Issue 10

New Products

Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring

1 Bentley, James W.; Harper, Richard A. 2007. Georgia harvest and utilization study, 2004. Resour. Bull. SRS-117. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 25 p.

In 2004, a harvest and utilization study was conducted on 96 operations throughout Georgia. There were 2,368 total trees measured; 1,581 or 67 percent were softwood, while 787 or 33 percent were hardwood. Results from this study showed that 86 percent of the total softwood volume measured was utilized for a product, while the other 14 percent was left as logging residue. Seventy-four percent of the total hardwood volume measured was utilized for a product, while 26 percent was left as logging residue.

2 Brown, Mark J. 2007. Florida’s forests—2005 update. Resour. Bull. SRS-118. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 39 p.

This bulletin highlights principal findings of an annual inventory of Florida’s forests. Data summaries are based on measurements of 60 percent of the plots in the State. Additional data summaries and bulletins will be published as the remaining plots are measured.

3 Johnson, Tony G.; Steppleton, Carolyn D. 2007. Southern pulpwood production, 2005. Resour. Bull. SRS-116. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 42 p.

Southern pulpwood production was 64.0 million cords in 2005, up from 63.8 million cords in 2004. Roundwood production declined 2 percent to 46.2 million cords in 2005 and accounted for 72 percent of total pulpwood production. Use of wood residue increased 6 percent to 17.8 million cords. Alabama led the South in total production at 10.2 million cords. In 2005, 87 mills were operating and drawing wood from the 13 Southern States. Pulping capacity of southern mills declined from 125,182 tons per day in 2004 to 124,567 tons per day in 2005, but still accounted for more than 70 percent of the Nation’s pulping capacity.

4 Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2007. Winter litter disturbance facilitates the spread of the nonnative invasive grass Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus. Forest Ecology and Management. 249: 199-203.

We studied the impacts of winter litter disturbance on the spread of the non-native invasive plant Microstegium vimineum (Japangrass). After one growing season, plots receiving leaf litter removal treatments experienced a spread of Japangrass 4.5 times greater than undisturbed (control) plots. Our results suggest that winter litter removal as a result of harvest activities, floodwater scour, or animal activities can drastically increase Japangrass spread and may enhance potential ecological impacts of invasions by increasing Japangrass cover. This study suggests one mechanism facilitating rapid expansion of Japangrass following site disturbance, and indicates that Japangrass can experience rapid growth in response to site disturbance even in the absence of canopy removal.

5 Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G. 2007. The status of North Carolina’s national forests, 2002. e-Resour. Bull. SRS–115. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. http://www.srs.fs.usda. gov/pubs/rb/rb_srs115.pdf [Date accessed: October 26, 2007].

This bulletin describes forest resources of the Pisgah/Cherokee, Nantahala, Croatan, and Uwharrie National Forests in the State of North Carolina. It is based on sampling conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis research work unit. This bulletin addresses forest area estimates; timber growth, removals and mortality; and timber product output.

6 Randolph, KaDonna C.; Seaver, Bill. 2007. An alternative to traditional goodness-of-fit tests for discretely measured continuous data. Forest Science. 53(5): 590-599.

A basic task in scientific research is to determine the extent to which two independent samples differ from one another. This is often accomplished by comparing the data distributions through goodness-of-fit tests. Such tests are most useful when the data are measured on a continuous scale, or when they are discretely grouped into several categories. Application of the goodness-of-fit tests to discrete data can be limited when some of the categories include very few observations. This paper addresses this limitation by presenting an alternative goodness-of-fit test that accommodates discretely measured continuous datasets with sparsely populated categories. The proposed methodology provides great flexibility in analysis and interpretation, and should find application in a variety of scientific inquiries.

7 Roesch, Francis A. 2007. The components of change for an annual forest inventory design. Forest Science. 53(3): 406-413.

The sample design of the U.S. Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis Program (FIA) is described in terms of a population consisting of forest area in two dimensions and time in the third dimension. The population is subdivided by a set of discrete change component matrices that are, in turn, compared to traditional components of growth. The paper explores some special problems that arise due to unique features of the FIA sample design. Finally, the traditional definitions are shown to be at a theoretical disadvantage to those presented in the paper because the former are sample design dependent, while the latter are based entirely on population attributes.

Forest Ecosystem Restoration and Management

8 Boerner, R.E.J.; Waldrop, T.A.; Shelburne, V.B. 2007. Wildfire mitigation strategies affect soil enzyme activity and soil organic carbon in loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) forests. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 36: 3148-3154.

Effects of three wildfire hazard reduction treatments were quantified on mineral soil, organic carbon, and enzyme activity in loblolly pine forests on the Piedmont of South Carolina. Piedmont soils were subjected to frequent fire and farming until the 1930s. The intensively cultivated soils were further degraded by erosion until reforestation with pines, primarily loblolly. Fuels have accumulated since reforestation, making these areas susceptible to wildfires. This study is part of the National Fire and Fire Surrogate Study, which uses burning, thinning, and the combination to reduce wildfire hazard. This study focused on two questions. (1) How do thinning and burning, alone or combined, affect soil organic carbon and the soil carbon/nitrogen ratio in these degraded soils? (2) How do wildfire hazard mitigation strategies affect the activity of soil enzymes produced by the microbial assemblage in these soils?

9 Bragg, Don C. 2006. Potential contributions of figured wood to the practice of sustainable forestry. Journal of Sustainable Forestry. 23(3): 67-81.

