"Alabama’s total area of forest land has steadily increased since the mid-1930s,” said Jim Reaves, SRS director. “The 2005 estimate of 22.7 million acres is the second highest estimate of forest land ever recorded statewide.”

This FIA report is the eighth forest survey of Alabama. Field work for the 2005 survey began in January 2001 and was completed in December 2005. Seven previous surveys, completed in 1936, 1953, 1963, 1972, 1982, 1990 and 2000, provide data that researchers use to measure changes and trends for the past eight decades.

The survey reveals that the volume of live trees in Alabama forests for both hardwood and softwood species increased with each inventory from 1990 through 2005. At the time of the 2005 inventory, the total volume of live trees was up 6.9 percent for softwoods and .7 percent for hardwoods since the 2000 inventory.

In 2005, more than one-quarter of Alabama’s timberland area was in plantation stands (stands that have been artificially regenerated by planting or direct seeding), occupying 6.3 million acres of timberland statewide. Additionally, plantations account for 67 percent of the annual growth and 55 percent of the annual removals of softwood species. Wood harvested from plantations is an important raw material for Alabama forest industries.

The report shows the conversion of agricultural land and natural forests to planted pine stands. In 2005, plantations contained 40 percent of the state’s softwood tree volume. The area of natural loblolly pine stands decreased by 46 percent from 1972, and the area of natural oak-pine stands has dropped 39 percent. Over the same period, the area of planted loblolly pine forests has increased fivefold.

“Oak-hickory stands have shown a significant increase over the last 30 years,” said Reaves. “There were 5.7 million acres of oak-hickory forests across the state in 1972 and, there are 7.3 million acres today.”

The report revealed that ozone damage was present at 2.3 percent of the ozone bio-monitoring sites. Ozone is a naturally occurring compound that, when present in the upper atmosphere, helps protect the Earth’s surface from ultraviolet rays. However, ozone is considered a pollutant in the lower atmosphere. Of the states monitored during the inventory, Alabama ranked second lowest in terms of percentage of plots with evidence of ozone damage. Alabama’s average of 2.3 percent was far below the South’s score of 20.6 percent.

The study notes that private landowners play an important role in Alabama’s economy because they own 95 percent of the state’s forest land. Family forest owners possess the largest percentage of forest land with 67 percent. Businesses own an additional 28 percent and various federal, state and local government agencies own the remaining 5 percent.

Alabama’s forest products industry is a vital component of the state’s economy, according to the report. Forest Service data estimates the total economic impact of Alabama’s forests in 2001 was nearly $18.6 billion. The $18.6 billion includes all activities associated with the forest products industry, i.e. recreation and specialty forest products, such as edible mushrooms, medicinal plants and specialty woods. These products contribute a much smaller percentage to the overall economy, but they are still very important and provide millions of dollars to local rural economies each year.

The report also revealed that there were about 145 primary wood-processing plants in Alabama in 2005. These plants employed more than 33,000 individuals and had an annual payroll of nearly $1.33 billion. Between 2000 and 2005, the state’s output of timber products averaged 1.32 billion cubic feet per year. Roundwood products, i.e., logs, poles and other round sections cut from trees for industrial or consumer use accounted for 86 percent of this total and mill byproducts the rest. The total value of shipments in Alabama’s wood products and paper manufacturing sectors was $11.51 billion (U.S. Department of Commerce 2005).

The complete report on Alabama’s Forests, 2005, can be found on the SRS website at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/rb/rb_srs146.pdf.

SRS administers the FIA program, in partnership with state forestry agencies. The FIA program supplies the nation’s land managers and private forest landowners with the data needed to make sound investment decisions in forest management activities. FIA data enables states, researchers, foresters, landowners and natural resource communities to understand the magnitude of changes in forest conditions and trends, and provides vital information to the long-term health of forests.

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"The Southern Research Station is pleased to offer this opportunity to share the wealth of information captured in this course,” said Reaves. “This is an exciting way for us to reach new audiences and meet the needs of existing and new customers."

