Research Highlights

New tool helps in rapid forest health assessment to aid forest restoration

Tool pre-loads maps of trees in poor health to iPads for field verification and use. Station: PNW

Biocontrol of the Emerald Ash Borer pest improves outlook for ash trees in North America

The invasion of forests by the emerald ash borer (EAB) has resulted in the death of hundreds of millions of ash trees throughout much of the U.S. Forest Service researchers are studying how effective biocontrol methods are in managing EAB populations in Michigan forests. Station: NRS

Community Biomass Handbook Volume 4

The Community Biomass Handbook Volume 4: Enterprise Development for Integrated Wood Manufacturing is a guide for creating sustainable business enterprises using small diameter logs and biomass. It can be used to guide restoration treatment planning and prioritizing treatment areas so they match existing infrastructure or potential industry. Station: PNW

How do old clearcuts affect old-growth?

The edge influence of past clearcutting on the structure of neighboring uncut old-growth forests is widespread and persistent. These indirect and diffuse legacies of historical timber harvests complicate forest management decision-making in old-growth forest landscapes by broadening the traditional view of stand boundaries. Station: PNW

New high resolution infrared data aids in the monitoring of fine scale wildland fire effects

Wildfires and prescribed fires in the northeastern U.S. are often too small to evaluate using satellite data in the public domain and are too large to adequately evaluate on the ground; but, monitoring these fires provides critical ecological and fire hazard reduction information. Now, the commercial satellite, Worldview3, can be used to generate high-resolution maps of burn severity in pitch pine forests, enabling fire scientists in the region to gather data not previously available. Station: NRS

Finding beech bark disease resistant American beech trees: It’s in the genes!

A Forest Service scientist and her collaborators have identified genetic markers that may help accelerate breeding and production of American beech trees with resistance to beech bark disease, a disease that has spread throughout New England, continuing as far south as Tennessee and as far west as Wisconsin, causing significant mortality. Station: NRS

Understanding how the organization and interactions of the atoms that compose wood control its mechanical properties

To expand the uses and efficient utilization of wood, Forest Service researchers strive to learn how manipulate its molecular-scale structure to control its mechanical properties Station: FPL