July Newsletter: Preventing Amphibian Extinctions | Ancient Bristlecone Pines | Lion Conservation | More

U.S. Forest Service R&D Newsletter - July 2018

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July Newsletter: Preventing Amphibian Extinctions | Ancient Bristlecone Pines | Lion Conservation | More

FEATURED NEWS

State of the Nation's Forests

The 17th annual report on forest health by the Forest Service Health Monitoring program indicates thatU.S. forests face many challenges. For example, the report describes 62 mortality-causing insects anddiseases detected on nearly 7.4 million acres across the lower 48 states and an analysis of tree mortalityin the West based on Forest Inventory Analysis data showing that mortality exceeded growth in manyplaces.

HUMAN HEALTH

Biodiversity May Help ProtectChildren from Developing Asthma

A USDA Forest Service study of nearly 50,000children in New Zealand found that those who livein neighborhoods with diverse natural vegetationhave a nearly 7 percent lower risk of developingasthma. However, children living in areas with theinvasive plant gorse or exotic conifer species wereat a 3 percent and 4 percent higher risk,respectively, of developing the chronic lungdisease. The Forest Service collaborated withMassey University using a database that coversmost of New Zealand's 4.6 million residents.

July Newsletter: Preventing Amphibian Extinctions | Ancient Bristlecone Pines | Lion Conservation | More

AMPHIBIANS

Rapid Response Plan to CounteractAmphibian Fungal Pathogen

Forest Service scientists worked with internationalcollaborators to develop a plan to address theemerging threat of the fungal pathogen "Bsal,"which causes the disease chytridiomycosis inamphibians. The pathogen is one of the greatestthreats to amphibian biodiversity and may lead toworldwide extinctions.

INVASIVE SPECIES

Illegal Marijuana Sites on NationalForests Can't Hide from Science

Forest Service scientists are helping to counteractillegal marijuana grows on National Forest lands,where growers use toxic rodenticides andpesticides that endanger wildlife and humans. Theresearchers have developed computer algorithmsthat detect sites using aerial and satellite imagery,mapping models that reveal factors affectingdecisions by growers on where to locate growsites, and scientific evidence that supports sitereclamation and restoration.

INVASIVE SPECIES

The Secret to a Long Life: How GreatBasin Bristlecone Survive Beetles

Forest Service research reveals that the GreatBasin bristlecone pine--which can live for over5,000 years--not only repels mountain pine beetlesbut also provides a hostile environment for theinvaders' offspring. Nearly all other pine specieswithin the beetle's native range in Western NorthAmerica have proven to be susceptible hosts forthe next generation of beetles.

The unique defenses of the Great Basinbristlecone pine might be used to developstrategies to protect other high-value trees frommountain pine attacks.

July Newsletter: Preventing Amphibian Extinctions | Ancient Bristlecone Pines | Lion Conservation | More

CONSERVATION

Ranking Locations for LionConservation in Southern Africa

An international team of researchers thatincludes the Forest Service developed astrategy for focusing lion conservation activities inareas where they will be most impactful. Theseinclude dispersal areas (regions where lions movebetween breeding sites), strategic corridors usedby lions to move between dispersal areas, andlocations at highest risk of human-lion conflict. Theresearchers identified these focus areas byanalyzing GPS collar data that revealed lionmovements.

BIRD CONSERVATION

A Warmer Midwest Could Make aCommon Songbird Less Common

Forest Service scientists predicted Acadianflycatcher populations through the year 2100across the 96-million-acre Central HardwoodsRegion to understand how climate change mightaffect them over time. Under severe warmingprojections, changes in forest habitat andincreases in nest predation by snakes could pushthe birds in the region close to extinction by theend of this century.

AQUATIC SUSTAINABILITY

Hope for Trout and Salmon asWestern Waters Grow Warmer

Forest Service scientists found that averagesummer and early fall river temperatures in thenorthwestern United States rose about 1° Celsiusfrom 1976 to 2015 and could rise another 1°Celsius by 2050. This warming trend is likely toaffect economically important trout and salmonspecies

But trout and salmon are adapting by moving tocooler sites during heat waves and altering theirmigration timing. They also appear to be graduallyshifting upstream to live long-term in coolerwaters. The researchers point out severalmanagement options for managers to help offsetwarming and preserve cold-water river habitats,such as minimizing water withdrawals from riversand increasing shade through riparian vegetation.