The course, conducted by the SRS Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management unit, provides practicing foresters with information about current silvicultural practices and emerging issues based on research and applied techniques that affect managing upland hardwoods. Based on the face-to-face course offered at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest near Asheville, NC since 1991, the online course is designed for professional foresters working in upland hardwood ecosystems. It will also benefit wildlife professionals, natural resources managers, and educators.

”Upland Hardwood Silviculture” features seven modules with 16 topics presented by university and Forest Service leaders, including David Loftis, who has led U.S. Forest Service research on oak regeneration for over a quarter of a century. Modules include management objectives, site classification, stand management, regeneration, forest health, restoration of American chestnut, and wildlife. Certified foresters who successfully complete modules are eligible to earn 15 category 1 Society of American Foresters continuing forestry education (CFE) credits.

“As budgets continue to tighten at many agencies, the need for distance learning increases,” said Katie Greenberg, project leader at the Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management research unit. “While the value of hands-on learning in the classroom and in the woods can never be fully replaced, this online upland hardwood course can provide important information to private and public foresters who cannot attend in person. The course extends the reach of Forest Service and university scientists and managers to new audiences.”

The course is free of charge. To register, go to http://conted.warnell.uga.edu/online-courses/upland-hardwood-silviculture/. The introduction section provides information about earning CFEs, which will be managed through the University of Georgia’s Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources.

For more information, contact Claire Payne at cpayne@fs.fed.us or by phone at 828-257-4392.

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“Land surface phenologies can be used to characterize normal, ‘expected’ conditions and thus can help a warning system determine where and when vegetation has changed,” says William Hargrove, EFETAC research ecologist and lead author of the PE&RS article. “The goal of this system is to allow analysis of vegetation change on a weekly basis at a national scale to provide near real-time information on forest conditions as they are impacted by insects, diseases, wildfires, or extreme weather events.”

Researchers are employing the MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) satellite to generate the land surface phenology data that underlie the weekly landcover maps. “Work thus far has been promising,” says Joe Spruce, a senior scientist working at NASA Stennis Space Center. “We can clearly detect regional patterns of forest disturbance from the MODIS data.” Soon, land managers and other interested users will be able to access these disturbance detection products online. “We think that timely regional forest change detection products in a format that is easily accessible will help provide new, previously unavailable early warnings of prevalent forest threats. This application will enable new ways to monitor vital signs of forests and to respond where threats occur,” says Spruce.

For more information about the early warning system or to view the PE&RS article online, visit www.forestthreats.org.

For More Information
Contact William Hargrove at (828) 257-4846, email whargrove@fs.fed.us.

About EFETAC
Established in 2005, EFETAC is actively developing new technology and tools to anticipate and respond to emerging forest threats. Headquartered with the Southern Research Station in Asheville, the Center also has offices in Raleigh and Research Triangle Park, NC. Visit www.forestthreats.org for additional information.

About the Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center
The Western Wildland Environmental Threat Assessment Center generates and integrates knowledge and information to provide credible prediction, early detection, and quantitative assessment of environmental threats in the western United States. For additional information, please visit www.fs.fed.us/wwetac.

About NASA Stennis Space Center
NASA Stennis Space Center has conducted applied remote sensing projects since the 1970s. It is a multidisciplinary federal facility of 30 federal, state, academic private organizations, and technology-based companies engaged in the implementation of space, oceans, environmental, and the national defense programs. Visit www.ssc.nasa.gov for additional information.

About ASPRS
The mission of the ASPRS is to advance knowledge and improve understanding of mapping sciences and to promote the responsible applications of photogrammetry, remote sensing, geographic information systems (GIS), and supporting technologies. Visit www.asprs.org for additional information.
News Release Science Contact: Andrew J. Hartsell
News Release Science Contact:
News Release Science Contact: Perdita B. Spriggs]]> Fri, 11 Dec 2009 00:00:03 -0500 http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/news/423 http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/news/423 Director Jim Reaves announced today that Land of Sky Regional Council (LOSRC) was awarded the grant to manage the $1.9 million in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) funds announced by Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack on Sept. 9.  The funding will create a cooperative marketing network in Western North Carolina (WNC) to help stimulate the local forest products industry.

