Linking Wood Stake Decomposition in the Forest Floor and Mineral Soil with Soil Productivity in the Northern Research Station

Research Issue

Soil organic matter is key to maintaining site productivity because of its roles in soil water availability, nutrient supply, soil aggregation, and disease incidence or prevention. Organic matter decomposition is controlled by the same soil factors that affect plant growth - water, nutrients, temperature, and pH. Forest management practices and other land management activities can greatly affects organic matter decomposition, which could affect tree growth and site productivity. Consequently, organic matter decomposition is being used as an index of forest management effects (both positive and negative) in long-term soil productivity studies being conducted in various parts of North America and Canada. Projected climate change scenarios and changes in land use would also have a pronounced effect on soil organic matter decomposition rates.

A number of study sites investigating wood decomposition have been established across the United States, Canada, and internationally. The first such field sites were part of the Long Term Soil Productivity (LTSP) network established by the U.S. Forest Service to investigate possible forest management effects on long-term soil productivity in different forest regions of the United States. Additional study areas throughout the U.S., Canada, and Europe represent a wide variety of soil types and climatic conditions, and most are being monitored for soil moisture and temperature. Soil chemical and physical properties have also been characterized on each of these sites. Various management treatments have been applied, which reflect the impact of timber harvesting, site preparation, or wildfire. However, few of these wood decomposition study sites currently exist within the Northern Research Station. Also, there are questions specific to the region within NRS boundaries regarding carbon cycling that can be addressed through a NRS-centric study.  

Our Research

This research has the following objectives: 1) Evaluate the effects of soil chemical, physical, and biological properties on wood decomposition rates and microbial decay patterns across a range of soil types and climatic regimes within the Northern Research Station. 2) Estimate the impacts of a variety of land management practices (e.g. timber harvesting, site preparation, urbanization, and wetland restoration) on wood decomposition in the forest floor and mineral soil within the Northern Research Station. 3) Assess the relationship of microbial diversity to the rate and degree of wood decomposition under varying soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient conditions within the Northern Research Station. 

Expected Outcomes

We will collect data that reflect the different decomposition rates from a variety of diverse ecosystems.  Wood decomposition study plots have been established at eight locations across the Northern Research Station. Four are the NRS Long Term Soil Productivity sites in Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, and West Virginia.  We will also establish sites on the Baltimore Ecosystem Study (both urban and non-urban forests); on a hydrologically restored forested wetland near Somerset, MD; and in Kissena Corridor Park in Queens, NY. These sites were selected because they cumulatively represent a broad gradient of soil type, temperature, and moisture; they also represent a variety of forest types, including sites undergoing restoration activities found across the Northern Research Station.  

Research Results

As of the summer of 2013, we are in the first year of the five-year study.  

Research Participants 

• US Forest Service - Northern Research Station
  • Mary Beth Adams, Research Soil Scientist
  • Rich Hallett, Research Ecologist
  • John Kabrick, Research Forester
  • Megan Lang, Research Ecologist, Visiting Scientist at USDA Agricultural Research Service
  • Daniel Lindner, Research Plant Pathologist 
  • Brian Palik, Research Ecologist
  • Ian Yesilonis, Soil Scientist
• US Forest Service - Rocky Mountain Research Station
  • Deb Page-Dumroese, Research Soil Scientist 
• Michigan Technological University
  • Marty Jurgensen
• Yale University
  • Mark Bradford
  • Alex Felson

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/smart_forests/

Chequamegon Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (CHEAS)

Research Issue

We are collaborating with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), University of Minnesota, University of Wisconsin, Pennsylvania State University, Carnegie Institute, and other participants in the Chequamegon Ecosystem-Atmosphere Study (ChEAS).  The ChEAS is focused on understanding the processes controlling forest-atmosphere exchange of carbon dioxide, including carbon sequestration and ecosystem respiration, and the response of these processes to climate change and multiple environmental stresses.

