Treesearch

Remotely sensed data play a vital role providing auxiliary variables that can improve precision of sample-based estimates without incurring the substantial cost of increasing sample size. In the setting of design-based inference, model-assisted estimators using generalized regression models provide a practical option to exploit such auxiliary variables to obtain estimates with smaller uncertainties than the Horvitz-Thompson (HT) estimator. Spatial heterogeneity is one of the main characteristics of spatial geographical populations and spatial nonstationarity in regression model parameters...

As a forest landowner, you may think about Federal income taxes only when you sell timber. However, many of your forestry activities can have tax implications. Understanding the forest related tax rules and integrating tax planning into your forest management decisions can help increase your after-tax return. New legislation enacted in 2025 reinstates and makes permanent several tax provisions affecting forest landowners and adds new incentives for capital investment. Although many key provisions take effect starting in 2026, some are already effective for the 2025 tax year. This publicatio...

Indicator species can facilitate the assessment, management, and conservation of biodiversity. The White-headed Woodpecker (Leuconotopicus albolarvatus) is a species of conservation concern that is considered an indicator species for mature ponderosa pine ecosystems, a priority restoration habitat that has declined by 90% in the northern Blue Mountains, USA. Here, we employed passive acoustic monitoring at 227 randomly selected locations across two National Forests in the northern Blue Mountains. Autonomous recording units were deployed for an average of 4.41 weeks per station (SD = 1.21)...

Forest ecosystems in the eastern United States are undergoing significant compositional and demographic shifts. To understand these changes, we used Forest Inventory and Analysis data (2003–2021) to examine landscape-scale trends in the North Carolina Piedmont, focusing on forest type groups, taxonomic family, and species. We assessed metrics such as annual net primary productivity, relative density, and biodiversity, aiming to determine: (i) which forest group types are changing most, (ii) whether these changes extend to higher taxonomic units, and (iii) how stability has shifted over...

A ductile lateral force resisting system (LFRS) for mass timber frames is proposed utilizing Mass Timber Buckling- Restrained Braces (MT-BRBs), with mass timber as the primary casing material. Compressive tests were conducted on Mass Plywood Panels (MPP) with and without horizontal self-tapping screws inserted perpendicular to laminations to assess differences in stiffness, peak load, and maximum displacement. Screws perpendicular to lamination enhanced performance, increasing the peak load by nearly four times and peak displacement by more than three times. Withdrawal tests were also...

An historic 1934 building on the campus of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory was deconstructed in 2010. The glued-laminated (glulam) beams from the building were preserved, creating a unique opportunity to test the casein adhesive bonding in the beams that had been in service for more than 75 years. The goal of the testing reported in this study was to extend the understanding of protein adhesives in wood products. In this study, we tested wet and dry strength of the bonds using compressive block shear tests. We also tested for delamination and...

This indicator provides information on the number and distribution of forest-associated species and infraspecies (e.g., subspecies, varieties) at risk of losing genetic variation across their geographic range. Comparing current geographic distributions with historical distributions is the basis for identifying the species and infraspecies whose range has contracted significantly (based on per-State presence and absence). Human activities, like land use conversions, climate change, the alteration of native habitats, the introduction of exotic species, and direct exploitation, are acceleratin...

This indicator reports the area and percentage of U.S. forests that are used for subsistence activities. In the United States, subsistence rights are codified through Federal laws, State constitutions, and Federal treaties with Tribal Nations and Canada. These bodies of legislation protect subsistence rights in Alaska, the Pacific Northwest (States of Washington and Oregon), Hawaii, and the Great Lakes region (States of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan), which are the focus of this analysis. More specifically, Alaska and Hawaii are the only States to codify in their constitutions the...

Laminated root rot (LRR; caused by the fungus Coniferiporia sulphurascens) is the most damaging root disease of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in the Pacific Northwest, USA and southwestern Canada. LRR’s influences on tree mortality and forest productivity have been well-documented in young commercial Douglas-fir forests (<50 years); however, much less is known about the role of LRR in the dynamics of older forests and how root disease might alter trajectories of forest succession. The objective of this study was to examine the association between LRR, and changes in forest community...

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...