The birdseye grain of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) can showcase the potential of figured wood in sustainable forestry. This poorly understood but valuable grain abnormality commands such a premium that its presence alone can influence timber management. Good forestry and logging practices can help assure that quality birdseye maple logs are not relegated to low-value uses. Birdseye specialty markets have also developed, creating opportunities for pieces of small or irregular dimensions. Even though few have the same promise as birdseye maple, figured grains are found in virtually every tree species, thus increasing the potential for other high-value niche markets. However, the relative rarity and slow formation of figured grains threaten their sustainability, until more research on their genetics, propagation, and silviculture becomes available.

10 Bragg, Don C. 2007. S. Mansourian, D. Vallauri, and N. Dudley (eds.): Forest restoration in landscapes: beyond planting trees. Landscape Ecology. 22: 477-479

Global-scale climate change, a burgeoning human population, and rapid expansion of the world’s economy have placed incredible pressures on environmental systems to sustain their production of goods and services. Furthermore, our frontiers are exhausted— we must learn to make due with the landscapes we have already exploited. To this end, the Worldwide Fund for Nature (formerly the World Wildlife Fund or “WWF”) has initiated a global program of large-scale forested landscape restoration. Forest Restoration in Landscapes is a compilation of WWF experiences in the establishment, maintenance, and evaluation of these efforts. I appreciate that the WWF’s view on restoring forested landscapes transcends simple species conservation to embrace socio-economic realities. Even with some weaknesses in content and format, I believe this book reflects a reasoned approach to livable, working landscapes that recognizes needs of both human and natural communities.

11 Butnor, John R.; Johnsen, Kurt H.; Wikström, Per. 2006. Imaging tree roots with borehole radar. In: 11th international conference on ground penetrating radar. Additional information: http://gpr.osu.edu. [Date accessed: June 28, 2006].

On amenable soils, ground-penetrating radar has been used to accurately detect and map lateral tree roots using surfacebased antennas in reflection mode. In some tree species (e.g., Pinus taeda, Pinus palustris), vertically orientated tap roots directly beneath the tree comprise most of the root mass. It is difficult if not impossible to vertically delineate these roots with surface-based radars. In August 2003 a collaborative project between the U.S. Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Radarteam AB, and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences was undertaken to assess the potential of highfrequency borehole radar to detect vertical, near-surface reflectors resulting from tree roots. Crosshole tomography provided excellent information on the depth of tree roots, but was less useful for imaging near surface features. Borehole-to-surface measures provided the best information on the near surface, where the bulk of roots are found. The technique has promise in forest research, but the development of new high-frequency borehole antennas and forward modeling software that allows concurrent processing of travel-time and amplitude data is necessary to further this research.

12 Conner, Richard N.; Saenz, Daniel. 2005. The longevity of large pine snags in eastern Texas. Wildlife Society Bulletin. 33(2): 700-705.

Habitat for cavity-nesting wildlife and forest biodiversity are closely tied to the availability of standing dead trees (snags). Large snags (>40 cm diameter at breast height) are particularly important because they provide habitat for both large and small cavity users. We studied the falling of large pine snags in eastern Texas over a 20-year period (1983–2003) to determine how long these large pine snags remained standing. We monitored 136 large snags and determined that 92 snags (67.6 percent) were still standing after five years. Ten years after tree death, 21 snags (15.4 percent) were still standing, indicating the long-term value of these large snags for wildlife.

13 Greenberg, Cathryn H.; Tomcho, Aimee Livings; Lanham, J. Drew [and others]. 2007. Short-term effects of fire and other fuel reduction treatments on breeding birds in a Southern Appalachian upland hardwood forest. Journal of Wildlife Management. 71(6): 1906-1916. [Editor’s note: Station scientist Thomas A. Waldrop co-authored this publication.]

Land managers need to know how fuel reduction methods affect breeding birds to manage bird communities in conjunction with wildfire risk management or other management objectives. We used a replicated experimental design to compare bird response to (1) prescribed burning; (2) mechanical understory reduction; (3) mechanical + burning (MB); and (4) controls in the Southern Appalachians. Many bird species showed no detectable response to treatments. Bird species richness, total density, and densities of indigo buntings, eastern bluebirds, and eastern wood-pewees were highest in MB; hooded, worm-eating, and black-andwhite warblers showed short-term declines in some or all treatments. High-intensity burning with heavy tree-kill, as occurred in MB, can be used as a management tool to increase densities of birds associated with open habitat while retaining many forest and generalist species, at least in the short term.

14 Greenberg, Cathryn H.; Warburton, Gordon S. 2007. A rapid hard-mast index from acorn presence-absence tallies. Journal of Wildlife Management. 71(5): 1654-1661.

Acorn crop sizes vary considerably among oak species, years, and places. This affects oak regeneration and wildlife species that depend on acorns for food. We used 21 years of acorn visual survey data in western North Carolina to develop predictive equations for hard mast indices based on the proportion of trees bearing acorns. By substituting this fast, simple method over the labor-intensive counting of twigs and acorns used in some other visual surveys, land managers can use the time savings to sample more trees to improve hard mast index accuracy. Because the proportion of trees bearing acorns is also a stand-alone index of acorn production, State and Federal agencies can easily standardize their hard mast surveys using this technique, thus ensuring that acorn production data are comparable at local and regional scales.

15 Hiers, J.K.; O’Brien, J.J.; Will, R.E.; Mitchell, R.J. 2007. Forest floor depth mediates understory vigor in xeric Pinus palustris ecosystems. Ecological Applications. 17(3): 806-814.