Our Research

Our goal is to understand the dynamics of forest productivity in terms of net ecosystem exchange (NEE) for carbon dioxide (CO₂) and create the knowledge base for CO₂ fluxes in various forest types.  The ChEAS consists of a cluster of eddy covariance towers for continuous monitoring of energy, water vapor, and CO₂exchange between forest ecosystems and the atmosphere.  Towers are located at various study sites in northern Wisconsin on the Chequamegon-Nicolet National Forest, where flux measurements are obtained at stand-level and landscape  spatial scales. These towers are a part of the network of sites for studying energy, water, and carbon fluxes at the local, continental (AmeriFlux), and global (FluxNet) scales.  

Our research unit participated in the NASA funded project, ‘Testing the Flux Tower Upscaling Hypothesis at a Regional Scale in a Complex Landscape’.  In 2005 to 2007, we deployed two roving flux sensors to include unrepresented ecosystems, and add to the three permanent tower sites, namely, mature northern hardwoods, old-growth mixed forest, and alder-willow wetland.  The four study sites for the roving eddy-covariance sensors included two recently harvested forest stands regenerating into 1) an aspen-dominated ecosystem, 2) a mixed aspen-red maple stand and two wetlands, 3) a sedge-grass-shrub fen, and 4) an ericaceous bog. These flux tower measurements in combination with biometric data and carbon stocks in dead, standing, and live biomass and soil carbon are integrated into the multi-tier studies of the North American Carbon Program (NACP).  Flux tower data are also used to update the biogeochemical model, Biome-BGC, which we utilize for regional upscaling of carbon fluxes.  Furthermore, we recently deployed an eddy-covariance tower (~ 15 m) in a 10-year old aspen stand, an ecosystem that has been unrepresented in the ChEAS stand-level measurements.  

Expected Outcomes

• Carbon, water, and energy fluxes at half-hourly, daily, monthly, and annual temporal scales and spatial scales of flux tower footprint, landscape and region..
• Productivity and respiration maps of carbon fluxes according to forest types and age classes.
• Landscape and regional upscaling on the impacts of elevated CO₂ and O₃ on carbon, water, and energy fluxes in aspen forests.
• Testing the flux tower upscaling hypothesis in a complex landscape in northern Wisconsin.
• Modeling complex ecosystems in support of the NACP Mid-Continent Intensive.
• Upscaling carbon fluxes from stand-level towers to the footprint of a very tall tower in a heterogeneous landscape.

Research Results

Carbon fluxes obtained from the very tall landscape-level tower (400m, WLEF near Park Falls, WI) indicate that the landscape is a weak net source of CO₂, yet stand-level towers in individual ecosystems within the landscape are net CO₂ sinks. Fluxes measured from this tower will be used to link and upscale the results from the Aspen FACE experiment, where scientists are studying the effects of anticipated climate change (elevated CO₂ and O₃) on northern forest ecosystems. 

Sulman, Benjamin N.; Desai, Ankur R.; Mackay, D. S.; Samanta, S.; Cook, B. D.; Saliendra, N. 2008. Interactions of carbon and water cycles in north temperate wetlands: Modeling and observing the impact of a declining water table trend on regional biogeochemistry

Research Participants

• Nick Saliendra, Univ. of Maryland, Baltimore Co., Maryland (formerly U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Research Plant Physiologist)
• Randy Kolka, U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Research Soil Scientist
• Ron Teclaw, U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Research Biologist Emeritus
• Ankur Desai, University of Wisconsin – Madison
• Ken Davis, Pennsylvania State University
• Faith Ann Heinsch, University of Montana
• Paul Bolstad, University of Minnesota – St. Paul

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/smart_forests/

Collections at the Center for Forest Mycology Research

Research Issue

Forest fungi are critically important for forest health and productivity. Of the estimated 1.5 million species of fungi worldwide, only about 5% have been described and named. Key characteristics used to identify species and the relationships among species are in a critical period of change.  Changes in the forest environment with respect to land use, access, and climate have the potential to change the distribution and biodiversity of forest fungi. At the same time, there is increased interest in forest fungi and their activities as sources of pharmaceuticals, bioenergy, and  biotechnology. Using forest fungi to meet these needs requires development of stable systems of biosystematics and identification.

