USDA Forest Service
RESEARCH
& DEVELOPMENT
2005 Highlights
FS-860
July 2006
United States
Department of Agriculture
Forest
Service
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2
Letter From the Deputy Chief
4
Research and Development Facts
6
Research and Development Highlights for 2005
8
•
Wildland Fire
15
•
Invasive Species
22
•
Recreation and Social Values
24
•
Water and Air
28
•
Resource Data and Analysis
32
•
Wildlife and Fish
38
•
Renewable Resource Management and Use
45
Contacts
46
Organization
Letter From the Deputy Chief
T
The Forest Service has now
passed its centennial mark as an agency,
and research has been part of its story since
the beginning. Given that, it’s impossible
to reflect on the roots of the Forest Service
without reflecting on the roots of Research and
Development (R&D).
Shortly after the Forest Service was
established in 1905, agency leaders began to
establish experimental sites to address largescale problems of forest, range, and watershed
management. Many early studies involved
the restoration of deforested, overgrazed, and
degraded forests and rangelands. There were
also concerns about water supplies and water
quality, which led to watershed studies at more
than two dozen locations. These projects
were the beginnings of today’s network of
experimental forests and ranges.
Today, almost all of the experimental
forests are located on national forests. They
represent regional landscapes over a very
broad range of environmental conditions with
sites from St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
to Alaska. This broad spread includes nearly
50 degrees of latitude and reflects a great
range of temperature and rainfall conditions.
The network has generated a huge database
of information, with some sites boasting
continuous data collection for nearly 100 years.
Those data sets are invaluable in looking at
environmental changes over the last century
and in answering many of today’s pressing
questions at landscape and global scales.
Fortunately, many experimental forests and
range programs are virtual treasure troves
of long-term observations and studies on
climate and atmospheric chemistry change,
carbon dynamics, biodiversity, invasive species,
eco-hydrology, and land use change. For
example, the Lake States Forest Experiment
Station began a program of forest genetics
research in the 1920s to help forests recover
from turn-of-the-century logging and the
deadly fires that followed. Scientists today
are assembling and analyzing the records,
historical correspondence, and hundreds of
old photographs to better understand how
forests in that region have developed over the
last 80 years. This knowledge will help them
predict how forests might respond to future
environmental changes and how forests and
tree plantations can play a role in our national
bioenergy future.
Our ability to conduct long-term studies
on a landscape scale is one of the greatest
strengths of the century-long R&D program.
The value of that strength has never been more
apparent as scientists work to understand the
influence of human activity on local and global
environments. They are an asset as worthy of
investment as any “blue chip stock.”
I’m happy to report that after 100
years of studies, interest in experimental
forests and ranges on the part of scientists,
conservationists, politicians, academics,
and policymakers is growing. A brand new
experimental forest was recently dedicated in
California—the first in 40 years. The Sagehen
Creek Field Station, 10 miles north of Truckee,
will increase scientists’ opportunities to share
the results of research conducted over decades
in the Sierra Nevada. The Sagehen Creek
Field Station has been operated by the
University of California at Berkeley under a
special-use permit from the Tahoe National
Forest since 1951. It will now be administered
by the Pacific Southwest Station, which
brings 75 years of research and long-term
data into the partnership. One of the goals of
this collaboration is to make data from both
institutions more accessible to all who
are interested.
Another dedication could be just around
the corner. The Governor of Hawaii recently
proposed the State’s first experimental
forest, located on the big island, Hawaii. The
dual sites, Puu Waa Waa and Laupahoehoe,
encompass remarkable gradients of climate,
forest, soils, and resource history, and will
enable comparisons of dry versus wet tropical
forests. The Hawaii Experimental Tropical
Forest will help provide the scientific and
technical information needed to restore,
protect, and sustain forests of the Pacific for
purposes of conservation and utilization.
The new experimental forest will not
only provide research opportunities for
world-class scientists, but also learning
opportunities for school children of all ages.
Local communities also will benefit from
employment opportunities associated with
the establishment and maintenance of the
experimental forest units.
All of the knowledge in the world isn’t
worth much if we can’t get it to the people who
need it. To fully realize the benefits of public
investments in research, the Forest Service
is finding better ways to effectively translate
science findings and technological advances
into on-the-ground accomplishments. We are
looking at models for a more integrated and
streamlined approach to enable Forest Service
R&D to accelerate the application of science
findings and technological innovations.
We work extensively with cooperators to
deliver user-friendly products and services
to the public. We have more than 1,000
cooperative research agreements with
partners across the country. We are looking
at innovative partnerships with universities
and exploring new models for cooperation,
including establishing a competitive grants
program within Forest Service research. We
are working to implement the research and
development criteria of relevance, quality,
and performance identified in the President’s
Management Agenda. This has given the Forest
Service a great opportunity to reemphasize,
streamline, and invigorate the critical processes
of science application.
At Forest Service R&D, our goal is to provide
the scientific knowledge and tools necessary
to manage, restore, conserve, and increase
the productive capabilities of forest and range
systems. The outcome of our research will help
sustain healthy ecosystems to produce needed
outputs and minimize environmental risks,
to maintain and enhance forest health and
productivity.
Ann M. Bartuska
Deputy Chief for Research & Development
Letter From the Deput y Chief
Research and Development Facts
USDA Forest Service Research and Development
Appropriations for the Past 20 Fiscal Years
($ in thousands)
General Administration
Appropraited
Appropriations (thousands dollars)
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
1985
1990
1995
2000
USDA Forest Service Research Facilities
Pacific Northwest Research Station
Pacific Southwest Research Station
Rocky Mountain Research Station
North Central Research Station
Northeastern Research Station
Southern Research Station
International Institute of Tropical Forestry
Forest Products
Laboratory
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
2005
Scientists by Discipline
Office of Personnel Management Series
1985
0101 Social Scientist
9
0110Economist
15
0150Geographer
5
0193 Archeologist
0
0199 Social Scientist Student Trainee
0
0401 Biologist
30
0403 Microbiologist
14
0408Ecologist
9
0410 Civil Engineer
6
0414Entomologist
70
0430 Botanist
15
0434Plant Pathologist
50
0435Plant Physiologist
26
0437 Horticulturalist
2
0440Geneticist
31
0454 Range Scientist
22
0460 Forester
350
0470 Soil Scientist
27
0482 Fishery Biologist
8
0486 Wildlife Biologist
42
0515 Operations Research Analyst
7
0801General Engineer 32
0806 Materials Engineer
0
0807 Landscape Architect 1
0808 Architect
1
0810 Supervisory Research Civil Engineer
0
0819Environmental Engineer
0
0830 Mechanical Engineer
14
0855Electrical Engineer
2
0893 Chemical Engineer
11
0896 Industrial Engineer
3
1301Physical Scientist 3
1310Physicist
5
1315 Hydrologist
19
1320 Chemist
41
1340 Meteorologist
12
1350Geologist
5
1380 Forest Products Technologist
63
1515 Operations Researcher
0
1520 Mathematician
5
1529 Mathematical Statistician
30
1530 Biological Statistician
0
1550 Computer Scientist
0
Total scientists:
985
1990
8
11
1
0
0
13
9
25
1
55
13
45
35
1
20
15
230
28
11
44
2
28
0
0
0
0
0
8
0
8
3
3
3
21
21
9
4
31
0
2
16
2
0
726
1995
17
11
1
0
0
14
14
46
0
38
12
35
34
4
19
5
138
19
14
44
0
29
0
0
0
0
0
7
0
6
2
5
2
13
21
9
4
25
0
4
14
1
0
607
1997
12
9
0
0
0
13
10
52
0
35
9
27
27
0
19
6
143
17
11
41
0
23
0
0
0
0
0
4
0
4
2
5
1
13
16
9
5
21
0
2
11
1
0
548
2001
18
11
1
3
0
14
10
62
0
24
8
20
25
0
16
3
134
17
13
37
0
19
0
1
0
1
0
2
0
4
0
5
1
12
18
9
3
19
0
3
11
0
0
524
2002
17
10
0
2
0
17
9
64
0
23
5
19
24
0
20
2
128
17
12
35
0
18
0
1
0
1
0
1
0
3
0
3
1
12
18
8
3
23
0
1
10
0
0
507
2004
17
11
1
1
1
19
6
74
0
28
5
19
24
0
18
1
126
15
12
31
0
15
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
3
0
5
1
7
17
8
3
19
1
0
12
0
1
503
2005
15
12
2
1
0
18
7
76
0
27
5
19
25
0
17
1
119
14
12
28
0
15
3
1
0
0
0
1
0
4
0
5
1
6
14
7
3
17
0
0
10
0
1
486
2006
15
13
2
1
0
22
8
95
0
29
6
17
26
0
17
4
149
19
16
41
0
17
0
1
0
1
1
1
0
4
0
10
1
8
16
13
3
17
0
0
10
0
0
583
Research And Development Facts
Research and Development Highlights for 2005
T
The Research and Development (R&D) arm of the U.S. Department of
Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service works at the forefront of science to improve the health and use
of our Nation’s forests and grasslands. Research has been part of the Forest Service mission since
the agency’s inception in 1905. Today, some 500-plus Forest Service researchers work in a range of
biological, physical, and social science fields to promote sustainable management of the Nation’s
diverse forests and rangelands. Their research includes programs in all 50 States, along with U.S.
territories and commonwealths. Throughout all the programs, whether the study is invasive insects,
degraded river ecosystems, or sustainable forest management, the work has a steady focus on
informing policy and land-management decisions. The researchers work independently and with
many partners, including other agencies, academia, nonprofit groups, and industry.
This report presents highlights of work conducted in 2005 by Forest Service scientists. The work
is organized under seven broad themes: (1) fire, (2) invasive species, (3) recreation and social values,
(4) water and air, (5) resource data and analysis, (6) wildlife and fish, and (7) renewable resource
management and use.
Some of the accomplishments highlighted in this report include:
Wildland Fire
Invasive Species
•
Developed models of community cooperation
and partnerships to increase the effectiveness of
fire management programs in communities at
risk from wildfire.
•
•
Developed new and improved science-based
tools to predict fire weather, fire behavior, and
air quality. Improved predictions, in turn, can
help reduce fire and smoke impacts and increase
firefighter safety.
Discovered biological control agents for the
emerald ash borer, a wood-boring beetle native
to Asia that has killed millions of ash trees
throughout southeastern Michigan and nearby
Ontario since 2002.
•
Conducted field studies to demonstrate
effectiveness of biological control of hemlock
woolly adelgid.
•
Used experimental forests to determine
how fuel reduction treatments can reduce wildland fire risk and evaluate tradeoffs between
fuel reduction and other forest values such as
carbon sequestration.
•
Identified practical uses for exotic invasive
species, such as salt cedar, to offset the cost
of removing them and promote rangeland
restoration.
•
Developed heat treatment protocols to kill pests
in packaging materials before they are shipped
around the world. These protocols became the
scientific basis to support a new international
quarantine standard for invasive species.
•
Analyzed 300 years of tree-ring data to understand how ecosystems responded to past climate
changes in the Pacific Northwest, which offers
clues about how ecosystems may respond to
future climate changes.
•
Conducted study in experimental forest to
understand how thinning and prescribed burning restoration treatments affected the health of
fire-suppressed Western forests.
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Recreational and Noncommodity
Use of Lands
•
Studied effects of increased tourism in Alaska to
help community leaders who want to encourage
tourism while minimizing its negative impacts.
•
Conducted qualitative and quantitative research
on crime in the national forests.
•
Analyzed five off-highway vehicle communication programs to determine effectiveness of the
programs in halting or slowing environmental
damage.
•
Published first comprehensive review and
analysis of research on wilderness values.
Water and Air Quality
•
Determined riparian buffers on farmland were
more effective than septic upgrades to help
reduce phosphorus overloading, which is a
significant cause of impaired water quality in
nearly 40 percent of U.S. lakes.
•
Developed basic knowledge of forest management impacts on the carbon cycle to provide a
basis for consistent estimation of the quantity
of carbon sequestered and emissions reduced by
forestry activities.
•
Developed estimates of the U.S. water supply and
origins of the water, by watershed, and displayed
those results through digital maps produced
from extensive databases.
•
Designed a best management practice to reduce
flow of nutrients into coastal waterways from
nearby urban areas.
Resource Data and Analysis
•
Developed software and methods to track
natural resource policy and management issues
through the media.
•
Developed new technique that enables the detection of selective logging through satellite imagery and, by using the new technique, determined
that forest degradation in the Brazilian Amazon
has been underestimated by half.
•
Documented how bat communities use riparian
and upland forested habitats in the coastal
plain of South Carolina, thus determining the
relative value of these habitats for endangered
bat species.
•
Worked with scientists from Norway to study
salmon spawning and used the findings to construct a new Atlantic salmon habitat management model.
Renewable Resource
Management and Use
•
Developed new wood chip pretreatment that selectively removes hemicelluloses present in wood
chips before pulping for paper. The process uses
less energy and results in greater paper strength.
•
Co-produced new technology that uses soybean
flour as the main component in wood adhesive, reducing the amount of petroleum-based
phenol-formaldehyde used. Applications include
plywood and molded wood products.
In conclusion …
This 2005 R&D report is for our partners, stakeholders, and clients. We are committed to getting our
science into a form that can be used by the practitioner. This report is one of many technology transfer
tools we are using to inform interested audiences
about the information and technology developed by
Forest Service scientists.
Wildlife and Fish
•
Synthesized scientific knowledge about the habitat needs of the American marten and created
tools for people who make on-the-ground decisions that most directly affect forest structure.
Research and Development Highlights
W
Wildland Fire Managing landscapes prone to wildfire is a
complicated task that has become more urgent with recent severe fire seasons. To accomplish the
goals of the National Fire Plan, the Healthy Forest Initiative, and the Healthy Forests Restoration
Act, managers are implementing integrated, landscape-scale strategies for managing wildfire risk
to resources and communities and for restoring and maintaining fire-impacted ecosystems. This
requires suppressing fire where appropriate, reducing flammable fuels, predicting and managing
smoke pollution, restoring fire-impacted ecosystems, and interacting with communities.
The higher risk of severe wildfires, coupled with higher societal and management expectations,
has dramatically increased demands on the Wildland Fire and Fuels R&D Program. This program
provides practical, science-based knowledge and tools to support Federal, State, and local land
managers and private landowners in smoke management, fire suppression, fuel classification and
monitoring, biomass utilization, postfire restoration, and predicting fire behavior and effects of fire
on vegetation, water, air, and soil. It provides information to help managers understand interactions
among fire, climate, invasive species, erosion, water quality, wildlife, insects, and disease. Finally,
our research enhances fundamental understanding of fire processes, interactions between fire and
ecosystems, and the social and economic aspects of fire management.
In addition to our base R&D appropriation, Wildland Fire R&D is funded through the National
Fire Plan and the Joint Fire Science Program. A new strategic plan is helping us to ensure that we
address the highest priority areas, build collaboration with internal and external partners, and
eliminate duplication of effort. Fire-related R&D, including research on water and air, silviculture,
insects and disease, and invasive species, is also carried out under other program areas.
Building Community
Preparedness for Wildland Fire
The vulnerability of wildland-urban interface
communities to fire is a function of a variety
of factors, including the community’s organizational culture and its ability to coordinate with
nearby communities.
North Central Research Station researchers have
gathered information from communities that have
been successful in disaster preparedness to identify
what factors are critical to success and to develop
models of community cooperation and partnerships.