In restoring longleaf pine ecosystems where fire has been excluded for long periods, a closed midstory will often form. Many managers focus on eliminating midstory vegetation, assuming light or belowground competition limits understory vigor. An alternative hypothesis is that deep litter and forest floor that develops in the absence of fire inhibits understory vigor. We analyzed a dataset of monitoring plots in xeric longleaf pine stands at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. Results showed that only forest floor depth had a significant negative direct effect on understory vigor. While midstory development had no direct effect, higher midstory cover did have a significant negative indirect effect through increasing forest floor depth. Low intensity prescribed fire is an effective means to reduce forest floor and litter depth and should have a greater impact on understory vigor than removing midstory alone without reducing forest floor. Repetitive low intensity fires will likely cause a reduction in midstory cover over time.

16 Hinkelman, Travis M.; Loeb, Susan C. 2007. Effect of woody debris abundance on daytime refuge use by cotton mice. Southeastern Naturalist. 6(3): 393-406.

Small mammals are important components of forested ecosystems, and cotton mice are one of the most common species of small mammal found in southeastern forests. Previous research suggested that logs and snags, commonly known as coarse woody debris (CWD), are important to cotton mice in southeastern pine forests. However, the role of CWD in the ecology of these mice is not known. We examined daytime refuge use in areas with high and low amounts of CWD. Our results suggest that CWD is important for the nesting ecology of cotton mice in southeastern pine forests, and increasing the amount of CWD may improve habitat quality for this species.

17 Liu, Yongqiang; Achtemeier, Gary; Goodrick, Scott. 2005. Simulation and experiment of air quality effects of prescribed fires in the Southeast. In: EastFIRE conference proceedings, 2005. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University: 1-4.

Wildfires can cause degradation of air quality by releasing large amounts of particulate matter (PM) and precursors of ozone. The EPA has issued the Interim Air Quality Policy on Wildland and Prescribed Fire to protect public health and welfare by mitigating the impacts of air pollutant emissions from wildland fires on air quality. Development and application of modeling tools for evaluating the impacts of wildland fires on air quality are needed to assist fire and smoke managers and policymakers in meeting air quality regulations and defining implementation plans.

18 Liu, Yongqiang; Qu, John J.; Hao, Xianjun; Wang, Wanting. 2005. Improving fire emission estimates in the Eastern United States using satellite-based fuel loading factors. In: EastFIRE conference proceedings, 2005. Fairfax, VA: George Mason University: 1-4.

Wildfires can lead to severe environmental consequences by releasing large amounts of particulate matter (PM) and precursors of ozone. The Southeast has the most burned area among various U.S. regions and has regionally some of the highest levels of PM and ozone in the Nation. Fires have been found to be an important contributor. On the other hand, smoke particles from wildfires are one of the atmospheric anthropogenic aerosol sources. They can affect global and regional radiation and climate.

19 McCarthy, Heather R.; Oren, Ram; Kim, Hyun-Seok. [and others]. 2006. Interaction of ice storms and management practices on current carbon sequestration in forests with potential mitigation under future CO₂ atmosphere. Journal of Geophysical Research. 111 (D15103): 1-10. [Editor’s note: Station scientists Kurt H. Johnsen and Chris Maier co-authored this publication.]

Ice storms are disturbance events with potential impacts on carbon sequestration. Common forest management practices, such as fertilization and thinning, can change wood and stand properties and may change vulnerability to ice storm damage. At the same time, increasing atmospheric CO₂ levels may also influence ice storm vulnerability. Results in the Duke Forest case study suggest that forests may suffer less damage during each ice storm event of similar severity in a future with higher atmospheric CO₂.

20 Miller, Ashley T.; Allen, H. Lee; Maier, Chris A. 2006. Quantifying the coarseroot biomass of intensively managed loblolly pine plantations. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 36: 12-22.

We assessed carbon accumulation in coarse roots of a loblolly pine plantation that was subjected to different levels of management intensity. Total belowground biomass was not affected by treatment. Vegetation control and disking increased pine taproot biomass and decreased hardwood taproot biomass. Pines between tree coarse roots were unaffected by treatment, but hardwoods between tree coarse roots were significantly reduced by vegetation control. Necromass was substantially lower than between-tree biomass, indicating decomposition of coarse-root biomass from the previous stand was rapid for between-tree coarse roots. Total aboveground biomass was increased by vegetation control, with highest production on most intensively managed plots. Coarse-root biomass ranged from 19 to 24 percent of total biomass. Silvicultural practices increasing aboveground pine productivity did not increase total coarse-root biomass carbon because of the difference in root/shoot allocation between pine and hardwood species.

21 Perry, Roger W.; Thill, Ronald E. 2007. Roost characteristics of hoary bats in Arkansas. American Midland Naturalist. 158: 132-138.

The hoary bat (Lasiurus cinereus) is the most widespread of all American bats, but little is known about its ecology, especially in the Eastern United States. Using radiotransmitters, we located 12 tree roosts during late spring and early summer in the Ouachita Mountains of central Arkansas. Hoary bats roosted about 16.5 m above the ground, generally on the easterly sides of tree canopies. Roosts were located in the foliage of white oaks (Quercus alba), post oaks (Q. stellata), and shortleaf pines (Pinus echinata), and all trees were >21 cm in diameter. All roosts were in forest stands dominated by mature (>50 years old) overstory trees, and included unmanaged mixed pine-hardwood and hardwood stands, stands that recently had been thinned and subjected to prescribed burning, and stands that were thinned approximately 10 years previously. Results indicate hoary bats reproduce in Arkansas and roost in the foliage of both mature pines and hardwoods.

