Treesearch

Wildfires, unplanned fires that start and spread under the influence of weather and fuel composition, are increasing in frequency, duration, and severity across North America. While wildfires are one component of wildland fire, a broader natural process in many ecosystems, their changing behavior poses growing ecological and management challenges. Although wildfire is widely recognized as an important disturbance, empirical research quantifying its impacts on freshwater ecosystems remains limited and fragmented. As a result, our understanding of how wildfire affects imperiled freshwater...

Context Spatially accurate estimates of forest above-ground biomass (AGB) are indispensable for carbon-stock accounting and sustainable silviculture. Existing mapping approaches face challenges in densely vegetated Coastal Plain forests because of seasonal optical variability, radar–optical saturation, and limited wall-to-wall structural information. Objectives We aimed to (i) develop and evaluate a multisensor, AI-enabled fusion framework for landscape- scale AGB mapping, (ii) quantify the added value of seasonal optical data and photogrammetric canopy-height profiles, and (iii) interpret...

Given the value of ecosystem services provided by mangrove forests, land managers and conservationists are increasingly interested in quantifying their structure and biomass at multiple scales. Because of the many challenges with traditional forest mensuration methods in these forests, scientists are increasingly exploring remote sensing-based approaches. Here we report on efforts to quantify mangrove aboveground volume and biomass in monospecific Avicennia germinans stands in Cedar Key, FL using high density terrestrial laser scanning (TLS). Following merging, cleaning, and segmentation...

It is critical to understand the age-height relationship in actively managed pine plantations to evaluate forest productivity and inform sustainable forest management practices. This study utilized the spaceborne lidar data from ICESat-2 ATL08 and Landsat-derived disturbance maps to assess the site index for actively managed pine plantations across the southeastern United States. Specifically, we (1) assessed the agreement between ICESat-2 ATL08 canopy heights and airborne laser scanning (ALS) data, (2) showed the distribution of canopy height by age for the actively managed pine stands,...

This study introduces a novel approach to characterising the mechanical properties of polymeric multilayer films used in photovoltaic (PV) backsheets through nanoindentation (NI). While traditional methods, like tensile testing, measure overall mechanical performance, NI enables layer‐specific analysis, which is essential for understanding multilayer structures. Here, we employ the structural compliance correction method to address challenges of specimen‐scale flexing and edge effects in NI, enabling accurate measurements of hardness and elastic modulus across distinct film layers. Fourier...

We introduce a fully nonparametric estimator to estimate willingness to pay (WTP) using contingent valuation (CV) data. Traditional methods such as the probit model are used because of their roots in utility theory as well as their ease to implement. However, they are limited by their reliance on strict parametric assumptions, such as linearity and the requirement that the researcher pre‐select important covariates. While these methods are widely used, they may fail to capture complex relationships, particularly in situations involving nonlinearity or interactions among variables. This...

When wildland firefighters head into the field, they know the work is dangerous; but until now, agencies lacked detailed data on exactly which activities and hazards posed the greatest threats. A recent analysis of five years of serious firefighter injuries offers new insights.

The USDA Forest Service is required to develop “land management plans,” which serve as roadmaps for maintaining the health and productivity of national forests and grasslands. These plans are designed to support ecological integrity, or an ecosystem’s ability to withstand environmental disturbance. One way that national forests and grasslands, or “planning units”, measure ecological integrity is by looking at the way that focal species respond to the effects of management activities and environmental changes.

For over fifty years, the Landsat satellite series has provided continuous and comprehensive data for monitoring changes on the Earth’s terrestrial surface. Eight successive missions, carrying progressively more sophisticated sensors, with improved radiometric, geometric, and spatial characteristics, have provided an unbroken series of optical and thermal imagery, unparalleled globally. With limited lifetimes for each Landsat satellite, planning of each mission typically overlaps to ensure continuity. Commencing in 2021, planning of a Landsat-9 successor gathered user needs from across the...

Until recently, wildlife habitat maps were static documents that can quickly become outdated anytime landscape conditions changed due to disturbances like wildfire, drought, and timber harvest. But now, researchers at the Rocky Mountain Research Station and their collaborators have developed an approach for producing near-real-time wildlife habitat maps using Google Earth Engine. These products are called Living Maps because of their ability to stay up to date - incorporating new input data and remaining accurate over time - thus functioning like an automated wildlife habitat monitoring...