Forest ThreatNet

Forest Health Indicators Workshop Aids Land Management in Mexico

FHM research team leader Bill Bechtold was among 20 scientists and forest inventory specialists from Mexico and the United States who attended a workshop on forest health indicators in Guadalajara, Mexico, in late April. Workshop participants shared information and experiences related to the use of forest health indicators in the United States and spent two days in forests near Guadalajara demonstrating data collection, processing, and analysis methods. A pilot test of forest health indicators was implemented in Mexico in summer 2009.

Above: FHM team leader Bill Bechtold (2nd from left) was among the U.S. and Mexican forest health specialists rating tree crowns in the forests near Guadalajara, Mexico. Photo by Borys Tkacz.

McNulty Shares Research in Cambodia and Thailand

Steve McNulty, SGCP ecologist and team leader, traveled to Cambodia in June with U.S. Forest Service International Programs ecologist Beth Lebow in an effort to share climate change and hydrology research and explore opportunities for collaboration. The trip began with a briefing to the U.S. Ambassador to Cambodia, followed by a discussion with senior staff members at the U.S. Agency for International Development office and a lecture at Pannasastra University in Cambodia’s capital, Phnom Penh. McNulty also lectured at the Delta Research and Global Observation Network Summit, centered on hydrologic studies, in the Mekong Delta in Siem Reap. He then traveled to Bangkok, Thailand, to attend the Regional Payment for Ecosystem Services Meeting along with international delegates from southeastern Asia. At the meeting, which focused on the establishment of a payment system for ecosystem services, McNulty represented the Forest Service’s interest in the program.

Right: SGCP team leader Steve McNulty and Forest Service International Programs ecologist Beth Lebow tour Cambodia’s Tonle Sap Lake.

SGCP Hosts 2nd International Conference on Forests and Water in a Changing Environment

To address the growing need for science-based guidance for forest managers and policy makers, SGCP hosted the 2nd International Conference on Forests and Water in a Changing Environment in Raleigh, NC, September 14-16. Keynote speakers from around the world with expertise in the fields of ecohydrology, restoration ecology, forest ecology, watershed management, and global change sciences convened to discuss a variety of topics. Additionally, two field trips to key hydrologic research sites in the mountains and coastal plain of North Carolina engaged conference participants. The conference was sponsored by a variety of stakeholders in academia, government, and business, with over 120 scientists and students attending from more than 12 countries.

Research on Coast Redwood Fire Regimes Supports Management Decisions

EFETAC ecologist Steve Norman is researching the historical importance of fire and the long-term effects of continued fire exclusion across California’s northern redwood range in several ongoing collaborative projects. "Coast redwood forests are among the most spectacular forests on earth, yet unlike most forests of North America, the importance of fire for their perpetuation remains highly controversial," says Norman. "We are learning that despite the cool moist climate, past fires were often very frequent, largely due to human ignitions. The key question remaining involves understanding the relevance of their complex histories, given the tradeoffs of present day management." Much more information about Norman’s coast redwood research is available at http://www.redwood.forestthreats.org.