22 Perry, Roger W.; Thill, Ronald E. 2007. Roost selection by male and female northern long-eared bats in a pine dominated landscape. Forest Ecology and Management. 247: 220-226.

Roosts are critical to the survival of bats, but little information is available on roost selection by northern long-eared bats (Myotis septentrionalis) in pine-dominated forests of the Southeastern U.S. We used radiotransmitters to locate the summer daytime roosts of northern long-eared bats in forests of the Ouachita Mountains (Arkansas) to determine the types of roosts used, the habitats where those roosts were located, and how roosts differed between the sexes. Northern long-eared bats roosted mostly in dead trees (snags) where they concealed themselves in cavities, crevices, and under loose bark. Both sexes preferred shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata) snags over hardwood snags. Females roosted more in partially harvested or thinned forest stands than males and roosted in snags that were greater in diameter and surrounded by fewer midstory trees than males. Our results demonstrate the importance of maintaining pine snags for roosting by northern longeared bats and the importance to females of snags located in relatively open forests.

23 Perry, Roger W.; Thill, Ronald E. 2007. Tree roosting by male and female eastern pipistrelles in a forested landscape. Journal of Mammalogy. 88(4): 974-981.

Although eastern pipistrelle bats (Pipistrellus subflavus) are abundant throughout the Eastern U.S., little is known about their roosting in forests. We radiotracked male and female eastern pipistrelles to their summer roosts to determine types of roosts used, habitats where those roosts were located, and how roosts differed between the sexes in mixed pine-hardwood forests of the Ouachita Mountains, Arkansas. All roosts were located in the foliage of tree canopies, and most were in dead leaves of deciduous trees. Most male roosts were in oaks (Quercus spp.), but females occasionally roosted in dead needles that had accumulated in the canopies of large live shortleaf pines (Pinus echinata). Males roosted in a wide variety of tree sizes, but females preferred larger trees. During the summer, eastern pipistrelles prefer to roost in the leaves of oaks, in forests older than 50 years that contain abundant midstory hardwoods.

24 Perry, Roger W.; Thill, Ronald E; Leslie, David M. 2007. Selection of roosting habitat by forest bats in a diverse forested landscape. Forest Ecology and Management. 238: 156-166.

During the day, forest bats roost in either the foliage of live trees or in the cavities and crevices of trees and snags. We studied effects of forest different conditions on roost selection by six species in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. Five of six species preferred to roost in or near areas that had undergone recent partial tree harvest and prescribed burning. Five species preferred to roost in or near forests greater than 100 years old. In partially harvested areas, some bats roosted extensively in unharvested buffers that surrounded stream drains, whereas others rarely roosted in those buffers. Some species roosted mostly in pinedominated stands, whereas others roosted mostly in hardwood-dominated stands. Our study demonstrates the importance of open forests and a diversity of forest conditions to bat communities in the Southeastern U.S.

25 Rudolph, D. Craig; Conner, Richard N.; Schaefer, Richard R.; Koerth, Nancy E. 2007. Red-cockaded woodpecker foraging behavior. Wilson Journal of Ornithology. 119(2): 170-180.

We studied red-cockaded woodpeckers (Picoides borealis) to examine the effect of status and gender on foraging behavior. Foraging behavior of breeding pairs extended beyond separation by foraging height to include zones (bole, trunk in crown, primary limb, secondary limb) of the tree used and foraging methods (scaling, probing, excavating). Helper males and juvenile females maintained partial spatial separation from breeding adults. Helper males maintained spatial separation from breeding adults by exploiting limbs within tree crowns in both longleaf (Pinus palustris) and loblollyshortleaf (P. taeda, P. echinata) pine forests, but also increased use of boles in loblolly shortleaf pine in concert with reduced use of boles by adult females. Breeding males tended to forage less by scaling, probably due to the reduced proportion of foraging on boles of trees where scaling tends to predominate.

26 Sampson, D.A.; Waring, R.H.; Maier, C.A. [and others]. 2006. Fertilization effects on forest carbon storage and exchange, and net primary production: a new hybrid process model for stand management. Forest Ecology and Management. 221: 91-109.

A critical ecological question in plantation management is whether fertilization, which generally increases yield, results in enhanced carbon sequestration over short rotations. We present a rotation-length hybrid process model (SECRETS-3PG) that was calibrated and verified, using daily estimates of H2O and CO₂ fluxes, canopy leaf area index (L), and annual estimates of tree growth and dimension. We focus on two decades of loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) growth and establishment for stands growing on a nutrient poor, droughty soil in North Carolina, USA, on a site previously occupied by a ~30-yearold natural longleaf pine (P. palustris Mill.) stand. Seasonal patterns in net ecosystem productivity (NEP) suggest that autumn and winter may be critical periods for carbon uptake in nutrient-limited loblolly pine stands. We conclude that increased L in response to improved nutrition may enable loblolly pine to achieve positive annual NEP earlier in rotation.

27 Waldrop, Thomas A.; Brudnak, Lucy; Rideout-Hanzak, Sandra. 2007. Fuels on disturbed and undisturbed sites in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 37: 1134-1141.

