Treesearch

Invasive species surveillance programs can utilize environmental DNA sampling and analysis to provide information on the presence of invasive species. Wider utilization of eDNA techniques for invasive species surveillance may be warranted. This paper covers topics directed towards invasive species managers and eDNA practitioners working at the intersection of eDNA techniques and invasive species surveillance. It provides background information on the utility of eDNA for invasive species management and points to various examples of its use across federal and international programs. It...

Anthropogenic land use changes have broad impacts on biological diversity, often resulting in shifts in community composition. While many studies have documented negative impacts on occurrence and abundance of species, less attention has been given to native species that potentially benefit from anthropogenic land use changes. For many species reaching high densities in human-dominated landscapes, it is unclear whether these environments represent higher quality habitat than more natural environments. We examined the influence of landscape ecological integrity on relative abundance and...

In 1994, an executive order on environmental justice directed federal agencies to identify and address any disproportionately high adverse effects their actions and policies may have on the health and environment of minority and low-income populations.Until recently, a suitable procedure did not exist for assessing natural resource management activities through the lens of environmental justice at the implementation scale. Researchers Mark Adams and Susan Charnley with the USDA Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station developed an analytical method to do this. The method facilitat...

The objectives of the effectiveness monitoring plan for the marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) include mapping nesting habitat at the start of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP) and estimating changes in that habitat every 5 years. Using Maxent species distribution models, we modeled the amount and distribution of probable nesting habitat in the murrelet’s range in the NWFP area in 1993, 1 year prior to the start of the NWFP, and 25 years later (2017). Within the higher probability nesting habitat, we then estimated the amount of contiguous habitat (core) versus the amount of...

Adapting to the growing frequency of catastrophic wildfires in Greece and mitigating their effects is a complex socio-ecological problem. We used an online survey to query more than 100 engaged stakeholders who can potentially influence possible legislation and fire management organizational reform, emphasizing civil protection agencies and research entities. We focused the questionnaire on the importance of different wildfire effects to understand which were considered negative or unacceptable, indifferent, or positive. For fire prevention, we examined the range of acceptance and views on...

Caribou and reindeer across the Arctic spend more than two thirds of their lives moving in snow. Yet snow-specific mechanisms driving their winter ecology and potentially influencing herd health and movement patterns are not well known. Integrative research coupling snow and wildlife sciences using observations, models, and wildlife tracking technologies can help fill this knowledge void.

Resilience can seem like a buzzword in natural resource management, but it is also a concept with deep roots in ecological and sustainability science. In the context of urban forests, resilience has many meanings, including ecological, social, and institutional components, which are often intertwined. Broadly speaking, resilience refers to the capacity of systems to absorb stresses and changes, and recover from disturbances.

This summary report provides an overview of findings from the fourth annualized inventory of Missouri forests based on data collected from 2012 to 2018. Forest land area remained stable at 15.4 million acres, and 80 percent of forest land is in the oak/hickory forest-type group. Forests in the State continue to mature with 64 percent in large diameter stands and 61 percent in stands older than 60 years of age. Live tree net volume on timberland totals 20.9 billion cubic feet, and 79 percent of that volume is in growing-stock trees. Mortality increased by 17 percent from 2013 to 2018 to 333...

Wood products research and development at the USDA Forest Service is most concentrated at the venerable Forest Products Laboratory, based in Madison, Wisconsin. Urban wood use and market development is a unique area of study done in collaboration with city, state, and private partners in metropolitan areas across the United States. Urban trees are not removed for their wood value, but rather due to storm damage, safety, insects and disease, or other reasons. Yet, how the tree is removed impacts future options and potential value of the wood.

We work in places of incredible diversity - of people and landscapes. Embracing this diversity in all its forms helps us to enhance the reach and relevance of our public programs and improve our management practices. How can municipal arborists and urban foresters meaningfully connect with and be informed by different ways of seeing, knowing, thinking, valuing, and approaching the work of caring for our urban and community forests? This article spotlights principles and pathways for successful community engagement, organizing, and two-way learning discovered through our research, and...