SRS-4159

Ecology and Management of Southern PinesSouthern Research StationUS Forest Service

Dr. Jim Guldin, PL

Locations:• Monticello AR• Nacogdoches TX• Hot Springs AR• Pineville LA• Huntsville, AR

6 Experimental Forests• Crossett EF• Alum Creek EF• Stephen F. Austin EF• Koen EF (SRS-4157)• Sylamore EF (SRS-4157)• Palustris EF (SRS-4158)

Our mission Develop and share information about ecology and management of vegetation, wildlife, and soils in southern pine ecosystems of the southeastern United States.

Our emphasisMixed loblolly-shortleaf pine and pine-hardwood forests of the West Gulf Coastal Plain, and the shortleaf pine and pine-hardwood forests of the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains.

Pine ecology, silviculture and soils research

Management of southern pines using even-aged and uneven-aged silvicultural systems centered at Crossett (Jim Guldin, Don Bragg)

Pine ecology, silviculture and soils research We are the Station’s premier

program for science delivery in ecology and management of southern pines

Crossett Field Day, 2005

Southern Pine ModuleUSFS National Advanced Silviculture Program

Crossett AR & Pineville LA, 2012

Pine ecology, silviculture and soils researchShortleaf pine restoration and management on the Ouachita NF (Guldin, Rudolph, Perry)

Pine ecology, silviculture and soils research Work has been instrumental in

redefining silviculture—habitat restoration with sustainable timber byproducts

Pine ecology, silviculture and soils researchEcology and management of Cross-timbers old-growth stands

Cross Timbers RNA, LBJ Natl. Grasslands

Ft. Chaffee, AR

Shortleaf Canyon, OK

Pine ecology, silviculture and soils researchNational Long-term Site Productivity Studies in Texas, Louisiana, and Mississippi (Andy Scott)

LTSP initiated in 1989 as collaborative effort between FS R&D, NFS, expanded to private lands in 1993

TX LTSP installed in 1997 near Groveton, TX; Affiliate installed on industry land near Fred, TX in 1996.

Remeasurement, summer 2012Texas LTSP sites

Biomass harvesting can decrease site productivity but also can be easily managed

Pine ecology, silviculture and soils researchCooperative work:• 25-year shortleaf pine G&Y study with OK State

(Lynch, Guldin)• Climate Change Hazard rating index in western part

of Region 8 with OK State (Hennessey, Wilson, Will, Guldin)

• Oak Decline and Red Oak Borer with University of Arkansas (Stephen, Guldin)

• Shortleaf pine genetic introgression with OK State (Tauer, Nelson-SRS, Guldin)

Wildlife research

Centered at Nacogdoches TX and Hot Springs, AR

Problem:To discover, develop, and synthesize knowledge about the effects of forest management, insect pests, and climate change on wildlife and wildlife habitat in southern pine-dominated ecosystems

Wildlife researchEcology and management of RCWs (NFs in AR, OK, and TX--Rudolph, Saenz, Perry)

Natural cavity

Artificial cavity

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Nesting Attempts

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1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008

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Recovery of the RCW on the

Ouachita—a case study of habitat restoration and

nest boxes

The silvicultural details kept the timber program alive from 1990-

present

Wildlife researchEcology of forest bats and their use of forested habitat (Perry)

Fieldwork—over moccasin-filled creeks at night

Big brown bat roosting in pine snag

Tough work with huge implications as WNS spreads

Wildlife researchBreeding phenology and habitat of anurans, under changing climate and tallow (Saenz)

Autumn tallow leaves in aquatic systems…..

Dreadful effects of decomposing tallow leaves on anurans

…decimate native amphibian and reptile species

And climate change makes it worse

Wildlife researchBiology, management and reintroduction of Louisiana pine snake in LA and Texas (Rudolph, Saenz)

A cooperative effort with SRS and a half dozen other agencies and NGOs

Neonate LA pine snake

Key sites across the region

Wildlife researchLepidopteran response to prescribed fire (Rudolph)

Two key species of conservation concern respond quite favorably to prescribed fire

Neonate LA pine snake

Diana fritillary

Great spangled fritillary

Wildlife researchKey cooperators with NFGT on R8 Bird Surveys

SUMMARY

Big opportunities to build on the Crossett experience in Texas—adaptive silviculture under changing climate

Might need a new Experimental Forest in Oklahoma

-tip of the sword for climate change effects-Take advantage of natural USFS stands and dispossessed Weyerhaeuser stands (including some dormant research studies)

SUMMARY

Opportunities to expand and quantify Cross Timbers research in restoration and management

LTSP studies offer tremendous potential to quantify ecological effect of intensive management

SUMMARY

On private land—work on a solution to the Family Forest conundrum

Help landowners with management, especially Rx burning and WUI

Where do local markets stand?

SUMMARY

Wildlife research is critical

Deals with game-stopper issues• Points to alternatives that don’t stop the game • On public land-find rare habitat and make a lot

of it• Monitor treatments but in a statistically

rigorous manner

SUMMARY

Wildlife research is critical

Deals with game-stopper issues• Points to alternatives that don’t stop the game • On public land-find rare habitat and make a lot

of it

Wildlife work is extraordinarily prominent and well-respected internationally

DISCUSSION

Followup:Jim Guldin, PL, SRS-4159jguldin@fs.fed.usFS cell 870-723-1623