http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Alabama
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Alabama through the Southern
Research Station (SRS), which is headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, and employs 30 people across
its field offices in Auburn, Brewton, and Huntsville. The Escambia Experimental Forest is located in Alabama.
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
Alabama Funding History
Auburn –
SRS-4158 Restoring and Managing Longleaf Pine Ecosystems,
SRS-4703 Forest Operations, SRS-4552 Insects, Diseases, and
Invasive Plants
Huntsville –
SRS at Alabama A & M, SRS-4157 Upland Hardwood Ecology
and Management, and SRS-4159 Southern Pine Ecology and
Management
ALABAMA TOTAL
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
$1,939,906
$2,105,793
$1,922,642
695,173
726,538
695,173
$2,635,079
$2,832,331
$2,617,815
FY 2015 Program Changes
The President’s Budget includes a decrease of
$3,493,000 from the FY 2014 Enacted for SRS.
Funds will be used to address regional and
national priorities, such as invasive species
research
and
watershed
management.
Important ongoing research, including work
addressing climate change, forest restoration,
and forest inventory and monitoring will continue.
SRS research helps managers minimize impacts of fire on bats.
Southern Research Station Overview
SRS serves 13 Southern States: Alabama, Arkansas,
Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi,
North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas and Virginia. Staffs are
organized into Research Work Units at locations
throughout the region. SRS employs over 103
scientists and many more technicians and
administrative personnel covering a diversity of
disciplines.
The FY 2015 President’s Budget for SRS is
$44,785,000, of which $14,629,000 is for annualized
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA). In addition,
$2,282,000 is provided for National Fire Plan
research. SRS will also receive a competitive
share of the national amount of $6,914,000 for the
Joint Fire Science Program.
FY 2013 Key Accomplishments:
 Longleaf pine woodlands of the southeastern
U.S. are fire dependent ecosystems. Overstory
structure determines fuel distribution and fire
behavior, and influences development of a
rich
understory
plant
community.
By
identifying the mechanisms that drive patterns
of plant communities, SRS scientists help
managers develop restoration practices that
promote ecosystem diversity.
 Phosphorus is widely deficient in the southern
pine region, so fertilization is common. SRS
scientists studied tree response to various
fertilizer application rates and concluded that
higher rates in a first rotation may reduce the
need
for
additional
fertilization,
and
exceptionally high rates do not increase
biomass more than normal rates.
This
research will save money by encouraging
appropriate rates of phosphorus fertilization in
tree pine plantation production.

SRS has compiled a synthesis of science
regarding effects of fire on bats. Bats provide
important ecosystem services by reducing the
number of insect pests in agricultural lands


and forests. Studies suggest fire generally has
beneficial effects on bat habitat by creating
snags, more open forests, and increasing the
abundance of flying insects. Fire has direct
negative effects on bats through heat and
smoke. Intense fires may pose a risk to treeroosting bats during the reproductive season
of summer, while burning on cold winter days
could impact litter-roosting species.
This
synthesis helps managers improve habitat
while minimizing direct impacts to bats.
SRS, Auburn University, University of Florida,
and the Florida Forest Service evaluated the
Pro-B (proportional-basal area) silviculture
treatments for managing longleaf pine
ecosystems. Pro-B is a method of unevenaged
management
that
is
readily
implemented in southern forests, and an
alternative to even-aged management.
Results indicate that Pro-B is suitable for
sustainably providing ecological values and
forest products.
Using wood for energy raises issues for nearly
every aspect of forest management. SRS,
North Carolina State University, the Swedish
Agricultural Institute, and Virginia Tech
University evaluated economic impacts of
using wood for energy. Results show that this
technology could have financial benefits for
private landowners and the forest products
industry. Sustainability of wood for energy will
depend upon the extent of land acreage
used and the amount of logging residue left
on site.
Timber supply responses to the
potentially large and rapid expansion of the
wood bioenergy sector in the U.S. will be
crucial to ensuring sustainable forests.
Priority Research in Alabama
Forest Service R&D priority research areas build on
existing local and regional research to solve issues
important to the American people.
research activities in Alabama include:
Priority
Forest Disturbance: Managing forest ecosystems
to sustain and enhance desired benefits requires
knowledge of how forests change over time in
response
to
natural
disturbances
and
management activities. As climate changes, so
do our forests. There is a need to understand how
forests adapt to disturbance including changes in
species diversity, resilience, forest and wetland
function, and wildfire risk.
SRS scientists are
evaluating these factors to help landowners and
managers
more
effectively
meet
their
management goals.
Bioenergy and Biobased Products: America’s
forest resources contribute significantly to energy
security, environmental quality and economic
opportunity. In the southern U.S., SRS is evaluating
technology to produce energy from forest
feedstocks
in
cost-effective
ways,
while
protecting and restoring forest productivity and
health.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): FIA is providing
information about current conditions and trends
in public and private forest health across the U.S.
Researchers in FIA have been conducting annual
inventories in cooperation with Alabama and
other southern states. Results are being used by
the forest industry to determine economic options
for treatment in various areas across the state.
Localized Needs Research in Alabama
Forest industry in Alabama is experiencing
Research
Needs in resource ownership, product
dramatic
changes
markets and prices, and management practices.
SRS scientists are working to understand these
changes and assess the potential impact to
Alabama’s forest resources and economy.
FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (FS R&D) is a world leader in innovative science for sustaining global forest resources for future
generations. Research findings and products benefit forest and rangeland managers, and everyone who uses goods or services from
forests. We operate five research stations that encompass all 50 states, the Forest Products Laboratory located in Madison, Wisconsin, and
the International Institute of Tropical Forestry located in Puerto Rico. Our researchers and support personnel are located at 67 field sites
throughout the United States. We also maintain 80 experimental forests and ranges across the Nation. Our unique ability to integrate
science and decision making and to work across boundaries between public, private, and tribal lands through strong partnerships
advances the Agency’s three core themes of restoration, communities, and fire.
The FS R&D program has two components: Priority Research Areas and Strategic Program Areas. The Priority Research Areas address
urgent needs in seven areas: Forest Disturbance, Forest Inventory and Analysis, Watershed Management and Restoration, Bioenergy and
Biobased Products, Urban Natural Resources Stewardship, Nanotechnology, and Localized Needs Research (region-specific needs). The
Strategic Program Areas (SPAs) are the long-term programs from which Priority Research Areas are funded. The seven SPAs are: Wildland
Fire and Fuels; Invasive Species; Recreation; Resource Management and Use; Water, Air, and Soil; Wildlife and Fish; and Inventory and
Monitoring.
The FY 2015 President’s Budget includes $275,315,000 for Forest and Rangeland Research, $19,795,000 for the FS R&D National Fire Plan, and
$6,914,000 for the Joint Fire Science Program.