U.S. Forest Service R&D Newsletter - March 2018 Home Publications Tools Locations Blog About Us *** SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION *** This edition marks our second year providing scientists, policymakers, and readers like you with the latest updates from the USDA Forest Service Washington Office and research stations. To celebrate, here's a collection of popular stories from past months along with exciting new features. Cheers to two years of sharing groundbreaking Forest Service science! CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
Transcript
U.S. Forest Service R&D Newsletter - March 2018
Home Publications Tools Locations Blog About Us
*** SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION ***
This edition marks our second year providing scientists, policymakers, and readers like you with the latestupdates from the USDA Forest Service Washington Office and research stations. To celebrate, here's acollection of popular stories from past months along with exciting new features. Cheers to two years ofsharing groundbreaking Forest Service science!
CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
Tree Range Shifts among Discover Magazine's Top 100 Stories of 2017
Each year, a special issue of Discover magazine highlights the top 100 science stories of the previousyear. Ranked number 59 on the most recent list was an analysis by USDA Forest Service researchersand their partners showing that the ranges of 86 tree species in the eastern United States are shiftingnorth or west. Researchers attribute these dramatic shifts to changes in temperature and precipitation.
FIRE MANAGEMENT
TED Talk: Spreading the Word AboutMegafire Prevention
Learn why megafires are increasing and how theymay be addressed by practical solutions in thisfast-moving, graphically original TED Talk by PaulHessburg. Hessburg is an expert on fire ecologyand fire-adapted landscapes from the ForestService Pacific Northwest Research Station.
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
Forest Service researchers from the Pacific Southwest Research Station and the California Academy of Sciences are investigating howprescribed fires may improve the health of forests in northern California. The study uses birds as indicators to understand how forest ecosystems respond over time. Watch the video to learn more.
FIRE MANAGEMENT
Research Reveals How to HelpProtect Homes From Wildfires
More than 100 million Americans live in or nearforests and grasslands that may erupt inflames. Forest Service research that may helphomeowners protect their homes is featured in this60 Minutes segment and Rocky MountainResearch Station spotlight.
HURRICANE RECOVERY
Post-Hurricane Research andResilience in Puerto Rico's El YunqueNational Forest
Hurricane Maria hit El Yunque National Forest--theonly tropical forest in the U.S. National Forestsystem--with powerful force when it struck PuertoRico in September 2017. In a video from theInternational Institute of Tropical Forestry,research ecologist Grizelle Gonzalez discussesthe forest's recovery.
SUSTAINABILITY
Jet Fuel Made from Trees PowersHistoric Coast-to-Coast Flight
The Forest Products Lab partnered withWashington State University through theNorthwest Advanced Renewables Alliance(NARA) to develop the first wood-derivedalternative jet fuel to power a commercial flight.The Alaska Airlines flight flew from Seattle toWashington, D.C. using a fuel made from thecellulose in postharvest debris, which is oftenburned as waste.
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
A report by the Forest Service shows howagroforerstry--the intentional integration of treesand shrubs into crop and livestock productionsystems--can improve agricultural production andmake farms more resilient when weatherconditions, climates, and markets change.
SUSTAINABILITY
eDNA--Not Just for FisheriesBiologists Anymore
Environmental DNA, or eDNA, is a sensitive newtechnology that can detect the presence ofthreatened and endangered species inecosystems, as well as individuals at the leadingedges of invasive species takeovers. ForestService researchers are developing an approachto eDNA that can identify a variety of wildlifespecies from multiple water samples at once.
INVASIVE SPECIES
Agriculture Impacts Native PlantsEven More Than Roads
A study by Forest Service researchers using datafrom plots monitored by the Forest Inventory andAnalysis Program found that some invasivespecies thrive on disturbances from roadconstruction--but farms and other human activitiesbenefit invasives even more. The paper earned an"Editor's Choice" honor in the March 2018 issue ofthe journal Diversity and Distributions.
WILDLIFE
The Lethal Fungus Causing White-Nose Syndrome in Bats May Have anAchilles Heel
The fungus behind white-nose syndrome, adisease that has devastated bat populations inNorth America, may have an Achilles' heel: UVlight, according to a study conducted by the
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
Small Pests, Big Problems: TheGlobal Spread of Bark Beetles.
Forest Service scientists are quoted in a YaleEnvironment 360 article about the expansion ofpine and spruce beetle outbreaks across NorthAmerica, Europe, and Siberia that are ravagingthousands of square miles of woodlands. Someforests may never recover from these outbreaks.
SCIENCE EDUCATION
PBS "SciGirls" Features ForestService Scientist
The March 8 episode of the PBS show "SciGirls",which celebrates science, technology,engineering, and math as well as Latino heritageand language, featured research ecologist GrizelleGonzalez from the International Institute ofTropical Forestry in Puerto Rico. The episode wasfilmed in El Yunque National Forest andaddressed forestry topics such as measuringtrees, making canopy observations, andinterpreting aerial photographs.
