Treesearch

We evaluated commonly used methods for monitoring stream restorations to inform and improve restoration monitoring and evaluation, using a headwater stream in the Oregon Coast Range as a case-study example. In-stream restoration projects are seldom monitored both pre- and post-restoration. In addition, frequently used low-cost methods may not provide sufficient data to effectively assess trends in stream temperature. Here, we examined what can be learned from temperature loggers installed in the same locations over multiple years in a restored stream. In-stream structures were installed...

Hybridization plays an important and underappreciated role in shaping the evolutionary trajectories of species. Following the introduction of a non-native organism to a novel habitat, hybridization with a native congener may affect the probability of establishment of the introduced species. In most documented cases of hybridization between a native and a non-native species, a mosaic hybrid zone is formed, with hybridization occurring heterogeneously across the landscape. In contrast, most naturally occurring hybrid zones are clinal in structure. Here, we report on a long-term microsatellite...

This recovery plan is one of several plant disease-specific documents produced as part of the National Plant Disease Recovery System (NPDRS) requested by the Homeland Security Presidential Directive Number 9 (HSPD-9). The purpose of the NPDRS is to ensure that the tools, infrastructure, communication networks, and capacity required for mitigating impacts of high-consequence plant disease outbreaks are implemented so that a reasonable level of crop production is maintained.Each plant disease-specific plan is intended to provide a brief summary of the disease, assess the status of critical...

The spread of aquatic invasive species typically occurs through a combination of natural and human mediated dispersal. For many aquatic invasive species, natural dispersal is limited to aquatic corridors connecting habitat. In contrast, human transport may facilitate more distant dispersal and transport among disconnected waterbodies. Genetic information can serve as a powerful tool to track invasion histories and identify both the sources and mechanisms of invasive species dispersal. We used genetic information to understand invasion history and dynamics of expanding northern pike...

We analyzed USDA Forest Service (Forest Service) employment data from 1995 to 2017, by race and ethnicity, gender, as well as race/ethnicity and gender, to assess progress towards the Forest Service’s goal of achieving a multicultural workforce that reflects the US population. We look at the trends by an employee’s level in the Forest Service and by branch of the Forest Service. Our data show an overall decrease in the workforce by 24%, an increase in diversity in Forest Service leadership levels, little change in the percentage of employees in non-White racial/ethnic groups combined, the...

A severe outbreak of wildfire across the US Pacific Coast during August 2020 led to persistent fire activity through the end of summer. In late September, FireWeather Outlooks predicted higher than usual fire activity into the winter in parts of California, with concomitant elevated fire danger in the Southeastern US. To help inform the regional and national allocation of firefighting personnel and equipment, we developed visualizations of resource use during recent late season, high-demand analogs. Our visualizations provided an overview of the crew, engine, dozer, aerial resource, and...

The number of reports associated with wood dieback caused by fungi in the Botryosphaeriaceae in numerous perennial crops worldwide has significantly increased in the past years. In this study, we investigated the interactions between the canker pathogen Neofusicoccum parvum and the almond tree host (Prunus dulcis), with an emphasis on varietal resistance and host response at the cell wall biochemical and histological levels. Plant bioassays in a shaded house showed that among the four commonly planted commercial almond cultivars ( 'Butte', 'Carmel', 'Monterey', and 'Nonpareil'), there was...

Fungal (mould) growth in wood based building components could have significant detrimental effects on the operational and structural requirements of the built environment. Quite naturally, building designers and material scientists are keen to predict mould growth in wood and wood based building materials. Available surface mould growth models primarily predict the levels of mould growth in different environmental and material conditions. However, modern design practices allow acceptable limit of risk in the design process. Hence, a probabilistic mould growth model is required which takes...

Understanding moisture behavior in cross-laminated timber (CLT) is critical to the widespread use of CLT in construction in the United States. Currently, very little data exist on the long-term impact of moisture on CLT in real structures. The objective of this research was to collect data regarding the long-term moisture variation in the CLT panels at the University of Arkansas student residential building, named Adohi Hall. The climate of Northwest Arkansas is different from those of previously monitored buildings, mostly located in the Pacific Northwest. Comparatively, Northwest...

Spruce beetles (Dendroctonus rufipennis) are causing widespread spruce (Picea spp.) mortality in subalpine forests in western North America. Spruce beetles are changing forest structure and composition by killing a dominant overstory species, but we know little about how the understory community responds to the increase in resource availability brought about by spruce mortality, what mechanisms drive its response, or how its response affects other forest properties and processes.