Source: USDA Forest Service - Southern Research Station submitted to NRP
EFFECTS OF REGIONAL, CONTINENTAL, AND GLOBAL FORCING FACTORS ON PINE-DOMINATED FOREST ECOSYSTEMS IN THE SOUTH
Sponsoring Institution
Forest Service/USDA
Project Status
EXTENDED
Funding Source
USDA INHOUSE
Reporting Frequency
Annual
Accession No.
0216977
Grant No.
(N/A)
Cumulative Award Amt.
(N/A)
Proposal No.
(N/A)
Multistate No.
(N/A)
Project Start Date
Oct 1, 2007
Project End Date
Sep 30, 2022
Grant Year
(N/A)
Program Code
[(N/A)]- (N/A)
Recipient Organization
USDA Forest Service - Southern Research Station
200 WEAVER BLVD., PO BOX 2680
ASHEVILLE,NC 28804
Performing Department
(N/A)
Non Technical Summary
This research problem aims to discover and develop knowledge about the effects of climate change, large-scale natural disturbances, and other anthropogenic influences on forest ecosystems; synthesize and evaluate the cumulative ecological effects resulting from management activities imposed in varying patterns and intensities across a forested landscape; and develop and discover knowledge on natural patterns, processes, historical conditions, and disturbances in southern pine-dominated stands and landscapes. The results of our research will allow managers to make appropriate choices in management plans to restore and enhance southern pine ecosystems.
Animal Health Component
75%
Research Effort Categories
Basic
25%
Applied
75%
Developmental
0%
Classification

Knowledge Area (KA)Subject of Investigation (SOI)Field of Science (FOS)Percent
1230430107025%
1230613107075%
Knowledge Area
123 - Management and Sustainability of Forest Resources;

Subject Of Investigation
0430 - Climate; 0613 - Mixed conifer-broadleaf forests;

Field Of Science
1070 - Ecology;
Goals / Objectives
We will synthesize and evaluate the influence of regional, continental, and global forcing factors on pine-dominated forest ecosystems in the South, and will provide land owners and managers with the tools to manage healthy, diverse, and productive southern pine ecosystems that are resilient in response to these changes.
Project Methods
Problem 2a. We will discover and develop knowledge about the effects of climate change, large-scale natural disturbances, and other anthropogenic influences on forest ecosystems. Our results will aid in refining computer models by including the influence of regional ice storms on growth and yield of southern pines. We will develop internet-based models of hazard, exposure, and risk for outbreaks of native insect species such as southern pine beetle and red oak borer that landowners can use to make better decisions about management alternatives in pine, pine-hardwood, and hardwood-pine stands. Subjective decision models on the flexibility of different silvicultural systems in southern pine-dominated ecosystems under projected changes in regional climate will be developed. Problem 2b. We will synthesize and evaluate the cumulative ecological effects resulting from management activities imposed in varying patterns and intensities across a forested landscape, so that stand and forest management decisions may be made and actions taken in the context of larger landscapes fragmented by different ownership patterns. The development of GIS-based decision support models for southern pine stands will give landowners the tools they need to make resource management decisions on their property, in the context of management action or inaction on adjacent properties within and across forested landscapes. Problem 2c. We will develop and discover knowledge on natural patterns, processes, historical conditions, and disturbances in southern pine-dominated stands and landscapes so that managers can identify trajectories and alter management actions to restore and enhance southern pine ecosystems. Our research will quantify presettlement forest structure and function so that those wishing to recreate those conditions have tools available to guide and inform their management decisions. We will evaluate and synthesize information from ongoing forest restoration prescriptions in southern pine stands across the South, to provide management guidelines and expected outcomes as restoration prescriptions are implemented across a wider variety of forest types.