Fire managers in the Southern Appalachians use limited direct measurements of fuels or best guesses of fuel loading to predict fire behavior and develop fire plans. Prediction of fuel loading can be as complex as the mountains themselves, because fuels may be closely associated with site quality and forest cover type. For this study we measured over 1000 plots across the Southern Appalachians to determine fuel loading by type across a range of combinations of aspect, slope position, and disturbance types. The numbers provided for fuel loading on undisturbed plots can be used directly for fire planning or fire behavior modeling with a fair degree of accuracy because of our large sample size, the low degree of variability among sample plots, and the widespread (four states) sampling design. The study provides insight to the degree, type, and topographic position of disturbances in the region.

forest values, uses, and policies

28 Abt, Karen L.; Prestemon, Jeffrey P. 2006. Timber markets and fuel treatments in the Western U.S. Natural Resource Modeling. 19(1): 15-43.

We developed a model of interrelated timber markets in the U.S. West to assess impacts of large-scale fuel reduction programs and concomitant effects on fuel reduction programs. The model allows interstate and international trade with western Canada and the rest of the world, while accounting for price effects of introducing softwood logs to the market. The model maximizes area treated, given fire regime-condition class priorities, maximum increases in softwood processing capacity, maximum rates of annual treatments, prohibitions on exports of U.S. and Canadian softwood logs from public lands, and a fixed annual treatment budget. Results show that the loss to U.S. private timber producers is less than the gains for timber consumers (mills). States receiving more treatments when spending is not constrained by State proportions include Idaho, Montana, New Mexico and Oregon. When only the wildland-urban interface is treated, California, Oregon and Washington receive more treatments. Utah and Colorado receive more treatments when low risk stands are included.

29 Cook, Stephen; Cherry, Shane; Humes, Karen. [and others]. 2007. Development of a satellite-based hazard rating system for Dendroctonus frontalis (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas. Journal of Economic Entomology. 100(2): 381-388. [Editor’s note: Southern Station scientist Jim Guldin co-authored this publication.]

The southern pine beetle, Dendroctonus frontalis Zimmermann, is the most damaging forest insect pest of pines (Pinus spp.) throughout the Southeastern United States. Hazard rating schemes have been developed, but to be accurate and effective, these schemes require extensive on-site measurements of stand attributes such as host density, age, and basal area. We developed a stand hazard-rating scheme for several watersheds in the Ouachita Highlands of Arkansas based upon remotely sensed data and a geographic information system. A hazard model was developed and used to establish baseline maps. Landsat 7 ETM+ data were used for developing new hazard maps. Although the models are specific for the study area, with modifications, they should be transferable to geographically similar areas.

30 Eberhardt, Thomas L.; Li, Xiaobo; Shupe, Todd F.; Hse, Chung Y. 2007. Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum) utilization: characterization of extractives and cell wall chemistry. Wood and Fiber Science. 39(2): 319-324.

Wood, bark, and the wax-coated seeds from Chinese tallow tree (Sapium sebiferum (L.) Roxb. syn. Triadica sebifera (L.) Small), an invasive tree species in the Southeastern United States, were subjected to extractions and degradative chemical analyses in an effort to better understand the mechanism(s) by which this tree species aggressively competes against native vegetation, and also to facilitate utilization efforts. Results suggest that Chinese tallow tree wood utilization, along with commercial wood species, should not present any significant processing problems related to the extractives or cell wall chemistry.

31 Eberhardt, Thomas L.; Reed, Karen G. 2006. Strategies for improving the performance of plywood adhesive mix fillers from southern yellow pine bark. Forest Products Journal. 56(10): 64-68.

Southern yellow pine bark was obtained from an industrial source and subjected to grinding and sieving operations to ultimately afford finely ground bark fractions for evaluation as plywood adhesive mix fillers; elimination of domestic filler supplies has created interest in finding alternatives. One of the fillers, prepared from a fraction rich in periderm tissue with its interlocking spiculate stone cells (sclereids), had superior performance over that prepared directly from the bark as received. This appears to be related to the removal of extractive-rich bark components that likely promote resin undercure. Since high ash contents cause excessive tool wear during subsequent cutting operations, the significantly lower ash content of this filler is also beneficial.

32 Gallagher, T.; Shaffer, B.; Rummer, B. 2006. An economic analysis of hardwood fiber production on dryland irrigated sites in the U.S. Southeast. Biomass and Bioenergy. 30(8-9): 794-802.

Although there is renewed interest in intensively managed, short-rotation plantations as a source of hardwood for pulp mills, few have been established in the Southeast. Understanding all the costs associated with these plantations will help determine their feasibility. Using a model developed to summarize all the costs, a break-even analysis was completed to determine the delivered cost for plantations of eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) from a hypothetical fiber farm in 2003. Using current yield from an experimental fiber farm, short-rotation cottonwood plantations were not cost effective, as delivered cost to a pulp mill averaged 78$t-1. If yield can be increased by 40 percent through improvements in genetics and silvicultural practices, delivered cost is reduced to 60$t^-1. Thus, finding this additional yield is key to the cost feasibility of intensively managed, short-rotation hardwood plantations.

33 Gao, Heng; Shupe, Todd F.; Eberhardt, Thomas L.; Hse, Chung Y. 2007. Antioxidant activity of extracts from the wood and bark of Port Orford cedar. Journal of Wood Science. 53: 147-152.

The antioxidant activities of chemicals present in Port-Orford cedar (Chamaecyparis lawsoniana (A. Murray) Parl.) heartwood, sapwood, inner bark, and outer bark were determined by assaying extracts isolated from each tissue for the capacity to scavenge free radicals. These assays, coupled with determinations of total phenol content, showed a positive correlation between antioxidant activity and the presence of phenolic compounds. The inner bark possessed both the highest antioxidant activity and total phenol content. Therefore, this tissue appears to be the preferred source of antioxidants from this tree species. Given the generation of free radicals during wood decay, an alternative application for these biomassderived antioxidants may be wood preservation.