 Our Research

The Center for Forest Mycology Research (CFMR) is part of NRS-10 and is located at the Forest Products Laboratory at Madison, Wisconsin. The climate-controlled mycological herbarium houses more than 70,000 preserved specimens, collected since the mid-1800s. The culture collection contains more than 12,000 living isolates of 1,500 species.   Details for the entire culture collection and about 25,000 herbarium specimens have been entered into an electronic database to aid information search and retrieval. CFMR scientists and researchers from around the world use the CFMR collections to test hypotheses of distribution, relatedness, and biological activity of forest fungi.

Expected Outcomes

The herbarium and culture collection assist U.S. and international scientists to:

• Better define species limits and relationships among beneficial and pathogenic forest fungi
• Provide a databank for the identification of unknown fungi
• Provide living cultures for biotechnology and pharmaceutical research
• Provide a record of changes in fungal distribution that may be due to climate change, invasive species, and changes in forest health.

Research Results

The Center for Forest Mycology Research Herbarium and Culture collection were recently (2007) put online in a searchable format. As of 2007, there were 33,592 entries in the database. In 2008, an additional 2,888 entries were added, which were a combination of new specimens and cultures, as well as additions of historical collections that had not been previously entered electronically. There are an additional 2,660 entries that will be added in early 2009. The recent additions include many mycorrhizal fungi, which were previously under-represented in the collection, which is made up primarily of wood-decay fungi. Researchers from around the world access these collections, with approximately 500 cultures and specimens being sent out in 2008. In November of 2008, the Team Leader for the Culture Collection and Herbarium, Daniel Lindner, was invited to Malaysia to talk about the CFMR's culture collection and methods of preservation for tropical fungi. The long-term goal from this meeting is to develop a centralized Malaysian culture collection for researchers and mushroom growers in southeast Asia. Recent publications using these collections include:

Lindner, D.L.; Banik, M.T. 2008. Molecular phylogeny of Laetiporus and other brown rot polypore genera in North America. Mycologia 100:417-430.

Research Participants

Principal Investigators

• Daniel L. Lindner, US Forest Service - Northern Research Station, Research Plant Pathologist
• Beatriz Ortiz-Santana, US Forest Service - Northern Research Station, Research Botanist

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/smart_forests/

Relationships between Different Forms of Private Forest Landowner Assistance and Land Management Behaviors and Intentions

Research Issue

Of the 751 million acres of forestland in the United States, 56% is privately owned, and of this, nearly two-thirds is owned by families and individuals.  These forest landowners hold a diversity of land management goals, as well as differing skills, interests, time availability, and capacities to manage their lands.  To help family forest owners effectively manage their forestland, a variety of federal and state landowner assistance programs have been developed. Many types of landowner assistance are available, including information and educationalmaterials, assistance in preparing forest management plans, professional advice, field-based assistance, cost-sharing, low interest grants or loans, and tax incentives.  A key issue of importance is whether or to what extent forest landowner assistance is having a measurable impact on landowner attitudes, behaviors and intentions, particularly in relation to maintaining the quality of private forest lands and the host of goods and services that flow from them.  

Our Research

We examined how family forest owners who receive various types of technical assistance differ from unassisted landowners with respect to their forestland management practices, attitudes and concerns, and future management, use, and ownership intentions. We did so by utilizing a national database containing information on private forest owners and the forestland they own; e.g., the National Woodland Owner Survey. The National Woodland Owner Survey is a long-term, ongoing survey of private forest landowners in the US administered by the USDA Forest Service.  By defining an assisted landowner according to several attributes contained in this database (e.g., has a forest management plan, received cost-share assistance, or received advice), important similarities and differences between recipients and non-recipients of various types of assistance are identified.

