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Photo Credits USDA Forest Service image The Forest Health Monitoring report for 2021 is now available. It focuses on how disease, drought, fire, insects, and other stressors affect forests. For 21 consecutive years, researchers from the USDA Forest Service and partners at North…

Photo Credits Courtesy photo by CJ Hillard, Western Carolina University A young dusky gopher frog, just released into a pond. In 1987, Glen Johnson heard the call of the dusky gopher frog, which sounds like a snore. He was the first to report hearing its call since the 1950s. He…

External morphology of (A) Bimastos nanae n. sp. and (B) Bimastos magnum n. In A and B, ♀: female pore and ♂: male pore. Two species of earthworms, new to science, have now been formally described. My colleagues and I were studying the effects of the 2016 wildfires in the Southern…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Jim Guldin Active management includes planting or cutting trees, controlling specific plants or animals, and conducting prescribed fire.  Every state in the U.S. has a program that lowers property taxes for people who enroll their private…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by John Willis The Forest Service helps develop and publicize the tips but does not provide specific tax advice to individuals.  Tax implications for forest landowners depend on the activity or activities on your land. Tax Tips for Forest…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Michelle Baumflek Coltsfoot (Tussilago farfara) is native to Europe and is actively eradicated in parts of the U.S. However, it’s considered important by Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik gatherers.  To the untrained eye, an old field may be…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by James Lawler Students at the Oconaluftee Job Corps Center receive hands-on training that can lead to forestry careers. Currently, the USDA Forest Service operates 24 Job Corps Civilian Conservation Centers all over the country—with 11 in the…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service graphic Top 10 of 2022.  We hope you enjoy this collection of the most popular CompassLive stories of 2022. Each article highlights the people, partnerships, and natural wonders of the South. For the past century, USDA Forest Service research has…

In honor of the 50th anniversary of the Wilderness Act, Forest Service scientists, managers, and partners have published a new report that describes the benefits wilderness areas provide and proposes stewardship strategies for them. Photo Credits Photo by Frank Kehren Linville Gorge…

As the climate warms and sea levels rise, homes and other structures on coastlines are being damaged or destroyed. Rebuilding with wood – whether on the coast or elsewhere – is the single biggest way that the losses could lower carbon emissions, reports a new modeling study by the USDA Forest…

This article was originally published by Delta Wildlife in the Fall 2021 issue of Delta Wildlife Magazine (PDF). Autumn is a time when day length shortens and daytime temperatures begin to decline. These environmental cues induce macrofungi (mushrooms and similar large species) to transition from…

Is that a Carolina Northern Flying Squirrel? No, It’s just a USDA Forest Service tree climber at the top of 70-foot-tall red spruce. In July, I climbed candidate Capitol Christmas trees in the National Forests in North Carolina with my colleagues Andy Whittier and Paul Valento of Superior National…

In addition to providing food, medicine, timber, and many other things people need, forests store huge amounts of carbon. Forests also have the potential to release that carbon. Carbon accounting across entire regions is an increasingly important part of climate action, particularly international…

USDA Forest Service researchers are monitoring the effects of white-nose syndrome, a fungal disease from Eurasia that has decimated cave-hibernating bats across the U.S. since its arrival in 2006. “The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome grows on bats in the wintertime. It causes them to wake up…

Susan Loeb and her colleagues survey bats in Stumphouse Tunnel, South Carolina. Photo by Ben Neece, USDA Forest Service volunteer. The only mammal that truly flies, bats are celebrated for many reasons. Including their looks. “Tri-colored bats are the cutest little things,” says Susan Loeb…

A comprehensive, open access book on smoke from wildland fires across the U.S. is now available. Wildland Fire Smoke in the United States: A Scientific Assessment synthesizes the physical, chemical, biological, social, and policy issues critical to mitigating the impacts of smoke from wildland…

Wood is infinitely useful. Look around, and you’ll find it in all sorts of places, from cardboard boxes to pianos. It is even used in some frames for bikes and cars. If you live in the U.S., wood was also likely used to build your home. All these wood-based items are valuable to people in their own…

Wildfires are projected to burn three times as much area on federal lands by the end of the century, as compared to previous decades. Furthermore, across all climate scenarios, median federal spending for wildfire suppression is projected nearly triple, translating into a $3.70 billion increase…

Imagine water flowing smoothly down a river. When it hits a rock, the flow of the water moves and bends, creating turbulence. Air moves in a similar fashion as it flows through a forest and encounters objects and other movement in its path -- but we can’t see it. Unless something is present to help…

