http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Iowa
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Iowa through the Northern
Research Station (NRS) and its cooperators. Currently, no research work units are located in Iowa. However,
some research programs aim to improve water quality and regulate water flow in Iowa and other states.
This knowledge will help farmers, soil and water conservation districts, and communities decide whether or
how to alter their land-use practices.
level. At this level, the NRS will continue to
provide cutting edge research in urban forestry
and forest disturbance processes as well as
develop practical tools to enhance forest
productivity and increase production of clean air
and water. The FIA program will continue to
monitor and inventory the nation’s forests to
better inform forest policy development and
provide valuable data to enhance accelerated
forest restoration. NRS will focus on the highest
priority research by eliminating the Northeastern
States Research Cooperative; research on
mycology, long term soil productivity, and riparian
research critical to water quality; and the invasive
species program in MI and CT.
Prairie strip embedded in an agricultural (corn) watershed.
Prairie strips increase nutrient and sediment retention, reduce
runoff, and increase biodiversity. Photo by Iowa State
University, used with permission.
Northern Research Station Overview
Headquartered at Newtown Square, PA, NRS
develops and delivers leading-edge science and
technology that helps people ensure the longterm health and productivity of rural and urban
landscapes. NRS maintains 24 field locations and
24 experimental forests across 20 states in the
Midwest and Northeast: Connecticut, Delaware,
Illinois,
Indiana,
Iowa,
Maine,
Maryland,
Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Ohio,
Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West
Virginia, and Wisconsin.
The FY 2015 President’s Budget is $50,495,000 of
which $15,718,000 is for annualized Forest
Inventory and Analysis (FIA). In addition,
$2,944,000 is provided for the National Fire Plan
Research. NRS will also receive a competitive
share of the national amount of $6,914,000 for the
Joint Fire Science Program.
FY 2015 Program Changes
The President’s Budget includes a station
decrease of $4,126,000 from the FY 2014 Enacted
FY 2013 Key Accomplishments
 Continued work with Iowa State University and
partners
demonstrating
how
integrating
perennial plant communities into row crops can
enhance both environmental quality and
socioeconomic vitality. Results suggest that
prairie strips help reduce sediment and nutrient
transport, improving water quality in streams
and, ultimately, the Gulf of Mexico.
 Completed an annual inventory of Iowa's
forests, which reported more than 3 million acres
of forest land, 98 percent of which is timberland.
 Developed an assessment of the U.S. housing
market, which uses a substantial quantity of
forest products. Data provided in the
assessment included the number of permits,
starts, completions, house pricing, and new and
existing house sales. This data is used to
evaluate and predict job growth and the
economic impacts of regional housing market
activities.
Priority Research in Iowa
Forest Service R&D priority research areas build on
existing local and regional research to solve issues
important to the American people. Priority
research activities in Iowa include:
Forest Disturbance: As climate changes so will our
forests. We need to understand how to manage
forests to adapt to climate change, including
providing opportunities for new and changing
species mixes, restoring forests and wetlands as
temperatures and rainfall change, controlling
invasive insects and diseases, and reducing the
risk of wildfire. Iowa forest managers can access
current tree and bird distribution maps and
habitat projections under different climate
change scenarios.
Urban Natural Resources Stewardship: With most
people living in urban areas, an emphasis on
science and technology transfer is paramount to
ensure the proper care of natural resources and
the advancement of ecosystem services in urban
and urbanizing landscapes. Communities in Iowa
have improved tools for assessing, protecting,
and managing urban natural resources through iTree software.
Bioenergy and Biobased Products: America’s
forest resources contribute significantly to energy
security, environmental quality, and economic
opportunity. The potential for poplar energy
plantations in Iowa has been field tested and the
data is currently being evaluated.
Watershed Management and Restoration: The
availability of clean water is becoming limited in
many parts of the United States, a trend likely to
continue as the population grows. It is important
to understand where water shortages will occur,
to identify how future climate will affect rainfall
and snowfall, and to find ways to reduce water
pollution and to effectively manage and protect
water sources. Conservation practices that
promote Iowa’s water quality can now be
adopted more widely due to research insights
into the factors that influence landowners’
decisions to implement such measures.
Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA): The NRS FIA
program conducts an updated annual inventory
of Iowa’s forest resources in cooperation with the
State Forester and other state organizations. FIA
provides the science-based information needed
by the nation’s leaders to make sound forest
policy decisions and to better understand forest
processes and associated threats to ecosystem
health.
Localized Needs Research in Iowa
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues, NRS provides research results and tools and
technologies including:
Water Quality in Agricultural Landscapes: Modern
agricultural practices can negatively impact local
water quality. NRS researchers have developed
potential approaches to encourage strategic
reintegration of perennial vegetation into
intensive row-crop agriculture, thereby improving
water quality.
Ecosystem Services: Grasses, trees, and other
perennial vegetation enhance water quality and
prevent soil erosion. NRS scientists are assessing
the level of such ecosystem services associated
with perennial vegetation integrated into
watersheds dominated by annual row crops, via
a field experiment at the Neil Smith National
Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County, Iowa.
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.