We found that assisted and unassisted landowners are different with respect to several characteristics of the owners and the forestland they own, land management practices undertaken, and reasons for forest landownership. For example, assisted landowners are more likely to have harvested timber, improved wildlife habitat, planted trees and reduced wildfire risk than the unassisted owners. With respect to future intentions, recipients of assistance were more likely to intend to harvest timber and plant trees than those without assistance.  Yet no distinctions were found between assisted and unassisted landowners with respect to their plans to either subdivide or sell their land. In many cases, the differences between assisted and unassisted landowners were not related to the specific type of assistance the landowner received, just if they had had some type of professional assistance.

Expected Outcomes

Our research has important implications for how private forestland owner assistance programs are delivered.  This study found that family forest landowners are more likely to undertake certain land management activities if they have received assistance. Therefore, linking forest landowners to someform of assistance may be important if a goal is to have landowners adopt practices such as wildlife habitat improvement or tree planting. Yet our analysis suggests that landowners are not very sensitive to the kind of assistance they receive. We found that landowners who received one of three forms of assistance (management plan, financial assistance, or advice) were similarly distinct from landowners who have not received the assistance. Our analysis also found little difference between assisted and unassisted owners when it comes to their plans to subdivide or sell their forestland. 

How policymakers should respond to these findings depends on the public policy goals. If the goal is to encourage landowners to implement land management practices such as improving wildlife habitat or reforestation, then providing some type of interaction with and assistance to landowners is important. Because the specific type of assistance does not appear to be an important factor, one strategy is to focus assistance efforts to reach the largest private forest acres per dollar spent. However, if the public policy goal is to “keep forest as forest,” policymakers, mangers, and extension foresters may need to diversify or expand current assistance approaches.

Research Results

Kilgore, Michael A.; Snyder, Stephanie A.; Eryilmaz, Derya; Markowski-Lindsay, Marla A.; Butler, Brett J.; Kittredge, David B.; Catanzaro, Paul F.; Hewes, Jaketon H.; Andrejczyk, Kyle. 2015. Assessing the relationship between different forms of landowner assistance and family forest owner behaviors and intentions. Journal of Forestry. 113(1): 12-19. 

Research Participants 

Principal Investigator

• Michael A. Kilgore, University of Minnesota, Department of Forest Resources

Research Partners

• Stephanie A. Snyder, US Forest Service, NRS, Operations Research Analyst
• Derya Eryilmaz, University of Minnesota, Dept. of Applied Economics
• Marla A. Markowski-Lindsay, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Family Forest Research Center
• Brett J. Butler, US Forest Service, NRS, Research Forester
• David B. Kittredge, University of Massachusetts-Amherst, Family Forest Research Center

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/smart_forests/

The Delaware River Basin: Collaborative Environmental Research and Monitoring Initiative (CEMRI)

Research Issue

In 1998 the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and the National Park Service formed the Collaborative Environmental Monitoring and Research Initiative (CEMRI) to test strategies for integrated environmental monitoring among the agencies.  The initiative combined monitoring and research efforts of the participating Federal programs to evaluate health and sustainability of forest and freshwater aquatic systems in the Delaware River Basin.  Forest ecosystem health issues addressed by the CEMRI effort include urbanization and forest fragmentation, productivity and carbon sequestration, nitrogen saturation and calcium depletion, vulnerability to exotic insects, and the effects of interactions among these factors.  Ongoing monitoring programs were enhanced with supplemental sampling locations and measurements, and models were developed or modified to associate intensive process-level information with extensive landscape-scale information from satellite, aerial, and ground monitoring systems. The CEMRI project illustrates a powerful approach for integrated tracking of environmental conditions, development of models for predicting responses of forest and aquatic processes to perturbations, estimation of future forest conditions, and identification of threats to watershed health and forest sustainability. 

 

Our Research

Numerous meetings of the lead agencies, and the results of a stakeholder meeting hosted by the multi-State Delaware River Basin Commission, led to the identification of forested landscape issues that required data from multiple spatial scales and multiple resource groups: 

• Measuring and monitoring forest C stocks and fluxes
• Identifying and monitoring forests vulnerable to non-native invasive insect species
• Monitoring effects of calcium (Ca) depletion and nitrogen (N) saturation in forests subjected to acidic deposition in the Appalachian Plateau
• Measuring and monitoring forest fragmentation and land use change, and associated ecosystem changes 
• Integrating the effect of terrestrial ecosystem health and land use on the hydrology, habitat, and water quality of the Delaware River and Estuary 

Addressing these five issues was the focus of the Delaware CEMRI pilot study.  