Progress 10/01/19 to 09/30/20

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at the Ecological Society of America annual meeting (virtual). Outreach activities included: Unit staff participated in and provided content for the USDA Forest Service⿿s National Advanced Silviculture Program Southern Pine Module. PARTICIPANTS: Don C. Bragg, Project Leader; Shaik Hossain, ORISE postdoctoral fellow; and Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners included Kistachie National Forest; Clemson University; University of Arkansas-Monticello; and Weyerhaeuser Corp. TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests, private forest landowners, state and federal agencies, and the general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Forests can continue to deliver ecosystem services if tree fecundity keeps pace with 21st century climate change. Not only is fecundity unknown at the continental scale, but so too is its rate of change (ROC). Is seed production responding to climate change and, if so, how? At least two forces could be controlling trends in forest regeneration and the capacity to migrate, i) climate change, and ii) geographic variation in stand growth and structure. Effective management will depend on an understanding of both effects. For example, warming during vulnerable spring months might increase reproductive success. If fecundity is limited by thermal energy that coincides with moisture availability, then warming might benefit reproduction only in regions where moisture remains abundant. At the same time, indirect effects could dominate the response if changing growth moves stands into more or less fecund size classes. We combined an unprecedented synthesis of North American fecundity data from the masting inference and forecasting (MASTIF) collaboration with a novel dynamic bio-physical model to infer continental ROC in fecundity. The biophysical model captures the direct and indirect effects of climate change, including the interactions between them (e.g., size differences matter most in dry climates, or, moisture limitation is most important for small trees). Fecundity, discussed here as seeds/ha/yr, is highest in the midwest (MW) and west (W) owing to high seeds per basal area in the MW and high basal area of trees in the W. However, fecundity is increasing throughout most of the continent, with highest ROC in the north (N) and northwest (NW). Exceptions include parts of the south (S) and southwest (SW). The full effect of climate change is accelerating ROC in the MW and SW both directly and through effects on growth. Two processes are offsetting a positive effect of warming springs. First, a positive effect on growth moves stands into larger, less fecund size classes in western Canada, the Rockies, and much of the East. However, positive effects on growth do not transfer to increased ROC in much of the W and NE. Despite positive ROC throughout most of the continent, climate change is reducing ROC in the East and NW. Taken together, the full effect of climate change on ROC is primarily positive, despite negative indirect effects. We discuss the implications of species-level differences for migration potential and food web dynamics.

Publications

  • Lu, Deliang; Pile, Lauren S.; Yu, Dapao; Zhu, Jiaojun; Bragg, Don C.; Wang, G. Geoff. 2020. Differential responses of tree species to a severe ice storm and their implications to forest composition in the southeast United States. Forest Ecology and Management. 468: 118177. 12 p.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118177.


