Category: Non-Wood Forest Products

Mushrooms, autumn bloomers in the Mississippi Delta and beyond

by A. Dan Wilson, research plant pathologist  • 
  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 

Harvest ramps responsibly to enjoy for many years to come

by Deena C. Bouknight  • 
This story is excerpted from the original version, which was published on Macon County News.  People may refer to them as wild leeks or ramps, but the pungent smelling native plant’s scientific name is Allium tricoccum. Ramps have been described as a cross between a green onion and garlic and have been a culturally important…  More 

Top ten of 2021

by Sarah Farmer and Jennifer Moore Myers  • 
We hope you enjoy this collection of the most popular CompassLive stories of 2021. 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.   ______________________ One acorn, two acorns, three acorns, four… How to evaluate acorn crops  Every year, state wildlife…  More 

Research Sustains Ecosystem Services

by Lars Pomara, USDA Forest Service Ecologist  • 
From clean drinking water to sustainably harvested forest products and the region’s outdoor tourism industry, nature provides abundant benefits to people in the southern Appalachians. Benefits also include biodiversity, the sense of place found in forested landscapes, and much more. Ecological assessment is a key tool for understanding the role of private and public lands…  More 

Webinar Series on Forests & Food Across the Globe

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
A new webinar series explores the value of the food and medicine forests provide. “Many Americans eat berries, nuts, and edible mushrooms from forests,” says Jim Chamberlain, USDA Forest Service researcher. Every year, hundreds of thousands of pounds of food are gathered from public lands. Chamberlain is organizing the webinar series as part of his…  More 

New Series of Science Updates on NTFPs From Trees

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Trees provide food, medicine, and other things that people need. USDA Forest Service researcher Jim Chamberlain developed factsheets for eight species: Eastern black walnut (Juglans nigra) Fraser fir (Abies fraseri) Noble fir (Abies procera) Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) Persimmon (Diospyros virginiana) Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis) Sassafras (Sassafras albidum) Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) These trees provide fruit…  More 

Shifting to a Bioeconomy

by Jesse Brewer, SRS Science Communications Intern  • 
Forests and trees have always been crucial to people’s food security, nutrition, and culinary cultural identity. With a steadily growing world population, one of the most significant challenges of the 21st century will be increasing food production while maintaining worldwide forest health and biodiversity. “I have come to realize that we, forest management experts, don’t…  More 

Top Ten of 2020

by Jennifer Moore Myers and Sarah Farmer  • 
As 2020 comes to an end, it is a good time to gather our most-read CompassLive stories from the past year. Each one highlights the work of USDA Forest Service scientists at the Southern Research Station. We hope you enjoy reading this collection, which includes the most popular of 2020 plus a few more that…  More 

American Ginseng, in the Forest and in the Marketplace

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
American ginseng (Panax quinquefolius) is a plant of great value. Tens of thousands of pounds are harvested from the wild each year. But the average harvest amount has dwindled, while price has skyrocketed. “It’s pretty unusual that the more effort put towards producing something, the less is produced,” says USDA Forest Service researcher Greg Frey.…  More 

The Forest’s Bounty

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
No one knows how many gallons, pounds, and tons of non-timber forest products are harvested – there are too many products, too many units of measurement, and not enough data. “If we don’t know the volume, we can’t figure out the value,” says USDA Forest Service scientist Jim Chamberlain. “Value has two pieces to it,…  More