Understory
Displaying 1 - 10 of 516 Publications- While forests are relatively resistant to non-native grass invasion, patches within forests with open canopies or sparse tree cover can be affected. This invasion may lead to changes in fire behavior on the landscape. A team of scientists with the Pacific Northwest and Rocky Mountain Research Stations and Oregon State University used a suite of simulations to examine how non-native grass invasion might alter fire behavior. Their results indicated that forests near invaded patches were more likely to burn and produce crown fires.AuthorsKeywords
- Subalpine forests are an important ecological and cultural resource, but recently there have been concerning declines in some major subalpine species. Using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data, this project used subalpine fir population trends to examine the condition of subalpine ecosystems across the western United States and determined possible drivers of decline. This information is important for subalpine forest conservation, management, and research.Authors
- Blue carbon is carbon stored in coastal ecosystems like mangrove forests, seagrass beds, and salt marshes. Blue carbon ecosystems make up less than 2% of the earth’s coastal area but store ~15% of the carbon found in coastal sediments. Ensuring these ecosystems thrive helps lessen impacts of climate change and protects coastal communities and livelihoods. Mangroves are ecologically and culturally important. Intact mangrove forests store more carbon than any other forest on Earth. They provide coastal communities with food, fiber, and fuel. They serve as barriers from tsunamis, typhoons, and se...AuthorsKeywords
- ʻŌhiʻa lehua (Metrosideros polymorpha) is Hawaii’s most important native tree. It covers nearly one million acres and is deeply intertwined with Native Hawaiian cultural practices. However, Rapid ʻŌhiʻa Death (ROD) caused by the invasive fungal pathogens Ceratocystis lukuohia and Ceratocystis huliohia, has killed over one million ʻōhiʻa trees across 270,000 acres. ROD poses a significant threat to Hawaii's biodiversity and cultural heritage. Safeguarding ʻōhiʻa and halting ROD’s spread requires urgent and coordinated action. Through its ROD research programs, the Forest Service is taking up th...AuthorsKeywords
- Non-native invasive plants cause enormous damage to native Hawaiian ecosystems and agricultural lands. Weeds like strawberry guava, Christmas berry, albizia, Himalayan ginger, miconia and Koster’s curse have spread across vast areas. They outcompete and displace native species, and impede agriculture. These invaders transform Hawaii’s landscapes, compromise access, reduce biodiversity, and degrade watersheds. Controlling these invasive plants by hand or with herbicides at large scales and in remote areas is simply not practical. Since 1984, scientists at the Institute of Pacific Islands Forest...AuthorsKeywords
- The Adelgid Population Dynamics Tool: Developing a Spatially-Explicit Management ModelKeywords
- In response to forest practices regulations in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW), a team of researchers from the USDA Forest Service PNW Research Station and Oregon State University developed the UPstream Regional LiDAR Model of Extent of Trout (UPRLIMET) to help identify the upper limit points above which all streams are considered fishless. Since the last partner meeting in October 2023, the UPRLIMET development team has focused on (a) gathering fish-presence data from various sources, (b) refining environmental models, and (c) implementing predictive methods tailored for the autocorrelation ...