This information will help to increase the effectiveness of fire management programs in communities at
risk from wildfire. One of the major findings of this
research is that community preparedness for wildland fire builds on a community’s social capacity. As
residents, organizations, agencies, and groups come
together to develop and implement projects to reduce
fire risk, they acquire knowledge, develop skills, and
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Partners: Southern Oregon University, University of Florida,
University of Minnesota, Washington State University.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
New and Improved Predictive Tools
for Fire Weather and Air Quality
Poor or inadequate forecasts of weather conditions
that lead to fires, extreme fire behavior, and smoke
transport can cost lives, property, and millions of
dollars. Improving these forecasts through better
predictive tools and the use of state-of-the-art
technology can reduce the number of poor or inadequate forecasts of fire weather and fire impacts on
air quality.
North Central Research Station scientists developed, tested, and applied numerous fire weather, fire
behavior, and smoke transport predictive tools to aid
fire and air quality management in the North-Central
and Northeastern United States. These efforts included the testing and implementation of the BlueSky
smoke modeling framework for prescribed fires in the
region, the identification of atmospheric precursors
and processes important for fire-weather evolution,
the development of a three-layer atmospheric model
to improve fire-behavior predictions, a validation of
the MM5 atmospheric mesoscale modeling system
for fire-weather predictions, and the delivery of predictive tools to the user community via the Eastern
Area Modeling Consortium and Eastern Area
Coordination Center Web sites (http://www.ncrs.
fs.fed.us/eamc, http://www.fs.fed.us/eacc).
Fire and air-quality managers in the NorthCentral and Northeastern United States are now
using new and improved science-based tools for
predicting fire weather, fire behavior, and air quality.
Improved predictions, in turn, can help reduce fire
and smoke impacts and increase firefighter safety.
Partners: Forest Service–Northeastern Research Station,
Pacific Northwest Research Station, and Eastern Region
Interagency Eastern Area Coordination Center; North Carolina
State University; State University of New York, Albany;
University of Houston; University of Wisconsin; State Forest
Fire Compacts; Weather Ventures, Ltd.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Aiding National Forest
Fire Managers
Managers of public and industrial forest lands
are interested in reducing the susceptibility of their
forested landscapes to unintended wildfire. Attention has recently focused on the risk that fire poses to
people living in the wildland-urban interface, where
people live near large blocks of undeveloped land.
North Central Station researchers worked directly
with the fire management officers on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest (CNNF) to develop several alternative landscape-level strategies to reduce
the risk of catastrophic fire within a fire-prone subdistrict (Lakewood) of the Forest. The base scenario,
reflecting current forestry practices and fire policy,
and three alternative fire/fuel mitigation scenarios
were developed through a series of workshops with
key personnel from the CNNF. Researchers then used
LANDIS 4.0, a model that predicts forest landscape
change over extended periods of time by simulating
forest succession and natural disturbance, to generate
fire risk maps for each alternative strategy. Similar
workshops are planned with other national forests in
the Eastern Region.
This research generated site-specific maps that addressed the specific questions of land planners from
the national forest. The resulting insights will guide
fire and fuel management decisions in fiscal year
2006, reducing the fire risk to tomorrow’s forests.
Partners: University of Missouri, University of Wisconsin,
Forest Service–Eastern Region.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Producing Three-Dimensional
Structural Biocomposites from
Small-Diameter, Underutilized,
or Hazardous
Fuel Trees
The Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, WI, has
developed a new structural
biocomposite product using
hazardous fuels and whole tree
trimmings. This new process
uses low-value biomass to
Christopher G. Turk
build networks or linkages that can serve the community for a variety of other tasks. This research has
generated support for wildland fire preparedness
activities in communities across the country and, as a
result, reduced loss of life and property.
Rendering of a temporary emergency structure made of 3DEF roof, wall,
and floor panels.
Research and Development Highlights
This novel three-dimensional sandwich panel is
strong and stiff but much
lower in weight than
many commercial
wood composites.
produce value-added structural
products so fire mitigation costs can
be minimized.
During the development of this
product, hazardous-fuels timber (timber, bark, and needles) was whole-tree
chipped, refined to fiber, press-dried,
and processed into structural biocomposite panels. The panels were then
tested, and potential furniture and housing product
applications were determined. Process enhancements
and new additive systems are now being studied for
enhancing moisture-resistance and durability.
This novel three-dimensional sandwich panel is
called Three-Dimensional Engineered Fiberboard
(3DEF). The 3DEF is strong and stiff but much lower
in weight than many commercial wood composites.
This technology could have major impacts in the
$200 billion per year residential construction market
as prefabricated walls or floor or roof systems, and
as cement forms and sound partitions in the nonresidential construction market. It may also have
significant potential in other high-value-added
consumer-specialty products such as desks, caskets,
shelves, tables, doors, and in high-volume commodity
products such as pallets, bulk bins, heavy-duty
boxes, shipping containers, packaging supports,
and wire reels.
Partners: Bolton-Emerson Co.; Genesis Laboratories, Inc.;
Forest Service–Bighorn National Forest and Southern
Research Station; Wyoming State Forestry.
Lead: The Forest Products Laboratory.
Addressing the Needs of
New Jersey’s Fire Managers
The New Jersey Pine Barrens occupy more than
1 million acres of land. Historically, the mix of pitch
pine and scrub oak burned about every 25 years,
with large fires commonplace. Fire suppression has
reduced the incidence of wildfire, but the risk of
large fire is still present, and the potential damage
is significant with many small communities nestled
among the nearly contiguous forests. The interdisciplinary program of research begun just a few years
ago is already providing data and tools needed by fire
managers to minimize the risks to life and property.
For example, near-real-time fire weather data is now
available through the office of the New Jersey State
Climatologist at http://climate.rutgers.edu/stateclim/.
Another important aspect of the work is to determine how fuel reduction treatments can reduce risk,
and to evaluate the tradeoffs between fuel reduction
and other forest values, such as carbon sequestration. This new research has helped revitalize one of
the Forest Service’s experimental forests, the Silas
Little Experimental Forest. Experimental forests
are valuable outdoor laboratories, and, over time,
the long-term data sets from these areas can answer
many questions about forest functions and how they
are changing.
Partners: New Jersey Forest Fire Service, Rutgers University.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
Tom Iraci
Past Climate
Changes Offer
Clues About
the Future
Using tree-ring data, scientists have built a timeline of droughts and wet cycles
over the past 300 years in the Pacific Northwest.
10
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Using 300 years of tree-ring data, Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists evaluated the recent
climate of the Northwestern United States from 1675
to 1978 by determining past periods of above- and
below-average drought. Their analysis revealed that
over the past 300 years, the Northwestern United
States had 10 distinct climate periods and 3 unique
climatic regimes or signals that stood out from the
background climate. Five of the 10 periods, which
covered about 80 percent of the time, were marked by
mild and equitable moisture conditions, considered
the Northwest’s background climate. The remaining periods were anomalies: two switched between
extreme dry and wet episodes; another two switched
between more moderate dry and wet episodes; and
one showed no switching at all, but was marked by
persistent, mild-to-moderate drought.
These climate-switching episodes can generate
important changes in ecosystem patterns or processes, such as increasing fire frequency or the duration
of pest outbreaks. Knowledge about how ecosystems
responded to past climate changes gives managers
clues about how ecosystems may respond to coming
climate changes.
Partner: University of Arizona, Tree Ring
Research Laboratory.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Forest Structure and
Changing Fire Regimes
Managers often look to a landscape’s past for
guidance in managing its future. Pacific Northwest
Research Station scientists have studied how the
dry, mixed-conifer forests of the inland Northwest
have changed over the last 200 years. In 2005, they
reported in detail on differences in forest vegetation
patterns and disturbances such as fire and insect outbreaks between the presettlement and modern eras.
Changes in forest structure and composition over
the last 200 years have brought about changes in
the pattern, distribution, frequency, and severity of
disturbances, especially fires. In the absence of fire,
many mid-elevation, dry, mixed-conifer forests have
developed into densely stocked, multistoried forests.
Historically, densely stocked forests in dry regions
were found only in somewhat isolated patches. Currently, densely stocked forests are more continuous in
dry regions, and thus wildfires, insects, and pathogens can spread quickly and easily. These findings,
which link presettlement era and modern vegetation
patterns with their associated disturbance processes,
are being used by forest managers throughout the
Western United States to plan restoration and fuels
management projects.
Partner: University of Washington, College of
Forest Resources.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Effects of Fire and Thinning
Restoration Treatments on
Mixed-Conifer Ecosystems
Mechanical thinning and
prescribed fire were widely
used to restore western forests
after a century of fire suppression, yet little is known about
how these different treatments
affect ecosystem function
and health.
The Teakettle Experiment
Various combinations of burning and thinning
followed ecosystem diversity
treatments were tested for their effects on
and function in old-growth,
old-growth, Sierran mixed-conifer forests.
Sierran mixed-conifer forest
in response to six different
combinations of burning and thinning treatments,
including a no-thin, no-burn control. Thinning alone
negatively impacted plant diversity and many functions by increasing slash and litter already high from
135 years of fire exclusion. The fire-only treatment
did not have a significant impact on the forest because, following common air quality constraints, the
low-intensity prescribed burn was lit in late fall. Thinning combined with fire had the greatest increase in
diversity, soil moisture (the most limiting resource),
and habitat heterogeneity.
This study suggests that the means by which
forests are restored affects ecosystem health. Fire
is essential for restoring ecosystems, and thinning
prescriptions should first and foremost be designed
to influence the intensity and extent of fire’s ecological work. Using 2005 and in-press publications,
Sierran forest managers are currently applying some
of Teakettle’s information. A new demonstration
project is underway, and a film/interactive DVD of
the experiment’s results is in production. These findings should have broad relevance to fire-suppressed
western forests.
Partners: California State University, Goddard Space Flight
Center, Michigan Technological University, University of
California, University of Maryland, University of Michigan,
University of Nevada, University of Toledo, University of
Washington, Forest Service–Pacific Northwest and Southern
Research Stations and Sierra National Forest.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Research and Development Highlights
11
Biomass to Energy Project
1.2-million-acre study area near Westwood, CA. The
next phase of the model will include several landscapes throughout California. The final product will
be relevant to forested areas across the United States.
Policymakers and technical experts from across
the Western United States are participating in the
development of the model. Policymakers and managers concerned with fire protection, water quality, air
quality, forest health, wildlife habitat, and renewable
energy development will all benefit from using this
model to test policy scenarios.
Forests in California and throughout the West
have an excess of small-diameter woody material, or
forest biomass. When wildfires occur, the heavy accumulation of biomass often makes those fires larger
and more severe. The increase
The model will be used to in forest biomass threatens
a range of values, including
study policy scenarios
public health and safety, watersheds, and wildlife habitat.
and tradeoffs between
Partners: Forest Service–Pacific Southwest Region
Public land management
Stewardship and Fireshed Assessment Team; Future
public and private costs
agencies and local landowners
Resources Associates; National Renewable Energy
are focusing efforts on thinand benefits of public
Laboratory; Oregon State University; TCW Economics; TSS
ning forests to reduce wildfire
Consultants; University of California, Davis; University of
policy for renewable
risks. These forest thinnings
Washington; several California and Federal agencies; private
energy and fire protection. produce a significant volume
energy and forest products firms; environmental nonof biomass as a waste product,
governmental organizations.
with very little commercial value. However, the social
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Sierra Nevada
and environmental benefits of using forest biomass to
Research Center.
generate energy are potentially very substantial.
The Biomass to Energy project is building a model
Real-Time Remote Sensing
that will identify and analyze the social, economic,
of Fire Properties
and environmental costs and benefits of using forest
biomass to generate energy. The model currently follows biomass from forests to electrical energy. Future
The Pacific Southwest Research Station and its
versions will model biomass to all forms of energy,
partners are developing the FireMapper® thermalincluding new chemical products. The final product
imaging radiometer for strategic fire mapping to
will be used to study policy scenarios and tradeimprove fire suppression operations, firefighter safety,
offs between public and private costs and benefits,
and our understanding of the behavior and impacts
thereby supporting development of public policy for
of wildland fires. The airborne FireMapper uses new
renewable energy and fire protection.
infrared technology to measure thermal radiation
The research team has
from spot fires and
completed an initial test verintense flaming
sion of the model in order to
fronts. The resultexamine a range of options
ing fire images are
for altering fire behavior at
transmitted by
the landscape scale while
satellite commumaking biomass utilization
nications, geoeconomically feasible. In
referenced, and
addition, the model will also
displayed via the
weigh the public benefits and
Internet to provide
costs associated with fuel
fire managers a
treatments and use
current, detailed,
of the waste stream for
The Pacific Southwest Research Station FireMapper
and synoptic view
revealed surface temperatures on the Old Fire in October
energy production.
of fire spread and
2003, as it burned into the City of San Bernardino, CA.
The test phase of the
activity. FireMapSurface temperatures are shown progressively in red,
model was completed in
orange, and yellow; hot spots at center are burning
per imagery is also
homes in the Del Rosa neighborhood.
2005 and used data from a
providing the best
12
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
quantitative data yet available for the study of the
behavior and impacts of major wildfires.
The Pacific Southwest Research Station has
provided fire intelligence to interagency coordination centers during fire emergencies in southern
California and Montana. Data from the FireMapper
documented the hour-to-hour progress and intensity during critical periods of the 2003 Old, Grand
Prix, Cedar, and Paradise Fires, which destroyed
thousands of homes in San Bernardino and San
Diego Counties, and the Black Mountain Fire, which
threatened Missoula, MT. During 2005, scientists
demonstrated rapid dissemination of FireMapper
data with satellite communications, automated image
processing,
and visualization of fire images via Internet-capable
smart phones while mapping wildfires across
southern California.
Partners: Qualcomm, Inc.; Space Instruments, Inc.; Forest
Service–Pacific Southwest Region, Rocky Mountain Research
Station, and California Southern Operations Coordination
Center; U.S. Department of the Interior (USDI)—Bureau of
Land Management (BLM).
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station, Forest
Fire Laboratory
Reintroducing Fire Into
Southwestern Desert Grasslands
Fire is a natural force that historically helped to
shape and maintain desert grasslands in the Southwest. However, during the past 100 years, fire has
been an infrequent event. Ecologists and managers have begun to use fire as a tool to restore and
maintain these important communities. Research
conducted by Rocky Mountain Research Station
scientists and colleagues addresses these questions:
(1) Will fire reintroduction reduce existing woody
plant cover and retard woody plant expansion? (2)
How will desert grasses respond to more frequent
fire? (3) How will fire affect soil movement and
fertility, and (4) How do drought and fire interact
in shaping desert grassland communities?
Study sites for this research are located on the
Cibola National Forest, the City of Albuquerque’s
West Mesa Watershed, and the Sevilleta National
Wildlife Refuge in New Mexico. Results from 9 years
of data indicate that the use of fire in desert grasslands can successfully reduce woody plant and succulent cover while maintaining healthy stands of native
grasses. Results also indicate
that subsequent fires may
have different, less detrimental effects on the grassland
community than does the
initial reintroduction.
These findings are helping
resource managers of arid
Collecting vegetation data on the
grasslands determine areas
Bernalillo Watershed, New Mexico.
where fire might be used to
meet management goals, how to set realistic goals
for woody plant management, and how to determine
proper fire-return intervals.
