Tag: Loblolly pine

Species Selection for Woody Biomass Production

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
In the southeastern U.S., short-rotation woody crops are a significant part of a growing renewable energy supply. A USDA Forest Service study examines how growing different tree species for bioenergy may have impacts on water yield. “Loblolly pine has long been considered the go-to woody bioenergy species in the South,” says Peter Caldwell, research hydrologist…  More 

How Drought and Thinning Affect Water Balances in Southeastern Pine Plantations

by Megan Bequette, SRS Science Communication Intern  • 
Evapotranspiration – the combination of water evaporation and plant transpiration – is an essential process for forests and water supply and climate. This is particularly true in the Southeastern U.S. where evapotranspiration from forested watersheds can return 50 to 90 percent of annual precipitation to the atmosphere. Until now, there has been a gap in…  More 

Carbon Storage in Longleaf Pine Roots

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
“Longleaf roots are pretty legendary,” says USDA Forest Service scientist Peter Anderson. “It’s common to hear that you can dig up a really old stump and use it as a quick, reliable kindling.” Pines contain oleoresins, a sticky liquid mix of oil and resin (or rosin). “There are companies today that buy and dig old…  More 

Where to Grow Woody Bioenergy Crops?

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
Demand for bioenergy is expected to grow – as much as 10 times larger than present. Woody crops such as poplar or loblolly pine have the potential to fuel this growth. But where should such crops be planted? How to minimize transportation costs? Where are the opportunity zones? Where are the risks? USDA Forest Service…  More 

Innovations in Forest Operations Technology

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
Cut and haul costs. Elemental time study. Machine production hour. Ask USDA Forest Service scientist Dana Mitchell about any of these forest engineering terms, and you’re in for a treat. As a research forest engineer, Mitchell’s work focuses on improving the technology and business of forest operations – with a broader goal of improving forest…  More 

Harvest Disturbance Recovery in Wet Pine Flats

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
Just after Hurricane Hugo roared over the Atlantic coastal plain in 1989, U.S. Forest Service research soil scientist Bill McKee (now retired) visited Francis Marion National Forest in South Carolina. Some of its wet pine flats were so badly damaged that they looked like they had been clearcut. McKee was joined by Michael Aust and…  More 

Eucalyptus or Loblolly: Which Uses More Water?

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
When asked which tree uses more water, the native, industry favorite loblolly pine or the ultra-fast growing immigrant from Australia, Eucalyptus, U.S. Forest Service biological scientist Chris Maier had a quick answer: both. “Growing wood requires water,” says Maier. Loblolly and slash pines currently serve as the main sources of wood fiber in the South,…  More 

Where Are the Southern Pine Beetles?

by Jennifer Moore Myers, SRS Science Communications  • 
Between 2005 and 2015, only 18 counties in the southern U.S. experienced southern pine beetle outbreaks–fewer than two outbreak counties per year on average. U.S. Forest Service entomologist Chris Asaro wanted to know why and worked with two other Forest Health Protection scientists, John Nowak and Anthony Elledge, on a new review paper published in Forest…  More 

Switchgrass in Pine Plantations

by Sarah Farmer, SRS Science Communications  • 
In the southeastern U.S., loblolly pine plantations cover about 37 million acres of land. “Growing switchgrass in loblolly pine plantations could provide a sustainable source of biomass for cellulosic energy,” says U.S. Forest Service research hydrologist Devendra Amatya. “Growing the two species together could also help maintain the economic and environmental benefits of a forest…  More 

For Managers: Guidelines for Regenerating Southern Pine Beetle Spots

by Zoё Hoyle, SRS Science Communications  • 
  Guidelines for Regenerating Southern Pine Beetle Spots, a general technical report (GTR) by the U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station (SRS), provides detailed guidance for regenerating pines in areas within forest stands where trees have been killed by the southern pine beetle. Authored by scientists from two units located in Pineville, Louisiana—the SRS Restoring…  More