Organizing Science at the
Southern Research Station

Science Areas

The team discussed many employee-identified issues related to the purpose of Science Areas in Station realignment. We concluded that the Science Areas were an important component of the recommended realignment option for two reasons. First, we felt that Science Areas provide a compelling statement of who we are. The five Science Areas represent the historical, contemporary, and likely future core strengths of the Southern Research Station. We recognize that the Science Areas are multi-faceted and over-lapping. They are synthesized from the current collection of research activities of the 28 existing RWUs and are not intended to exclude or minimize the importance of any RWU. Second, we felt that Science Areas provide a framework for elevating and integrating science planning. In concept, the five Science Areas reflect a manageable number of “home rooms” where RWUs with similar research foci can be co-housed and where our research efforts already overlap. In practice, we believe the Science Areas provide an opportunity for increased integration and broader scale approaches.

The team sharpened the Science Areas titles and descriptions to clarify the types of research activities encompassed by each of the Science Areas.

Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring – quantifying and monitoring the condition of natural resources in the Southern United States is critical for determining ecosystem responses to forest health threats and improvements in natural resource condition resulting from management activities. Natural Resources Inventory and Monitoring will provide the knowledge and tools required to quantify, monitor, and predict the condition of natural resources.

Threats to Forest Health – forest ecosystems in the Southern United States are facing increased threats from factors such as nonnative and native insects and disease, invasive plants and animals, wildfire, and climate change and variability. Threats to Forest Health will provide the knowledge and tools required to prevent, eradicate, and mitigate the impacts of forest health threats.

Forest Watershed Science – forested watersheds (uplands, wetlands, bottomlands, and their components) will be increasingly relied upon to provide clean and dependable water to support aquatic ecosystems and satisfy the demands of a rapidly growing human population in the Southern United States. Forest Watershed Science will provide the knowledge and tools required to manage the full range of forest watershed resources in a dynamic and complex landscape.

Natural Resource Technology and Social Sciences – natural resources and humans are inextricably linked in the Southern United States. These linkages will only strengthen as increased urbanization, globalization, and shifting values influence and alter how people interact with forests. Natural Resource Technology and Social Sciences will provide the knowledge and tools required to manage impacts and optimize benefits of human-forest interactions.

Resource Management and Restoration – as the nature of private landownership changes, society’s needs from public lands shift, and species, communities, and ecosystems require restoration, new options will be required for forest and wildlife management in the Southern United States Resource Management and Restoration will provide the knowledge and tools required to manage and restore the multiple benefits provided by forests.

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