Partners: Forest Service—Cibola National Forest, City of
Albuquerque, Sevilleta National Wildlife Refuge, University
of New Mexico.
Lead: Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Ecology, Recovery,
and Sustainability of
Southwestern Grasslands
Unsustainable management of wildlife, grazing,
fire, and woody and alien species has led to widespread disturbance and
degradation of southwestern
In southwestern grasslands,
grasslands. Rocky Mountain
several species of birds,
Research Station scientists in
Albuquerque, NM, are examinmammals, amphibians,
ing the use of fire as a tool to
reptiles, and invertebrates
restore and maintain southuse or depend on prairie
western grasslands, and to
evaluate the impacts of grazing
dogs and their colonies.
and climate impact on wildlife.
Two comprehensive assessments, one on southwestern grassland ecosystems, the other on grazing
and wildlife relations, were conducted in collaboration with the Southwest Region of the Forest Service.
Findings suggest that in southwestern grasslands,
several species of birds, mammals, amphibians,
reptiles, and invertebrates use or depend on prairie
dogs and their colonies. These species include the
black-footed ferret, burrowing owl, ferruginous hawk,
aplomado falcon, and swift fox, all of which are now
classified as sensitive, threatened, or endangered.
Researchers are examining the use of fire as a tool
in Chihuahuan desert grassland for reestablishing
black-tailed prairie dog colonies in protected areas.
Research and Development Highlights
13
Prescribed fire analyses
have found that sitespecific and short-term
net benefits may
be positive.
In addition, research is being
conducted on the interaction of
prairie dog populations, disease,
and weather conditions. Findings are being used to create
models that predict the cause
and likelihood of population
changes in the Gunnison’s
prairie dog. Other results help resource managers of
southwestern grasslands to determine areas where
fire might be used to meet management goals, set
realistic goals for woody plant management, and
determine proper fire-return intervals.
Dale Wade
Partners: New Mexico State University, Forest Service–
Southwest Region.
Lead: Rocky Mountain Research Station.
A prescribed burn is ignited along a plowed firebreak.
Prescribed Burns Potentially
Yield Economic Benefits
Prescribed burning has been shown to reduce
wildfires; however, very little research addresses the
economic success of prescribed burn programs or the
tradeoffs between prescribed fire, suppression, and
wildfire costs. Do resources used to reduce wildfire
risk, such as vegetation management, result in net
economic gains? Prescribed fire analyses have found
that site-specific and short-term net benefits may
be positive.
This study is one of the first attempts to empirically examine economic impacts of alternative rates
of prescribed burning across a landscape. Scientists
developed a new simulation model that estimates
the rate of prescribed burning that would minimize
the net economic costs of wildfire for a given region.
Using data on Florida wildfires from 1994 to 2001,
the scientists compared the results calculated from
old acreage-based risk models with results calculated
from a new risk model that combines the amount of
acres burned with the intensity of the wildfires (an
intensity-weighted risk model).
The study showed that the amount of prescribed
fire that minimizes net economic losses depends on
how the wildfires are measured. Because net economic fire damage is related to the fire’s size and
intensity, ignoring intensity and relying on a risk
model that only considers the number of acres
burned by the wildfire may underestimate the
preferred rate of prescribed burn fuel treatments
to apply across a landscape.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
14
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
I
Invasive Species Invasive plants, insects, and
pathogens pose one of the most serious environmental and economic threats facing the Nation.
The number of invasive organisms in the United States has increased as international travel and
trade have flourished, resulting in the loss of native species, the disruption of ecosystems, and
the diminishment of goods and services from forests and rangelands. Furthermore, experience
has shown that many invasive species are initially introduced in urban centers of commerce and
immigration entry cities, aesthetically and economically impacting urban landscapes. Forest Service
R&D is conducting a wide range of research to help inform management activities, determine the
magnitude of the problem, and improve control efforts.
Studies are investigating the biology of invasive species; options for environmentally safe control;
methods for assessing risk; the role of disturbances, including climate change, in facilitating invasion
of both exotic and native species; and impacts on native plants and animals (including threatened
and endangered species), urban landscapes, and aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Researchers are
also developing programs for detection, inventory, and monitoring of invasive species, strategies for
restoration and rehabilitation, and educational programs. Our goal is to develop new knowledge and
technology that will improve management by (1) preventing invasive species introduction and spread,
(2) monitoring to detect newly introduced species, (3) controlling the most threatening invasives,
and (4) restoring ecosystems damaged by invasive plants, insects, or pathogens. Our efforts will
contribute to protection of urban environments and improved functioning of forest and rangeland
ecosystems nationwide, especially as invasive species management becomes a component of longterm landscape restoration.
Biological Options for Slowing
Emerald Ash Borer Spread
The emerald ash borer, a wood-boring beetle
native to Asia, has killed millions of ash trees
throughout southeastern Michigan and nearby
Ontario since 2002. The initial infestation near
Detroit has reached forests in the northern Lower
Peninsula and is rapidly spreading to other States
through transport of infested nursery stock, firewood, and timber. Ash is a substantial component
of eastern forests and has been planted extensively
as a hardy urban shade tree. In North America, it
has shown no resistance to this pest.
North Central researchers are studying
emerald ash borer biology in countries where the
insect is native. In 2005, they discovered two
previously unknown parasitic wasps that prey on
emerald ash borer larvae or eggs. These natural
enemies of the invasive insect hold potential for
being used as biological control
agents in North America.
With the discovery of these
parasites and appropriate
screening and evaluation, regulatory agencies in the United
States and Canada will have
another tool in their arsenal
for stemming the spread of the
emerald ash borer.
The emerald ash borer’s
natural insect enemies in
Asia have potential to be
used as biological control
agents against the invasive
insect pest in this country.
Partners: Canadian Food Inspection
Agency, Canadian Forest Service,
Michigan Department of Agriculture,
Michigan State University, Michigan Technological
University, Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio State
University, University of Illinois, University of Michigan, and
USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Research and Development Highlights
15
Helping Prevent the Spread
of Asian Longhorned Beetle
Asian longhorned beetle,
Anoplophora glabripennis, has the
potential to cause more than $41
billion in losses nationwide if it
spreads beyond current quarantined areas of New York, Illinois,
and New Jersey. When New York
City proposed a waste-wood collection system that would cost an
estimated $6.1 to $9.1 million per
year, city managers needed to know
if Asian longhorned beetle would
spread to the many landfills across
the Eastern United States.
A researcher at the Northeastern Research Station, in
collaboration with several APHIS
scientists, quantified the probability
The Asian longhorned beetle, a destructive,
that Asian longhorned beetle in
invasive insect, could spread through the
disposal of improperly handled wood waste.
wood waste would survive transport, compaction, and burial. The
study found that in seven different management
scenarios, risks with most pathways are very low,
especially considering existing mitigations including chemical control, removal of infested trees, and
burial of wood waste in managed landfills. However, illegal dumping or disposal at a single landfill
increased the risk many thousandfold. By rigorously
maintaining and monitoring existing mitigations, it
was estimated that taxpayers would save $75 to $122
million over the next decade. This information is
now being used to assess the risk of waste removal
from other areas infested by the Asian
longhorned beetle in the United States
and Canada.
Several thousand small
lady beetles were freereleased in six States for
biological control of
hemlock woolly adelgid.
Providing New
and Effective
Controls for
Woolly Adelgid
In spring 2005, several
thousand small lady beetles (Scymnus sinuanodulus) were free-released in six States
16
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Neil Gribbins
Partner: USDA APHIS.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station
for biological control of hemlock woolly adelgid
(HWA), a nonnative pest of hemlock in the Eastern
United States. Scientists in Connecticut collected
this lady beetle in China and imported it to the Forest Service Quarantine Laboratory in Ansonia, CT,
several years ago. While in quarantine, studies of the
beetle’s biology and feeding specificity established its
suitability and safety for HWA biological control.
Next, the scientists conducted field cage
studies that showed S. sinuanodulus could have
greater impact on HWA than another lady beetle
previously released. Based on the lady beetle’s
potential and safety documented by the research, it
was provided to cooperators for mass rearing and
release in forests. Additional releases are planned for
2006, and monitoring and evaluation of the releases
will continue to verify the lady beetle’s establishment
and effectiveness.
Partners: Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station,
Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources, University of Georgia, University of
Massachusetts, Forest Service—Northeastern Area.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station
Producing Exterior Building
Products From Invasive Species
Exotic invasive species are fast encroaching into
America’s natural indigenous ecosystems resulting
in a host of environmental problems including increased fire danger, topsoil erosion, reduced groundwater, and reduced streamflows. To offset the costs
associated with removal and to promote rangeland
restoration, scientists at the Forest Products Laboratory are actively working to identify uses for exotic
invasive species.
In 2005, the USDI
BLM and the Forest
Products Laboratory
partnered to establish if
several problem species could be used in
wood-plastic composites
in exterior applications
such as decking, railings,
Exterior building products such as
and siding. Salt cedar
decking, railing, and siding can be
(Tamarix spp.) from the
produced from invasive species
Colorado
River basin
such as salt cedar. Here, woodplastic composite siding is tested
in southwest Arizona
for outdoor durability.
and one-seed juniper
(Juniperus monosperma) from Utah were harvested
by the BLM and sent to the Forest Products Laboratory for evaluation for use in the composites. Eastern
redcedar (Juniperus virginiana) from Oklahoma has
also been evaluated for wood-plastic composites.
This work by Forest Products Laboratory scientists
has demonstrated how these exotic invasive species
can be successfully used in wood-plastic composites.
Scientists are now optimizing the processing, performance, and durability of these composites, as well
as seeking out favorable attributes that these species
may offer.
The results will be used to promote the use of
exotic invasive species with wood-plastic composite manufacturers, offering a value-added outlet
and helping land managers to improve public lands
throughout much of the Western United States where
these species are problems.
The ISPM15 standard has been, or is being,
adopted by all International Plant Protection
Convention member countries, the European Union
on March 1, 2005, and the United States, Canada,
and Mexico on September 16, 2005. Once fully
implemented, ISPM15 will help simplify and standardize international trade requirements for wood
packaging materials.
Partners: Michigan Technological
University, University of Tennessee.
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory.
Nonnative species were
significantly more abundant
in stands that had been
recently clearcut or thinned
Distribution of
Nonnative Plants Varies
With Management History
The distribution of eight common nonnative plant
species varies with management history and stand
structure in western Oregon forests. Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists reported that most of
the
eight nonnative plants are more likely to be found
International Standard Slows the
in young forest stands with open conditions. For most
Spread of Invasive Species
of the eight species, which included Himalayan blackberry, Scotch broom, and nonnative thistles, distribuResearchers at the Forest Products Laboratory
tion was more closely associated with a low density of
have been working to prevent the spread of invasive
overstory trees than it was with climate. Nonnative
species by focusing on the wood packaging materispecies were significantly more abundant in stands
als used for internathat had been recently clearcut or thinned
tional shipping. Their
I
and thus were more open, than in stands with
P
research aided in the
no cutting. Most of the eight nonnative plants
P
XX - 000
C
development of the first
are more likely to be found in young forest
international commodYY
stands with open
ity quarantine standard
conditions. However, some shade-tolerant,
ISPM15 requires the use of a
for invasive species.
evergreen,
nonnative plants, such as English
mark on wood packaging materials
Scientists developed
ivy and English holly, spread easily in
to certify that proper treatment
heat treatment prohas occurred.
established, mature forests.
tocols to kill pests in
This finding is an important step toward
packaging materials before they are shipped around
understanding invasive plant ecology, essential
the world. These protocols became the scientific basis
knowledge for developing prevention and
to support new international quarantine measures for
management strategies.
wood packaging materials.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
One scientist advised the International Forestry
Quarantine Research Group on the development of
Sudden Oak Death
International Standard for Phytosanitary Measures
No. 15, or ISPM15. The ISPM15 standard requires
that all wood packaging materials be heat treated to
A newly identified nonnative pathogen, Phya minimum core temperature of 56 ºC for at least 30
tophthora ramorum, the cause of sudden oak death,
minutes or be treated with methyl bromide before
has killed tens of thousands of tanoak (Lithocarpus
shipping. Treated packaging must then be marked
densiflorus) and coast live oak (Quercus agrifolia)
with an official stamp.
in coastal California and southwestern Oregon in
Partner: USDI—BLM
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory
Research and Development Highlights
17
The Pacific Southwest
Research Station is leading
a comprehensive national
research program on
sudden oak death that
is providing the science
base for horticultural
and forestry regulatory
and management
programs worldwide.
David Rizzo
the past decade. The pathogen has a broad host range,
infecting 85 plant species, including popular ornamental
plants, such as camellia and
rhododendron; hardwoods,
such as oaks; conifers, such as
coast redwood and Douglasfir; and ferns and herbaceous
plants. Many of these plants
do not die from infection
but serve as reservoirs for
inoculum. The pathogen can
be inadvertently moved to
new areas on nursery stock
and has been intercepted and
eradicated from hundreds of nurseries in 20 States, as
well as nurseries in British Columbia and Europe.
The Pacific Southwest Research Station is leading
a comprehensive national research program on sudden oak death, and progress is being made on several
fronts. A preventive treatment, Agrifos fungicide,
was tested and registered for use in impacted forests.
Diagnostic tools have been developed, such as molecular-based probes to detect the pathogen in plants,
soil, and water. Genetic investigations revealed that
the pathogen populations in California, Oregon, and
Europe are three distinct clonal populations, introduced from an undetermined country.
This information is providing the science base
for horticultural and forestry regulatory and
management programs worldwide. It is providing
Sudden oak death near Big Sur (Monterey County), CA.
18
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
vital information on spread mechanisms and pathogen survival so homeowners, land managers, arborists, and nurseries can prevent inadvertent introductions to uninfested areas. The new findings allow
inspections, treatment requirements, and shipment
restrictions to be more precisely targeted, reducing
costs and unnecessary regulatory burdens.
Thirty-four research grants are funding investigations into sudden oak death at 19 institutions in the
United States, Germany, Mexico, and the United
Kingdom. Research funded by the Pacific Southwest
Research Station has helped in the development of
risk assessments in the United States, Canada, the
United Kingdom, and European Union. The research
has also contributed to ornamental nursery and forest diagnostic guides, and national and State training
sessions. Education, outreach, and interagency
coordination are emphasized through a partnership
with the California Oak Mortality Task Force
(http://www.suddenoakdeath.org).
Partners: California Department of Forestry and Fire
Protection; Oregon State University; The United Kingdom
Forestry Commission; University of California, Davis and
Berkeley; USDA Agricultural Research Service; USDA
Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension
Service; and many others.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Invasion by an N-Fixing Tree
Scientists investigated impacts of an invasive
nitrogen-fixing tree, Falcataria moluccana (a.k.a.
albizia), on the last intact remnants of native wet
lowland forest on the Island of Hawaii. The amounts
of nitrogen and phosphorus available in the soil were
dramatically higher in Falcataria-invaded stands
relative to native stands. Native species accounted
for nearly 100 percent of total stem density in native
stands, whereas alien species accounted for 82 to 91
percent of total stem density in invaded stands.