FOREST WATERSHEDS
Forests Provide Clean Drinking Waterfor the South
For over 19 million people in the South--roughlythe population of Florida-- clean water begins inthe region’s national forests. That’s according to areport by the Southern Research Station. Thisreport can help support efforts to conserve theforest cover that provides the South's clean,dependable water supplies.
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
Forest Service scientists are using moss collected from urban trees to develop fine-scale maps of air pollution in Portland, Oregon. A report by the Pacific Northwest Research Station explains the findings and methods used to collect and analyze the 346 moss samples.
INTERNATIONAL TRADE
Screening for Illegal Wood Imports
In January, the Forest Service InternationalPrograms office facilitated a training session inFlorida. Forest Products Laboratory researcherstaught USDA Animal and Plant Health InspectionService botanists about wood anatomy andchemistry techniques that can be used todistinguish wood types often imported illegally.
URBAN FORESTRY
California Street Tree Benefits Valuedat $1 Billion
Researchers from the Forest Service's PacificSouthwest Research Station found thatCalifornia's estimated 9.1 million street trees storecarbon, remove air pollutants, intercept rainfall,and provide heating and cooling--services thatsave millions of dollars and raise property values.
URBAN FORESTRY
Growing Need for Urban Forests asUrban Land Expands
A Forest Service study projects that urban land inthe lower 48 states will more than double between2010 and 2060. This is expected to affect forestand agricultural lands that are being urbanized,and make urban forests even more important toenvironmental quality and human well-being.
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
U.S. Forest Service EmployedMargaret Stoughton Abell as FirstFemale Forester, but Today ThereAre Many
In 1930, Iowa State College graduate MargaretStoughton joined the Appalachian ForestExperiment Station in Asheville, N.C. As the firstwoman to serve as a Forest Service forester,Stoughton (later Stoughton Abell) worked onnearly every Southern Research Stationproject. Today, the station employs many femalescientists. Their contributions span the fields offorestry, ecology, economics, and environmentalhealth.
SCIENCE EDUCATION
Join USDA at the 5th USA Scienceand Engineering Festival April 7-8
USDA will be among more than 750 of the world'sleading professional scientific and engineeringsocieties, universities, government agencies, andhigh-tech corporations participating in the 5th USAScience and Engineering Festival. This celebrationof science will take place April 7-8 at the Walter E.Washington Convention Center in Washington,D.C.
SUSTAINABILITY
International Day of Forests
March 21 marks the seventh annual InternationalDay of Forests, when nations worldwide celebratethe importance of forests and organize activitiessuch as planting trees. The theme for 2018,Forests and Sustainable Cities, underscores themany benefits of trees to urban communities--fromstoring carbon to reducing noise pollution topromoting health as urban green spaces.
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
The Key Role of Science inSustaining National Forests andGrasslands
The Forest Service's Research and Developmentarm generates scientific research to informsustainable management of forests andgrasslands across the National Forest System.Download this new fact sheet about how researchprovides a science-based foundation for managingwildfires, accommodating outdoor recreation,maintaining water quality, outsmarting invasivespecies, and protecting fish and wildlife.
IMESSAGE FROM THE DEPUTY CHIEF
Celebrating Scientific Breakthroughs
Deputy Chief of Research and DevelopmentCarlos Rodriguez-Franco shares how scientificbreakthroughs at the Forest Service are helpingprevent and manage wildfires, extend wood use,contain destructive invasive pests and pathogens,and protect water.
Did You Know? Wood Panels Can BeStrong Enough to Weather a Tornado
Cross-laminated timber (CLT) is made from layersof lumber stacked in alternating directions andstructural adhesive. CLT’s advantages include itslight weight, strength and it is ease of assembly.
CLT wood panels are ideal for tornado-safe roomsand shelters. (Scroll down for infographicbelow.) The Forest Service is playing a lead rolein researching and bringing CLT technology to theU.S--partly because CLT provides markets forhazardous fuels in overstocked forests.
Recent Blogs
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
A Wood Product Stronger than Steel CouldChange the World
Forest Service scientist Zhiyong Cai and hisresearch team have developed a cost-effectiveway to produce graphene from the lignin in plantcell walls.
Giant Sequoia Trees Face "Drying" Times
For the first time in 125 years, Giant Sequoias inthe southern Sierra Nevada Mountains areshowing significant "dieback" in their foliage.
Faces of the Forest Service: Meet ThomasMoreland
A love of the outdoors led Thomas Moreland to theForest Service, and his personal experienceobtaining two patents inspired him to become atechnology transfer coordinator.
New Tool Helps California Land ManagersPredict Tree Mortality
The Forest Service is helping land managersanticipate the risk of tree mortality through the2017 Bark Beetle Forecast for California.
Learn more about CLT
March Newsletter: ***SPECIAL 2 YEAR ANNIVERSARY EDITION***
