Research Work Unit Charters
Center for Forest Watershed Research (RWU-4353)
Our mission is to evaluate, explain, and predict the interactions of water, soil, vegetation, and aquatic and terrestrial organisms in response to management regimes, natural disturbances, climate change and atmospheric pollutants at the watershed scale, and to provide the technical basis to sustain, manage, and restore forested watersheds and their fauna.
Unit Charter Last updated 2016
Forest Economics and Policy (RWU-4804)
Our mission is to advance understanding of how natural and human-caused disturbances affect economic values, and how they can be managed to reduce overall negative impacts on society; to evaluate policies, programs and taxes that influence forests, forest landowners, forest management, and forest ecosystem services; to develop economic knowledge on the supply and demand for forest products across multiple scales and improve understanding of how international trade affects U.S. and global forest product markets; and to develop fundamental economic knowledge of the supply and demand of the full suite of market and non-market ecosystem services provided by forests to assist in the development of policies at the local, regional, National, and international levels.
Unit Charter Last updated 2022
Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (RWU-4854)
Our mission is to generate knowledge and tools needed to anticipate and respond to environmental threats.
Unit Charter Last updated 2014
Center for Integrated Forest Science (RWU-4855)
Resource management challenges of the 21st century will require innovative research approaches that address interactions between forests and people, both how people manage forests and how society derives essential ecosystem services from forests. The Center for Integrated Forest Science (CIFS), a pioneering research unit in the Southern Research Station, will focus on anticipating policy-relevant questions regarding forests and society and developing innovative research approaches to address these questions.
Unit Charter Last updated 2013
Integrating Human and Natural Systems (RWU-4952)
Our mission is to improve understanding of how people influence and are influenced by natural environments; and to develop information exchange technology for policymakers, planners, and citizens to maximize the goods and services provided by natural resources while minimizing environmental risks.
Unit Charter Last updated 2014
Center for Forest Disturbance Science (RWU-4156)
Our mission is to increase understanding of disturbance processes, their ecosystem feedbacks and their risk in order to develop innovative management strategies for reducing ecosystem vulnerability while maintaining or improving ecosystem function and resilience.
Unit Charter Last updated 2015
Forest Genetics and Ecosystems Biology (RWU-4160)
Our mission is to advance the scientific understanding of the roles of genetics, environment, and their interactions toprovide guidelines and tools for improving the sustainable productivity of southern forest ecosystems.
Charter update in progress
Insects, Diseases and Invasive Plants of Southern Forests (RWU-4552)
Our mission is to provide the basic biological and ecological knowledge and innovative management strategies required for management and control of native and non-native insect pests, pathogens, and invasive plants in changing forest ecosystems.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (RWU-4801)
Our mission is to conduct a program of research to improve the understanding of the Southern forest ecosystems through inventories and analysis of the status and trends in resource conditions, use, productivity, and sustainability; and to conduct research to provide improved technology for timely and accurate resource inventories.
Unit Charter Last updated 2008
Center for Bottomland Hardwoods Research (RWU-4155)
Our mission is to provide the scientific basis to manage southern bottomland hardwood and wetland forests andassociated aquatic ecosystems for a sustained yield of forest products and other desired values.
Unit Charter Last updated 2014
Upland Hardwood Ecology and Management (RWU-4157)
Our mission is to develop and disseminate knowledge and strategies for restoring, managing, sustaining, and enhancing the vegetation and wildlife of the extremely complicated upland hardwood-dominated forest ecosystems of the central region of the eastern United States.
Charter update in progress
Restoring and Managing Longleaf Pine Ecosystems (RWU-4158)
Our mission is to provide knowledge, strategies, and tools for restoring, managing, and sustaining longleaf pine ecosystems in the United States, and to foster insight about ecosystem restoration globally.
Unit Charter Last updated 2020
Southern Pine Ecology and Management (RWU-4159)
Our mission is to develop and disseminate the scientific information necessary to realize the full range of benefits from vegetation, wildlife, and soils in pine dominated forest ecosystems of the southeastern United States.
Unit Charter Last updated 2020
Forest Operations (RWU-4703)
Our mission is to provide the science and technology necessary for economically and ecologically viable forest operations for sustainable forest management.
Charter update in progress
Utilization of Southern Forest Resources (RWU-4704)
Our mission is to define and apply chemistry, materials science, forest management, and engineering principles to the characterization and utilization of southern forest resources for maximum societal benefits with minimal environmental consequences.
Charter update in progress
This Strategic Framework is intended to guide our direction for the future, and as such will change over time. Strategic objectives may be refined as the focus of our research evolves. Research work unit plans of work may be updated and revised as current research is completed and new areas of study are developed. SRS leadership team should review these objectives and plans periodically to ensure the strategic framework continues to serve as a ‘living,’ relevant resource over time.
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