Compositional changes following Falcataria
invasion were due both to increases in alien species,
particularly the noxious weed, Psidium cattleianum, and decreases in native species, particularly
Metrosideros polymorpha (a.k.a ohia), the dominant
species in many Hawaiian forests. Given the rarity
and limited extent of native-dominated wet lowland
forests in Hawaii and the changes imposed on them
by Falcataria invasion, the continued existence of
these unique ecosystems may be determined, in
R.F. Hughes
large part, by the spread of this invasive species. The
controlling tree diseases, but has taken on many new
research provides a clear example of how one invasive
dimensions, cutting across many disciplines. This
species facilitates the invasion of other invasive spebook is an important reference for forest pathologists,
cies, resulting in an “invasional meltdown.”
scientists, forest managers, ecologists, molecular
The research was done in the coastal lowlands of
biologists, geneticists, landscape ecologists, and
the eastern portion of
other professionals.
Partner: Canadian Forestry Service.
the Island of Hawaii,
Lead: Rocky Mountain Research Station.
but findings are
relevant to other areas
in Hawaii and other
Mexican Pine Beetle–
islands of the Pacific
the New Invasive
where Falcataria is
invading. Groups
Bark Bug
using the research
include the DepartBark beetles are the most
Falcataria moluccana (right foreground)
ments of Land and
destructive biological force in North
invasion into native-dominated lowland wet
Natural Resources,
forest (left, and background) of Hawaii.
American forests. Their threats are
State of Hawaiiespecially severe becausee of new
Division of Forestry
fungi that beetles may carry, new
and Wildlife; the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park;
hosts they may kill, and the lack of natural enemies.
Kamehameha Schools; and the National Park of
The Mexican pine beetle is the newest invasive
American Samoa.
bark pest in the country. Southern Research Station
Partners: Departments of Land and Natural Resources,
State of Hawaii-Division of Forestry and Wildlife.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Bridging the Molecular and the
Landscape in Forest Pathology
As ecological threats to forest health and
sustainability intensify and new threats emerge,
forest pathology is playing an increasingly important
role. Understanding the dynamics of diseases in
complex ecosystems and describing their impacts
are major issues in plant pathology and natural
resource management.
Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists
in Fort Collins, CO, along with cooperators at the
Canadian Forestry Service, bring together in a single
volume, published in 2005 by the American Phytopathology Press, a comprehensive treatment of emerging topics in forest health. Titled Forest Pathology:
From Genes to Landscapes, the book reviews both basic and applied research, covering new research technologies that are changing the traditional approaches
to the study and management of forest diseases and
rapidly expanding our understanding of epidemiology, etiology, impact assessment, and other core
areas of forest pathology and disease management.
It illustrates how forest pathology is not just about
scientists published the first report of this insect as
an invasive in the United States and provided research on the taxonomy and biology of fungi associated with this beetle and other beetles, including the
southern pine beetle.
This research contributes
directly to sustainable southern
pine ecosystems. Nonnative insects
and the fungi they carry may
have severe impacts on southern
pine ecosystems.
Partners: Dartmouth College; Ecosur,
Mexico; Northern Arizona University;
University of Pretoria, South Africa; Forest
Service—Forest Health Protection.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
The Mexican pine beetle is a newly
discovered invasive bark beetle in the
United States.
Cause Discovered for Red Bay
Mortality in Southern States
Extensive mortality of red bay trees has been reported since 2003 in coastal counties around Hilton
Head, SC, and Savannah, GA. More recently, the
problem has been found near Jacksonville, FL. Red
bay (Persea borbonia) is an aromatic, evergreen tree
common in forests of the Atlantic and gulf coastal
plains of the Southeastern United States. The species
is important for wildlife and as an ornamental.
Research and Development Highlights
19
A pathogenic fungus is associated
with excessive mortality in red
bay trees, an aromatic, evergreen
tree common in the Southeastern
United States.
Trees afflicted with the disease
wilt and decline rapidly. The sapwood
of diseased trees is discolored with
pronounced streaking, and leaves
of diseased trees become purplish
brown. A pathogenic fungus in the
genus Ophiostoma has been consistently isolated from dead and dying
red bay trees, and the fungus is believed to be responsible for the wilt.
An exotic ambrosia beetle, Xyleborus
glabratus, has also been routinely recovered from dead and dying red bay,
and may serve as a disease vector.
This beetle, a native of Asia, was only
recently discovered in the United
States. Work is continuing to
characterize and identify the fungal
species associated with the disease,
and to better understand the
epidemiology of the disease.
Partners: Florida Division of Forestry,
Georgia Forestry Commission, Iowa State
University, South Carolina Forestry Commission, USDA APHIS,
Forest Service—Forest Health Protection.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
Microbial Infection Affects Egg
Viability and Incubation Behavior
in a Tropical Bird
Microbes affect avian life-history strategies in
diverse habitats on a global scale. Consequently,
Forest Service researchers and managers must take
microbial infections into account when assessing
causative factors lowering
egg viability and diminishing
The International Institute
reproductive success in their
of Tropical Forestry
study animals. On a much
provides the first evidence broader scale, our findings
will greatly affect the direction
that microbes can infect
of avian egg viability research
throughout the international
unincubated eggs of
scientific community.
a wild bird.
The International Institute
of Tropical Forestry provides the first evidence that
microbes can infect unincubated eggs of a wild bird.
Previous studies had assumed that eggs are protected
by their shells and waiting for parents to initiate
20
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
incubation in a manner that creates optimal
hatching patterns.
Using eggs of the pearly-eyed thrasher (Margarops
fuscatus), effects of exposure to ambient temperature
and microbial pathogens on egg viability over an
altitudinal climate gradient in Puerto Rico were
tested. Hatching success of control eggs (82 percent)
and unmanipulated eggs (84 percent) did not differ,
indicating no impacts of handling on hatchability.
Hatching success of experimental eggs declined very
strongly after exposure for 7 days (2 percent). Results
demonstrate that viability of unincubated eggs
exposed to moist tropical conditions declines
strongly and that temperature and microbes affect
egg viability but are independent of one another.
Partner: University of California, Berkeley.
Lead: International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
Early Recovery of Subtropical
Dry Forest in the Absence of
Grazing and Fire
The 272-acre Tinaja tract in southwestern Puerto
Rico had been recurrently burned and grazed for
nearly a century, but burning and grazing were
eliminated in 1996. Two years later, in 1998, a survey
of tree cover was carried out in the tract, which is a
subtropical dry forest type at the Cartagena Lagoon
National Wildlife Refuge. The survey disclosed 161
tree species, with 10 tree species accounting for
nearly 60 percent of the stems, and 19 species represented by single plants. Seven endemic, 20 exotic, and
3 endangered species were recorded. Previous land
use was the most important factor explaining species’
distributions. Slope and distance to drainages also
added significantly to the explained variability. Aerial
photos from 1998 showed that the ground cover was
about 50 percent shrubs, 43 percent open forest, and
7 percent grass cover.
A second survey in 2003 confined to the lower
one-third of the Tinaja tract showed that the number
of trees (i.e., single trunks at ground level) was 3.3
times the number in 1998. The greatest abundance
of new trees was closest to residual tree cover. The
leucaena tree (Leucaena leucocephala), an exotic
species, increased proportionately during the 5-year
measurement period, accounting for more than
one-half of the trees by 2003. Leucaena along with
eight other exotics accounted for 30 percent of the
Partners: University of Puerto Rico, Puerto Rico
Education Department.
Lead: International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
Invasive Species Form
New Forests With Healthy
Earthworm Populations
250
Earthworm density
(animals/m2)
200
150
100
50
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The African tulip tree (Spathodea campanulata),
an aggressive invasive tree species in Puerto Rico,
forms new forests that dominate almost as monocultures in abandoned and degraded agricultural lands.
Institute scientists and collaborators are studying
the function of these forests to see if they provide the
same level of ecosystem services that native forests
provide. In the summer of 2005, International Institute of Tropical Forestry scientists surveyed alluvial
African tulip forests on abandoned sugar cane fields
on the north coast of Puerto Rico and sampled its
earthworm populations.
The study found four species in the earthworm
community, three of which were native species and
one that is an alien species. Native species had more
biomass and individuals than did alien species.
300
nif
e
Partners: University of Puerto Rico at Río Piedras, Puerto Rico;
USDI Fish and Wildlife Service.
Lead: International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
Results also indicated that the biomass and density
of earthworms was similar to those in mature native
forests and within the range of normal earthworm
density and biomass of tropical forests (see figure).
It appears that the dominance of an alien invasive
tree species does not preclude the establishment of
healthy native communities of earthworms.
This research addresses the question of how alien
and native species combine in disturbed lands to
form new ecosystems that benefit people through
their services. Nutrient cycling and biomass
decomposition are critical ecosystem functions
regulated by soil fauna such as earthworms.
Te
m
pe
recorded tree species and 80 percent of the recorded
trees on lower Tinaja. The studies showed refuge
managers the importance of residual tree cover in
protecting endemic and exotic tree species. It also
showed that the elimination of recurrent fires and
heavy grazing is crucial for the regeneration of tree
cover within subtropical dry forest in the Caribbean
region. Finally, it confirmed the temporary role of
short-lived exotic tree species like leucaena in early
forest recovery. Once tree cover reduces the threat of
recurrent fires, local wildlife will likely help disperse
native tree species and increase their numbers. In the
interim, refuge managers are interplanting native tree
species at Tinaja.
Comparison of earthworm density in various forest types in the United
States and the tropics (blue bars) and Puerto Rico (grey bars), including
alluvial forests of the invasive Aftrican tulip tree (red bar).
Research and Development Highlights
21
R
Recreation and Social Values The Outdoor
Tom Iraci
Recreation Strategic Program Area provides scientifically sound information, tools, and other
research services to land managers, university partners, and other customers and stakeholders to
help provide recreational opportunities that meet users’ needs and expectations while sustaining
healthy ecosystems. Recreation research pertains to understanding and managing recreation
visitors and experiences, understanding the effects of recreation and tourism on local communities
and the environment, and providing for the education, communication, and safety needs of visitors.
The objective of our research is to help managers, communities, and other stakeholders better
understand the risks, trends, and emerging issues affecting recreation so that they may develop
credible and defensible plans, monitoring protocols, and policies to effectively manage the outdoor
recreation resource.
Visitors to Alaska tripled from 1990 to 2004, as Alaska was recognized
internationally as a premier destination.
Tourism in Southeast Alaska
Tourism in southeast Alaska tripled from 1990
to 2004, with visible effects on local lifestyles,
livelihoods, and resident relations with natural
resources. Cruise ship passengers made up
about 75 percent of the 900,000-plus annual
visitors, and the number of charter fishing boats
multiplied tenfold.
Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists
found that tourism is having unplanned social and
environmental impacts on rural southeast Alaska
communities. In Haines, a popular cruise ship destination, local people saw major, widespread changes
in their natural and social environment. In Craig,
where charter fishing lodges are common, residents
22
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
now have to compete with tourists at popular fishing
grounds for limited resources. In the small Tlingit
community of Hoonah, residents now encounter
cruise ship tourists in culturally significant
areas. Corporate investment in tourism escalated
its growth, but as tourism increased, local leaders
began to negotiate control of the process with
outside corporations.
These findings are being used by community
leaders, who are working to encourage tourism while
minimizing its negative impacts. The findings are
also being used by agency managers who are working
with guides, outfitters, and communities to find
environmentally sound and socially just opportunities, and by tourism companies working to have
mutually beneficial operations in small communities.
Partner: Forest Service—Tongass National Forest.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Managing Crime and
Violence on Public Lands
Crime and acts of violence make the work of national forest and grassland managers more hazardous
and jeopardize the safety of forest users. Qualitative
research on crime and impacts on forest management indicates a wide variety of crime and violent
acts in the national forests. Many of these crimes
were urban-associated, for example, body dumping
and domestic violence. Others were resource-related,
such as some incidents of arson. Qualitative research
on successes in managing for crime and violent acts
indicated key characteristics for turning sites around,
including resources, persistence, and collaboration.
A quantitative nationwide study examined
Forest Service law enforcement officers’ perceptions
about these same issues. The survey also addressed
Credibility Through Accountability (CTA) issues
for law enforcement. Study results confirmed the
issues identified in the qualitative studies. For many,
protecting National Forest System employees is a top
priority, as is protection of forest users. Most felt
supported by their line officers, National Forest
System line officers, and employees. A successful
program nationally would provide resources needed,
as well as understanding and interaction with others
in the agency. The agency is using the results for
its CTA process.
Partners: Oregon State University, Forest Service.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Off-Highway Vehicle Use
Studies Address the
Unmanaged Recreation Issue
A study of off-highway vehicle (OHV) management on national forests in California found major
issues including soil erosion, littering, and vegetation
damage. Managers most typically used collaborationstyle strategies to mitigate
these problems. Another
report profiled active riders
who are members of the
National Off-Highway Vehicle Conservation Council
(NOHVCC). Many of their
trail preferences relate to
signage and education.
A review and analysis of
five OHV communication
programs was conducted.
Signage on trails used
Program representatives’
by off-highway vehicle
perceptions were that the
riders is desired by
programs are beneficial but OHV riders.
there has been little formative evaluation completed. The NOHVCC adopted
the “Environmental Intervention Handbook for
Natural Resource Managers” for use in its meetings
and workshops with managers and organized user
groups. These products have been
repeatedly used to inform OHV management
decisions within the Forest Service (e.g., Pacific
Southwest Region) and outside the agency
(e.g., Federal managers from the National Park
Service; managers from many States including
Minnesota, Florida, Utah, California; and partnership groups, such as the NOHVCC,
Leave No Trace, and Protect Your
Recreation is only a
Privilege). A CD and printed versions of
fraction of the total
these products have been used to assist
managers and publics in understandvalue of wilderness.
ing unmanaged recreation, including
evaluation and more effective means of intervention
and monitoring.
Partners: Leave No Trace, Protect Your Privilege; Texas A&M
University; Forest Service–Pacific Southwest Region; USDI
National Park Service; Utah State University.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station
Comprehensive Book Features
Multiple Wilderness Values
The National Wilderness Preservation System
now boasts 662 areas and nearly 106 million acres of
the wildest of Federal lands. As the U.S. population
grows and land uses change, how much new Federal
land should be protected and how existing wilderness should be managed are questions that rise to
the forefront. A new, national publication is the first
comprehensive review and analysis of research on
wilderness values.
Research findings show that recreation is only
a fraction of the total value of wilderness. Multiple
values have been identified as a result of research into
the social, economic, ecologic, and ethical perspectives of wilderness. The book’s chapters are written by
a variety of national experts from management and
science communities and a multidisciplinary team of
scientists. Chapters also include a closer look at social
values, for example, how the cultural backgrounds of
people influence the perceptions and values they hold
about wilderness.
A variety of audiences, including Federal administrators, congressional staffs, nongovernmental
organizations, college students, and the general
public will find this information extremely useful.
Partners: Interagency Wilderness Policy Council; The
Wilderness Society; University of Georgia, Campaign for
America’s Wilderness; Forest Service—Washington Office.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
Research and Development Highlights
23
W
Water and Air Water and Air Research is both a lead and
supporting activity within the Forest Service. As a supporting activity, Water and Air Research
provides basic input on water availability and quality, meteorology, climate, and atmospheric
pollution. As a lead activity, scientists working in the Water and Air Strategic Program Area provide
knowledge related to watershed health, water supply, riparian area sustainability, fire rehabilitation,
fire weather, forest meteorology, compliance with air pollution standards, and sustainability of
ecosystems concerning critical loads and levels. The Water and Air Strategic Program Area helps
manage lands under climate variability and change, provides sustained recreation on the public
lands, and protects wilderness values. Water and Air Research supplies technical tools to support
management activities and is a leader in technology transfer in fire weather, wildland fire smoke,
watershed simulation tools, and disturbance assessment.