Growing oak trees to maturity begins with two ingredients: viable acorns and competitive seedlings. USDA Forest Service scientist Stacy Clark wrote a cookbook to help managers with the regeneration process in healthy, productive oak forests. One-year-old northern red oak seedlings growing in…

Hurricanes have long-term impacts on forest markets and the welfare of landowners in areas hit the hardest. They also disrupt carbon storage processes in forests. Hurricane Michael left forest stands within the impacted zones with a mix of live, standing dead, broken, and wind-thrown trees.…

In October of 2018, Hurricane Michael made landfall and left a trail of damage of over six million acres of forest and ten billion cubic feet of timber across Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.   A naturally regenerated, mixed hardwood and pine forest shows many down and standing dead tree trees…

On May 3, 2022 the USDA Forest Service hosted a virtual Santee Experimental Forest Research Forum. More than 40 scientists, researchers, and other partners came together to discuss projects occurring on the Santee Experimental Forest. Data logger records soil moisture on the treatment…

Trees are part of the carbon cycle. When they die, they go on storing carbon for a while. But as the fallen trunks and large branches decompose, that carbon moves into the soil and the atmosphere. Some logs are suspended above the soil to emulate standing-dead wood, while others are on the…

During the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic, prices of processed wood products, such as softwood lumber and plywood, nearly quadrupled. Wholesale prices for plywood increased from $400 to $1,500 per thousand square feet (roughly equivalent to retail prices of plywood increasing from about $12.80…

People who own forested land may be able to sell the ecosystem services the land provides. Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo Forests are home to wildlife, and provide drinking water, carbon storage, and much more. These ecosystem services can have a monetary value. Forests are…

Pondberry (Lindera melissifolia) can tolerate deep shade and flooded soil – conditions that would kill many plants. However, the endangered shrub prefers more light and less flooding, as a team of USDA Forest Service researchers led by Ted Leininger shows. Pondberry is an endangered,…

This story is excerpted from the original version, which was published on Macon County News.  People may refer to them as wild leeks or ramps, but the pungent smelling native plant’s scientific name is Allium tricoccum. Ramps have been described as a cross between a green onion and garlic and have…

“Where I grew up in the Houston area, Chinese tallow was the main tree in forests near my house. They were a beautiful crimson color in the fall and great for climbing,” says USDA Forest Service researcher Daniel Saenz. “But most importantly, they were the best source of ammunition. Tallow fruits…

Across the U.S., the logging industry population has declined for the last two decades. USDA Forest Service scientist Mathew Smidt contributed to a study investigating changes in employment and profitability in the logging industry. Mingtao He, a graduate student at Auburn University, led the study…

Fire is a natural ecosystem process. Many land managers in the southeastern U.S. understand that prescribed burning as an essential tool for restoring and maintaining biodiversity in fire-adapted forests and grasslands. The role of wildfire, however, is less widely accepted as a means to maintain…

Photo Credits Courtesy photo by Tom Potterfield Across the eastern U.S., Asian jumping worms are eating part of the forest ecosystem – the top layer of the soil.  Source A worm is a worm is a worm, right? Except that there are more than 7,000 species of worms, and the longer you look…

Photo Credits Photo by Eric Hunt, used with permission Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park, California. Since the 1980s, climate change has increased the impact of heatwaves. They arrive earlier, last longer, have higher temperatures, and cover wider areas. Their effects…

Photo Credits Courtesy photo by The Chesapeake Bay Program. Ash trees are being decimated by the emerald ash borer, leading to costly removals in cities and neighborhoods like this one in Maryland.  Source About 82% of the U.S. population lives in urban areas, and that number is…

This is a new type of article focusing on the people behind the science. These articles will profile SRS employees - from different job series and locations - whose work fulfills and supports the Station's mission. Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo. Joseph O’Brien. “I am…

Photo Credits Photo courtesy of Paul Hamel. From left to right, Chuck Walker, Paul Hamel, and Emile Gardiner. Walker and Gardiner are holding some of the instruments created through this project. Chase Earles, an award-winning Oklahoma potter, needed clay. The clay could not come…

Photo Credits USDA photo by Virginia McDaniel. Wildfires and the cost of suppressing them is  growing. However, prescribed fires can reduce forest fuels while maintaining fire-dependent ecosystems.  Climate change threatens communities around the world with the promise of more floods…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Zanethia Barnett Zanethia Barnett (left) and colleagues sample a stream for crayfish with a technique called kick seining. USDA Forest Service fisheries biologist Zanethia Barnett is the winner of the 2022 Society for Freshwater Science (SFS…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Joseph O’Brien. Low intensity fire behavior typical of much of the area burned in the Rock Mountain Wildfire.  Historically, fires frequently burned Southern Appalachian forests. Many tree species evolved traits that aided survival in this…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by R. Carrera-Martínez The collage shows worms of the aquatic genus Sparganophilus (left) and the terrestrial genus Diplocardia (right) as well as their habitats. Earthworms don't get enough attention, according to USDA Forest Service research…

