Diseases & Invasive Plants
We recognize that increasing national demand for forest products, coupled with decreased resource availability in other regions, has led to increased timber harvests in the South. Replanting and intensive management have become more common on both industrial and non-industrial private land. The frequency and economic impact of pest problems often increases with management intensity in these plantations. Practical, integrated pest management strategies that are scientifically rational, environmentally sound, and operationally safe, require detailed knowledge of the life history of the pest, the nature of its interaction with its host, the influence of cultural conditions and practices, and genetics, on both host and pest.
We will provide expertise to develop environmentally acceptable management strategies to support a stable forestry economy, reduce dependence on harvests from national forests, and decrease the probability of importing exotic pests, therefore leading to the long-term sustainability of our forest resources.