Air Pollution Increases Mercury
Release to Wetlands
Mercury is a highly toxic element that is found
both naturally and as an introduced contaminant in
the environment. Mercury becomes more concentrated at each step of the food chain, and mercury
contamination in fish concerns citizens who catch
and eat them, public health officials, ecologists, and
natural resource managers. Forty States have issued
advisories for methylmercury (the form of mercury
that bioaccumulates in the food chain) on selected
water bodies, and 13 States have
statewide advisories for some or
all sportfish from rivers or lakes.
Women of child-bearing age and
children are most vulnerable to
this hazard.
Anaerobic wetland soils are
inhabited by sulfate-reducing
bacteria, which use sulfur rather
than oxygen in life processes.
Sulfate-reducing bacteria also
Scientists found a connection between
convert mercury to methylairborne sulfates from burning fossil
fuels and increased methylmercury
mercury, and North Central
levels in some wetlands.
Research Station scientists found
that methylmercury levels in
wetlands increase as sulfate deposition increases,
owing to increased activity and numbers of
sulfate-reducing bacteria in the wetland soils. Sulfates
are deposited across the landscape as a result of
burning fossil fuels. The connection between
24
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
airborne sulfates and methylmercury in wetlands
is relevant information for policymakers who set air
pollution standards.
Partners: Gustavus Adolphus College, Minnesota Pollution
Control Agency, Science Museum of Minnesota,
University of Minnesota.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Cost-Effective Improvement
of Lake Water Quality
Phosphorus overloading is one reason that nearly
40 percent of U.S. lakes have impaired water quality.
Riparian buffers and upgraded septic systems can
improve water quality, but, to be effective, any
improvement methods must be cost effective and
socially acceptable to lakeside residents.
North Central Research Station scientists and
cooperators assessed the barriers and costs of using
either riparian buffers or septic upgrades to meet
phosphorus-reduction targets. They found that, in
nearly every case, riparian buffers on farmland-streamside strips of land where natural vegetation
is allowed to grow--were more cost effective but are
not being widely implemented. The challenges of
negotiating with landowners to leave riparian buffers
and monitoring the buffers appear to be the main
hurdles to implementation.
State and local governments can improve water
quality at reduced costs by helping local collective
action groups overcome social and institutional
barriers to landscape-scale solutions such
as widespread riparian buffers.
Leading the Nation’s Effort
to Develop New Guidelines
for Carbon Reporting
Environmental Impact From
a Preservative-Treated
Wetland Boardwalk
In 2002, the President directed USDA and the
Department of Energy (DOE) to revise the system for
reporting and registering reductions in greenhouse
gas emissions. The NortheastThe rules and guidelines will
ern Research Station’s Global
Change Program is leading
provide the mechanism for
these efforts as they relate to
voluntary actions to increase
forestry and agriculture. The
carbon sequestration in U.S.
work involves development
of decision-support software
forests and reduce emissions
to aid reporting agencies,
of greenhouse gases, thus
development of basic supportleading to cleaner air and
ing knowledge of forest
management impacts on the
a cooler planet.
carbon cycle, and technology
transfer and support for forest agencies. The rules
and guidelines will provide a basis for
consistent estimation of the quantity of carbon
sequestered and emissions reduced by different
forestry activities. They are expected to provide the
mechanism for voluntary actions to increase carbon
sequestration in U.S. forests, add value to private
forest lands and income to landowners, and reduce
emissions of greenhouse gases, thus leading to
cleaner air and a cooler planet.
In cooperation with the National Council for Air
and Stream Improvement, the Forest Service also
released COLE v2.0, a beta-version Carbon On-Line
Estimator that allows users to examine forest carbon
characteristics for any area of the continental United
States. The COLE data are based on FIA data.
Partners: University of Minnesota.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Partners: Forest
Service—Mount Hood
National Forest,
USDI BLM.
Lead: Forest Products
Laboratory.
Partners: DOE, National Council for Air and Stream
Improvement, Inc.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
Stan Lebow
Because of its durability and natural appearance, preservative-treated wood is often selected for
construction projects in our national forests, national
parks, and other natural areas. To address concerns
about preservatives leaching in service, a cooperative study including members of the wood-treating
industry, the Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory and Mount Hood National Forest, and the BLM
was conducted.
The study evaluated preservative release,
environmental accumulation, and biological impact
from treated wood used in construction of a wetland
boardwalk. A BLM recreation site in Welches, OR,
was selected for construction because it was
considered a severe leaching scenario because of
high rainfall and standing water. Monitoring soil
and sediment beneath the boardwalk for 60 months
following installation revealed that elevated levels
of copper and chromium were confined to directly
under the drip line of the boardwalk, and elevated
arsenic levels appeared to be limited to within 1 foot
of the structure. Leached preservative components in
the sediment increased more quickly than those
in the soil and reached near maximum levels after
the first year. Results demonstrated that, when
used in an area of high rainfall, copper chromated
arsentate-treated wood structures can cause
measurable increases in environmental
concentrations of
copper, chromium,
and arsenic in
proximity to
treated wood.
Forest Products Laboratory
researchers found that some wood
preservative chemicals do leach
from wetland boardwalks in areas
of high rainfall.
Deep Groundwater Sustains
Waterflow in Drought Years
In the Western United States, water supplies for many cities come from rivers whose
summer streamflows are highly dependent
on winter snowpacks. New studies predict,
however, that climate change will lead to significant reductions in the region’s snowpacks
Research and Development Highlights
25
and, subsequently, its streamflows. Pacific Northwest
Research Station scientists found that in the Cascade
Range, the source of water for many Oregon and
Washington cities, deep groundwater may buffer the
hydrological effects of climate variability, sustaining
waterflow in drought years.
In the high Cascade Range, deep groundwater
springs maintain higher and more consistent
summer streamflows than occur in the western
Cascade Range, which has shallower springs.
Through modeling, scientists found that the deep
groundwater in the high Cascade Range is likely to
buffer the effects of rising temperatures and reduced
snow accumulations. The western Cascade Range,
however, showed dramatically reduced summer
streamflows under a warmer climate scenario.
These findings are being incorporated into a
multiyear planning process conducted by the
Eugene Water and Electric Board, a public water
utility serving over 200,000 customers in Oregon.
The findings are likely to be used by other cities and
by forest managers.
Partners: Eugene Water and Electric Board, Oregon State
University, San Diego State University.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Tom Iraci
Where Our Water Originates
In the high Cascade Range, deep groundwater keeps river waterflow fairly
constant year-round, buffering summer droughts.
26
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
As human populations increase, careful management of our water supplies becomes ever more
important, both to satisfy human needs and to
protect the environments of other species. Successful management relies on an accurate broad-scale
characterization of the resource. A study by Rocky
Mountain Research Station scientists in Fort Collins,
CO, provides a key element of that characterization
for water—digital maps produced from extensive
databases, showing estimates of the U.S. water supply
and origins of the water, by watershed.
Results show that across the contiguous 48 States,
54 percent of the water supply originates on forested
land, 25 percent on agricultural land, and 8 percent
on rangeland. Forest is the most important cover
type for water supply in several sections of the United
States, contributing 66, 56, and 68 percent of the
water supply in the West, South, and East, respectively. Agriculture is the most important cover type
for water supply in the Great Plains and Midwest,
contributing 44 and 57 percent, respectively.
Across the continental United States, 18 percent
of the water supply originates on national forests and
grasslands and another 6 percent originates on other
Federal lands. Federal lands are even more important in the 11 Western States, where 50 percent of
the water supply originates on national forests and
grasslands, and another 15 percent originates on
all other Federal lands. Results are useful in setting
broad-scale watershed management policy, especially
regarding management practices important to the
protection of water supply, water quality, and avoidance of flooding.
Lead: Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Scientists Improve Urban
Water Quality Through Best
Management Practices
Urbanization has contributed to deteriorating water quality along the southeastern coast of the United
States. Fewer options for capturing and processing
nutrient runoff make water sources increasingly
susceptible to contamination. As a result, coastal
changes, seriously impaired water quality, declining
marine fisheries, and the potential for human health
problems have prompted natural resource regulators
to ask for help in solving the problem.
Scientists conducted a study of nutrient movement
into these coastal water sources from nearby urban
areas. Nutrients in groundwater and stormwater were
quantified for two watersheds, and the watersheds’
actual and potential capacity to remove nitrates before they reached waterways was assessed. Based on
their studies, scientists designed a best management
practice (BMP) for reducing nutrient This study has highlighted
enrichment of receiving waterways
the environmental
fed by built-out residential and resort
services provided by
areas. They also developed
a hydrologic model to estimate
forests and wetlands on
performance of the supplementary
the southeastern coast
BMP for constructed wetlands.
in the sustainability
This study has highlighted the
environmental services provided by
of water quality.
forests and wetlands on the southeastern coast in the sustainability
of water quality. This project has been of interest to
State regulatory groups because it has provided information needed to revise the BMPs for stormwater
management on the South Carolina coast.
Partners: Citadel University, Kiawah Island Community
Association, South Carolina Department of Natural
Resources, South Carolina Sea Grant
Consortium, University of South Carolina.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
Research and Development Highlights
27
R
Resource Data and Analysis The Resource Data
and Analysis (RD&A) strategic program area provides strategic-level inventory and monitoring
research and information needed to assess the status, trends, and sustainability of America’s forests.
The information can be used by policy and business managers and other key decisionmakers to
make informed resource management decisions. Basic research about the science of inventory and
monitoring improves people’s understanding of the risks, trends, and emerging issues affecting forest
resources.
The FIA Program is central to the RD&A strategic program area. This program is the Nation’s
continuous forest census. It collects, analyzes, and reports information on America’s forests: how
much forest exists, where it exists, who owns it, and how it is changing, as well as current condition
of the trees and other vegetation. This information is used in many ways, such as evaluating wildlife
habitat conditions, assessing sustainability of current ecosystem management practices, monitoring
forest health, supporting planning and decisionmaking activities, and predicting the effects of global
change. The data are also used as baseline information to project how forests are likely to look in 10
to 50 years under various scenarios in order to evaluate current and proposed policies.
North Central Research
Station scientists and
cooperators developed
software and methods
to track natural resource
policy and management
issues through the media
and display changes in
the discussion over time.
track natural resource policy and management issues
through the media by identifying and characterizing media discussion and displaying changes in
the discussion over time. They created an interactive
Web system that generates monthly updates and
displays the resulting snapshot of resource issues on a
national Web site at http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us/issues.
This index of favorable and unfavorable media coverage provides a baseline of public discourse in the
media. With this information, policymakers and land
managers can make natural resource decisions with
a better understanding of the views and concerns of
affected stakeholders.
Partners: University of Minnesota.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Tracking Public Opinions on
Natural Resource Issues Online
Public opinion on current natural resource
issues plays a key role in shaping public policy. Policy
analysts and natural resource managers need to track
and understand trends in public sentiment in order
to manage public lands “for the greatest good for the
greatest number in the long run.”
North Central Research Station scientists and
cooperators developed software and methods to
28
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Assessing Impacts of
Housing on Forests
Increases in housing density in private forests
affect the contributions of those forests to timber,
wildlife, and water resources.
North Central Research Station researchers,
in collaboration with State and Private Forestry,
demonstrated the utility of the Forest Inventory and
Analysis and Resource Planning Act data to test the
accuracy of a variety of forest cover maps related to
the condition and management of public and private
forests. The result was “The Forests on the Edge”
report, the first in a series that displays and describes
housing density projections on private forests, by
watershed, across the lower 48 States.
This research gives land managers the ability
to identify areas of concern now and allows them
to change or modify outcomes in the future through
the land management and policy decisions they
make today.
Partners: American Farmland Trust, Colorado State University,
Forest Service—Cooperative Forestry and Pacific Northwest
Research Station.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Improving Methods for
Forest Inventory
Forest inventory methods are used every day
throughout the world to assess components of the
forest at levels from small woodlots to national
inventories. One unsolved problem that has plagued
these inventories for over 50 years is what to do when
sampling near the forest edge. Two recent developments have finally solved this problem. With a colleague at the University of New Hampshire, scientists
at the Northeastern Research Station introduced
the “walkthrough” method as a way to correct for
edge-bias in forest inventories that use simple sample
plot designs. As an example of the method’s importance and quick adoption, the British Columbia
Ministry of Forests and Range adopted walkthrough
for their forest inventories even before the technique
was published. In addition, numerous foresters have
already adopted the approach for use in their forest
inventories. Building upon the geometric principles
of the walkthrough, in cooperation with colleagues
at University of New Hampshire, Yale, and the Swiss
Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape
Research, they have developed several new methods that correct for boundary effects on inventories
that use clusters of plots. The cluster plot problem is
important because numerous national inventories
use such designs, including the FIA Program in the
United States.
Old Forests
Increased Under
the Northwest
Forest Plan
In the first decade under the
Northwest Forest Plan, the
total amount of late-successional and old-growth forests
showed a net increase.
The Northwest Forest Plan
provides policy direction for Federal land management within the range of the northern spotted
owl in California, Oregon, and Washington. Monitoring results showed that in the first decade under the
Northwest Forest Plan, the total amount of latesuccessional and old-growth forests (LSOG) showed
a net increase, after losses from all sources, by about
600,000 acres to an estimated 7.9 million acres.
There are 24 million acres of Federal land within
the Northwest Forest Plan area.
Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists
reported that most of the net increase was in younger,
less structurally complex, mature forest, not in large,
multistoried, old forest. Acres of LSOG lost included
about 101,000 acres burned in wildfires, an amount
roughly five times the 17,000 acres of LSOG harvested. Acres gained came primarily from stands that
reached the mature age class during the decade. The
monitoring report (http://www.reo.gov/monitoring)
also included information on how well the LSOG
forests are working ecologically and how they are
distributed across the landscape. Managers are using
the findings in an adaptive management process to
meet challenges during the plan’s next decade.
Partner: Forest Service—Pacific Northwest Region.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Tom Iraci
Partners: University of New Hampshire.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
The total acres of old forest increased during the first decade of the Northwest
Forest Plan.
Research and Development Highlights
29
Private Forest Owners
Gain Needed Tax Knowledge
The Federal tax code is vast and its forest-related
provisions are complex and constantly changing. To
many private forest owners, taxes represent a critical
factor in determining the feasibility of the management options they use, the level of stewardship they
practice, and the types of forest outputs they produce.
Southern Research Station scientists partner each
year with State and Private Forestry to inform nonindustrial private forest owners about the provisions
of the Federal tax code that affect forestry, to make
them aware of changes in the law and regulations,
and to respond to their questions in times of emergency. The Forest Service’s Forest Taxation Team
teaches day-long forest taxation and estate planning
workshops for forest owners, State service foresters,
consulting foresters, tax professionals, and attorneys
at sites throughout the country.
During fiscal year 2005, the Forest Taxation Team
presented 11 forest taxation workshops in Louisiana,
Georgia, Utah, Texas, and Arkansas, and an estate
planning workshop in Utah. They also made use of
electronic and printed media to reach larger audiences. Products include “Capital Ideas–Live!” an Internet
radio program and “Tax Tips for Forest Landowners
for the 2004 Tax Year,” a printed information bulletin.