“SRS is proud to help implement the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act and to play a role in building organizational networks that will position forest operators to be more prosperous as their markets recover,” said Reaves. “The project will create employment opportunities for individuals working with timber and non-timber forest products as well as marketing specialists, community organizers and forest products advisors.”

The Station released a Request for Proposals on Sept. 24, with an Oct. 23 deadline.  The Station received six proposals.  A panel of stakeholders reviewed the proposals based on selection criteria.  After the panel met, reviewed and ranked the proposals, the panel made a recommendation to the Station director for consideration. Director Reaves endorsed the panel’s recommendation and the Station awarded the grant to LOSRC on Nov. 6.

LOSRC is a voluntary association of local governments with 30 years of experience managing natural resource projects and providing services to its members and the region in the areas of natural resources planning, economic development and land management planning.

LOSRC has proposed several projects based on their experience and work with producer groups.  (1) A small diameter wood market development with a focus on forest health, (2) local production of woodland herbs for local processors, (3) certified and other green label timber production, (4) forest-based foods such as mushrooms, ramps, fruits, nuts and forest vegetables, (5) forest-based bio-fuel production for small and medium scale users and (6) high-value wood for the crafts industry and custom builders.  These are proposed projects and local forest producers and producer groups will discuss additional projects.

Ron Townley, LOSRC’s project manager of the Local Government Services Section will be responsible for project oversight.

“We propose to assemble groups of forest producers to improve their enterprises during the economic downturn and to help them be more efficient as demand for their products returns,” said Townley. “We hope to solve the production and marketing problems that forest producers believe need to be solved, particularly in the areas of more efficient production, more profitable products, and better marketing”

LOSRC will use the following “guiding principles” to administer all proposed projects:

• Provide short-term jobs to the forest industry in a way that generates lasting benefits to the industry.
• Use a ‘bottom-up” planning and economic development approach guided by forest producers and by forest product consumers.
• Look first to forest producers as staff to carry out this project.
• Use organizations within WNC to manage this project both to capitalize on their knowledge of local forest and market issues and also to strengthen long-term relationships between forest producers and their support organizations.
• Build the capacity of forest producers to sustainably pursue a variety of forest enterprises in a way that brings benefit to rural communities.

Visit http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/news/recoveryact.htm for additional information and project updates.

“Cutting-edge research at the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory has led to the development and adoption of ‘best management practices’ that promote cleaner and more abundant water supplies for people in southern Appalachia and beyond,” said Reaves. “Today we celebrate the many important contributions that Coweeta and its scientists have made to our knowledge of how practices on the land impact water supplies, vital resources that support the health and sustainability of the nation.” 

The two-day symposium features discussions of the development of watershed science and the role of watershed research in addressing the challenges of the 21st Century. Topics include issues related to climate change, water supply, biodiversity and invasive species, and land use change.

Established in 1934, the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory has become known around the world for its watershed research, specifically on how land management practices affect water quality, quantity, and timing. The lab, managed by SRS is located in a 5,500-acre forested basin in Otto, NC, consisting of more than a dozen individual watersheds. Over the years, Coweeta researchers installed land management practices on many of the watersheds, then measured and monitored the effects on water quality and quantity. Coweeta scientists have shared research findings with managers, planners, and others who applied the knowledge gained at Coweeta on the ground. The results were improved land management techniques that enhanced water supplies. Coweeta scientists examined many different aspects of forest ecology, and conducted several pioneering, landmark studies that changed the way forests are managed.

The following represent some of the major scientific accomplishments of the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, its scientists, and their research partners.