34 Johnson, Cassandra; English, D.B.K. 2007. Visitor diversity on national forests—how should managers respond? In: Kruger, Linda E.; Mazza, Rhonda; Lawrence, Kelly, eds. Proceedings: national workshop on recreation research and management. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNWGTR- 698. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station: 57-60.

We examine differences in proportion of visits to nature-based outdoor recreation areas in the United States by Anglo Americans, Asian Americans, Hispanics, and African Americans. We report on differences in types of activities in which groups engage; e.g., African Americans and Hispanics tend to emphasize collective, family-oriented activities, while Anglo recreation traditionally involves more individualistic, dispersed activities. Demographic changes along cultural and ethnic lines are causing managers to reconsider the way they manage natural resources and types of amenities they offer. Managers need to know how to effectively communicate with groups whose first language is not English. A consideration for managers in the South is how to more effectively engage African Americans in forest-based outdoor recreation and how to assess their interests and constraints, comparing those with offerings on national forests.

35 Johnson, Cassandra Y.; Bowker, J.; Green, Gary; Cordell, H. 2007. “Provide it . . . but will they come?” A look at African American and Hispanic visits to Federal recreation areas. Journal of Forestry. 105(5): 257-265.

Estimates from the National Visitor Use Monitoring Survey show that visits made by African Americans account for very low percentages of visits to national forests across the country, even in the South, where African Americans are highly concentrated. In contrast, visits by Hispanics to national forests in the Southwest are more reflective of their population proportions in that region. These regional differences indicate the need for closer attention to factors that might inhibit African American use of wildland public recreation areas in the South.

36 Kilgore, Michael A.; Greene, John L.; Jacobsen, Michael G. [and others]. 2007. The influence of financial incentive programs in promoting sustainable forestry on the Nation’s family forests. Journal of Forestry. 105(4): 184-191.

Financial incentive programs were evaluated to assess their contribution to promoting sustainable forestry practices on the Nation’s family forests. The evaluation consisted of an extensive review of the literature on financial incentive programs, a mail survey of the lead administrator of financial incentive programs in each State forestry agency, and focus groups with family forest owners in four regions of the country. The study found that financial incentive programs have limited influence on forest owners’ decisions regarding the management and use of their land. Family forest owners viewed one-on-one access to a forester or other natural resource professional to “walk the land” with them and discuss their management alternatives as the most important type of assistance that can be provided. Recommendations for increasing the effectiveness of financial incentive programs in promoting sustainable forestry are discussed.

37 Monroe, Martha C.; McDonell, Lauren; Hermansen-Báez, L. Annie. [and others]. 2007. Building successful partnerships for technology transfer. Journal of Extension. 45(3): 1-5. [Editor’s note: Station scientist Wayne Zipperer coauthored this publication.]

As budgets for Cooperative Extension projects get tighter, many units are enticed to consider partnerships with agencies and organizations to continue to proactively deliver services. Our experience working in a partnership between the University of Florida and the U.S. Forest Service that involves joint staffing and funding for technology transfer and research projects enables us to offer specific advice on how to use this tool most effectively. Communication and planning are essential and should cover everything from who gets office keys to who hires temporary staff.

38 Via, Brian K.; So, Chi L.; Groom, Leslie H. [and others]. 2007. Within tree variation of lignin, extractives, and microfibril angle coupled with the theoretical and near infrared modeling of microfibril angle. IAWA Journal. 28(2): 189-209.

Characterization of wood microfibril angle (MFA) is important when predicting wood stiffness. In recent years, research has focused on validating the ability of using near infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to rapidly predict MFA. To date, most research has been empirically based, with no data or theoretical explanation for how NIR spectra can be used to predict MFA. The main benefit of this research was that it found MFA, lignin content, and NIR spectra to co-vary. Both theoretical and statistical models were developed to validate the three-way relationship between lignin, MFA, and near infrared spectra. Lignin content was found to be a primary factor responsible for prediction of MFA from NIR spectra. Future research is needed to further partition factors responsible for NIR accuracy and precision when predicting MFA.

threats to forest health

39 Joyce, Linda; Aber, John; McNulty, Steve [and others]. 2001. Potential consequences of climate variability and change for the forests of the United States. In: National Assessment Synthesis Team, eds. Climate change impacts on the United States. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press: 489-524. Chapter 17.

Forests cover nearly one-third of the U.S., providing wildlife habitat, clean air and water, cultural and aesthetic values, carbon storage, recreational opportunities such as hiking, camping, fishing, and autumn leaf tours, and products that can be harvested such as timber, pulpwood, fuel wood, wild game, ferns, mushrooms, and berries. This wealth depends on forest biodiversity—the variety of plants, animals, and microbe species, and forest functioning—water flow, nutrient cycling, and productivity. These aspects of forests are strongly influenced by climate and human land use.

40 Riitters, Kurt H.; Vogt, Peter; Soille, Pierre. [and others]. 2007. Neutral model analysis of landscape patterns from mathematical morphology. Landscape Ecology. 22: 1033-1043.

Previous national assessments of forest fragmentation identified the need for better indicators of fragmentation and more efficient computational approaches. Recent research has developed protocols based on morphological image processing. This paper uses a neutral model approach to lay the foundation for applying those protocols in the U.S. Forest Service 2010 national RPA Assessment required by the Resource Planning Act. This paper also reports the discovery of a new type of “pattern phase change” on random binary maps, presently of theoretical interest but which may have real-world implications for organism movement and species persistence in a landscape.