Partners: Forest Service Volunteer, West Chester, PA; Forest
Service—Northeastern Area and Southern Region State and
Private Forestry.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
New Publication Highlights
Enhanced Forest Inventory
Analysis Process
The FIA Program is moving to an enhanced
program featuring greater national consistency, a
complete and systematic annual sample of each State,
new reporting requirements, and integration with
the ground-sampling component of the Forest Health
Monitoring (FHM) Program.
A newly published general technical report presents an overview of the conceptual changes, explains
the three phases of FIA sampling design, describes
the sampling frame and plot configuration, presents
the estimators that form the basis of FIA’s National
30
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Information Management System (NIMS), and shows
how annual data are combined for analysis. The estimation techniques described in this document are
likewise important to the FHM program, because 1
out of every 16 FIA plots is dedicated to FHM.
This report is arguably one of the most significant documents ever produced by the FIA Program.
It is currently being used to design and implement
NIMS, which will supercede five separate regional
data processing and storage systems. Greater national
consistency and “one-stop-shopping” will improve
the delivery of critical forest inventory data to the
extensive user community, which includes policymakers, land managers, and scientists from a variety
of organizations. Several Southern Research Station
scientists played an instrumental role in bringing this
product to fruition.
Partners: Forest Service—North Central, Northeastern, and
Rocky Mountain Research Stations, and Washington Office.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
New Satellite Study Doubles Forest
Disturbance Estimates in Brazil
Results from a new large-scale, high-resolution
satellite data analysis indicate that forest degradation
in the Brazilian Amazon has been underestimated by
half. The study was led by a scientist from the Carnegie Institution’s Department of Global Ecology, who
worked with scientists from the Forest Service International Institute of Tropical Forestry and Brazil’s
agricultural research agency—EMBRAPA.
Brazil’s Space Research Institute has used remote
sensing to accurately measure deforestation for over
two decades. Surprisingly, though, little has been
known about the extent of selective logging in the
region because the image analysis techniques could
not distinguish selectively logged from undisturbed
forests. The Carnegie Landsat Analysis System uses
advanced computational methods to unmix the image spectra allowing selective logging to be detected.
Satellite results were calibrated and corroborated
with extensive field studies.
From 1999 through 2002, the study used Landsat
7 data with a spatial resolution of 98-foot grid cells
over millions of square miles over the five States
that account for 90 percent of all deforestation in the
Brazilian Amazon. The annual extent of selective logging was found to be between 4,685 and 7,654 square
miles. A few protected national reserves, parks, and
indigenous lands were found to have illegally logged
areas. As a result of the harvest, up to 80 million
metric tons of carbon are released each year.
The researchers are hopeful that their new
techniques can be expanded to regularly monitor
logging in Brazil and other tropical forest countries.
The new technique not only gives accurate locations
for logging but also measures canopy damage,
opening the possibility of using this technique to
measure the quality of harvesting techniques whether
for government enforcement or for commercial
certification efforts.
The new satellite processing system was funded
by the Carnegie Institution. Application of this
new system to Brazil was supported by the National
Aeronautics and Space Administration. Groundbased fieldwork for calibration and validation
of the satellite techniques was supported in part
by the Forest Service and U.S. Agency for
International Development.
New techniques enable the detection of selective logging, not
just clearcut logging, through
satellite imagery.
Lead: International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
Research and Development Highlights
31
W
Wildlife and Fish Wildlife and fish are not only sensitive
indicators of ecosystem health, but they are highly visible to the public, and their welfare is a key
environmental issue. The healthy habitats, populations, and biodiversity required in laws such as the
Healthy Forests Restoration Act, Endangered Species Act, and the Clean Water Act are key strategic
goals for Forest Service management.
Wildlife and fish research is an umbrella that covers a broad array of terrestrial and aquatic
species, including rare plants. The primary research focus is on habitat attributes needed to maintain
species across complex and dynamic landscapes. The program is focused on protecting or enhancing
wildlife within the context of management activities and other habitat change. Research projects
address disturbance from forest thinning and silviculture, habitat fragmentation, fire, urbanization,
roads, recreation, invasive plants, and global climate change.
Research on threatened and endangered species accounts for about a quarter of the wildlife and
fish research budget. Landscape-scale modeling and geographic information systems techniques
have helped to define key habitat types and areas for species of concern. An increased emphasis
on the design of broad-scale monitoring is coordinated with the national forests to address forest
planning needs.
National forests and grasslands cover a wide diversity of aquatic ecosystems. They encompass
about 128,000 miles of streams; 2.2 million acres of lakes, ponds, and reservoirs; and 16,500 miles of
coastline. The fisheries research program develops information to maintain habitat, populations, and
species diversity, including species and stocks at risk, and supports meeting legal requirements and
management objectives of the Forest Service.
The national forests support more than 50 percent of the remaining habitat for natural populations
of important fishes, mussels, and crustaceans. National programs such as “Rise to the Future,”
“National Recreation Fishing Policy,” and “Bring Back the Natives” have created emphasis areas that
commit the Forest Service to scientific excellence in fisheries and fish habitat management.
Evaluating Habitat
for American Marten
Getting scientific knowledge about the
American marten to the field people who
manage forests will likely improve the
outlook for marten recovery.
32
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
The American marten was eliminated from
Wisconsin in the early 1900s, partly owing to loss of
critical habitat. Since reintroduction to Wisconsin,
marten populations have persisted at locations where
they were introduced, but the species has not thrived.
This concerns State, Federal, and tribal land managers charged with protecting endangered and sensitive
species and the Ojibwe people, who value the marten
as a clan animal that plays an important role in the
history and way of life of their people.
North Central Research Station and tribal researchers synthesized scientific knowledge from
Partners: Forest Service—Chequamegon-Nicolet National
Forest, Great Lakes Indian Fish and Wildlife Commission,
Miami University of Ohio.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Improving Knowledge of
Endangered Bat Species
Northeastern Research Station, in cooperation
with the Southern Research Station, West Virginia
University, and the University of Tennessee, documented how bat communities use riparian and
upland forested habitats in the coastal plain of South
Carolina and distinguished bat foraging within forests
from bat foraging above forest canopies.
Station scientists demonstrated that researchers
who set up their bat detection equipment under
a forest canopy can underestimate bats’ use of a
particular forest habitat because the equipment
fails to detect bats foraging above the canopy. The
scientists also found, however, that the vast majority
of bat foraging activity in the study area occurred
over streams, rivers, bays, ponds, and marshes. This
work was among the first to empirically compare the
value of riparian habitats with upland habitats in the
Southeastern United States for foraging bats.
Partners: DOE, University of Tennessee, Forest Service—
Southern Research Station, West Virginia University.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
Richard Riddell
published studies and expert opinion about the
habitat needs of marten in Wisconsin and created
tools for people who make on-the-ground decisions
that most directly affect forest structure.
For instance, wildlife biologists can use a computer
based presentation to share important features of
older hardwood stands with timber markers and silviculturists, who make the immediate decisions that
most affect marten habitat. A color brochure offers a
field reference that reinforces the key points from the
presentation. This guide can help managers improve
habitat conditions for this important species, which
should hasten its recovery and address the ecological
and cultural concerns for its welfare.
Researcher holds adult Atlantic salmon, live-trapped in the Narraguagus River
in eastern Maine.
Quantifying Salmon Spawning
Habitat Limitations
Trout and salmon require
The survival of Atlantic
specific habitats to successfully spawn
salmon fry was strongly
in streams. These habitats are often
density-dependent.
negatively impacted by land management practices.
One potential consequence of spawning habitat
limitation is high density-dependent mortality,
as tens of thousands of juveniles emerging from
crowded nests are forced to compete for limited
habitat space. In an international collaborative effort,
Northeastern Research Station scientists worked with
research scientists from the Norwegian Institute of
Nature Research on a series of field experiments to
quantify this effect and assess its implications for
population and habitat management. They found
that the survival of Atlantic salmon fry was strongly
density-dependent—the more fry that emerged in a
given area of streambed, the lower were their survival
rates. When spawning habitat is limited, high local
densities and low survival rates of fry are likely to
occur, which may lower overall salmon population
size and production. The scientists used their new
findings to construct a new Atlantic salmon habitat
management model that is currently being evaluated
in both Norway and the United States.
Partners: Norwegian Institute of Nature Research.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
Research and Development Highlights
33
Tom Iraci
FishXing Helps Fish
“Cross” Roads
Roads and improperly designed culverts can be
barriers to fish migration, but well-designed and
well-placed culverts can restore passage for fish and
other aquatic life.
FishXing (“fish crossing”) is a software application designed to help engineers, hydrologists, and
fish biologists evaluate and
design culverts for fish passage. Scientists from Pacific
Northwest Research Station
and collaborating agencies
launched the newly upgraded
FishXing 3.0 in 2005. The
program offers improved
modeling capabilities for calculating fish movement through
Well-designed fish passage under roads
culverts and multimedia help,
enabled these chum salmon to spawn in an
tutorials, and case studies for
urban stream in Juneau, AK.
assessing fish passage through
culverts. The FishXing Web
site (http://stream.fs.fed.us/fishxing) includes case
studies with photos, showing culvert problems and
design solutions.
FishXing is widely used in the Pacific Northwest,
nationally, and abroad. The high cost of culvert
replacement (estimated $50,000 per culvert) makes
this program an invaluable planning and assessment
tool. Its use can save money, speed up the design
process, and help planners avoid errors. Thus,
FishXing provides management agencies with a
better scientific basis for making culvert design and
replacement decisions.
Partners: CalFed; Federal Highway Administration;
Humboldt State University; Forest Service–Pacific Northwest
National Laboratory, San Dimas Technology Development
Center, Washington Office, and Stream Technology
Systems Center.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Effects of Timber Harvest on Elk
Timber harvest reduces forest cover and often
increases road density. Pacific Northwest Research
Station scientists studied the effects of these changes
on elk and cattle at the Starkey Experimental Forest
and Range in northeastern Oregon.
34
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Scientists found that after extensive timber harvest units were cut within a 3,500-acre fenced area,
elk distribution patterns changed, but cattle distribution was not affected. Elk cows and their calves
gained and maintained weight as successfully as elk
in a control area, as did cattle. Adult elk cows and
bulls were more vulnerable to hunting in the timberharvest area, however, because of the loss of cover
and increased road density. These findings suggest
that to maintain elk populations at preharvest levels
following an extensive timber harvest, modifications
in hunter access would be necessary.
Starkey (http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw/starkey) is the
primary field location nationwide for the scientific
study of the effects of deer, elk, and cattle on ecosystems. Definitive results from Starkey research give
managers defensible options for managing big game,
road access, and range allotments. Starkey findings
are commonly used across the Western United States
by State, private, and Federal resource managers.
Partners: Boise Cascade Corporation, Eastern Oregon
Agricultural Research Center, National Council for Air and
Stream Improvement, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife,
Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, Forest Service—Pacific
Northwest Region and Wallowa-Whitman National Forest.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Comparative Risk Assessment
Framework and Tools
Comparative Risk Assessment Framework and
Tools (CRAFT) is a new Web-based tool that helps
planning teams assess the risks, uncertainties, and
tradeoffs that surround natural resources management. It is particularly useful for exploring tradeoffs
between competing values, such as lowering wildfire
risk at the cost of reducing wildlife habitat. CRAFT
helps planners clarify objectives, develop better
“win-win” alternatives, assess likely consequences,
and clearly communicate risks to decisionmakers
and the public.
This online tool (http://www.fs.fed.us/psw/topics/
fire_science/craft/craft/) brings state-of-the-art
decision analysis to forest planners. Forest managers explicitly grapple with risk, often trying to juggle
multiple and competing resource values. CRAFT
leads planners through an integrated risk assessment of the tradeoffs between “no action” alternatives
versus fuels treatments, or other similar problems. It
Partners: Forest Service—Shasta-Trinity National Forest,
National Commission on Science for Sustainable Forestry.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Wetland Restoration
Wetland restoration projects on the mainland and
in Hawaii often involve opening up areas of water
to create bird habitat, which can result in the loss of
vegetated marsh areas. However, research conducted
in a southern Maine salt marsh revealed that vegetated marsh areas are equally important habitat for
wetland-dependent birds and should be included in
the design of future marsh restoration projects.
Other findings show that numbers of emerging
insects, an important component in the diets of many
birds, were similar to numbers emerging from open
pools of water. Insect diversity was also higher from
vegetated areas than from open pools of water, revealing the importance of these areas in maintaining
levels of biodiversity in wetland ecosystems. Study
results were communicated through publications,
workshops with wetland managers, and field visits to
restoration sites.
The new information is also being used by wetland
managers at USDI Fish and Wildlife Service, USDA
Natural Resources Conservation Service, and the Division of Land and Natural Resources working in the
gulf of Maine and in the State of Hawaii. Work was
supported by the Wells National Estuarine Research
Reserve in Wells, ME, and was conducted in portions
of the Rachel Carson Wildlife Refuge with permission
by the USDI Fish and Wildlife Service.
Partners: Michigan State University, USDI Fish and
Wildlife Service, Wells National Estuarine Research Reserve.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Reducing Highway-Caused
Impacts to Wildlife on and
Beyond National Forests
As traffic volume increases on all highways across
the Nation, wildlife in national forests are increasingly impacted by habitat fragmentation and vehiclecaused mortality.
The new surface transportation bill SAFETEALU, passed in August 2005, recognized that the best
available science would be needed to maintain habitat
quality while providing for national transportation
needs. Research will be funded for determining
guidelines for best management practices, and
coordination with land management agencies will
be increased. The science of highway ecology is
young, and Forest Service research is in the forefront
of new developments.
Pacific Southwest Research Station, the Ohio
Department of Transportation, and Wayne National
Forest personnel worked together to create the firstever wildlife mitigation project for highway impacts
in Ohio. Wildlife crossing structures there will serve
endangered butterflies and Indiana bats and reduce
dangerous collisions with common white-tailed deer.
David Romero
helps match the right analytical tools and data to the
problem at hand, and steps planners through
the analysis process from problem identification to
comparing alternatives. In addition, advanced
decision analysis techniques allow modeling of realworld dynamics and display the consequences and
uncertainties of alternative actions.
The statistical techniques imbedded in CRAFT
allow planning teams to meld expert opinion, empirical data, and modeling results, resulting in a transparent decision process. Enhanced communication
and documentation of the analysis process is a major
strongpoint of CRAFT. The CRAFT development
team is currently working with the Shasta-Trinity
National Forest to explore options for reducing
wildfire risk in the Hayfork Adaptive Management
Area. Funding support includes the National Fire
Plan and the National Commission on Science for
Sustainable Forestry.
Highways fragment excellent wildlife habitat, and vehicles can kill significant
numbers of animals. Shown here are bighorn sheep on the Bitterroot National
Forest in Montana.
Research and Development Highlights
35
On the Tonto National Forest in Arizona, scientists designed new wildlife crossing structures by
using specific aspects of the biology of the endangered Chiricahua leopard frog. Investigations of the
design’s effectiveness and its application to other
desert frogs will follow. Another innovative, yet
inexpensive structure designed for desert tortoises
and other Sonoran desert reptiles is also being
installed on the Tonto National Forest.
On the Tahoe National Forest in California,
Pacific Southwest Station scientists are involved with
an interagency and local stewardship team designing
a new type of multiple species wildlife crossing. This
design will test the influence of noise reduction measures inside the structure, based on investigations
that certain shapes of underpasses concentrate sound
near animals’ heads. In Wisconsin, Pacific Southwest
Station scientists are working with Horicon National
Wildlife Refuge staff to design and test optimal structures to reduce vehicle-caused flying bird mortality.