• Coweeta’s long-term data on streamflow, water quality, climate, and vegetation are among the longest and best quality data in the world and allow scientists to detect long-term trends and validate predictive models.
• Much of what we know today about streamflow generation on steep forest lands resulted from the work of Coweeta scientists.
• Coweeta scientists developed models that can predict the amount, and duration, of water yield following logging and other land management practices in the southern Appalachians.
• Coweeta researchers have produced guidelines, or ‘best management practices,’ for the construction and maintenance of mountain roads, reducing sedimentation and maintaining water quality during forest management.
• Coweeta scientists have demonstrated that multiple-use land management can sustain and enhance timber, water, wildlife, and other ecosystem services.
• Coweeta has been a world leader in developing an interdisciplinary and holistic understanding of forest watershed processes and management options to protect, enhance, or restore watershed functions.
• Through its partnership with the University of Georgia and the National Science Foundation Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER))Program, Coweeta research has expanded to include determining the impacts of land use change on water resources and biodiversity in the southern Appalachian region.

To learn more about the Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory, visit http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/cfwr/. 

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“The Director’s Initiative was born from my desire to expand the cadre of people who seek a career in the Forest Service, in particular, the Southern Research Station,” said Reaves. “If we are going to expand our research relationships beyond traditional forestry institutions in the region, we have to expand our efforts to attract scientists and researchers from other colleges and universities.” 

Proposals were submitted by universities from across the South. After a panel review, the Station selected five projects for funding from students and faculty at Bethune-Cookman University in Florida, Florida A&M University, Hampton University in Virginia, Southern University in Louisiana and Tuskegee University in Alabama. The projects will receive funding for two years.

SRS requested proposals from students and faculty of 1890 Land Grant Institutions on short research or training projects. The 1890 Land Grant Institution program was established at historically black universities to strengthen teaching and research programs in the food and agricultural sciences through cooperative linkages with federal and non-federal entities. Proposals were to focus on one of four topics: developing a project to address priority issues in forests in the South; developing a curriculum focused on training students for federal employment in natural resources; developing a curriculum focused on training students to be scientists or technicians; or coordinating research with one of the Station’s 16 research units.

“This initiative is an extension of other efforts to strengthen our relationship with 1890 colleges and universities,” said Reaves. “It is my hope that we will broaden this effort next year and in the years to come.”

SRS, like much of the Forest Service, used to hire a large number of foresters and other traditional natural resource specialists. Today, managing the nation’s forests has become much more complex, and there is now a need to hire people from a wide array of disciplines and from diverse backgrounds.

Station leaders believe The Director’s Initiative will help increase opportunities for minorities in the natural resources field and the pool of candidates interested in federal employment with the Forest Service.

The mission of SRS is to create the science and technology needed to sustain and enhance southern forest ecosystems and the benefits they provide. With administrative offices located in Asheville, NC, SRS conducts cutting-edge research across the 13 southern states on topics ranging from global climate change, to economics, to forest and wildlife ecology, to wood-based bioenergy.

Additional information on SRS can be found at http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/.

SRS has received a total of $3.17 million in funding to fund five projects. The $550,000 in recently released funds will support a $300,000 project at the Henry R. Koen Experimental Forest and a $250,000 project at the Crossett Experimental Forest, both in Arkansas.   

“In addition to creating job opportunities in economically distressed areas, both projects will help in reducing our environmental footprint, and increasing energy efficiency, while generating additional tourism and stimulating local economies,” said Reaves. 

The Koen Experimental Forest project will provide construction jobs in economically distressed Newton County through energy upgrades to the Henry R. Koen Experimental Forest workshop facility. The project will renovate the building and install an energy-efficient HVAC system. It will also rehabilitate the heavily used interpretive trail around the Koen administrative site.

“The improved, handicapped-accessible interpretive trail will provide opportunities for the public to better understand the contributions of the Forest Service's experimental forests and the specific research activities conducted on the Koen Experimental Forest and Ozark-St. Francis National Forest,” said Reaves.

The Crossett Experimental Forest Laboratory project will provide construction jobs through renovations to the facility located in Ashley County. The project will renovate the 2,027-square-foot building to provide temporary quarters for visiting scientists conducting long-term research. The project will also increase the facility's energy efficiency through building enhancements and upgrades to the HVAC equipment.

