Month: September 2016

More Benefits of Cool Mountain Air

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
In mountainous areas, cold air flows along the surface of the earth from mountain tops to valleys, and as it moves, it dramatically affects local temperatures. “Many ecosystem processes – including carbon uptake and storage – are affected by temperature,” says U.S. Forest Service research ecologist Chris Oishi. Oishi recently contributed to a study on how…  More 

Digging up Past Connections at Bent Creek

by Henry McNab, SRS Upland Ecology and Management Research  • 
A rock protruding through the grass in the lawn at the Bent Creek Experimental Forest was the beginning of a part time, amateur archaeology “dig” for Senior Community Service Employment Program (SCSEP) employee, Linda Benz. It is well known that rocks and whirling lawn mower blades are a bad combination, so when Linda noticed an exposed…  More 

Black Belt Forestry

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
After the Civil War, former African American slaves were deeded or bought property across the South, but in subsequent years often lacked the money for — or were denied access to – the legal resources needed to establish title to the land. As a result, much of this land was passed down through following generations…  More 

Here Today or Here to Stay?

by Stephanie Worley Firley  • 
Some disturbances come and go, leaving forests no worse for the wear. Hailstorms, insect defoliations, and light prescribed fires, for example, commonly occur early in the growing season, but, because of the timing and nature of these disturbances, trees and other vegetation may quickly regrow leaves after the damage is done. In such cases, even…  More 

Forest Health Research and Education Center Shares $3 Million NSF Grant

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
The Forest Health Research and Education Center (Forest Health Center), a collaborative project among the Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS), the University of Kentucky, and the Kentucky Division of Forestry, will share a $3 million grant from the National Science Foundation with researchers from Washington State University (serving as lead), the University of Tennessee,…  More 

Scientists Find Evidence of Regime Shift in Forest Watershed Cut in the 1970s

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
After disturbances, healthy ecosystems are usually resilient enough to return to a pre-disturbance state. However, some disturbances are extreme enough to permanently shift an ecosystem, a phenomenon known as a regime shift. “Ecosystem regime shifts have been well documented in lakes, streams, and oceans,” says Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) scientist Jennifer Knoepp. “We…  More 

Managing Forests for Water: Challenges in the Anthropocene

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Humans are enmeshed in an ancient and intricate relationship between forests and water, and as the impacts of climate change are felt across the globe, the relationship will become increasingly important. A special issue of the journal Forests, titled Forest Management and Water Resources in the Anthropocene, examines the interactions between forests, water, climate change,…  More 

The Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Located seven miles west of Nacogdoches, Texas, the 2,560-acre Stephen F. Austin Experimental Forest (Stephen F. Austin) was established by an act of Congress in 1945. For its first 15 years, the experimental forest was primarily used for research that improved methods for growing loblolly and shortleaf pine. In 1949, 40 acres were set aside as…  More 

Forest Recreation: Does Land Ownership Matter?

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Camping, birdwatching, fishing, hiking, hunting, rafting, skiing, and more. “Americans spend billions of dollars and countless hours enjoying outdoor recreation – often in or near forests,” says U.S. Forest Service emeritus scientist Ken Cordell. But where do people go to enjoy these activities? There are many options ranging from forests, beaches, lakes, and urban parks.…  More 

Reforesting with Longleaf Pine After Hurricane Damage

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Hurricanes and other major storms cause billions of dollars of damage to southern timber resources. If you add the increased risk of wildfire, insect infestations, and disease that accompany downed wood, you have millions of acres of forests vulnerable to further harm after the hurricane’s gone. In some areas of the South, one idea for…  More