Treesearch

In Colorado, cumulative spruce beetle outbreaks over the past few decades have resulted in dead and dying spruce-dominated forests across state, private, and federal lands. Among the landscapes hardest hit is southern Colorado’s Rio Grande National Forest; approximately 85 percent of the mature spruce comprising its subalpine forests has been killed by the beetles. These subalpine forests are critical to the persistence of the federally threatened Canada lynx reintroduced onto the forest beginning in 1999.

Across the western United States, pinyon and juniper woodlands are undergoing significant changes that are of concern to land managers and the communities who depend on them. In some areas, the woodlands are expanding, resulting in increased fuel loads, risk of more severe fires, and loss of high value habitat for species such as greater sage grouse. In other areas, these woodlands are contracting due to human development, more severe droughts, and larger wildfires. RMRS scientists and their partners synthesized over 1,000 research and management papers on pinyon and juniper woodlands in...

Ponderosa pine forests were historically shaped by frequent, low- to mixed-severity fires. Land managers and scientists are concerned that recent high-severity fires, which have left expansive treeless patches in their wake, may prevent ponderosa pine from successfully regenerating in much of its former area. If ponderosa pine does not reclaim these sites, these areas will become grasslands, shrublands, or other forest types, such as aspen or Gambel oak.

We re-diagnose Rhysacephala Benson, 1954, a genus of xiphydriid woodwasps confined to eastern mainland Australia, Tasmania and Lord Howe Island. Rhysacephala leai (Forsius, 1927), including the first description of the female, Rhysacephala obtusiventris (Rohwer, 1918), and Rhysacephala wilsoni Benson, 1954 are redescribed. Six new species from eastern Australia are described: Rhysacephala amplipretarsus Jennings, Parslow & Macdonald, sp. nov., Rhysacephala fulva Jennings, Parslow & Macdonald, sp. nov., Rhysacephala impensa Jennings, Parslow & Macdonald, sp. nov., Rhysacephala monteithi...

Economic analyses of forest management options can help landowners make informed decisions. However, landowners make decisions in complex and nuanced ways that transcend economics. The history and legal status of their land, their emotional connections to it, their access to knowledge and capital, and their broader objectives are vital elements in their decision-making processes. We present case studies of four Black landowners in Georgia through a combination of economic analyses that compare their current revenue with potential increased revenue through active forest management and...

The American chestnut (Castanea dentata, 2n = 2x = 24), once a foundation forest species over 800,000 km2 in eastern North America, was decimated by chestnut blight caused by an introduced fungal pathogen, Cryphonectria parasitica. The devastating disease was first reported in 1904 by Hermann Merkel, a forester at the New York Zoological Park (Murril 1906). The disease spread rapidly, covering the entire species range by the early 1950s and killing nearly 4 billion trees. (Hepting 1974). Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima), a species closely related to American chestnut, is relatively...

Research shows that exposure to the outdoors is beneficial to children and can improve the learning experience for students. The Kids in the Woods program in Gainesville, Florida provides 6th grade students with opportunities to learn science through a series of outdoor activities during their regular science classes. The article reports on an evaluation of the Kids in the Woods program. We surveyed parents/guardians of students participating in the program to examine the impacts of the program and to better understand parent/guardian perceptions of the program and of outdoor learning in...

This resource update is a brief look at some of the basic metrics that describe the status of and changes to forest resources in Alabama. This information is based on field data collected using the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) annualized sample design, and it is updated yearly.

This resource update is a brief look at some of the basic metrics that describe the status of and changes to forest resources in North Carolina. This information is based on field data collected using the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) annualized sample design, and it is updated yearly.

This resource update is a brief look at some of the basic metrics that describe the status of and changes to forest resources in Oklahoma. This information is based on field data collected using the USDA Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) annualized sample design, and it is updated yearly.