The CEMRI approach began with an evaluation of the capabilities of existing monitoring programs, followed by identification of opportunities and approaches to enhance these programs for addressing specific issues.  By supplementing and adjusting existing monitoring and research strategies, collaborating programs can continue to meet specific agency missions while also contributing to multiscale, multiresource inventory and monitoring systems.  To demonstrate this approach, three Federal agencies developed the CEMRI strategy to evaluate the condition of forests and associated waterways in the DRB.

The USFS and USGS conceived of evaluating several important watershed health issues in the Delaware Basin using a multiple spatial scale, multiresource approach, primarily by enhancing and integrating existing forest and aquatic resource monitoring programs.  Shortly thereafter, the CEMRI was joined by the NPS Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (DEWA), and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).   

The CEMRI pilot study integrated environmental data collection from intensive study sites (the Neversink Watershed, the DEWA and its tributary watersheds, and the French Creek Watershed) with regional ground-based monitoring networks using stream monitoring stations and a randomly distributed network of forest sampling locations.  Remote sensing was used to characterize the land area on a spatially explicit basis over time, and the spatially integrated field datasets were used as ground truth.

Expected Outcomes

The CEMRI approach of a) integrating and enhancing existing monitoring programs to address key forest health and sustainability issues at multiple spatial scales and b) using a large watershed as a common frame of reference is a practical solution for compiling the data from diverse monitoring systems necessary to address complex regional environmental issues.   Implementation requires sponsorship by participating agencies, clearly identified issues to be evaluated, and a willingness to modify or enhance existing monitoring systems and analytical models. Once established, the integrated research and monitoring system results in a desirable template to attract other monitoring and research programs to this data-rich arena and greatly expands the interpretive capabilities of the individual programs involved.

Research Results

Additional information including links to data and research products are available on the CEMRI web site. 

Murdoch, Peter S.; Jenkins, Jennifer C.; Birdsey, Richard A. 2008. The Delaware River Basin Collaborative Environmental Monitoring and Research Initiative: Foundation Document. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-25. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 93 p.

Stolte, Kenneth W.; Murdoch, Peter; Jenkins, Jennifer; Birdsey, Richard; Evans, Richard. 2003. Multi-scale evaluation of watershed health in the Delaware River Basin and CERMI. In: Renard, Kenneth G.; McElroy, Stephen A.; Gburek, William J., eds. First Interagency Conference on Research in the Watersheds. 2003 October 27-30; Tucson, AZ. 235-241.

Research Participants

Principal Investigator

• Rich Birdsey, Program Manager, US Forest Service- Northern Research Station
• John Hom, Biological Scientist, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station
• Rakesh Minocha, Plant Physiologist / Biochemist, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station
• Michael Montgomery, Research Entomologist, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station
• Yude Pan , Research Forester, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station 
• Rachel Riemann, Research Forester / Geographer, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station
• Walter Shortle, Research Plant Pathologist, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station
• Kevin T. Smith, Project Leader / Supervisory Plant Physiologist, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station
• Kathleen Shields, Retired, US Forest Service – Northern Research Station

Research Partners

• Peter Murdoch, U.S. Geological Survey
• Gregory Lawrence, U.S. Geological Survey
• Karen Riva-Murray, U.S. Geological Survey
• Jeffrey Fisher, U.S. Geological Survey
• Richard Evans, National Park Service
• Jennifer Jenkins, University of Vermont
• David Williams, USDA APHIS

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/smart_forests/

Forest Inventory and Analysis

Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) collects, analyzes, reports, and distributes data about the Nation’s forests: how much forest exists, who owns it, what condition it's in, where it’s located, and how it's changed.  