Photo Credits Photo by Michael Weatherford, used with permission Pollinators, such as bees in the sweat bee family (Halictidae), play an important role in pollinating flowers like this tickseed (Coreopsis spp.). Landscapes with diverse fire histories – or pyrodiverse landscapes –…

Photo Credits Photo courtesy of Kier Klepzig, photographer unknown From left to right, colleagues J. Robert Bridges, John C. Moser, Meredith Blackwell, and Thelma J. Perry at the time they were working on Perry’s observation of Pyxidiophora. Thelma J. Perry was one of the first…

Photo Credits Photo by Erich Vallery, USDA Forest Service Watersheds are land areas, also known as basins or drainage areas, where rainfall flows to streams and rivers and then to outlets, like an ocean or bay.  Standing on the banks of the Yadkin River in Wilkesboro, North Carolina…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Michael Ulyshen To measure decomposition rates, the study used mesh cages to prevent insects from consuming wood in some areas and allowed insects unlimited access in other areas.  Across the globe, insects can decompose almost 30% of all…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Colin Krause Brook Trout (adult and young of year) and Blacknose Dace (stripped fish) caught during steam sampling. The relationship between diversity and productivity in ecosystems has fascinated scientists for decades but is not well…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Susan Blake A forester conducts a prescribed fire to clear underbrush in Florida’s Osceola National Forest. Much of what is known about planned fire comes from a burn manager's memory. “It takes years to get that kind of experience,” says…

Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo by Helen Mohr Mentorship is a major part of the program – every student has the opportunity to spend time with experienced fire managers. Over 50 students at Clemson University have participated in the Fire Tigers Program. The program starts…

Photo Credits Courtesy photo by Sean Nealon, Oregon State University Researchers created a county-level dataset of land development patterns with data from the USDA National Resources Inventory. Source A new study found a steep decline in the development of forest and agricultural…

Photo Credits Forest Service photo by Brady Smith Tax incentives for forest management activities are available. Source Family forests provide many valuable goods and services that extend beyond their boundaries, including clean air and water, wildlife habitat, and carbon…

The bigger the gapthe more pines grow Especially when site treatmentkeeps hardwood growth slow But if a mixedwood standIs the forest we desire Advanced hardwood regenShould be allowed to grow higher. Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo. Aerial photograph of the study site in the…

Northern red oak in the AppalachiansGrows to be stately at high elevations But is there regen? And what makes it thrive?Harvest makes light to keep it alive But fire suppression helps mesophytes reignA little control may help red oak sustain Site treatment with fire and some herbicideMay help each…

Photo Credits Photo by Enwebb, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons New research highlights forest management practices that can provide year-round habitat for tricolored bats and other species. Source Tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus) in South Carolina are threatened by habitat loss…

Photo Credits Photo courtesy of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Northern long-eared bats and other species use different types of habitat depending on the season. Source Unlike bats in cold northern regions, bats in the South can be active year-round. However, most studies of…

Photo Credits Photo by Timothy Gonsalves, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons. Wild pigs have been in the U.S. since the 1500s, when Hernando de Soto brought them as pork on the hoof. However, their population has exploded over the past 40 years.  Wild pigs are the largest invasive species…

In 2021, SRS employees and their collaborators were recognized for outstanding accomplishments. USDA Forest Service Chief’s Award Photo Credits USDA Forest Service photo Zanethia Barnett.  Zanethia Barnett and Craig Roghair received a Chief’s Award for their role in bringing people…

Crayfish burrow amongst the prairie rootsBut are they affected by the woody shoots?Turns out as the woody stems get tallThe number of crayfish burrow openings begins to fall. Photo Credits Courtesy photo by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Prescribed burn on the Mississippi Sandhill…

Photo Credits USDA Forest service graphic The comprehensive book was written by more than 70 experts.  A comprehensive book on fire ecology and management in U.S. forests is now available. More than 70 experts wrote the book together, including researchers, land managers, and other…

Photo Credits Photo by Mike McMillan, USDA Forest Service Fire frequency on the 29 research sites ranged from approximately one fire every decade to one fire per year, with an average of one fire every three years.  A study spanning four continents and 67 years suggests that frequent…