Southern
Research Station

Education

M.S. in Wildlife and Fisheries Science with Minor in Statistics, 2003

University of Tennessee

B.S. in Botany, 1998

University of Tennessee

Professional Experience

Forester, USDA Forest Service SRS-FIA

2004—Current

Forest resource analysis for Mississippi, Louisiana, and national and global reporting processes.

Research Associate, University of Tennessee

2003—2004

Pilot test and evaluate Phase 3 understory vegetation protocol for USFS-SRS Forest Inventory and Analysis

Graduate Assistant, University of Tennessee

2001—2003

Researched the effects of coarse sedimentation on floodplain vegetation in the southeastern coastal plain, subsequent effects on wildlife populations, and restoration options.

Associate Scientist, Breedlove, Dennis, and Young Environmental Consultants

2000—2001

Rare plant surveys, wetland mitigation, GIS Mapping, environmental assessments, education programs for high schools

Professional Organizations

• Society of American Foresters (SAF), Member (2014—Current)
• Civil Rights Committee, Local Representative (2012—Current)
• United Nations, Food And Agriculture Organization, North American Forestry Commission, Alternate Correspondent (2005—Current)
• University of Tennessee, Invited Lecturer (2004—Current)

Awards and Recognition

Performance award, 2014

Superior performance

Appreciation award, 2014

Contribution to station Civil Rights Committee

Performance award, 2011

Superior performance

Spot Award, 2008

Acting supervisor

Directors Award, 2005

Contributions to integration of phase 3 with phase 2 in FIA

Featured Publications and Products

• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Smith, W. Brad; Miles, Patrick D.; Pugh, Scott A. 2019. Forest Resources of the United States, 2017: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2020 RPA Assessment.
• Nelson, Mark D.; Riitters, Kurt H.; Coulston, John W.; Domke, Grant M.; Greenfield, Eric J.; Langner, Linda L.; Nowak, David J.; O'Dea, Claire B.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Reeves, Matthew C.; Wear, David N. 2020. Defining the United States land base: a technical document supporting the USDA Forest Service 2020 RPA assessment.
• Smith, W. Brad; Cuenca Lara, Rubí Angélica; Delgado Caballero, Carina Edith; Godínez Valdivia, Carlos Isaías; Kapron, Joseph S.; Leyva Reyes, Juan Carlos; Meneses Tovar, Carmen Lourdes; Miles, Patrick D.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Ramírez Salgado, Mayra ; Song, Xilong Alex; Stinson, Graham ; Villela Gaytán, Sergio Armando. 2018. The North American Forest Database: going beyond national-level forest resource assessment statistics.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2010. Chinese Tallow (Triadica sebifera (L.) Small) Population expansion in Louisiana, East Texas, and Mississippi.
• Oswalt, S.N. 2015. Status of ash (Fraxinus spp.) species in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi, and Louisiana, 2013.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2012. The national picture of nonnative plants in the United States according to FIA data.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Franzreb, Kathleen E.; Buehler, David A. 2012. Changes in early-successional hardwood forest area in four bird conservation regions across four decades.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2010. The facilitation and impacts of Microstegium vimineum colonization in an eastern hardwood forest.
• Alexander, Susan J.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Emery, Marla R. 2011. Nontimber forest products in the United States: Montreal Process indicators as measures of current conditions and sustainability.