The ARRA directs the Forest Service to improve, maintain, and renovate public and administrative facilities. Maintenance needs for these and other Forest Service projects were identified through studies of specific public facilities and their support of the primary outdoor activities provided on national forests and grasslands.

“Workers hired under ARRA will maintain facilities so that they contribute to safe, high-quality outdoor experiences for citizens,” said Reaves.  “Once work is completed, these buildings will be more energy efficient, use less water, have a smaller environmental footprint, and save taxpayers money.”

Information on other Forest Service ARRA projects and related economic recovery can be found at http://fs.usda.gov/recovery.

Additional information on the SRS and the work taking place at the19 experimental forests can be found at http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/.

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Recent plantings of the nearly extinct American chestnut tree–a beloved and once key species in the eastern U.S.–have thrived during their first growing season in national forests, according to partners involved in the restoration effort. 

This milestone, jointly achieved by the U.S. Forest Service, The American Chestnut Foundation and the University of Tennessee, involved the test planting in 2008 of hundreds of blight-resistant American chestnut trees in three national forests in North Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia. In an effort to protect the seedlings, project partners are not disclosing the exact locations of the test plots. 

“The American chestnut is important because it was once an integral part of the Appalachian culture providing food for wildlife and contributing to the diversity of the forest ecosystem,” said Roger Williams, director of Forest Management for the Southern Region of the U.S. Forest Service. “The successful plantings we are announcing today are another step in the effort to re-introduce this keystone species back into its native range.” 

Once a dominant species, the American chestnut was virtually wiped out by an exotic fungus from Asia called the chestnut blight. During the last 26 years, The American Chestnut Foundation worked with partners to develop a blight-resistant American chestnut. Traditional backcross-breeding with the blight resistant Chinese chestnut produced a blight-resistant American chestnut that is 15/16th pure. 

“Our partners at the U.S. Forest Service and University of Tennessee are monitoring blight resistance, growth and survival of the seedlings to determine whether the chestnut trees will survive and thrive in a real world setting,” said Bryan Burhans, president and chief executive officer of The American Chestnut Foundation. 

The trees, now 4-6 feet tall and flowering, are doing well after only one year, according to Stacy Clark, a research forester with the U.S. Forest Service’s Southern Research Station. “These plantings are small, but represent the first scientific experiment using blight-resistant trees from the Foundation planted on Forest Service land,” said Clark, who establishes and monitors the test plantings. “Our results can be used to predict how blight-resistant American chestnuts will grow when restoration efforts become larger.” 

This is “the beginning of restoring an old friend to eastern North American forests,” said Dr. Scott Schlarbaum, professor of forest genetics and Tree Improvement Program (TIP) director at the University of Tennessee. 

In 2010, 500 more blight-resistant chestnuts will be planted on national forests in the South. 

Detailed information about the test plantings and future aspirations for a large-scale restoration of the American chestnut species can be found at www.fs.fed.us/r8/chestnut. The website also features photos of recent tree growth, video of the monitoring process and historic information about the American chestnut. 

This news release is also available at http://www.fs.fed.us/r8/chestnut/documents/releases/NR-American_Chestnut_2009-09-23.pdf

According to Danny C. Lee, EFETAC Director, “Uncertainty is unavoidable in all types of management decisions, whether we’re talking about climatic, ecological, or social factors.  CRAFT allows planning teams to explore the implications of that uncertainty on the consequences of their decisions using a versatile and customizable framework that is amenable to a wide range of land management issues and venues.” 

CRAFT builds on the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) framework for managing public lands and approaches forest issues comprehensively.  The tool incorporates decision making techniques that allow teams of managers and diverse stakeholders to outline their management objectives, design alternatives, consider effects of these alternatives, and synthesize this information to arrive at the best possible decision.  Each step of the CRAFT process can be published in a Web-based format to ensure documentation and transparency. 