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The Northern Research Station FIA unit is responsible for creating and maintaining a comprehensive forest inventory for 24 States: Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. The forests in these States cover about 174 million acres or about 30 percent of the land here. 

Data from FIA are used everyday to assess sustainability, to make important business decisions, to evaluate wildlife habitat, and for many other things. National, State, and local policy makers, universities, businesses, tribal governments, national forests and other natural resource agencies, interest groups, and many others depend on FIA for timely, scientifically credible information about our forests.

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/smart_forests/

Assessment of Forest Site Quality in Ohio

Research Issue

Site quality indices have the potential to provide valuable ecological and agricultural information across the landscape. When Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data is used in conjunction with landscape layers, including an Integrated Moisture Index (IMI), it can provide indications of potential production, carbon sequestration potential, and tradeoffs for various management options.

Our Research

An Integrated Moisture Index (IMI) which models long-term soil water conditions has been link to site productivity and composition. We have created an IMI model for the state of Ohio, and provide these layers through Google Earth. 

We have envisioned the utility of this model for many applications and offer background information and instructions on creating an IMI for other suitable locations. For Ohioans, we provide IMI, Hillshade, Flow Accumulation, and Available Water Holding Capacity viewable through Google Earth. We are currently working on a web site that will offer the data and information described above. Please check back soon.

• Oak Regeneration

Research Results

Iverson, L. R. and A. Prasad. 2003. A GIS-derived integrated moisture index. Pages 29-42 in E. K. Sutherland and T. Hutchinson, eds. Characteristics of mixed-oak forest ecosystems in southern Ohio prior to the reintroduction of fire. Northeastern Forest Experiment Station, USDA Forest Service, Newtown Square, PA.

Iverson, L. R., M. E. Dale, C. T. Scott, and A. Prasad. 1997. A GIS-derived integrated moisture index to predict forest composition and productivity in Ohio forests. Landscape Ecology 12:331-348.

Iverson, L. R., C. T. Scott, M. Dale, and A. M. G. Prasad. 1996. Development of an integrated moisture index for predicting species composition. Pages 101-116 in M. Kohl and G. Z. Gertner, eds. Caring for the forest: research in a changing world. Statistics, mathematics, and computers.Proceedings of the meeting of IUFRO S.4.11-00 held at IUFRO XX World Congress, 6-12 August 1995, Tampere, Finland. Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research, Birmensdorf, Switzerland. 

Research Participants

Principal Investigators

• Matthew Peters, USDA Forest Service – Northern Research Station GIS Analyst
• Louis Iverson, USDA Forest Service – Northern Research Station Landscape Ecologist
• Anantha Prasad, USDA Forest Service – Northern Research Station Ecologist 

Research Partners

• Elizabeth LaPoint, USDA Forest Service – Northern Research Station Forester/GIS Specialist
• Will McWilliams, USDA Forest Service –Northern Research Station Research Forester

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/smart_forests/

Smart Forests

Research Issue

Science and sound resource management depend on accurate and timely environmental data. In experimental forests and ranges throughout the United States, the USDA Forest Service is investing in digital sensors and telecommunications capacity to create an integrated monitoring and research program for the nation’s air, water, and forest resources, whether in rural or densely-populated areas.  Currently, a number of Northern Research Station’s experimental forests are building infrastructure to participate in the Smart Forest Network.

Smart forest technology will:

• Collect and wirelessly transmit to the internet a fundamental set of environmental measurements at sites that are distributed strategically across major geographic, climatic and vegetation gradients, oftentimes at well-established research sites where existing long-term data have provided state-of-the-art science on the nation’s forests, water, and air resources.
• Develop and implement cyber infrastructure to upgrade and enhance environmental monitoring at sites that are distributed strategically across major geographic, climatic and vegetation gradients.
• Provide real-time access to environmental sensor data from established research sites to a single point of entry web site.
• Apply visualization and outreach tools to engage researchers, resource managers, educators and the public with ‘Smart Forest’ data.

View a map of Smart Forest and EFR sites in the United States.