Publications

• LaRue, Elizabeth ; Knott, Jonathan ; Domke, Grant ; Chen, Han YH; Guo, Qinfeng ; Hisano, Masumi ; Oswalt, Christopher ; Oswalt, Sonja ; Kong, Nicole ; Potter, Kevin ; Fei, Songlin . 2023. Structural diversity as a reliable and novel predictor for ecosystem productivity.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brandeis, Thomas J.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2022. Kentucky's forests, 2014 (with updates for 2016).
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brandeis, Thomas J.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2022. Tennessee's forests, 2014 (with updates for 2016).
• Woodall, C.W. ; Fraver, S. ; Oswalt, S.N. ; Goeking, S.A. ; Domke, G.M. ; Russell, M.B. . 2021. Decadal dead wood biomass dynamics of coterminous US forests.
• Oswalt, Sonja ; Oswalt, Chris ; Crall, Alycia ; Rabaglia, Robert ; Schwartz, Michael K.; Kerns, Becky K. 2021. Inventory and Monitoring of Invasive Species.
• Domke, Grant M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Walters, Brian F.; Morin, Randall S. 2020. Tree planting has the potential to increase carbon sequestration capacity of forests in the United States.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2019. Mississippi’s forests, 2017.
• Oswalt, S.N. 2017. Forests of Louisiana, 2014.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Fei, Songlin; Guo, Qinfeng; Iannone III, Basil V.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Potter, Kevin M. 2016. Corrigendum: A subcontinental view of forest plant invasions.
• Brandeis, Thomas; Brandeis, Consuelo; Hartsell, Andy; Randolph, KaDonna; Oswalt, Sonja. 2016. Forests of Georgia, 2015.
• Brandeis, Thomas; Hartsell, Andy; Randolph, KaDonna; Oswalt, Sonja; Brandeis, Consuelo. 2016. Forests of Kentucky, 2014.
• Oswalt, Sonja. 2016. Forests of Mississippi, 2015.
• Brandeis, T.J.; Hartsell, A.; Brandeis, C.; Randolph, K.; Oswalt, S. 2016. Forests of South Carolina, 2015.
• Brandeis, Thomas J.; McCollum, Joe; Hartsell, Andy; Brandeis, Consuelo; Rose, Anita K.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Vogt, James T. (JT); Marcano-Vega, Humfredo. 2016. Georgia’s forests, 2014.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2016. Louisiana's forests, 2013.
• Padley, Eunice A.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2016. Overview of forest conditions in coastal counties.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Meade, Jason R. 2016. Species composition and succession in yellow pine stands following southern pine beetle outbreaks in Tennessee-preliminary results.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Fei, Songlin; Guo, Qinfeng; Iannone III, Basil V.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Potter, Kevin M. 2015. A subcontinental view of forest plant invasions.
• Oswalt, S.N. 2015. Forests of Mississippi, 2014.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Brandeis, Consuelo; Cooper, Jason A.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Randolph, KaDonna C. 2015. Kentucky’s forests, 2009.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2015. Mississippi’s forests, 2013.
• Iannone, Basil V.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Liebhold, Andrew M.; Guo, Qinfeng; Potter, Kevin M.; Nunez-Mir, Gabriela C.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Fei, Songlin; Bradley, Bethany. 2015. Region-specific patterns and drivers of macroscale forest plant invasions.
• Fei, Songlin; Iannone III, Basil V.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Guo, Qinfeng; Potter, Kevin M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Pijanowski, Bryan C.; Nunez-Mir, Gabriela C. 2015. Understanding macroscale invasion patterns and processes with FIA data.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Smith, W. Brad; Miles, Patrick D.; Pugh, Scott A. 2014. Forest Resources of the United States, 2012: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 update of the RPA Assessment.
• Oswalt, S.N. 2014. Forests of Louisiana, 2012.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2014. Invasive plants found in Georgia’s forests, 2010 - forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2014. Invasive plants found in North Carolina’s forests, 2010—forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2014. Invasive plants found in Oklahoma’s forests, 2010 - forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Miles, Patrick D.; Pugh, Scott A.; Smith, Brad; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2014. RPA tree-level database users guide.
• Bentley, James W.; Brandeis, Consuelo; Cooper, Jason A.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Randolph, KaDonna. 2014. Texas' forests, 2008.
• Woodall, C.W.; Walters, B.F.; Oswalt, S.N.; Domke, G.M.; Toney, C.; Gray, A.N. 2013. Biomass and carbon attributes of downed woody materials in forests of the United States.
• Trotter, R. Talbot; Morin, Randall S.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Liebhold, Andrew. 2013. Changes in the regional abundance of hemlock associated with the invasion of hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae Annand).
