Southwide Initiatives

The health and competitiveness of Southern forests is being impacted by changing local and global markets, invasive species, shifting consumer demands, and declining economic viability of the private forest landowner. There are ways to both promote the conservation ethic, manage forests for a multitude of resources (traditional and non-traditional), and provide economic gains to the landowner.

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Forest Parcelation and Fragmentation (Fractured Forests)

Urbanization, large-scale ownership changes, and related factors are fracturing the southern forest land base into more and smaller parcels. Parcelation in the context of forestry generally refers to division of ownerships that result in smaller holdings. Fragmentation refers to isolation of forest tracts from one another. If public forest policies and programs are to be responsive to the threats posed by parcelation and fragmentation, it will be necessary to meet several key challenges. Among them are, understanding where they are most likely to occur; which forest types and habitats are most vulnerable, how a fragmented landscape should best be managed; how owners of these forests can be effectively assisted; how public policymakers can be informed of consequences of land use decisions; and how public policy can be shaped.

Fire Issues In the South

Rapid fuel accumulation during wet cycles followed by intense dry periods over much of the South require improved management of fire risk, especially at the rapidly expanding wildland-urban interface. Predicting and delineating high fire risk areas, especially at the wild land urban interface, are critical since the population in region is supposed predicted to grow more rapidly than any other part of the country. The exclusion of fire management has played a significant role in reducing the health and sustainability of many areas in the South, and negatively affects threatened and endangered species presence and abundance. Uncontrolled fires also have the potential for significant negative impacts on water quality, especially important in the South since many municipalities are water limited.

Changing Markets

Globalization of the forest products industry has led to declines in demand for southern pulpwood, a main product of Southern forests. Consumer demand and wood utilization opportunities have also shifted. Enhanced competitiveness of the US in both traditional and non-traditional forest products is possible by tracking these shifts and by expanding the portfolio of products and services received from forests. Biomass utilization would provide an outlet for needed intermediate treatments on forests and could reduce our dependency on the ever-changing world energy market.

Southern Research Station Headquarters, Asheville, NC 828-257-4832; (FAX) 828-257-4840

Research Work Units: (listed alphabetically by location by Science Area)

Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Management

Asheville, NC - Upland Hardwood Ecology & Management 828-667-5261 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/bentcreek

Auburn, AL - Restoring Longleaf Pine Ecosystems 334-826-8700 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/longleaf

Monticello, AR - Southern Pine Ecology 870-367-3464 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4106

Saucier, MS - Genetics and Foundations of Productivity 228-832-2747 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/organization/unit/mississippi.htm#SRS-4153

Forest Values, Uses, and Policies

Athens, GA - Urban and Social Influences 706-559-4263 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/trends

Auburn, AL - Forest Operations 334-826-8700 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/forestops/

Pineville, LA - Characterization and Properties of Wood 318-473-7268 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4701

Research Triangle Park, NC - Forest Economics and Policy 919-549-4093 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/econ

Threats to Forest Health

Asheville, NC - Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center 828-257-4854 - www.forestthreats.org

Athens, GA - Disturbance Ecology 706-559-4316 - http://srs.fs.usda.gov/disturbance

Pineville, LA - Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants of Southern Forests 318-473-7232 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/4501

Forest Watershed Science

Franklin, NC - Forest Watershed Science 828-524-2128 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/coweeta

Lincoln, NE - National Agroforestry Center 402-437-5178 - www.nac.gov

Stoneville, MS - Bottomland Hardwoods 662-686-3154 - www.srs.fs.usda.gov/cbhr

Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring

Knoxville, TN - Forest Inventory and Analysis 865-862-2000 - www.srsfia2.fs.fed.us

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Maintaining healthy Southern forests requires an understanding of changing market conditions, rapidly evolving forest threats, and the socio-economic aspects associated with landowner decision making. Incentives and new markets for ecosystem services and biomass are encouraged to support keeping forest lands in working forests, thus preventing fragmentation and loss of habitat. The capacity of State's to deliver training, science, and assistance to landowners is essential for success.






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