Our Research

Currently, the following Northern Research Station experimental forests and research sites are participating in the Smart Forest Network:

• Bartlett Experimental Forest in New Hampshire
• Fernow Experimental Forest in West Virginia
• Howland Cooperating Experimental Forest in Maine
• Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire
• New York City Urban Field Station
• Marcell Experimental Forest in Minnesota
• Silas Little Experimental Forest in New Jersey
• Sinkin Experimental Forest in Missouri

As this monitoring network is developed and expands, archived and near-real-time data from these locations will be available via webpages. 

The data include air temperature, precipitation, relative humidity, wind speed, solar radiation, soil temperature and moisture, stream flow (at hydrologic sites), and a webcam to monitor tree phenology. Information and data can be accessed at:http://smartforests.org/.

Expected Outcomes

Northern Research Station science will be enhanced in myriad ways by the higher-frequency and highly accurate data provided through our Smart Forest initiative. These new tools and techniques will help them visualize that data, and offer them new ways of understanding air, water, and forest resources. In addition, the data will be available to the public, educators, and resource managers.

Research Results

Campbell, John L.; Rustad, Lindsey E.; Porter, John H.; Taylor, Jeffrey R.; Dereszynski, Ethan W.; Shanley, James B.; Gries, Corinna; Henshaw, Donald L.; Martin, Mary E.; Sheldon, Wade. M.; Boose, Emery R. 2013. Quantity is nothing without quality: automated QA/QC for streaming sensor networks. BioScience. 63(7): 574-585.

Research Participants 

Principal Investigators

• US Forest Service - Northern Research Station
  • Lindsey Rustad, Team Leader / Research Ecologist
  • Stephen Sebestyen, Research Hydrologist
  • Thomas Schuler, Project Leader / Research Forester
  • John Campbell, Research Ecologist
  • John Kabrick, Research Forester
  • Randy Kolka, Team Leader / Research Soil Scientist
  • Rich Hallett, Research Ecologist
  • Chris Woodall, Project Leader / Research Forester
  • Dave Hollinger, Project Leader / Plant Physiologist
• University of New Hampshire - Mary Martin

 

Last Modified: February 2, 2015

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/appalachian_globalization/

Forest Certification and Global Competitiveness

Published Date

Research Issue

The 1992 “Earth Summit”, held in Rio de Janeiro addressed numerous environmental and social concerns of nations around the world, including global deforestation.  These concerns led to the creation of forest certification systems.  Forest certification is the process of verifying that forests are planted, grown, and/or harvested and wood products are produced, based on a set of sustainable standards.   

Although there are currently numerous certification systems, consensus opinion is that most of the current systems, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and Sustainable Forestry Initiative (SFI), were created and geared toward the sustainable management of softwood forests (conifer trees, such as pines).  There also is a belief that the current cost and complexity of obtaining forest management and chain-of -custody certification prohibits owners of hardwood forests and producers of hardwood products, which tend to be small, family-owned entities, from obtaining certification.  With the increase in certification world-wide, challenges associated with obtaining certification could place Appalachian hardwood landowners and wood products producers at a competitive disadvantage.

Our Research

Our research focuses on understanding the unique characteristics of the Appalachian hardwood industry and how these characteristics affect landowners’ and producers’ decisions to pursue certification.  This knowledge will give certifying bodies much needed information on the unique dynamics of the hardwood industry. It also will give members of the hardwood industry information on current certification trends. This knowledge is necessary to enhance industry competitiveness and market opportunities for both the landowner and producer.  This information will be collected by means of field studies, in which we survey landowners, producers, and other key entities involved in the certification process in eastern U.S.

Expected Outcomes

By gaining a better understanding of certification as it relates to the Appalachian hardwood industry, certifying bodies will be better able to develop certification systems that are useful and accessible  to both small and large landowners/producers.  Our findings also will be used to develop:  (1) educational materials that promote certification as well as provide information about the certification process to the public; (2) workshops that help producers develop efficient means to market certified wood products; (3) workshops to enhance networking among key entities in the certification process; and (4) print and web-based media to disseminate timely information on certification and marketing of hardwood products.  This information will be distributed directly to the forest products industry, state forestry agencies, utilization foresters, consultants, and others involved in the certification decision-making process.

