http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Louisiana
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Louisiana through the Southern
Research Station (SRS), which is headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, and has a field office in Pineville
that houses 32 employees. The Palustris Experimental Forest is located in Louisiana. Forests cover 14 million
acres, about 50 percent of Louisiana's land area, making it the state's greatest single land use.
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
Louisiana Funding History
Pineville (SRS-4158 Restoring and Managing Longleaf Pine, SRS4159 Southern Pine Ecology and Management, SRS-4552
Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants, SRS-4704 Utilization of
Southern Forest Resources)
LOUISIANA TOTAL
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
$3,832,084
$3,975,319
$3,804,917
$3,832,084
$3,975,319
$3,804,917
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 scientists are helping minimize impact 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 2015 Program Changes
The President’s Budget includes a decrease of
$3,493,000 from the FY 2014 Enacted for SRS.
FY 2013 Key Accomplishments
 SRS scientists have partnered with Louisiana
State University to evaluate the conversion of
woody biomass synthesis gas to a variety of
liquid transportation fuels such as gasoline,
diesel, and mixed alcohols. This research
addresses questions such as the effect of
woody biomass feedstock species and type
on the synthesis gas precursor and
consequently, the final drop-in fuel.
This
research has implications for sustainability,
process control, and health of future forests.
Results of this research will help new industries
establish operational parameters needed for
successful conversion of biomass to fuels.
 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.


Soil phosphorus levels are widely deficient in
the southern pine region, so inorganic
fertilization is common, adding an expense to
land management costs.
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 production.
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 Louisiana
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 Louisiana include:
Bioenergy and Biobased Products: America’s
forest resources contribute significantly to energy
security, environmental quality and economic
opportunity. SRS researchers in Louisiana, in
partnership with the Kisatchie National Forest and
Region 8 Forest Health Protection, are engaged in
the reclamation of energy from woody biomass
through the use of an integrated gasificationcombustion-electricity
generation
unit.
Companies such as SunDrop Fuels are working to
integrate results into energy production.
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 the FIA unit have
been
conducting
annual
inventories
in
cooperation with the Louisiana Department of
Agriculture and Forestry since 1999. A five-year
report is being developed to help local forest
industry determine economic options for
treatment in various areas across the state.
Localized Needs Research in Louisiana
Focusing on critical regional and local research
Research Needs
issues, SRS provides research results and tools and
technologies including:
Decreasing the Cost of Delivering Woody
Biomass: SRS scientists are evaluating supply
systems to deliver high tonnage feedstocks for
biofuels production.
A harvesting system was
developed and is currently being tested by
comparing four different machines. The results will
allow managers to select the most efficient
system and machinery based on production rates
and costs, as compared with conventional
systems, and to reduce expenses for local forest
products companies and landowners.
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.