled foothill yellow-legged frog (Rana boylii) inhabits a wide geographical range and variable conditions in rivers of California and Oregon (USA), and is considered threatened by the pathogen Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis(Bd). To assess drivers of Bd infections over time and space, we compiled over 2000 datapoints from R. boyliimuseum specimens (collected 1897–2005) and field samples (2005–2021) spanning 9° of...

The 22nd Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference (BSSRC) was held March 21–23, 2023, at the Fredonia Hotel in Nacogdoches, TX. This conference is the latest in a series of meetings designed to provide a forum for the exchange of research information among silviculturists, researchers, and managers. Presentations emphasized research in artificial and natural hardwood regeneration, fire, intermediate management and stand development, forest measurements and modeling, longleaf pine, shortleaf pine, loblolly pine, and vegetation management. In addition to an opening morning plenary...

Fire is complex and can transform forest ecosystems in ways that affect carbon storage, nutrient cycling, and ecosystem recovery. Methods for measuring the visible, aboveground characteristics of fire have substantially progressed in recent decades, but measuring the unseen, belowground effects of fire remains challenging. The increasing intensity and incidence of wildfire, particularly in the western United States, call for better understanding of the effects of fire on all aspects of the environment, including the soil.

Climate change is outpacing the natural migration rates of many tree species in eastern North America. The local climates in which many tree species are naturally found may become unsuitable in the future. This mismatch could reduce forests' ability to provide ecosystem services such as carbon sequestration, wildlife habitat, and forest products. One proactive solution to these challenges is forest assisted migration, the process by which land managers deliberately move trees from native seed sources to other locations within, or even slightly beyond, their current ranges.

Arundo donaxis a non-native, invasive large-statured grass of riparian systems in the southwestern USA, including the Sacramento and San Joaquin River watersheds of northern California and the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. In 2017, the shoot tip-galling wasp Tetramesa romanawas released at nine sites, three in each region. Shoots in some release plots were manipulated prior to release by cutting to ground or pruning to 1 m height, while others were left uncut. One year later, exit holes made by emerging adult wasps were found at two of nine sites. Exit hole density per main shoot length...

Long-term ecosystem monitoring documents land management actions and progress towards objectives through repeated observation and measurement. Traditional monitoring methods have evolved for specific applications across ecological disciplines and are often limited by data quality and repeatability. This report presents terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) as a sampling method that can complement and enhance existing monitoring methods. TLS captures in high resolution the 3D structure of a terrestrial ecosystem and, when integrated into monitoring, can standardize data collection, improve...