Research Results

Montague, Iris, 2009. Chain-of-Custody Certification in the Appalachian Hardwood Region – Trends, Drivers, and Challenges. Dissertation. University of Georgia. 

Montague, Iris, 2009. Chain-of-Custody Certification in the Appalachian Hardwood Region – Trends, Drivers, and Challenges. PowerPoint Presentation presented at the 63rd Annual Forest Products Society International Conference. 

Montague, Iris, 2009. The Influence of Trade Associations and Group Certification Programs on the Certification Movement: A Survey of Primary Manufacturers in the Appalachian Region and Case Studies of Appalachian Hardwood Manufacturers, Inc (AHMI), National Wood Flooring Association (NWFA), And the State of Wisconsin’s Managed Forest Law Program. Poster Presentation presented at the 63rd Annual Forest Products Society International Conference. 

Principal Investigators:

• Iris Montague, USDA-Forest Service Northern Research Station - Research Forester

Research Partners:

• Jan Wiedenbeck, USDA-Forest Service Northern Research Station - Research Forest Products Technologist

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/appalachian_globalization/

Market Assessments and What it Means for Forests

Published Date

Research Issue

The vital importance of the hardwood products industry to the Appalachian region shapes our research program. We evaluate local, national, and international hardwood markets and the impact of timber removals have on our residual forests. This research assesses how markets affect the sustainability of Appalachian region forests. We aim is to promote sustainable forest management and the economic viability of Appalachian forest-based communities.

Our Research

Our research is focused on understanding the linkage between forest products harvesting, changes in land use, ownership patterns and objectives, and the corresponding demands being placed on forest ecosystems and related economic communities in the Appalachians. We seek to develop basic knowledge about the links between landowners, proximity of markets, timber harvesting and forest products use, and forest ecosystems. As forest management changes in response to the various influences described above, forest products markets will change, and local communities also will be affected. This will result in information for forest managers, landowners, interest parties, and business operators for forest management and utilization.  

Expected Outcomes

This information helps U.S. manufacturers sustain and enhance their competitive position in the global economy, and provide tools and systems that advance efficiency in wood products manufacturing. Without information on resource demand and use that is both timely and regionally applicable, forest managers would lack the knowledge needed to implement management strategies that maximize resource values, policy makers would lack knowledge of resource supplies, demands, and economic contributions, and the forest industry would lack information as to the forest resource and its availability. This information is distributed directly to the forest products industry, state forestry agencies, utilization foresters, consultants, and others involved in planning production and making decisions about future directions and markets.  

Research Results 

Bowe, Scott and Matthew Bumgardner. 2006. Small-diameter timber utilization in Wisconsin: A case study of four counties. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, 23(4):250-256.

Luppold, Bill and Matthew Bumgardner. 2006. Influence of markets and forest composition on lumber production in Pennsylvania. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, 23(2):87-93.

Alderman, Delton, Matthew Bumgardner, and John Baumgras. 2005. An assessment of the red maple resource in the Northeastern United States. Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol. 22(3): September 2005.

Alderman, Delton and Bill Luppold. 2005. Examination of regional hardwood roundwood markets in West Virginia. Forest Products Journal., Vol. 55(12):153-158 

Luppold, Bill and Delton Alderman. 2005. Influence of species on site selection and timber removal: A case study for West Virginia. Field Note: Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, 24(2):146-148

Research Participants

Principal Investigator

• Delton Alderman, USDA Forest Service-Northern Research Station, Research Forest Products Technologist
• Matthew Bumgardner, USDA Forest Service-Northern Research Station, Research Forest Products Technologist

Research Partners

• Bill Luppold, USDA Forest Service-Northern Research Station, Research Economist

Last Modified: 11/10/2009

For further details log on website :
http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/sustaining_forests/monitoring_assessment/appalachian_globalization/