• Oswalt, Christopher; Oswalt, Sonja. 2013. Chapter 8: Invasive Plants on Forest Land in the United States.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2013. Forest Resources of the Lower Mississippi Alluvial Valley.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2013. Invasive plants found in Virginia forests, 2010 - forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Bentley, James W. 2013. Louisiana’s forests, 2005.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2013. Mississippi, 2011 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2013. Mississippi, 2012 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Woodall, Christopher W. 2012. An Assessment of Flowering Dogwood (Cornus florida L.) Decline in the Eastern United States.
• Brown, Mark J.; Nowak, Jarek; Johnson, Tony G.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Chamberlain, James L.; Barnard, Edward L. 2012. Florida’s forests, 2007.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Cooper, Jason A.; Brockway, Dale G.; Brooks, Horace W.; Walker, Joan L.; Connor, Kristina F.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Conner, Roger C. 2012. History and current condition of longleaf pine in the Southern United States.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2012. Invasive plants found in Alabama forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2012. Invasive plants found in Kentucky forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2012. Invasive plants found in Louisiana’s forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2012. Invasive plants found in South Carolina forests, 2010 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G. 2012. Louisiana, 2010 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Moser, W. Keith. 2012. Potential impacts of year-round sampling on monitoring presence- absence of invasive flora in the southern United States.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Brandeis, Consuelo; Randolph, KaDonna C.; King, Christopher R. 2012. Tennessee’s forests, 2009.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Zimmerman, Lewis. 2012. Updating the southern nonnative plant watch list: the future of NNIP Monitoring in the south.
• Franzreb, Kathleen; Oswalt, Sonja; Buehler, David. 2011. Chapter 9 Population Trends for Eastern Scrub-Shrub Birds Related to Availability of Small-Diameter Upland Hardwood Forests.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2011. Forest resources of Mississippi’s national forests, 2006.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2011. Invasive plants found in Mississippi forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2011. Invasive plants found in Tennessee forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2011. Invasive plants found in east Texas forests, 2009 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Oswalt, S.N.; Bentley, J. 2011. Mississippi, 2010 forest inventory and analysis factsheet.
• Morin, Randall S.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Trotter, III , Robert T..; Liebhold, Andrew M. 2011. Status of Hemlock in the Eastern United States.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2011. The extent of selected nonnative invasive plants on southern forest lands.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Brandeis, Thomas J. 2010. Big trees in the southern forest inventory.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2010. Documentation of significant losses in Cornus florida L. populations throughout the Appalachian ecoregion.
• Oswalt, Sonja; Campbell, Sally. 2009. Forest health.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Howell, Mike; Bentley, James W. 2009. Fluctuations in national forest timber harvest and removals: the southern regional perspective.
• Harper, Richard A.; McClure, Nathan D.; Johnson, Tony G.; Green, J. Frank; Johnson, James K.; Dickinson, David B.; Chamerlain, James L.; Randolph, KaDonna C.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2009. Georgia's forests, 2004.
• Oswalt, Sonja; Huang, Chengquan; Shi, Hua; Vogelmann, James; Zhu, Zhiliang; Goward, Samuel N.; Coulston, John. 2009. Integrating Landsat-derived disturbance maps with FIA inventory data: Applications for state-Level forest resource assessments.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Coulston, John W.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2009. Mississippi's forests, 2006.
• Steadman, David; Montambault, Jensen; Robinson, Scott; Oswalt, Sonja; Brandeis, Thomas; Londono, Agustavo; Reetz, Matthew; Schelsky, Wendy; Wright, Natalie; Hoover, Jeffrey; Jankowski, Jill; Kratter, Andrew; Martínez, Arie; Smith, Jordan. 2009. Relative abundance, habitat use, and long-term population changes of wintering and resident landbirds on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Steadman, D.W.; Montambault, J.R.; Robinson, Scott K.; Oswalt, S.N.; Brandeis, T.J.; Londoño, A. Gustavo; Reetz, M.J.; Schelsky, W.M.; Wright, N.A.; Hoover, J.P.; Jankowski, J.; Kratter, A.W.; Martinez, A.E.; Smith, J. 2009. Relative abundance, habitat use, and long-term population changes of wintering and resident landbirds on St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Conner, Roger C.; Adams, Tim O.; Johnson, Tony G.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2009. South Carolina’s forests, 2006.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Chamberlain, James L.; Randolph, KaDonna C.; Coulston, John W. 2009. Tennessee's Forests, 2004.