July Newsletter: Preventing Amphibian Extinctions | Ancient Bristlecone Pines | Lion Conservation | More

AQUATIC SUSTAINABILITY

Leveraging Leftovers: Using NeweDNA Technique to Track FreshwaterSpecies

Forest Service researchers and partners arepioneering a quick, cost-effective, noninvasivemethod for simultaneously testing small quantitiesof river water for the presence of multiple speciesin freshwater ecosystems. This method is basedon sampling for environmental DNA (eDNA):DNA left behind from skin cells, feces or urine ofanimals that have been in the river.

View this storymap to learn how multispecieseDNA may support management of freshwaterorganisms, particularly threatened species.

WATER SUPPLY

The Future of Forested Watersheds

Forest Service scientists and partners developed amodel to help define how fine-scale land usepatterns impact watersheds. Resulting informationwill help water managers and city planners identifywhere future forest loss might produce thegreatest impacts.

FORESTRY

Family Forests Impacted byFragmentation

Forest Service research shows that family-ownedforests are increasingly compromised by borderinglands. This research, which incorporates ForestInventory and Analysis data, compares landscapepatterns from 2001 to 2011 and finds a 1.5 percentincrease in family forests bordered by developedor agricultural areas. This habitatfragmentation may damage an adjacent familyforest's ability to sustain ecosystem services.

July Newsletter: Preventing Amphibian Extinctions | Ancient Bristlecone Pines | Lion Conservation | More

FOREST RESTORATION

Where to Source Seeds Used inRestoration?

Forest Service research identifies actions neededto improve decision-making about whether to uselocal or nonlocal native seeds in forest restorationprojects. Traditionally, restoration practitionershave sourced local seed to maintain theevolutionary history of plant populations and limitrisks. However, the impacts of habitatfragmentation and climate change on plantpopulations have led some to advocate for usingnon-local seed populations to prepare for futureenvironmental conditions.

SOCIAL JUSTICE

Increasing African American LandAsset Value in the South

Forest Service researchers have partnered withother agencies to support community-basedassistance programs in southern states throughthe Sustainable Forestry and African AmericanLand Retention Project. Research shows thatAfrican American landowners whose familiesmigrated to industrializing northern cities in theearly- to mid-1900s return to family land in theSouth after retirement or to care for aging parents.

NONTIMBER FOREST PRODUCTS

Why Harvest Nontimber ForestProducts?

A report by Forest Service researcherssynthesizes the best available science to helpdecision-makers, practitioners, and researcherspromote the sustainable harvest of nontimberforest products. The harvest of products such asmedicinal herbs, wild onions, and mushroomscontributes millions of dollars to the U.S. economyeach year, but a lack of data has prevented athorough analysis of their economic value. Thisreport helps fill these gaps.

July Newsletter: Preventing Amphibian Extinctions | Ancient Bristlecone Pines | Lion Conservation | More

BEE CONSERVATION

Want to Help Bees? Take a Breakfrom Lawn Mowing

Across the globe, native bee species are havingtrouble, with populations experiencing declineattributed to habitat loss. A Forest Service studyfound that cutting the grass every two weeks cansignificantly increase bee abundance in your ownbackyard. This allows for relatively short grass andplenty of lawn flowers that bees can access.

HISTORY

Out-of-control Flooding MotivatedEarly Forest Conservation Efforts

Deforestation in the eastern U.S. stripped awaytree cover that prevented runoff, leading totorrential flooding in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies. In 1907, flooding from the MonogahelaRiver watershed in West Virginia caused $100million in damage en route to Pittsburgh (pictured),where it created another $8 million in damage.This event and others culminated in the WeeksAct of 1911, which authorized the U.S. Secretaryof Agriculture to purchase private lands to protectriver and watershed headwaters and allowed forthese lands to be preserved and maintained asnational forest territory.

DID YOU KNOW?

What are the Oldest Trees in the World?

Standing high atop the White Mountains of theInyo National Forest in California, the Great Basinbristlecone pines rank as the oldest trees in theworld. These trees live in the mountains of EasternCalifornia, scattered throughout high mountains ofNevada and, to a lesser extent, Utah. There aremany trees in the bristlecone pine forest of theWhite Mountains that exceed 4,000 years of ageand are still growing. Recent research indicatesthere is a living tree older than 5,000 years.

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