http://www.fs.fed.us/research/
Georgia
Forest Service Research and Development (FS R&D) delivers research to Georgia through the Southern
Research Station (SRS), which is headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, and has field offices in Athens,
Columbus, Macon, and Savannah. These locations house 44 employees. Forests cover more than 24 million
acres in Georgia, close to two thirds of the land area of the state. There are two Experimental Forests in
Georgia, the Hitchiti and Scull Shoals.
FY 2013
Enacted ($)
Georgia Funding History
Athens (SRS-4156 Center for Forest Disturbance Science, SRS4552 Insects, Diseases, and Invasive Plants, SRS-4704
Utilization of Southern Forest Resources, SRS-4952 Integrating
Human and Natural Systems, SRS-4953 Pioneering Research on
Changing Forest Values in the South and Nation)
GEORGIA TOTAL
FY 2014
Enacted ($)
FY 2015
Budget ($)
$3,899,547
$4,061,718
$3,871,900
$3,899,547
$4,061,718
$3,871,900
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 some emerging
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 is evaluating phosphorus fertilizer in pines.
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:
 A new guide produced by SRS, “Introduction
to Prescribed Fire in Southern Ecosystems,” is
helping natural resource managers better
plan prescribed burns in forests and
grasslands. The guide provides a synthesis of
science, including environmental effects,
importance
of
weather,
and
smoke
management. Agencies are using the guide
for fire management training modules
throughout the South.
 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 production.
 Longleaf pine woodlands 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 are helping
managers develop restoration practices that
promote ecosystem diversity.
Bats provide important ecosystem services by
reducing the number of insect pests in
agricultural lands and forests. Climate models
forecast that the distribution of Indiana bats
during the summer pup rearing season could
be greatly reduced and shift from the
Midwest to the Northeast and southern
Appalachians. Summer temperature was the
most important climatic variable explaining
the distribution of Indiana bat maternity
colonies. SRS scientists are identifying ways to
sustain Indiana bat populations over time. In
the short term, bats will seek cooler roosts
under shade in the summer. As they shift
regionally, managers will need to ensure
adequate roosting habitat is available in the
remaining suitable areas.
Priority Research in Georgia
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 Georgia include:
Forest Disturbance: Managing forest ecosystems
to sustain desired benefits, such as clean water
and healthy forests, requires knowledge of how
forests change over time in response to natural
disturbances and management activities. SRS
scientists have developed a Template for
Assessing
Climate
Change
Impacts
and
Management Options – a web-based tool that
provides forest managers with the best available
scientific information for evaluating these
changes.
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 Georgia and other southern states. Results
are being used by forest industry to determine
economic options for treatment in various areas
across the state.
Urban Natural Resources Stewardship: With most
people living in urban areas, science and new
technology that informs urban natural resources
management and policy is critical for improving
environmental health and community well-being
in urban areas. Trends show that Americans are
increasing their outdoor recreational activity. SRS
researchers are helping managers plan for these
changes in recreational use.
Watershed Management and Restoration: With a
growing human population and a finite supply of
freshwater, sustaining healthy watersheds is
critical to the well-being of the United States. SRS
is using interdisciplinary approaches to identify
how future climate will affect ecosystems and
water supply.
Localized Needs Research in Georgia
Focusing on critical regional and local research
issues,
SRS provides
Research
Needs research results and tools and
technologies including:
Invasive Species: The kudzu bug, native to Asia
and known to feed on both kudzu and soybean,
was discovered in Northeast Georgia. Because
little was known about this insect in North
America, SRS scientists are working to determine
the most efficient ways to monitor its population
and understand its biology. This research helps
managers recognize and manage the effects of
kudzu bugs.
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.