Treesearch

Across ecosystems and biomes, most species in biological communities are rare. Many studies discount rare species when examining biodiversity patterns, assuming that common species are most influential for ecosystem functioning. There is growing evidence, however, that rare species contribute unique functions in many ecosystems; thus, discounting them produces misleading conclusions about how biodiversity is changing in the face of natural and anthropogenic forces. Rare species are more likely to be missed by multi-species sampling designs and are thus particularly vulnerable to detection...

Background: Increasing wildfire area burned has left millions of hectares in the western United States (US) in need of reforestation. Recent federal legislation allows for increased investments in tree planting to address the backlog of planting needs in previously burned areas. To support post-fire planning and assessment, we developed Regenmapper, a web-based decision support system (DSS) that provides spatial information on natural regeneration potential within post-fire environments. The program is freely available from a web browser (https://alpheus.dbs.umt.edu/regenmapper/) and is...

Agroforestry practices, which can include alley cropping, forest farming, hedgerows, riparian forest buffers, silvopasture, and windbreaks, utilize a wide array of plant and livestock species. The success of these practices depends in part on the quality, productivity, and availability of the plants that are grown for these systems. While agroforestry implementation is increasing among farmers (Kellerman et al. 2025), accessing appropriate plant materials is a barrier to farmers and land managers implementing agroforestry (Ring and Schattman 2024). Nurseries in the United States already...

Anthropogenic reshaping of landscapes can increase landslide activity. One example of heavily modified, landslide-prone landscapes is the Appalachian region, which hosts weak geologic strata, steep slopes, a humid climate, geologically recent river incision, and large-scale landscape modifications resulting from surface mining. Surface mining conducted before the Surface Mine Control and Reclamation Act (SMCRA) of 1977 did not require reclamation to approximate original contour, so remnant highwalls and mine benches are common throughout Appalachia. This study investigated the occurrence...

The National Land Cover Database (NLCD), developed through the Multi-Resolution Land Characteristics Consortium, was initiated 30 years ago and has continually provided critical, Landsat-based land-cover and land-change information for the United States. Originally launched to address the lack of national-scale, moderate-resolution land-cover data, NLCD has evolved from the pioneering 1992 dataset into a comprehensive, annually updated product suite. Key innovations include the introduction of impervious surface mapping, forest canopy mapping, standardized Landsat mosaics, national-scale...

CO2 fertilization of the terrestrial biosphere is limited by nitrogen. Biological nitrogen fixation (BNF) is the dominant natural nitrogen source to the terrestrial biosphere and can alleviate nitrogen limitation but is poorly constrained in Earth system models (ESMs). Here, we compare terrestrial BNF from an ensemble of ESMs of the 6th Coupled Model Intercomparison Project to a new global synthesis of observations across natural and agricultural biomes. We find that compared to observations, ESMs underestimate agricultural BNF but overestimate natural BNF in the present day by over 50%....

Urban forest patches experience a wide variety of anthropogenic and environmental stressors, including recurrent canopy gap-creating events, herbivory pressure, and invasive species. Forest restoration strategies to overcome these stressors frequently rely on enhancing tree regeneration, including tree-planting. Pre-planting treatment strategies are a crucial preparatory step in establishing appropriate site conditions to ensure successful long-term tree regeneration. However, many pre-planting treatments rely on synthetic herbicide, which can be associated with adverse environmental...

This indicator measures the area and percentage of protected forested land that could be used to fulfill social, cultural, and spiritual needs and values. Cultural connectedness to forests can be tangible or intangible. For example, hunting, chopping firewood, hiking, or other tangible acts embody forest-related cultural practices. On the other hand, simply the existence of forests—whether or not an individual has physically been there—can shape personal and community values (Halla et al. 2023). People can attribute meaning to natural phenomena of forests but can also be connected to...

North American grasslands are climate-vulnerable biomes that provide critical ecosystem services and support biodiversity. However, grasslands are often not included in climate policy and treaties, and they are underrepresented in ecological climate-adaptation literature. We synthesized existing knowledge on climate adaptation in North American grasslands to provide resources and guidance for grassland managers facing increasing climate change impacts. We leveraged data from a systematic review and solicited input from management professionals at workshops to create a Grassland Adaptation...

Vacuum drying technology can produce kiln-dried lumber at rates faster than conventional steam kiln-drying, resulting in reduced operating costs. Because of this, wood products manufacturers are increasingly becoming interested in vacuum drying technology, but the effects of this technology on the flatness of the resulting lumber are not known. This study compared the flatness of hard maple lumber when dried in a vacuum kiln with that of the same type of lumber dried in a conventional steam kiln. The drying schedules were also compared to quantify the difference in amount of time needed to...