Forest ThreatNet

Volume 9, Issue 2 - May/June 2016

The Eastern Threat Center-hosted USDA Southeast Regional Climate Hub (SERCH) delivers science-based information, tools, and technology to farmers, ranchers, and forest land managers. SERCH, with assistance from the Climate Learning Network, is offering a new series of on-demand webinars. Visit the SERCH website to learn more.
Center research hydrologist Ge Sun and SRS Center for Integrated Forest Science co-project leader Jim Vose recently edited a special issue of the journal Forests, themed “Forest Management and Water Resources in the Anthropocene.” The issue explores the complex relationships between forests and water in a rapidly changing environment and examines the trade-offs and conflicts between water and other resources as well as new management approaches for sustaining water resources in the future.

The Eastern Threat Center and partners collaborated to develop outreach cards based on National Cohesive Wildland Fire Management Strategy values. The cards share wildfire management information in the South and highlight specific actions individuals can implement to help their communities and landscapes become fire resilient.

Visit the First Friday All Climate Change Talks (FFACCTs) webpage for archived resources and upcoming FFACCTs presentation topics.

Guo, Q., S.J. Zarnoch, X. Chen, and D.G. Brockway. 2016. Life cycle and masting of a recovering keystone indicator species under climate fluctuation. Ecosystem Health and Sustainability 2(6):e01226.
Gavazzi, M.J, G. Sun, S.G. McNulty, E.A. Treasure, and M.G. Wightman. 2016. Canopy rainfall interception measured over 10 years in a coastal plain loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation. Transactions of the ASABE 59(2):601-610.
Kumar, J., J. Weiner, W.W. Hargrove, S.P. Norman, F.M. Hoffman, and D. Newcomb. 2016. Characterization and classification of vegetation canopy structure and sistribution within the Great Smoky Mountains National Park using LiDAR. Proceedings - 15th IEEE International Conference on Data Mining Workshop:1478-1485.

Personnel Updates:

Perdita Spriggs, Center communications director, accepted a management and program analyst position with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service in Raleigh, NC. Her last day was April 16.
Sarah Workman, Center technology transfer specialist, has transitioned from contract consultant to volunteer. Her last day was March 31.

Eric Ward, a North Carolina State University post-doctoral researcher working with staff in the Center’s Raleigh office, has completed his work on the PINEMAP project. His last day was May 27.

Sarah Jasienowski, a North Carolina State University student pursuing a degree in Natural Resources, completed her internship with the Center’s Raleigh office on May 27.
Natural resources specialist Emrys Treasure has been named Coordinator of the Southeast Regional Climate Hub. He works closely with land managers, technical assistance providers, technologists, and scientists to increase the productivity and sustainability of working lands in the face of climate variability and change.
Sarah Wiener has been hired as a Fellow of the Southeast Regional Climate Hub. She studies how climate information is communicated to land management professionals and land managers in the southeastern United States.

Glenn Fowler, a USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) risk analyst, joined the SERCH team as an APHIS liaison.

John Lee joined the SERCH team as a USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) liaison, on detail from his position as NRCS Arkansas state agronomist.
Shawn Dayson Shifflett, a PhD candidate in the Department of Forestry at North Carolina State University, will be working with Research Hydrologist Ge Sun to apply the Water Supply Stress Index (WaSSI) model for the PINEMAP project

Xiaoyu Cen, a Master of Environmental Management candidate at Duke University, began an internship with research ecologist Qinfeng Guo at the Center’s Research Triangle Park office on May 6th.
Amy “Wren” Gershman, a Master of Forestry student at North Carolina State University, began a Pathways internship with the Center’s Raleigh office on May 31.
Josh Simpkins, a North Carolina State University student pursuing a degree in Natural Resources, began a Pathways internship with the Center’s Raleigh office on May 31.