Treesearch

We are studying the ecological and evolutionary processes affecting the geographical distribution of southwestern white pine (SWWP; Pinus strobiformis), an important tree species of the Southwestern USA and Mexico. Southwestern white pine viability is threatened by changing climate and an invasive tree disease, white pine blister rust (caused by the fungal pathogen, Cronartium ribicola). Rapid climate change is negatively affecting SWWP by increasing heat and drought stress, and thus challenging its ability to adapt. White pine blister rust causes extensive tree decline and mortality,...

Mulching involves the use of heavy equipment to grind, shred, chip, or chop large woody material into smaller pieces. Mulching activities such as chipping and mastication have been relied-upon tools in forest management on the Front Range of Colorado and throughout the United States since the late 1990s (e.g. Hood and Wu 2006, Owen et al. 2009, Wolk and Rocca 2009, Battaglia et al. 2010, Gottfried and Overby 2011, Kreye et al. 2014, Jain et al. 2018). Chipping and mastication are specific types of mulching, and these techniques each have fundamental differences in operational constraints,...

Activated carbon (AC) with a very high surface area of over 2000 m2/g was produced from low sulfur acid hydrotropic lignin (AHL) from poplar wood using H3PO4 at a moderate temperature of 450 ◦C (AHL-AC6). ACs with similar surface areas were also obtained under the same activation condition from commercial hardwood alkali lignin and lignosulfonate. Initial evaluation of AC performance was carried out using nitrogen adsorption-desorption and dye adsorption. AHL-AC6 exhibited the best specifc surface area and dye adsorption performance. Furthermore, the adsorption results of congo red (CR)...

The Rocky Mountain Research Station (RMRS) develops and delivers innovative science and technology to improve lives and landscapes. RMRS conducts research focused on the issues of today, applying knowledge gained from decades of prior research to contemporary problems. Scientists at RMRS also continue long-term research that provides a lens from the past into the future to inform the sustainable management of diverse ecosystems. This document showcases a selection of innovative, impactful research aligned with the 2020 Research & Development Priority Areas. These selections demonstrate how...

Wildfire is a natural component of sagebrush (Artemisia spp.) steppe rangelands that induces temporal shifts in plant community physiognomy, ground surface conditions, and erosion rates. Fire alteration of the vegetation structure and ground cover in these ecosystems commonly amplifies soil losses by wind- and water-driven erosion. Much of the fire-related erosion research for sagebrush steppe has focused on either erosion by wind over gentle terrain or water-driven erosion under high-intensity rainfall on complex topography. However, many sagebrush rangelands are geographically positioned...

Whitebark pine (Pinus albicaulis; WBP) is dramatically declining in the Crown of the Continent Ecosystem (CCE) due to a combination of mountain pine beetle (MPB, Dendroctonus ponderosae), effects of fire suppression, and the nonnative pathogen Cronartium ribicola, which causes white pine blister rust (WPBR), all of which have the potential to be exacerbated by climate change. Whitebark pine losses within the CCE are the greatest of anywhere in the species’ range with >90% mortality in some locations1. The same stressors that challenge WBP are also impacting limber pine (P. flexilis) within...

Fine particulate matter, PM2.5, has been documented to have adverse health effects, and wildland fires are a major contributor to PM2.5 air pollution in the USA. Forecasters use numerical models to predict PM2.5 concentrations to warn the public of impending health risk. Statistical methods are needed to calibrate the numerical model forecast using monitor data to reduce bias and quantify uncertainty. Typical model calibration techniques do not allow for errors due to misalignment of geographic locations. We propose a spatiotemporal downscaling methodology that uses image registration...

Metriguard’s grain angle meter (Model 511) measures grain angle in wood by assessing permittivity. This study evaluates the correlations between grain angle meter readings and bending properties of 1,400 kiln-dried 2 by 4 specimens of southern pine (Pinus spp.) lumber and considers its utility for providing supplementary data for predicting the strength of lumber. The results showed that in mill-run lumber, the correlation between grain angle and modulus of rupture (MOR) was 0.420. In addition, in graded lumber, the correlation between grain angle and MOR got progressively stronger as the...

A one-dimensional transient hygrothermal model was used to simulate eight different wood-frame wall assemblies. Simulations were compared with measured results from a two-year feld study exploring the effects of exterior insulation on wall moisture performance in a cold-climate. The feld study documented the moisture content, temperature, and relative humidity measurements in wall assemblies using oriented strand board (OSB) sheathing. Simulations were performed using generic design input values as well as input values based on measurements or sensitivity analysis. Laboratory material...

Alerce (Fitzroya cupressoides (Mol.) Johnst.) and Guaitecas cypress (Pilgerodendron uviferum (Don) Florin) are two of the three closely-related species of conifers in the Cupressaceae that are endemic to southern Chile and Argentina. Both are listed in Appendix I of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Fauna and Flora (CITES). The presence or absence of nodular (conspicuously pitted) end walls in the parenchyma cells provide good diagnostic characters to separate the two species wood anatomically, but the latter is sometimes difficult to distinguish. Therefore, a...