Treesearch

The "shifting baseline syndrome" (SBS) is the paradigm whereby recent species abundances and environmental conditions are accepted as reflecting historical conditions. This leads to false impressions of the past, inaccurate baselines, and unrealistic recovery goals. Idaho biologists have counted Chinook salmon redds for > 60 consecutive years, generating an invaluable database; however, inaccurate historical baselines compromise the utility of even such high-quality, long-term databases. To develop an accurate baseline, we integrated archival (1951-1964), maximum redd counts with contempora...

The concept of forest landscape restoration (FLR) is being widely adopted around the globe by governmental, non‐governmental agencies, and the private sector, all of whom see FLR as an approach that contributes to multiple global sustainability goals. Originally, FLR was designed with a clearly integrative dimension across sectors, stakeholders, space and time, and in particular across the natural and social sciences. Yet, in practice, this integration remains a challenge in many FLR efforts. Reflecting this lack of integration are the continued narrow sectoral and disciplinary approaches...

Insects and pathogens are widely recognized as contributing to increased tree vulnerability to the projected future increasing frequency of hot and dry conditions, but the role of parasitic plants is poorly understood even though they are common throughout temperate coniferous forests in the western United States. We investigated the influence of western hemlock dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium tsugense) on large (≥45.7 cm diameter) western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) growth and mortality in a 500 year old coniferous forest at the Wind River Experimental Forest, Washington State, United...

Foresters use diameter at breast height (DBH) to estimate timber volumes, quantify ecosystem services, and predict other biometrics that would be difficult to directly measure. But DBH has numerous problems, including a range of "breast heights" and challenges with applying this standard to divergent tree forms. Our study focuses on street trees that fork between 30 and 137 cm of height (hereafter "multi-stemmed trees"), which researchers have identified as particularly challenging in the ongoing development of urban allometric models, as well as consistency in measurements across space...

Research, largely focused on academia, has shown demographic differences in perceptions and experiences of workplace culture in science fields, including natural resources. Less is known about experiences of those working for government institutions. This study examined relationships between demographic characteristics (gender, scientific discipline, years as a scientist), experiences of discrimination or harassment, and perceptions of career success and satisfaction as reported in a survey by 100 research scientists in the US Forest Service: a hierarchical federal agency with explicit...

Estimates of the spatial–temporal distributions of forest carbon (C) stocks subject to land use and cover changes is critical to greenhouse gas (GHG) estimation and reporting. Based on national forest inventory (NFI) and Landsat time series data, we applied matrix models to estimate and map spatial–temporal distributions of forest aboveground biomass (AGB) C, standing dead C, downed dead C, litter C, and soil organic C from 1990 to 2018 attributed to land cover changes and harvests in the northern United States (US). From predicted pixel-level maps, we found that all five forest C pools of...

We demonstrate an application evaluating carbon sequestration benefits from federal policy alternatives. Using detailed forest inventory data, we projected carbon sequestration outcomes in the coterminous 48 states for a baseline scenario and three policy scenarios through 2050. Alternatives included (1) reducing deforestation from development, (2) afforestation in the eastern United States and reforestation in the western United States, and (3) reducing standreplacing wildfires. We used social cost of carbon estimates to evaluate the present value of carbon sequestration benefits gained...

1. In response to contemporary changes in climate, many tree species are shifting upslope to find favorable habitat. In the case of obligate ectomycorrhizal species, seedling growth above upper treeline depends on fungal spore availability. In the mountain ranges of the Great Basin, a recent shift in tree species stratification has been recorded, with limber pine (LP, Pinus flexilis) leapfrogging above the ancient bristlecone pine (BCP, Pinus longaeva) forest and establishing above current treeline. 2. We compared the ability of LP and BCP to interact with soil spore banks collected at...

Exposure to natural outdoor environments (NOE) has been shown in population-level studies to reduce anxiety and psychological distress. This study investigated how exposure to one's everyday natural outdoor environments over one week influenced mood among residents of four European cities including Barcelona (Spain), Stoke-on-Trent (United Kingdom), Doetinchem (The Netherlands) and Kaunas (Lithuania). Participants (n=368) wore a smartphone equipped with software applications to track location and mood (using mobile ecological momentary assessment (EMA) software), for seven consecutive...

The feasibility of manufacturing cross-laminated timber (CLT) from southern yellow pine (United States grown) treated with micronized copper azole type C (MCA-C) preservative was evaluated. Lumber (2x6 visually graded no. 2 boards) was treated to two retention levels (1.0 and 2.4 kg/m3 ), planed to a thickness of 35 mm, and assembled along with an untreated control group using three adhesive systems following product specifications: melamine formaldehyde (MF), resorcinol formaldehyde (RF), and one-component polyurethane (PUR). Block shear and delamination tests were conducted to examine...