41 Schomaker, Michael E.; Zarnoch, Stanley J.; Bechtold, William A. [and others]. 2007. Crown-condition classification: a guide to data collection and analysis. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-102. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 78 p. [Editor’s note: Station scientist William G. Burkman coauthored this publication.]

The Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program of the Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture, conducts a national inventory of forests across the United States. A systematic subset of permanent inventory plots in 38 States is sampled every year for numerous forest health indicators. One indicator, crowncondition classification, is designed to estimate tree crown dimensions and assess the impact of crown stressors. The indicator features eight tree-level field measurements in addition to variables traditionally measured in conjunction with FIA inventories: vigor class, uncompacted live crown ratio, crown light exposure, crown position, crown density, crown dieback, foliage transparency, and crown diameter. Indicators of crown health are intended for analyses at State, regional, and national levels, and contribute to core tabular output in standard FIA reports. This report describes the data collection and analytical techniques recommended for crown-condition classification.

42 Ulyshen, Michael E.; Miller, Douglass R. 2007. First record of Acizzia jamatonica (Hemiptera: Psyllidae) in North America: Friend or foe? Florida Entomologist. 90(3): 573.

Acizzia jamatonica (Kuwayama) (Hemiptera: Sternorrhyncha: Psyllidae) is reported for the first time in North America. This species is thought to feed exclusively on Albizia and may prove to be an effective biocontrol agent against mimosa (Albizia julibrissin Durazzini) in the Southeastern United States. Because mimosa is also an ornamental plant of some importance, the arrival of A. jamatonica may not be welcomed by everyone. This is the fourth invasive species of Acizzia to be found in the United States.

43 Wade, Dale; Mobley, Hugh. 2007. Managing smoke at the wildland-urban interface. GTR SRS-103. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 28 p.

When prescribed burning is conducted at the wildland-urban interface (WUI), the resulting smoke can inconvenience people and also cause more serious health and safety problems. The public is unlikely to continue to tolerate the use of prescribed fire if burn managers cannot keep smoke out of smoke-sensitive areas. In the South, forest management organizations commonly require that plans for prescribed burns pass a smoke screening review, and some States require a review before authorizing a burn. Current screening systems, however, do not incorporate criteria for use at the WUI. This guide describes modifications to the Southern Smoke Screening System for burns at the WUI. These modifications couple new research findings with experience of burners who have extensively used the 1976 Southern Smoke Screening System. The new system is designed for use on burns less than 50 acres in size. It has undergone several years of successful field testing in Florida.

watershed science

44 Adams, Susan B. 2007. Direct and indirect effects of channel catfish (Ictalurus punctatus) on native crayfishes (Cambaridae) in experimental tanks. American Midland Naturalist. 158: 85-96.

Certain fish species prey heavily on crayfish. In north-central Mississippi, USA, streambeds are sand or clay, and hiding shelter for crayfish is limited. Therefore, fish predation may contribute to lower crayfish catches in larger streams compared to smaller streams. I conducted two experiments to test how shelter influenced channel catfish predation on a large and a small crayfish species. In outdoor tanks with catfish, the large crayfish species survived better than the smaller species. Shelter increased survival of the small species, but did not influence survival of the large species. Catfish also influenced the size of crayfish during the experiment, probably by reducing crayfish growth.

45 Devall, Margaret S.; Smith, Geoffrey C. 2007. Forests in the balance: linking tradition and technology in landscape mosaics. Biological Conservation. 137: 487-488.

This special issue of Biological Conservation is based on papers presented at two technical sessions of the XXII IUFRO (International Union of Forest Research Organizations) World Congress held in Brisbane, Australia in August 2005. Forests around the world face many challenges from a variety of sources. This special issue attempts to bridge the gap between timber production and wildlife conservation and to move towards an integrated approach for developing a forest conservation strategy. The volume brings together information on the silviculture and management of rare tree species and promotes integrated management approaches that allow both production and biodiversity to be conserved in forest landscape mosaics. We hope the approaches discussed here will be implemented and help to advance forest production, as well as enhance biodiversity values.

46 Elliott, Katherine J.; Vose, James M. 2005. Effects of understory prescribed burning on shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.)/mixed-hardwood forests. Journal of Torrey Botanical Society. 132(2): 236-251.

We examined effects of a single dormant season fire on overstory and understory species diversity and composition and tree seedling regeneration patterns the first and second years following a prescribed burn in the Conasauga River watershed of southeastern Tennessee and northern Georgia. We asked: Can a single dormant season fire initiate a trajectory of overstory and understory species change consistent with restoring Pinus echinata/mixed-oak/bluestem (Andropogon gyrans and Schizachyrium scoparium)- grass community types? We studied six sub-watersheds (similar in vegetation, soil type, stream size, and disturbance history). Consistent with goals of land managers, all prescribed fires resulted in low-to-moderate intensity and low severity fires. We found no significant change in overstory, midstory, or ground flora species diversity after burning. Density of Pinus strobus, an undesirable species, was reduced by 20 percent, and basal area was reduced by 50 percent. The prescribed fires were not of sufficient intensity to reduce overstory basal area, prepare a seedbed for successful pine germination, affect diversity of any vegetation layers, or promote A. gyrans and S. scoparium recruitment. Additional fire treatments or combination of fire and thinning treatments will be necessary to restore these ecosystems to P. echinata/mixed-oak/ bluestem grass community types.