Hundreds of birds are being killed each month at
the refuge. Other work in progress includes decision
tools to identify and prioritize highway segments that
fragment important habitat linkage areas on public
lands and a simple tool to use carcass data to identify
roadkill hotspots.
Partners: Arizona Department of Transportation, Caltrans,
California Department of Fish and Game, Federal Highway
Administration, Horicon National Wildlife Refuge, Ohio
Department of Transportation, Sierra County Fish and Game
Commission, Forest Service—Tonto, Tahoe, and Wayne
National Forests, University of California Agricultural
Extension Service.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
Seasonal Migration
and Home Ranges of
Female Elk in the Black
Hills of South Dakota
and Wyoming
Researchers evaluated the seasonal
movements and home ranges of
female elk in the Black Hills of South
Dakota.
36
Understanding the movement
and dispersion patterns of elk
(Cervus elaphus) on public lands and
the underlying factors that affect the
species helps resolve management
conflicts, benefiting elk and other
uses of land resources.
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Rocky Mountain Research Station scientists
in Rapid City, SD, studied seasonal movements
and home ranges of female elk in two areas of the
Black Hills of South Dakota and the associated
underlying factors. Elk in the northern area did not
demonstrate seasonal migration patterns. Rather,
winter ranges in the northern area were mostly contained within the boundaries of the summer range.
Elk in the southern area exhibited a north-south
migration pattern that coincided with seasonal patterns of snowfall. These elk migrated to winter range
in late November and returned to summer range in
late April. Home ranges of elk in the southern area
were larger than home ranges in the northern area.
Landscape characteristics that affected the size of elk
home ranges included road density, the ratio of cover
to forage, and steepness of the terrain. Elk home
ranges were larger in landscapes with more roads,
less cover, and flatter topography.
State wildlife managers are using this information to establish boundaries and timing of hunting
seasons that help maintain elk populations within
goals and that also reduce conflicts between and with
other resources.
Partner: Forest Service—Black Hills National Forest.
Lead: Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Woodpeckers Select Specific
Pines for Cavity Excavation
The endangered red-cockaded woodpecker
requires cavities for nesting and daily roosting. Management for this species includes managing for some
trees with soft or decayed heartwood, conditions
that facilitate cavity excavation. Previous Southern
Research Station research indicates that this woodpecker actively selects pines with heartwood decay.
Southern Research Station scientists dissected pines
to evaluate the internal conditions of the heartwood
and the development of red heart fungal decay, which
softens the heartwood. In related work, Southern Research Station scientists found that pine spacing that
results in slow diameter growth along with natural
limb pruning promotes the development of the red
heart fungus.
Red heart decay develops when lateral limbs containing heartwood remain exposed to the air after
the limb dies and a branch stub is left protruding
from the pine bole. Once the fungus begins growing
in the limb, at least 30 years are required for sufficient
heartwood decay to
accommodate a cavity.
Allowing for initial pine
development and establishment of red heart
fungi, pines typically
do not become
highly suitable for
cavity excavation until
Scientists are developing a better
80 to 130 years or more
understanding of habitat needs of
depending on species.
the red-cockaded woodpecker, a bird
found in some southern pine forests.
Armed with this new
information, forest
managers can manage
for developing or conserving some trees to meet the
specific cavity needs of this endangered species.
Partner: Forest Service—National Forests and Grasslands
in Texas.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
Understanding Survival and
Abundance in Winter Resident
Warblers: Which Rainfall Matters?
The International Institute of Tropical Forestry
investigated relations among migratory warbler
abundance, survival rates, and rainfall patterns.
Studies were conducted on a Puerto Rican wintering
site and in regions where warblers breed. Research
included use of stable-isotope analysis of feathers
collected from birds wintering in the Guánica Forest
of southwestern Puerto Rico; the isotope analysis was
used to determine that the birds came from eastern
Canada and the United States. The studies included
bird-banding to ensure that scientists were tracking
the same birds throughout their seasonal migrations.
The research reveals that the two focal species,
black-and-white warblers (Mniotilta varia) and
ovenbirds (Seiurus aurocapillus) came mostly from
eastern Canada and the United States. The scientists
found that the black-and-white warbler, a bark-foraging insectivore, had decreased survival when winter
rainfall in Guánica Forest was higher, and improved
survival when winter rainfall was lower. The ovenbird, a ground-foraging bird that eats ants, had
improved survival when breeding-season rainfall in
the United States was higher and decreased survival
during dryer breeding seasons, but showed little
variation in response to differing levels of rainfall on
its Puerto Rican wintering grounds.
Thus, the two bird species differed in
whether breeding-ground or winteringground rainfall was more closely related
to their survival and abundance, and the
two species also had different responses
to amounts of rainfall. These research
findings have wide-ranging implications
for researchers and managers in both
continental North America, where the
breeding grounds are located, and in
the Caribbean, where wintering grounds
are located.
Partner: University of Missouri-Columbia.
Lead: International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
Studies of the Endangered
Puerto Rican Boa
Because of its endangered status, the endemic
Puerto Rican boa (Epicrates inornatus) is a species of
concern for managers in the Luquillo Experimental
Forest, as well as throughout Puerto Rico where little
was previously known of the snake’s basic biology.
To address this deficiency, a team of scientists
used radio telemetry to study the boa’s movements,
home range, and habitat use. Part of the team quantified the behavior of boas concentrated around a cave
entrance where boas captured bats. Other scientists
on the team studied boas in the Luquillo Experimental Forest where prey densities were lower and,
consequently, boa densities were lower, with home
ranges several orders of magnitude larger than those
of boas at the cave site.
These findings have direct policy and management
implications. For example, the discovery that the boa
is more abundant than initially believed, is useful
for decisionmakers reconsidering the boa’s current
status as federally endangered. Also, the unexpected
discovery of 70 boas in the Luqillo allowed scientists
to devise census methods for long-term monitoring
of boa populations. These methods are being used by
the experimental forest’s wildlife managers.
Partners: University of Puerto Rico, USDI Fish and
Wildlife Service.
Lead: International Institute of Tropical Forestry.
Research and Development Highlights
37
R
Renewable Resource Management & Use
This research program provides scientific, management, and technology services to forest and
rangeland owners, managers, policymakers, scientists, and the public. It has three main emphases:
(1) furthering understanding of the structures and processes of forest and range ecosystems,
(2) developing effective and environmentally sound technologies for managing forests and
rangelands, and (3) delivering the goods and services that people use and value from forests
and rangelands.
An array of outputs includes basic knowledge, prediction, and decision models; databases;
measurement techniques; analysis tools; new products and processes; and use technology. Our
goal is to facilitate science-based management that sustains the ecological processes of forests and
rangelands while enabling them to produce the goods and services society requires.
Updated Red Pine
Management Guide
The North Central Research Station’s “Manager’s
Handbooks” were arguably some of the most widely
distributed and utilized products in station history.
Collectively, the handbooks provided guidance to
forest management decisions on hundreds of thousands of acres in the region. However, the 20-year-old
guides have lost much of their utility in the face of
broadening and diversifying management objectives
and a greater understanding of the biology and ecology of forest systems.
North Central researchers and cooperators developed a revised red pine manager’s handbook to meet
the changed needs of forest
landowners. In addition to
The guide is designed for
information on management
options that include tradionline delivery to aid in
tional even-age, single-spefuture updates and the
cies management approacheasy addition of revised
es, the revised handbook
provides information on
management guides for
options that balance timber
other species.
production with sustainability of other ecosystem goods
and services by better emulation of natural stand
development processes and patterns.
Targeted for the nonindustrial private landowner,
the revised guide includes a large section on general
management and ecological principles and practices
with nested levels of detail for use by both technical and nontechnical readers. The revised guide also
38
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
provides sufficient details on pests to help the manager/landowner anticipate potential pest problems at
all stages of stand development. The guide is designed
for online delivery to aid in future updates and the
easy addition of revised management guides for other
species. Lake States forests will be managed more
sustainably and be in healthier condition because of
better access to the latest scientific knowledge about
these ecosystems.
Partners: Minnesota Department of Natural Resources,
Forest Service—Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry,
University of Minnesota.
Lead: North Central Research Station.
Researchers Investigate
Indoor Air Pollution
Indoor air pollution is an issue of increasing
importance as houses become more energy efficient
by reducing air leakage. The Forest Products Laboratory in Madison, WI, worked with the University of
North Dakota to address this problem; the research
will benefit most homeowners.
One method of reducing indoor air pollution is
to remove pollutants from their source, especially
if the wood has become contaminated through
floods or chemical spills. University of North Dakota
researchers have studied bio- and photoremediation
of contaminated wood and concrete. Some of this
work has moved from bench-top evaluation to pilotscale evaluation of the technology. A very interesting
aspect of the studies has shown that not all chemicals
migrate through wood at an equal rate and that their
Significant Benefits
Arise From Wood
Chip Pretreatment
migration is controlled by each chemical’s relative
solubility in the wood and water phases. For cases
where the pollutant is not concentrated, a technology has been developed for making air pollutants
harmless through catalytic oxidation, a process
where contaminated air is heated, then passed
through a bed of solid catalysts where the contaminants are rapidly oxidized. This technology can be
used in a way similar to current technologies for
removing particulates in homes. The laboratory
studies are mainly completed and have been covered
by a patent application.
Americans annually
consume around 100 million
tons of paper and paperboard
made from wood chips. Conversion yields of pulp from wood chips range from
about 45 to 90 percent depending on the pulping
process used: chemical, semichemical, or mechanical.
The Forest Products Laboratory has developed
a new wood chip pretreatment that selectively
removes hemicelluloses present in wood chips prior
to producing the pulp. Acetic acid and sugars are
recovered by the treatment. For high-yield mechanical pulps, refining energy is greatly reduced (30 to 50
percent), and pulp properties such as greater paper
strength are enhanced.
This novel biorefining process employs diethyloxalate (DEO) as a treatment for heated wood chips,
where DEO vapor permeates the wood chips and reacts with the water in the chips. A high concentration
of oxalic acid is deposited in the limited water of the
wood chip. Oxalic acid hydrolyzes a portion of the
hemicellulose, leaving behind and intact the valuable
cellulose papermaking fiber.
Both hardwood and softwood chips were used in
this study and are representative of materials that
can be found nationwide. In particular, pine, spruce,
aspen, and maple have been treated with each species
yielding its own unique blend of sugars. These
sugars represent a significant fermentable feedstock
that can be converted into ethanol and other
valuable products.
Partner: University of North Dakota.
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory.
Converting Forest Thinnings to
Energy: Overcoming Cost Barriers
Partners: Community Power Corporation, Forest Service—
Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory.
Partner: Biopulping International, Inc.
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory.
Community Power Corporation
At least 28 million acres in 15 Western States
could benefit from some type of mechanical treatment to reduce fuel loading and wildfire risk. Biomass
from these forest thinning treatments has the potential to be converted into up to 14 billion kilowatthours of electricity annually.
One difficulty in utilizing this fuel is the cost of
transporting it. One solution would be the development of electrical generators that use gasified wood
and that could be located on forest lands. To address
the cost issues associated with converting wood to
electricity, Forest Product Laboratory economists
developed a study with support from the National
Fire Plan. The study resulted in a general technical
report titled “Fuel to Burn: Economics of Converting
Forest Thinnings to Energy Using Biomax in Southern Oregon” (FPL-GTR-157). Costs and revenues in
southern Oregon were
used to establish the
evaluation methodology, although the tools
developed could be
applied to any woodto-electricity project.
The report includes a
BioMax gasification systems
customizable and
convert wood waste to elecdownloadable spreadtric energy.
sheet tool that may be
used to analyze any scale of project involving woodgasification and electrical generation.
For high-yield mechanical
pulps, refining energy
is greatly reduced and
pulp properties such as
greater paper strength
are enhanced.
Efficacy of Copper-Based
Preservatives Toward CopperTolerant Wood Decay Fungi
Copper chromated arsenate (CCA) preservatives
have been replaced in U.S. residential markets with
alternative copper-based preservatives for treating
wood. This development has renewed concerns
about the decay capabilities of fungi that are tolerant
to copper.
Research and Development Highlights
39
Serpula lacrymans is
unique among woodrotting fungi because
it can cause decay and
structural damage to
both timber and
cement masonry.
Researchers from the Forest
Products Laboratory, in collaboration with the University of
Copenhagen, Denmark, evaluated
the dry rot fungus, Serpula lacrymans. This decay fungus causes
major economic losses, primarily
in buildings, in temperate regions
of the world. It is unique among
wood-rotting fungi because it can
cause decay and structural damage to both timber
and cement masonry. It can also transport water
from distant sources to otherwise dry wood. The fact
that this fungus occurs almost exclusively in buildings and is able to damage cement led to the belief
that it must require calcium, a component of mortar
and other building materials, for decay to occur.
However, Forest Products Laboratory results
revealed that the rate of decay for S. lacrymans was
not influenced by calcium. Fungi tested were
generally copper tolerant owing primarily to the
production and accumulation of oxalic acid, a secondary metabolite of decay. These findings suggest
that alternatives to CCA that are effective against
copper-tolerant decay fungi will have great impact
on the preservation industry.
Partner: University of Copenhagen.
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory.
Historic Structure Preservation
Historic covered bridges were masterpieces of
design that allowed untreated wood to survive for
many decades. But some areas of these structures,
such as supports, weatherboarding, and wood near
the ends of the bridges are susceptible to wetting
Partners: Federal Highway Administration,
Oregon State University.
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory.
Researchers Develop
Soy-Based Adhesive
With the increase in petroleum prices, there
is commercial interest in using soybean flour for
bonding wood products. Soy flour was once used
for interior plywood, but was displaced because of
performance, cost, and ease-of-use issues. Adhesives
are only a small part of wood composites by weight,
but are a significant part of the cost.
A new technology developed jointly between the
Forest Products Laboratory and Heartland Resource
Technologies uses soybean flour as the main component in wood adhesive, reducing the amount of petroleum-based phenol-formaldehyde used. The research
was initially aimed at replacing part of the existing
adhesive for oriented strandboard. However, the
success of the laboratory work, covered in three joint
Heartland/Forest Product Laboratory patent applications, has led to pursuit of additional applications,
including plywood and molded wood products, with
companies in Georgia, Mississippi, and Oregon. The
adhesive technology developed at the Forest Products
Laboratory has been evaluated by adhesive companies in Georgia, Ohio, and Oregon in the United
States, and in Quebec, Canada. Other cooperators are
in Illinois and Washington. In 2005, Heartland added
an additional researcher at the lab and carried out an
outside trial of the adhesive.
Stan Lebow
Partners: Heartland Resource Technologies.
Lead: Forest Products Laboratory.
Cooley covered bridge, Vermont.
40
from rainfall and may eventually succumb to decay
or insect attack.
The wood in most bridge components will last longer if it receives some type of supplemental in-place
preservative treatment. Remedial preservative treatments in covered bridges have been evaluated nationwide and a state-of-the-art guide on preservatives has
been included in the “Covered Bridge Manual.” This
manual, developed by the Federal Highway Administration, provides guidance to those involved with all
aspects of preservation of these unique and historically important structures.
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Demonstrating 30 Years of
Change in Forest Soil on
Pennsylvania’s Allegheny Plateau
A team of Northeastern Research Station scientists gathered the first direct evidence of long-term
change in forest soils that is consistent with soil
damage from acid rain. The study looked at the upper
50 inches of soils on the Allegheny Plateau of northwestern Pennsylvania, where acid rainfall from power
plants and other fuel-burning activities is among the
highest in the Nation.
