Forest ThreatNet
Eastern Threat Center Highlights
Water Management: A Balancing Act
It may come as little surprise that human activities and climate influence the volume of water in rivers, but Forest Service research is now revealing just how much. Eastern Threat Center scientists are examining the individual and combined effects of changing land cover, human water use, and climate through time. Their efforts are providing a clearer picture of how these factors impact river flows needed to support healthy aquatic life and provide water for domestic use, agriculture, and energy. Read more in the Southern Research Station’s online science magazine, CompassLive.
Collaborative PINEMAP Keeps Southern Pines Standing Tall
Planted pine forests comprise 20 million acres of private lands in the southern United States, and their important ecological and economic benefits stretch far beyond the region. Eastern Threat Center scientists are contributing to the PINEMAP project to help landowners manage pine for resilience and sustainability in a changing environment. A recently published report summarizes PINEMAP efforts from the project’s second year, including Eastern Threat Center water and carbon research as well as tools to support forest planning.
Above: PINEMAP research site diverts rainfall to simulate future precipitation changes. Photo courtesy of Duncan Wilson.
Disappearing Forests
Center research ecologist Kurt Riitters led a study analyzing forest loss and gain throughout the lower 48 United States between 2001 and 2006, and discovered net losses of interior forest land were higher than net losses of all forest land. Northern Woodlands spring 2013 issue highlights northeastern US forest landscape patterns revealed through this research and describes why interior forest loss threatens the sustainability of biological communities and ecosystem services. More information - “Interiors: Disappearing Fast in a Forest Near You.”
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