47 Fairchilds, Lindsay H.; Trettin, Carl C. 2006. History and legacy of fire effects in the South Carolina Piedmont and coastal regions. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-98. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 27 p.

Agriculture, fire suppression, and urbanization have drastically altered natural forest processes and conditions in the Southeastern United States. Many of South Carolina’s forests are dense and overstocked, with high fuel loads. These conditions increase susceptibility to southern pine beetle attack and wildfire. Threats are further complicated by rapid urbanization and forest fragmentation, processes that are increasing South Carolina’s wildland-urban interface rapidly. Prescribed fire is an effective, economical, and widely used tool for reducing fuel loads and encouraging desired vegetative communities in forest landscapes. We considered fire effects on soil erosion, nutrients, and vegetation from a historical perspective. We examined fire regimes, land use changes, and fire research. Knowledge of past land use and fire’s biological and historical roles in land use change can support effective decision making. This information will provide guidance for sustainable management of forest resources and reduction of hazardous forest fuel conditions.

48 Johnson, Jane M-F; Coleman, Mark D.; Gesch, Russ. [and others]. 2007. Biomass-bioenergy crops in the United States: a changing paradigm. The Americas Journal of Plant Science and Biotechnology. 1(1): 1-28.

The world energy paradigm is changing from one based on petroleum to one based on a mixture of energy platforms. This change is precipitated by a finite petroleum supply, expanding global demand, and political instability in areas with major petroleum reserves. The mixed energy platform will include an array of renewable energy sources. The agricultural and forestry sectors have the potential to provide several plant-based products. Emerging specialty crops have potential to supply feedstock as well. Altering fundamental aspects of plant growth, development, and responses to biotic and abiotic stresses and the opportunities to increase productivity and conversionprocess efficiencies are strategies to expand biomass availability and usage. As the energy paradigm shifts, the balance among competing needs will be critical to achieve sustainable food, fiber, and energy while protecting the soil resource and the environment. This emphasizes avoiding potential negative environmental consequences of new bioenergy technologies and presents strategies on how this may be achieved.

49 Latham, Rebecca S.; Wooten, Richard M.; Witt, Anne C. [and others]. 2007. Big slow movers: a look at weathered-rock slides in western North Carolina. In: Proceedings, 1st North American Landslide Conference. Denver, CO: Association of Environmental and Engineering Geologists: AEG Special Publication No. 23: 545-557. [Editor’s note: Station scientist Barton D. Clinton co-authored this publication.]

The North Carolina Geological Survey is implementing a landslide hazard-mapping program in western North Carolina. By December 2006, over 2700 landslides and landslide deposits had been documented. [The number has grown to over 4,500 as of October 2007.] A small number of these landslides are relatively large, slow-moving, weathered-rock slides, termed “big, slow movers” (BSMs). BSMs appear to have geomorphic and geologic settings similar to each other, and are often difficult to recognize without detailed field investigations. This paper describes three BSMs: the Toxaway River slide in Transylvania County; the 0.5-acre BSM at the Lake Logan Center, located southeast of Waynesville in Haywood County; and a 1.5-acre BSM impacting homes in the Hunters Crossing subdivision, located just outside the Waynesville city limits.

50 Love, Jason P.; Vose, James M.; Elliott, Katherine J. 2007. Effects of restoration burns on macroinvertebrates in Southern Appalachian pine-oak forests. Journal of North Carolina Academy of Science. 123(1): 22-34.

Cover board arrays were used to measure relative abundance of macroinvertebrates and terrestrial salamanders on prescribed burn and control sites in xeric Southern Appalachians of northern Georgia and southeastern Tennessee pine-oak forests. Three microsite variables were measured at each cover board: cover board moisture level, temperature under the cover board, and soil moisture. Soil moisture was significantly higher on burn sites than controls after prescribed fire. Two groups of macroinvertebrates, Homoptera and Hymenoptera, were more abundant on burn sites than control sites. Coleoptera and Stylommatophora were significantly more abundant in riparian and low slope positions than upland positions, whereas other macroinvertebrate groups were not significantly related to slope position. Thirteen salamanders were found during four sampling periods. Overall, there was little evidence of negative post-fire impacts on macroinvertebrates or salamanders.

51 Roghair, Craig N.; Dolloff, C. Andrew. 2005. Brook trout movement during and after recolonization of a naturally defaunated stream reach. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. 25: 777-784.

In June 1995 a massive streamwide flood completely eliminated brook trout from 1.2 miles of the Staunton River in Shenandoah National Park, VA. Brook trout completely recolonized the reach within 3 years. This observation prompted the establishment of post-recolonization movement studies using two techniques: (1) mark-recapture and (2) radio telemetry. Both studies showed average fish movements of less than 0.10 miles, but the maximum detected movement was nearly 1.25 miles. Observed movements were consistent with those that were the basis for recolonization of the damaged reach. Understanding the ability of movement to affect population changes is necessary for proper management in the wake of catastrophic events.

52 Skojac, Daniel A., Jr.; Bryson, Charles T.; Walker, Charles H., II. 2007. Noteworthy collections from the Yazoo- Mississippi Delta region of Mississippi. Journal of the Botanical Research Institute of Texas. 1(1): 769-775.

The flora of the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta region is poorly known compared to the rest of Mississippi or adjoining States. Fifteen species are reported new to the Yazoo-Mississippi Delta region, and significant range extensions are provided for five additional species. Of these, four are invasive weeds, including water hyacinth, a Federal noxious weed. Three species are on the special concern list of rare plants in Mississippi.

 

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