“CRAFT emphasizes comparative risk assessment,” explains Steve Norman, EFETAC research ecologist and CRAFT developer.  “Users are empowered to focus on their measurable values, be more inclusive of tradeoffs, and understand associated uncertainties.  With CRAFT, a more thorough consideration of stakeholder viewpoints, better vetted problem solutions, a broader understanding of consequences, and ultimately, more successful resource management are all possible.”

EFETAC partnered with the University of North Carolina Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) to develop CRAFT.  The tool features a wealth of online resources created by NEMAC, including a tutorial and CRAFTiPedia—a “wiki” style reference database and glossary.  For team projects, CRAFT has the capability to store and share diagrams, text, tables, data, and models created during the decision making process.  NEMAC is available to provide assistance and team training.

For More Information:  Contact Danny C. Lee at (828) 257-4854, email dclee@fs.fed.us or Steve Norman at (828) 259-0535, email stevenorman@fs.fed.us.  For assistance and training, contact Karin Lichtenstein at (828) 250-3892, email klichten@unca.edu.

About EFETAC:  Established in 2005, EFETAC is actively developing new technology and tools to anticipate and respond to emerging forest threats.  Headquartered with the Southern Research Station in Asheville, the Center also has offices in Raleigh and Research Triangle Park, NC. Visit http://www.forestthreats.org for additional information.

About NEMAC:  NEMAC, established at UNC Asheville in 2003, is nationally recognized for expertise in environmental modeling and visualizations, Web technology, and database development.  Learn more about NEMAC projects and partnerships at http://orgs.unca.edu/nemac/ .

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In an article recently published online in JGR-Earth Surface, SRS researchers Chelcy Ford and Jim Vose, along with T.C. Hales and Larry Band (University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill), examine how the interaction between topography and the species of tree or shrub present affects the ability of soil to hold together.

“We found that rhododendron had the shallowest, weakest roots suggesting that the recent expansion of this species may have lowered the cohesive strength of soil in some hollows,” says Vose, research ecologist and project leader of the SRS Coweeta Hydrologic Laboratory located near Otto, NC. “Since debris flows usually start in the hollows, those dominated by rhododendron could represent a heightened hazard for landslides.”  

Landslides present a significant danger in the steep landscapes of the Southern Appalachians. Most of the recorded high rainfall events in the area occur in the fall and have been associated with tropical storms. In 1940, 1969, and 2004, intense rain from hurricanes caused landslides that together resulted in over 190 human casualties and $140 million in damage.

In 2004, rains from Hurricanes Frances and Ivan caused a large landslide at Peeks Creek in Macon County, NC, where 15 homes were destroyed, two people injured, and five people killed. With accelerating land use change and more frequent storms predicted for the area under climate change scenarios, concern about landslides has grown.

“Roots of trees and shrubs can represent up to 100 percent of what’s holding soil together and keeping mountain slopes from sliding,” says Vose, “For this study, we measured the root distribution and tensile strength—roughly, the force required to pull a root to the point where it breaks apart—of 15 southern Appalachian species in relation to topography and position on slopes.”

The researchers dug pits downslope from 15 individual trees on the Coweeta site. The locations of trees varied from noses—convex topographic positions—to hollows. The trees included native species of oak, eastern hemlock, birch, tulip poplar, hickory, and other species. The researchers tested one woody shrub, Rhododendron maximum, a native species which has come to dominate the forest understory in some areas of the Southern Appalachians.

“We found that root strength was similar among tree species, and root strength of trees was consistently greater than that of the native shrub rhododendron,” says Vose. “Tree roots in nose positions were stronger compared to those in hollows, coincident with greater root cellulose content.”

Although the study was not designed to firmly establish cause and effect, the results suggest that rhododendron may be a key species affecting landslide initiation in the southern Appalachians. “Landslide events during 2004 commonly started in rhododendron thickets, including the only landslide to occur in the Coweeta drainage basin,” says Vose. “The largest landslide from 2004 at Peeks Creek also formed in a rhododendron thicket.”

For more information: Jim Vose at 828-524-2128, x114 or jvose@fs.fed.us  

The full text of the article can be found online at: http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov/pubs/33547