Forest ThreatNet

Volume 6, Issue 4 - October/November 2013

Eastern Threat Center Highlights Cont'd

Invasive Plant Research Grows

Over the past couple of decades, researchers have studied the ecological and economic impacts of non-native plant invasions at a relatively small scale. Now, a National Science Foundation grant will enable researchers to take a "big picture" view through space and time in order to develop regional-level forecasts of invasive plant dynamics. Eastern Threat Center research ecologist Qinfeng Guo and partners from the Southern Research Station and Purdue University are collaborating on a project to examine plant life histories as captured by long-term datasets and to generate information to help land managers prevent and mitigate damage from invasive plants. Read more in CompassLive...

“Bad Bugs” Create Buzz at Annual Bugfest

For the second year in a row, the Southern Research Station (SRS) created a "buzz" at the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences’ Bugfest. The Station’s exhibit, "Most Wanted: Bad Bugs in the Forest," warned even the cleverest of beetles to beware, since researchers armed with state-of-the-art tracking tools are on a mission to detect and reduce the impacts of invasive species.

Volunteers from the SRS, Eastern Threat Center, and South Atlantic Landscape Conservation Cooperative welcomed wannabe arthropods, their parents, and other bug lovers at the SRS exhibit, sharing researchers’ role in the battle against the bugs.

Each September, the largest insect-related festival in the nation draws more than 30,000 multicultural children and adults to check out the latest news in a bug’s life – all while enjoying crispy-crittered cuisine courtesy of Café Insecta. Yum! This year, the Raleigh-based free event featured over 100 bug-related exhibits, crafts, games, and activities, and several larger-than-life presentations in the museum’s immersive Daily Planet Theater. Read more in CompassLive…

Above: At the SRS Bugfest exhibit, wannabe arthropods gained a unique view of the world from a bug’s perspective. Photo by Perdita Spriggs.

Eastern Threat Center Honored

Southern Research Station Director Rob Doudrick recently announced the 2013 Station Director’s awards, including Eastern Threat Center research.

• The ForWarn team received the Partnership Award for "outstanding collaborative work across government agencies in the development of an effective forest disturbance monitoring tool useful at the National level."

• The TACCIMO team received the Science Delivery award for "exemplary service in providing advanced scientific knowledge to land managers through a user-friendly, online information system."