Two decades of annual national forest health check-ups
For 21 consecutive years, researchers from the USDA Forest Service and partners at North Carolina State University have tracked the… More
Rediscovering the ‘snoring’ dusky gopher frog and restoring longleaf pine forests for the rare species
In 1987, Glen Johnson heard the call of the dusky gopher frog, which sounds like a snore. He was the first to report hearing its call since the 1950s. He found a breeding population of the dusky gopher frog at a pond on the De Soto National Forest in Mississippi. Johnson, a USDA Forest Service Southern… More
New species of Southern Appalachian earthworms
Two species of earthworms, new to science, have now been formally described. My colleagues and I were studying the effects of the 2016 wildfires in the Southern Appalachian Mountains when we found a few earthworms that we could not identify. Back at the lab, we carefully examined the specimens and conducted molecular (DNA) analysis to confirm… More
Do property tax benefits for forest landowners work?
Every state in the U.S. has a program that lowers property taxes for people who enroll their private forestlands. But the programs may not work, according to a new review paper by USDA Forest Service research economist Greg Frey. Frey organized the review around two broad goals that the programs might have: keeping forests as… More
Understanding your taxes as a forest landowner
Tax implications for forest landowners depend on the activity or activities on your land. Tax Tips for Forest Landowners: 2022 Tax Year (PDF) can help forest owners understand the basics of forest-related federal tax provisions and how that relates to income tax planning. Tax Tips for Forest Landowners is an annual information and educational publication… More
The importance of Indigenous gathering practices
To the untrained eye, an old field may be unremarkable. At best it can be a place to spot wildlife, but few would consider it to have any importance to daily life. However, for the Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik communities in Maine and New Brunswick, old fields are one of numerous habitats where plants are gathered… More
Diversity among foresters
Currently, the USDA Forest Service operates 24 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers all over the country—with 11 in the South—to provide training and education for young people. The Job Corps mission is to help young people ages 16 through 24 improve their lives through vocational and academic training aimed at gainful employment and career pathways.… More
Top Ten of 2022
We hope you enjoy this collection of the most popular CompassLive stories of 2022. Each article highlights the people, partnerships, and natural wonders of the South. For the past century, USDA Forest Service research has contributed to healthier, more sustainable southern forests. _______________________________ New book on fire ecology and management across the U.S. A… More
Wilderness areas: Uses, benefits, and stewardship
In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Forest Service scientists, managers, and partners have published a new report that describes the benefits wilderness areas provide and proposes stewardship strategies for them. Wilderness areas are protected at a higher level than all other federally managed lands. They have expanded greatly since their… More
Rising seas are destroying homes – rebuild with wood to offset emissions
As the climate warms and sea levels rise, homes and other structures on coastlines are being damaged or destroyed. Rebuilding with wood – whether on the coast or elsewhere – is the single biggest way that the losses could lower carbon emissions, reports a new modeling study by the USDA Forest Service. “Rising sea… More
Mushrooms, autumn bloomers in the Mississippi Delta and beyond
This article was originally published by Delta Wildlife in the Fall 2021 issue of Delta Wildlife Magazine (PDF). Autumn is a time when day length shortens and daytime temperatures begin to decline. These environmental cues induce macrofungi (mushrooms and similar large species) to transition from repeating cycles of asexual reproduction, (through vegetative hyphae and… More