Treesearch

The existence of a consistent inverse relationship between vegetation greenness and surface temperature has been the premise of many environmental studies. However, some authors have found that the nature of this relationship varies depending on the spatial and temporal scales of analysis as well as vegetation type. Therefore, this research aims to contribute to the understanding of this matter by evaluating the annual and intra-seasonal relationship between Leaf Area Index (LAI) and Land Surface Temperature (LST) in Central Mexico using monthly anomalies of Moderate Resolution Imaging...

We used a distance-sampling survey method and multivariate statistics to obtain a unique estimate of bird species density and seasonal variation in shade-coffee plantations. Our aim was to determine which cultivation practices among plantations contribute most to bird abundance. We conducted avian species counts at 200 points distributed across 10 shade-coffee plantations bordering the lower slopes of the Mombacho Volcano Natural Reserve, in western Nicaragua. We measured vegetation structure (coffee plants and overstory). We used principal components analysis (PCA) among 14 habitat...

Three storms in the 2017 hurricane season caused $265 billion in damages in the U.S. Southeast and Caribbean, including billions in losses in the agriculture and forestry sector. Climate change projections indicate that such disastrous hurricane seasons are becoming more normal. Working land management sectors need to prepare for this future. However, few studies evaluate hurricane resilience strategies, or challenges faced by land managers surrounding hurricane events. Boundary organizations are critical to hurricane preparedness and recovery, advising land managers before hurricanes, and...

Phellinus noxius is a root-decay pathogen with a pan-tropical/subtropical distribution that attacks a wide range of tree hosts. For this study, genomic sequencing was conducted on P. noxius isolate P919-02W.7 from Federated States of Micronesia (Pohnpei), and its gene expression profile was analyzed using different host wood (Acer, Pinus, Prunus, and Salix) substrates. The assembled genome was 33.92 Mbp with 2954 contigs and 9389 predicted genes. Only small differences were observed in size and gene content in comparison with two other P. noxius genome assemblies (isolates OVT-YTM/97 from...

The literature on nonmarket valuation includes many examples of stated and revealed preference comparisons. However, comparisons within stated preference methods are sparse. Specifically, the literature provides few examples of pairing both a discrete choice experiment (CE) and a contingent valuation (CV) question within a single survey. This paper presents results of a nonmarket valuation study that employs both methods to elicit public preferences over uncertainty of outcomes and over management strategies. The two methods were employed to examine public support for the proactive...

We estimated timber investment returns for 22 countries and 54 species/management regimes in 2017, for a range of global timber plantation species and countries at the stand level using capital budgeting criteria without land costs, at a real discount rate of 8%. Returns were estimated for the principal plantation countries in the Americas, Brazil, Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela, Paraguay, Mexico, and the United States as well as New Zealand, Australia, South Africa, China, Vietnam, Laos, Spain, Finland, Poland, Scotland, and France. South American plantation growth rates...

The world's largest afforestation programs implemented by China made a great contribution to the global “greening up.” These programs have received worldwide attention due to its contribution toward achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. However, emerging studies have suggested that these campaigns, when not properly implemented, resulted in unintended ecological and water security concerns at the regional scale. While mounting evidence shows that afforestation causes substantial reduction in water yield at the watershed scale, processbased studies on how forest...

Springs serve an ecologically important role as perennial water sources, essential habitat for native species, and support for stream flow. Spring developments on rangelands provide water to livestock and wildlife. Thoughtful design of sustainable developments will supply water to livestock and wildlife while maintaining the intrinsic ecological functions and values of springs. This guide addresses spring development project planning as well as long-term sustainable management of springs. The objectives of spring development design are (1) to retain hydrologic conditions in the developed...

This paper by the coordinating lead authors of the 2018 IPBES Land Degradation and Restoration Assessment, summarizes the key implications of the results of the Assessment, and provides further insights on why land degradation remains an unsolved and largely unrecognised problem despite its manifest importance and availability of solutions. It examines five systematic policy barriers to halting and reversing the deteriorating capacity of the world’s land resources to support human wellbeing and the planet’s terrestrial biodiversity. Ten strategies for overcoming these barriers are presented...

Piñon-juniper vegetation types, including juniper woodland and savannah, piñon-juniper, and piñon woodland, cover approximately 40 million ha in the western United States, where they provide ecosystem services, wildlife habitat, and cultural and aesthetic value (Romme et al. 2009). These ecosystems are also the sites of oil and gas activities, grazing, and urban development and are impacted by changing climate and wildfire. The realization that piñon-juniper ecosystems are being lost and degraded by human activities and changing climate (Cole et al. 2008, Williams et al. 2010, Clifford et...