Comparison of contemporary soil samples with
archived samples from the same sites taken 30 years
earlier showed that the soil had become more acidic
over time. Aluminum, a toxic metal, became more
available and displaced calcium and magnesium,
nutrients important for plant health and growth.
Deficiencies of these nutrients have been associated
with the decline of red spruce in association with low
winter temperatures and sugar maple in association
with excessive insect defoliation.
Partners: Forest Service—Allegheny National Forest,
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Pennsylvania
State University.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
Sustaining Oak Forests
Northern red oak is a valuable tree species in
hardwood forests, but is often not a good competitor
because it does not grow as quickly in its early years
as other tree species.
The Northeastern Research Station is using a
variety of approaches to address issues related to
oak forests. In Parsons, WV, new research suggests
that thinning trees in stands of pole-sized, mixed
hardwoods may improve red oak’s ability to compete
with black cherry and other fast-growing species.
In Pennsylvania, scientists examined the use of tree
shelters to protect red oak seedlings after salvage
cutting that resulted in different residual stand densities; they found that tree shelters can be effective,
but only when overstory density is low. And in Ohio,
Northeastern Research Station scientists are learning
more about how prescribed fire affects species such as
chestnut oak and red maple. Better predictive models
for the effects of fire on stem and tree mortality will
help managers use prescribed fire more effectively for
restoring desired ecosystems.
Partners: Forest Service—Allegheny National Forest,
MeadWestvaco.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
Enhancing Hardwood Market
Opportunities for Forest Industry
In Princeton, WV, NortheastIn wood component
ern Research Station scientists
have been working to help wood operations, a yield increase
manufacturers identify and
of only 1 percent can lead
implement more efficient proto cost savings of tens of
cesses to improve worker safety
thousands of dollars.
and increase profits.
In 2005, researchers helped wood industry managers promote safety by identifying ways to decrease
the number of injuries and safety-related events that
occur in manufacturing facilities. A new “Rough Mill
Improvement Guide for Managers and Supervisors”
helps value-added wood products manufacturers
understand and solve yield and
production problems. In wood
component operations, where
profit margins are slim, a yield increase of only 1 percent can lead
to cost savings of tens of thousands of dollars. The guide can
also help secondary wood processors become more competitive in
the global market.
In another 2005 study,
Scientists are finding ways for the wood
scientists in Princeton combined
products industry to be safer and increase
three-dimensional laser surface
profits, thus improving the industry’s abilscanning with sophisticated data
ity to compete in global markets.
analysis techniques to improve
methods to identify surface
defects on hardwood logs. Now they are working on
linking these new log scanning methods to internal
defects to provide an automated method to accurately
estimate internal defects from external indicators.
Partners: North Carolina State University, Pennsylvania State
University, University of Kentucky, Virginia Polytechnic Institute
and State University, Perceptron Company.
Lead: Northeastern Research Station.
Research and Development Highlights
41
Pacific Northwest Research Station scientists
evaluated the wood quality and volume of lumber
products manufactured from young-growth western
hemlock and Sitka spruce in southeast Alaska.
In response to requests from the Alaska Region
and Tongass National Forest, station scientists tested
sample trees cut in May 2005 from young-growth,
even-aged stands that had been thinned about 20
years ago on Prince of Wales and Mitkof Islands. All
stands include a known precommercial thinning
treatment and a no-treatment control.
At the Ketchikan Wood Technology Center, the
logs were sawn into lumber, kiln-dried, and tested
for their mechanical properties, such as the force
required to break boards. Scientists are correlating the characteristics of standing trees and managed stands—tree size and species, stand type, and
thinning prescription—to the volume, quality, and
mechanical properties of the lumber eventually produced. Results are helping managers understand the
effects of various thinning spacings on wood product
volume and quality, essential information in managing these stands for multiple objectives.
Partners: Alaska State Department of Natural Resources;
Ketchikan Wood Technology Center; Forest Service—Alaska
Region, Forest Products Laboratory, Southern Research Station, and Tongass National Forest.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Genetic Research Is Providing
Risk Management Tools To
Facilitate Native Plant Restoration
in East-Side Ecosystems
Little is known about genetic variation within
native grass, forb, and shrub species commonly used
in restoration projects. Genetics research is now
underway to develop risk management tools, such as
seed transfer guidelines, for these plants. Seed transfer guidelines, which have existed for decades for
Pacific Northwest tree species, recommend how far
seeds of a particular species can be transferred from
their collection site. The risks of using poorly adapted
seeds include spring budding too early for the new
location and insufficient cold or drought hardiness,
among others.
42
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Nancy Mandel
Precommercial Thinning
and Wood Quality
With the help of cooperators, additional seed collections are broadening the study of molecular genetic
variation in native plants of the Western United States.
Research was started or expanded on two native
plants used in restoration. Two series of commongarden studies have been established to study genetic
variation in antelope bitterbrush, an important
winter range browse species for deer, elk, and antelope. With the help of cooperators, additional seed
collections have been obtained to broaden the study
of molecular genetic variation in the species’ range.
Bluebunch wheatgrass seeds were collected in summer 2005 to begin a common-garden study on this
native grass frequently used in restoration projects.
The principles used to develop seed transfer
guidelines for tree species could be used as a template in developing guidelines for other native plants.
However, grasses, forbs, and shrubs show far greater
variation in lifespans, breeding strategies, and other
attributes than do tree species. Tree seed zones
should be considered at best as surrogate seed zones
for native plants until species-specific seed transfer
guidelines are developed. Sound genetic information
can improve the success of postfire rehabilitation and
ecological restoration using native plants.
Partners: Native Seed Network; The Nature Conservancy;
USDA Agricultural Research Service (Western Regional
Plant Introduction Station); Forest Service—National Gel
Electrophoresis Laboratory, Pacific Northwest Region, and
Rocky Mountain Research Station; USDA National Research
Institute and Cooperative State Research, Education, and
Extension Service; USDI BLM, Fish and Wildlife Service, and
National Park Service; U.S. Department of Defense.
Lead: Pacific Northwest Research Station.
Patent Granted for
Forest Genetics Advance
As a result of pioneering work in forest genetics,
the Pacific Southwest Research Station and the University of California, Davis have been awarded a U.S.
patent for a process that allows for faster, easier, and
less expensive testing for the presence of a mutation
in a gene encoding a key lignin biosynthesis enzyme.
The mutation increases the pulping efficiency of loblolly pine, the most important commercial-pulp and
solid-wood-products tree species harvested in the
United States. The DNA sequence for this mutation
was discovered by a team of scientists from the Pacific Southwest Research Station and the University
of California, Davis.
Lignin is the “glue” that holds cell walls together
within the wood of the tree and must be removed
during papermaking by using large amounts of energy and chemicals. The new testing process could be
used to detect loblolly pines with the mutation; forest
managers could grow plantations of these trees specifically for the end use of making paper, if so desired.
Partners: University of California, Davis.
Lead: Pacific Southwest Research Station.
New Community Forest
Assessment Tools Tested
in Minneapolis
Under the direction of the Twin City Tree Trust,
89 volunteers spent over 2,400 hours conducting a
street tree inventory in Minneapolis, MN, by using
personal digital assistants to pilot-test the Forest
Service’s i-Tree software suite. The i-Tree software
provides communities of all sizes with affordable
and easy-to-implement inventory, analysis, and forecasting tools to quantify ecosystem services produced
by city trees and to develop management plans.
Using trained volunteers to collect tree data can spur
public interest and save taxpayer dollars, but data
quality may be inferior compared to data that is
professionally collected.
Pacific Southwest Research Station scientists
compared the accuracy of inventories of 431 trees
done by volunteers and professionals and found that
volunteers correctly identified 80 percent of the trees
by species and accurately measured 77 percent of
the trees’ sizes (diameter at breast height). Volunteers and professionals agreed less frequently on the
condition of each tree’s wood (69 percent) and leaves
(81 percent) and recommended maintenance (49
percent). Findings include that trained volunteers
are a valuable resource for acquiring information on
tree numbers, species, and sizes. However, without
improved or additional training, their assessments of
tree maintenance needs are less reliable.
The compiled data showed that Minneapolis’s
198,633 street trees provide annual benefits totaling
$24.9 million or $126 per tree. Stormwater runoff reduction, energy savings, aesthetic, and other benefits
each account for nearly one-third of total benefits. In
2004, the city spent $9.2 million maintaining street
trees ($46 per tree), with net annual benefits of $15.7
million, or $79 per tree. Thus, Minneapolis residents
are receiving $1.59 in benefits for every $1 spent on
tree care. These numbers have been used in a “Trees
Pay Us Back” brochure developed and distributed
regionally.
Partners: City of Minneapolis; Davey Resource Group;
Twin City Tree Trust; Minneapolis Parks & Recreation Board;
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources; University of
California, Davis; University of
Minnesota; Forest Service—
Pacific Southwest and Northeastern
Research Stations, Washington Office State and Private Forestry.
Lead: Pacific Southwest
Research Station.
The series is a “why, how to,
and what” on rehabilitating
and restoring wildlands
in the inland West of the
United States.
Restoring Western Ranges
and Wildlands
The Rocky Mountain Research Station has just
published a new, comprehensive three-volume set
titled “Restoring Western Ranges and Wildlands.”
The series is a “why, how to, and what” on rehabilitating and restoring wildlands in the inland West of the
United States.
The 18 authors and compilers are from Federal,
State, and university institutions. The books present
wildland restoration principles, philosophy, and practices in a review and synthesis format documented by
citation, discussion, and review of original research.
Volume 1 examines history, ecological principles,
equipment, herbicides, seeding, and management.
Volume 2 focuses on plant materials such as grasses,
Research and Development Highlights
43
forbs, and shrubs; and Volume 3 is devoted to seed
biology and planting stock as well as appendixes of
common and scientific names, a substantive index,
and extensive reference section.
“Restoring Western Ranges and Wildlands,”
General Technical Report RMRS-136, Vol. 1-3, is
available at http://www.fs.fed.us/rm/publications/
lists_rmrs/rmrs_gtr.pdf.
groups suggest the need for different approaches to
attracting their participation.
Does Race Play a Role in
Conservation Incentive
Program Participation?
The Conservation Practice CP-31, part of the
CRP, provides funding for bottomland hardwood
trees to be planted in wetland soils. In the spring of
2003, the Secretary of Agriculture announced the
availability of an additional 500,000 acres for CP-31,
specifically for planting bottomland hardwood trees
on wetland soils. Few landowners originally participated, so USDA policymakers were interested
in providing other economic incentives to attract
landowner participation.
Research scientists worked with agency policymakers to update CP-31 to include a silvicultural
technique developed over the past 10 years. The
technique uses hardwood species, such as red oaks,
planted in between rows of eastern cottonwoods.
This method results in the development of a twospecies forest that can provide landowners with
several income options from wood production, a
factor that could make the conversion of agricultural
land to forests an attractive land use option. An
updated version of CP-31 was approved by the USDA
Farm Service Agency in 2005 and included the interplanting of eastern cottonwoods and hardwoods.
Landowners using this technique can expect additional income from timber sales, hunting leases, and
carbon credits in the lower Mississippi alluvial valley.
Lead: Rocky Mountain Research Station.
Conservation incentive programs are important
for encouraging resource conservation on private
lands as well as ensuring long-term economic success
of farmers. Studies report a disparity in program
participation by racial and ethnic groups and the
negative impacts of such disparities on minority land
ownership and economic success.
To find out why such disparities
occur, researchers surveyed minorThe differences in
ity and white landowners with
program participation limited resources in Alabama regarding their participation in eight
behavior for the two
conservation incentive programs.
racial/ethnic groups
These landowners were similar in
their likelihood to participate in
suggest the need for
conservation programs, such as
different approaches
the Conservation Reserve Program
(CRP), Stewardship Incentives
to attracting their
Program (SIP), and Forestry
participation.
Incentives Program (FIP).
However, studies show that
underneath these surface similarities, significant differences exist in
program participation. White landowners, on average, were enrolled
longer and signed up more acres in
CRP and other overall programs
than minorities. Minorities were
more likely to be unable to afford
the cost share, were more likely to
Interviews with Alabama landowners
revealed reasons affecting the landbe reached through personal conowner’s participation in conservation
tacts than written communications,
incentive programs.
and preferred conservation land
uses that included livestock. The differences in program participation behavior for the two racial/ethnic
44
Research and Development 2005 Highlights
Partners: Alabama A&M University, Auburn University,
Tuskegee University.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
Conservation Practice Revision
Offers Extra Income
Partners: USDA Farm Service Agency; USDI Fish and Wildlife
Service; Mississippi State University; National Council for Air
and Steam Improvement, Inc.; Tembec Corp., LLC.
Lead: Southern Research Station.
Contacts
Research and Development
Deputy Area
International Institute
of Tropical Forestry
Pacific Southwest
Research Station
Resource Valuation
and Use Research
Staff Director: Sam Foster
Jardín Botánico Sur
1201 Calle Ceiba
San Juan, PR 00926–1119
http://www.fs.fed.us/global/iitf
800 Buchanan Street
West Annex Building
Albany, CA 94710–0011 or
P. O. Box 245
Berkeley, CA 94701–0245
http://www.fs.fed.us/psw
Deputy Chief: Ann Bartuska
Associate Deputy Chief: Jim Reaves
Science Policy, Planning,
Inventory, and Information
Staff Director: Richard W. Guldin
Vegetation Management
and Protection Research
Staff Director: Vacant
Wildlife, Fish, Water,
and Air Research
Staff Director: Deanna J. Stouder
USDA Forest Service
201 14th St., SW
Washington, DC 20250
http://www.fs.fed.us/research
Forest Products
Laboratory
Director: Chris Risbrudt
One Gifford Pinchot Drive
Madison, WI 53726–2398
http://www.fpl.fs.fed.us
Director: Ariel E. Lugo
North Central Research Station
Acting Station Director: Michael T. Rains
1992 Folwell Avenue
St. Paul, MN 55108
http://www.ncrs.fs.fed.us
Northeastern Research Station
Station Director: Michael T. Rains
11 Campus Boulevard,
Newtown Square, PA 19073
http://www.fs.fed.us/ne
Pacific Northwest
Research Station
Station Director: Bov Eav
Station Director: Jim Sedell
Rocky Mountain Research Station
Station Director: David A. Cleaves
Natural Resources Research Center
2150 Centre Avenue
Building A, Suite 376
Fort Collins, CO 80526–1891
http://www.fs.fed.us/rm
Southern Research Station
Station Director: Peter J. Roussopoulos
P.O. Box 2680
Asheville, NC 28802
http://www.srs.fs.usda.gov
333 SW First Avenue
Portland, OR 97204 or
P.O. Box 3890
Portland, OR 97208–3890
http://www.fs.fed.us/pnw
Contacts & Organization CHart
45
Office of the Chief
Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief
Deputy Chief
Budget
& Finance
Business
Operations
Programs
& Legislation
Research &
Development
National Forest
System
State & Private
Forestry
Nine National
Forest System
Regions
State & Private
Forestry
Northeastern Area
Six Research
Stations
Forest
Products
Laboratory
International
Institute of
Tropical Forestry
USDA Forest Service
1400 Independence Ave., SW
Washington, DC 20250-0003