Treesearch

Biological organisms are increasingly being introduced and eradicated in an effort to maintain biodiversity and ecosystem function in the face of anthropogenic threats. However, these conservation actions can have unintended consequences to non-target species. Careful vetting of these actions using ecological modelling tools could help predict and avoid unintended consequences.

Animal conservation requires understanding animal-habitat relationships. The integration of novel remote sensing platforms such as Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) technology has dramatically improved the resolution of insight when evaluating animal-habitat relationships by characterizing forest structure. However, conventional LiDAR collection (e.g., airborne or terrestrial laser scanning) may be limited by small spatial extents and logistical constraints (e.g., budget) associated with sampling. NASA’s Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation (GEDI) mission provides an alternative and...

Populations of some cave-hibernating bats have undergone declines in recent years due to an introduced fungus (Pseudogymnoascus destructans) that causes the disease white-nose syndrome (WNS), which is often fatal to bats during hibernation. Unprecedented declines in cave-hibernating species have the potential to change community composition via numerous mechanisms, including competitive release. We trapped bats for 6 years in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas prior to the arrival of WNS in the region and compared capture rates of 7 species to capture rates collected in 2020–2021 after WNS...

The southeastern United States is widely regarded as a leading region for intensively managed, short rotation pine forests. One drawback of this intensive approach is the production of more juvenile wood with lower quality properties that are less desirable for solid end uses. Improved construction sectors (e.g., housing) demand larger diameter sawtimbers. Delaying the final harvest allows for the production of larger diameter higher quality solid wood; however, this approach may incur additional costs to the landowner, which may disincentivize extending the rotation without additional...

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) forests have been identified as a societal, economical, and ecological resource in the southeastern United States. One major factor inhibiting contemporary efforts to restore native forests is the sporadic cone production of longleaf pine. It is difficult to evaluate the climate contribution to seed production since the reproduction process is lengthy and complicated. Here, we utilize a quantitative method previously applied to understanding complex systems to assess the influence of climate on longleaf pine cone production at five long-term monitoring...

Classical biological control, the introduction of natural enemies to new environments to control unwanted pests or weeds, is, despite numerous successful examples, associated with rising concerns about unwanted environmental impacts such as population decline of nontarget species. Recognition of these biosafety risks is globally increasing, and prerelease assessments of biological control agents (BCAs) have become more rigorous in many countries. We review the current approaches to risk assessment for BCAs as used in Australasia, Europe, and North America. Traditionally, these assessments...

Although it is well-established that macroinvertebrates are an integral part of a healthy stream ecosystem, studies designed to inform forest harvest best management practices for sustainability of macroinvertebrate communities in small streams have been limited. Current riparian management practices for headwater streams generally focus on providing adequate wood supply, reducing debris flows and transport of sediment, and maintaining water quality in larger streams that contain fish. Here we studied the effects of contemporary forest harvest practices on benthic macroinvertebrate density...

Mammals, including humans, have evolved in concert with the world of microbes. From birth to childhood and throughout adult life, the human immune system is shaped by exposure to microbes. Global loss of biodiversity is a pressing ecological concern, and scientists have begun to study whether reduced contact with the natural world adversely affects the human microbiota and its role in regulating our immune systems. Most studies that explore the relationship between exposure to nature and improved public health outcomes have focused on the intensity rather than the diversity of exposure....

The primary factor limiting the distribution and growth of American chestnut (Castanea dentata (Marsh.) Borkh.) in eastern North America is tolerance to chestnut blight that is caused by the introduced fungal pathogen Cryphonectria parasitica (Murr.) Barr. However, a better understanding of how genetics and the environment influence American chestnut physiology and growth will also be needed to guide restoration as blight-tolerant growing stock becomes available. Here we describe patterns of phenology, cold injury and radial growth for American chestnut from 13 seed sources that represent...

Gobbling activity of Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris; hereafter, turkeys)has been widely studied, focusing on drivers of daily variation. Weather variableare widely believed to influence gobbling activity, but results across studies are contradictory and often equivocal, leading to uncertainty in the relative contributionof weather variables to daily fluctuations in gobbling activity. Previous works relied onroad-basedauditory surveys to collect gobbling data, which limits data consistency,duration, and quantity due to logistical difficulties associated with human...