All Articles Page 97

SRS Scientists Contribute to New National Report

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Study projects significant forest loss due to suburbanization and land fragmentation A comprehensive U.S. Forest Service report released on December 18 examines the ways expanding populations, increased urbanization, and changing land-use patterns could profoundly impact natural resources, including water supplies, nationwide during the next 50 years.  Forest Service Southern Research Station scientists who took lead roles in conducting…  More 

Invasive Earthworms, No Joke

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Delivery Group  • 
Earthworms, the darlings of gardeners, fishers and composters, have a dark side: some are globetrotters and when introduced to new homes can cause real problems, both above and below ground. “Invasive earthworms are a global problem and can cause considerable changes to ecosystems,” says Mac Callaham, research ecologist with the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research…  More 

The Latest on Tennessee Forests

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
  Tennessee Forests, 2009, a new resource bulletin published by the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS), provides results from the eighth complete survey of Tennessee’s forest resources, showing that forests continue to cover about half of the states 26 million acres with a slight gain in forest land during the period 2005 to…  More 

Future Longleaf Pine Forests in Virginia

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Southeastern Virginia marks the northern boundary of the natural range of longleaf pine forests, which once stretched along most of the Atlantic and Gulf Coastal Plains from Virginia to eastern Texas. Research aimed at finding the best seed sources to restore longleaf pine forests to southeastern Virginia area is also providing important clues for adapting…  More 

Rabbit Rules for Prescribed Burns

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Forest Service scientists with the Southern Research Station (SRS) Center for Forest Disturbance Science  (CFDS) recently tested Rabbit Rules, a simplified model they developed that can be used to quickly calculate fire and smoke behavior from prescribed burns. The impacts of smoke on air quality are particularly important in the South, where managers use prescribed…  More 

Southern Forest Science in Support of a Low Carbon Economy

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Research from the Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS) on biomass for energy and the capacity of southern forests to offset the  greenhouse gas emissions that have led to global warming are featured in the special issue of the journal Forest Science published in October. Often called the “wood basket of the Nation,” the forests…  More 

Invasive Tallow Tree Lowers Frog Egg Survival

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
  Aquatic “mesocosm” used to test effects of tallow tree litter on southern leopard frog eggs. Photo by Cory Adams. Amphibians across the world are rapidly declining. Numerous studies have addressed causes of the decline, but very few have looked at the effects of invasive plants. Dan Saenz, Southern Research Station (SRS) research wildlife biologist…  More 

Forest Service Termiticide Testing Program

by Zoe Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
Termites cause an estimated $5 billion in damages in the United States every year. In the South, where termite damage is legendary, proof of treatment for the insects is often required before a home can be sold. Many people assume that termites are just urban or suburban pests and are surprised to learn that the Forest Service…  More 

It’s All About Insects

by Stacy Blomquist, SRS Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants unit  • 
Representatives from the Southern Research Station (SRS) Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants unit recently hosted a forestry booth as part of “Demonstration Days at AgMagic” at the annual Louisiana State Fair in Shreveport, Louisiana.  Children and adults visiting the booth were able to view and touch live insects, create insect pictures from stencils, and receive an activity sheet…  More 

Impact of Red Oak Borer Outbreaks on Arkansas Forests

by Jim Guldin, project leader of the SRS Southern Pine Ecology & Management unit  • 
Over the past 50 years, oak decline events have been reported in upland oak forests of the eastern United States with increasing frequency — and Arkansas is no exception. A team of forest entomologists at the University of Arkansas led by Fred Stephen, in cooperation with Jim Guldin, project leader of the Southern Research Station (SRS)…  More