Ecological and Economic Sustainability of the Appalachian Forest in an Era of Globalization

Located in Parsons and Princeton, West Virginia and Delaware, Ohio we work on problems relating to the sustainability of Appalachian forest ecosystems and related economies in a changing world.  We develop tools and new knowledge to promote efficient, sustainable management of these forests in the following ways:

 By providing guidelines for managing these forests to sustain the productivity and diversity of the soil, water, and forest resources

 By providing critical information to support diverse forest-based industries and outcomes (e.g., hardwood lumber, tourism, wildlife habitat) that maintain or restore the integrity of forest ecosystem processes (e.g., biological productivity, maintenance of biological diversity).

Globalization and U.S. competitiveness will have a significant impact on the health and well-being of the hardwood industry, which in turn affects the management and health of these important forests. Research can provide information, analysis, tools, and other assistance to the wood-products industry, landowners, government policymakers, land managers, and citizens to help sustain healthy, productive, and viable forests and communities within the region.

In addition we manage the Fernow Experimental Forestfor long-term silvicultural, hydrologic, and ecological research. 

Research Focus

• Ecosystem Structure and Processes
• Ecosystem Responses to Disturbance
• Forest Products
• Markets & Globalization 

Recent Publications

• Bumgardner, Matt; Montague, Iris; Wiedenbeck, Jan  2017.   Survey response rates in the forest products literature from 2000 to 2015.  Wood and Fiber Science. 49(1): 84-92. 
• Wiedenbeck, Jan; Scholl, Matthew; Blankenhorn, Paul; Ray, Chuck.  2017.   Lumber volume and value recovery from small-diameter black cherry, sugar maple, and red oak logs.  Bioresources. 12(1): 853-870. 
• Edwards, Pamela J.; Wood, Frederica; Quinlivan, Robin L.  2016.   Effectiveness of best management practices that have application to forest roads: a literature synthesis.  Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-163. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 171 p. 
• Strager, Michael P.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Maxwell, Aaron E.  2016.   Predicting post-fire change in West Virginia, USA from remotely-sensed data.  Journal of Geospatial Applications in Natural Resources. 1(2): article 1. 
• Luppold, William G.; Bumgardner, Matt  2016.   Domestic hardwood lumber consumption and exports, yesterday and today.  National Hardwood Magazine. Christmas. 30-33.

For further details log on website :
https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/units/appalachian/