• Schulz, Bethany; Oswalt, Sonja; Moser, W. Keith. 2009. Vegetation inventory data: How much is enough?.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Brandeis, Thomas J. 2008. Contribution of Dead Wood to Biomass and Carbon Stocks in the Caribbean: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Brandeis, Thomas J. 2008. Contribution of dead wood to biomass and carbon stocks in the Caribbean: St. John, U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Rudis, Victor A.; Carraway, Burl; Sheffield, Raymond M. [and others]; Oswalt, Sonja; Chamberlain, James. 2008. East Texas forests, 2003.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher; Turner, Jeffery. 2008. Hurricane Katrina impacts on Mississippi forests.
• Turner, Jeffery A.; Oswalt, Christopher M.; Chamberlain, James L.; Conner, Roger C.; Johnson, Tony G.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Randolph, KaDonna C. 2008. Kentucky's forests, 2004.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Oswalt, Christopher M. 2008. Relationships between common forest metrics and realized impacts of Hurricane Katrina on forest resources in Mississippi.
• Schulz, Bethany; Oswalt, Sonja; Moser, W. Keith. 2008. Vegetation Inventory Data: How Much is Enough?.
• Woodall, Christopher W.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Morin, Randall S. 2007. Attributes of down woody materials in hardwood forests of the Eastern United States.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K. 2007. Effects of Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus on native woody species density and diversity in a productive mixed-hardwood forest in Tennessee.
• Brandeis, Thomas J.; Helmer, Eileen H.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2007. El Estado de los Bosques de Puerto Rico, 2003.
• Glass, Patrick A.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2007. Initial estimates of hurricane Katrina impacts of Mississippi gulf coast forest resources.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G. 2007. The status of North Carolina's national forests, 2002.
• Brandeis, Thomas J.; Helmer, Eileen H.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2007. The status of Puerto Rico's forests, 2003.
• Brandeis, Thomas J.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2007. The status of U.S. Virgin Islands' forests, 2004.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Oswalt, Sonja N. 2007. Winter litter disturbance facilitates the spread of the nonnative invasive grass Microstegium vimineum (Trin.) A. Camus.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2006. Nonnative Invasive Plants in South Carolina: Combining Phase-2 with Phase-3 Vegetation Structure and Diversity Pilot Data to Enhance our Understanding of Forest Health Issues.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2006. Nonnative invasive plants in South Carolina: combining phase-2 with phase-3 vegetation structure and diversity pilot data to enhance our understanding of forest health issues.
• Brown, Mark J.; New, Barry D.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Johnson, Tony G.; Rudis, Victor A. 2006. North Carolina's forests, 2002.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Brandeis, Thomas J.; Dimick, Britta P. 2006. Phytosociology of Vascular Plants on an International Biosphere Reserve: Virgin Islands National Park, St. John, US Virgin Islands.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; Brandies, Thomas J.; Dimick, Britta P. 2006. Phytosociology of vascular plants on an international biosphere reserve: Virgin Islands National Park, St. John, US Virgin Islands.
• Oswalt, Sonja N.; King, Sammy L. 2005. Channelization and floodplain forests: impacts of accelerated sedimentation and valley plug formation on floodplain forests of the Middle Fork Forked Deer River, Tennessee, USA.
• Oswalt, Sonja N. 2005. Forest resources of South Carolina's national forests, 2001.
• Oswalt, Christopher M.; Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Houston, Allan E.; Schlarbaum, Scott E. 2004. First-year Effects of Microstegium Vimineum and Early Growing Season Herbivory on Planted High-quality Oak (Quercus Spp.) Seedlings in Tennessee.
• Conner, Roger C.; Adams, Tim; Butler, Brett J.; Bechtold, William A.; Johnson, Tony G.; Oswalt, Sonja N.; Smith, Gretchen; Will-Wolf, Susan; Woodall, Christopher W. 2004. The state of South Carolina's forests, 2001.

Research Highlights

Forest Resources of the United States, 2017 (2019)

Forest Resources of the United States, 2017, is part of a series of General Technical Reports that provide information to the Resources Planning Act reporting process, as well as providing official statistics for the Global Forest Resources Assessment produced by the United Nations. The report summarizes Forest Inventory and Analysis data collected from all 50 States and associated islands and territories. The report and associated data visualizations are available online with new visualizations forthcoming.

---

Potential to Increase Carbon Sequestration with Tree Planting (2020)

Almost one-third of Earth’s total land area is comprised of forest, which is also the largest terrestrial carbon sink. A Northern Research Station scientist and his partners have established that fully stocking the Nation’s understocked forests could increase carbon sequestration by about 20 percent.

---