Progress 10/01/16 to 09/30/17

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at Arkansas Archeological Society annual meeting (El Dorado, AR); Society of American Foresters national convention (Madison, WI); University of Memphis Earth Sciences Colloquium (Memphis, TN); Ouachita Society of American Foresters annual meeting (Mena, AR); 19th biennial southern silvicultural research conference (Blacksburg, VA); spring meeting of the Arkansas GIS users forum (Little Rock, AR); Bioinformatics Discovery Day at the University of Arkansas-Little Rock (Little Rock, AR); Western Gulf Forest Health Conference (Shreveport, LA); 34th southern forest tree improvement conference (Melbourne, FL); Whitfield Garden Club (Hot Springs, AR); Central Arkansas Woodworkers' Association; and university classes. Tours included field lab experience in the ecology, management, and measurement of natural-origin pine stands to Introduction to Natural Resource Management class, University of Arkansas-Monticello; field tour of the Reynolds RNA and the Good Farm Forty for U.S. Senator John Boozman, U.S. Representative Bruce Westerman, some of their staffs, and local persons; field tour of the Reynolds RNA and progeny tests for Dr. Rob Doudrick, USFS SRS Station Director; field tour of the Crossett EF office complex and Reynolds RNA for 12 architecture students and two instructors from the University of Arkansas-Fayetteville; field tour of the Crossett EF for 28 forestry students and instructor from Louisiana Tech University. PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Emeritus Scientist; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners included USDA Forest Service-Savannah River Site; USDA Forest Service, Region 8; USDA Forest Service SRS-4353; Ouachita National Forest; U.S. Department of Energy (Savannah River Site Operations Office); Longleaf Alliance; University of Indiana; University of Arkansas-Monticello; Michael Pomeroy (grandson of Les Pomeroy). TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests, private forest landowners, state and federal agencies, and the general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
In the aftermath of a 2014 storm, a number of private landowners believed longleaf pine was severely affected. This reaction concerned those interested longleaf pine restoration, so an assessment was conducted on some glaze-damaged plantations on the U.S. Department of Energy⿿s Savannah River Site. The studied longleaf and loblolly pine plantations had been established on the same sites in the same years, thus allowing a direct comparison of these species. Even when controlled for bole diameter, longleaf plantations experienced greater mortality rates and suffered higher amounts of some kinds of damage than planted loblolly pine. For example, small- to moderate-sized longleaf pine were significantly more likely to have moderate-to-severe crown and/or bole damage than loblolly pine. These results suggest that more effort may be needed to avoid unacceptably high losses to glazing in planted longleaf pine that may deter landowners from reestablishing this species in many parts of its former range. The Crossett Experimental Forest has been a leader in the development of southern pine silviculture since its opening in 1934. One of the strengths of the research and demonstration work at Crossett is the long-term, large-scale treatments possible on experimental forests. For example, a study to evaluate different treatments on the long-term sustainability of southern pine stands managed for old forest characteristics revealed that this stand shared some similar history and composition as the better-known Farm Forties. However, this stand also possessed a number of fundamental differences that can be used to better craft the silvicultural prescriptions to sustain elements of mature pine forests. Robust documentation of the structure, dynamics, and history of these mature, pine-dominated forests can help modern-day and future stewards manage this resource more effectively. The company Les Pomeroy and Eugene Connor founded, the Ozark Badger Lumber Company, was one of the first in the region to practice sustainable forestry, and they helped establish many of the guiding principles for uneven-aged silviculture in southern pines (predating other efforts by years). In his role as an industry leader and member of Arkansas A&M⿿s Board of Trustees, Pomeroy also helped found the forestry degree program at that institution, which continues to produce foresters and helps to sustain the natural resource-based economy of this timber-dependent region. The lessons learned by early forestry practitioners such as Pomeroy and Connor and the research of Russell R. Reynolds at the Crossett Experimental Forest laid the foundations for much of the sustainable timber industry that has long served as an economic driver in the rural southern U.S.

Publications

  • Bragg, Don C. 2016. Descriptions of some Arkansas mound sites from 1870: an update. Field Notes of the Arkansas Archeological Society. 392: 3-8.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2016. Initial mortality rates and extent of damage to loblolly and longleaf pine plantations affected by an ice storm in South Carolina. Forest Science. 62(5): 574-585.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2016. Overstory species composition, structure, and conservation challenges of a mature, natural-origin pine stand after decades of management. Southeastern Naturalist. 15(Special Issue 9): 16-41.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2016. The dream that became a reality: forestry education in Drew County before 1946.  Drew County Historical Journal. 31: 23-46.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2017. A letter on the Sulphur Springs mound complex in Ashley County. Field Notes of the Arkansas Archeological Society. 394: 9-11.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2017. SITEQUAL v2.0⿿a Fortran program to determine bottomland hardwood site quality. In: Kabrick, John M.; Dey, Daniel C.; Knapp, Benjamin O.; Larsen, David R.; Shifley, Stephen R.; Stelzer, Henry E., eds. Proceedings of the 20th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; 2016 March 28-April 1; Columbia, MO. General Technical Report NRS-P-167. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 297-303.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2017. The development of uneven-aged southern pine silviculture before the Crossett Experimental Forest (Arkansas, USA). Forestry. 90: 332-342.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2017. To the next 100 years of the Journal of Forestry. Journal of Forestry. 115(1): 70.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Bragg, Hope A. 2016. Historical and contemporary environmental context for the Saline-Fifteen site (3BR119). Arkansas Archeologist. 55: 1-30.
  • Bragg, Don. 2017. The silvicultural legacy of Leslie Pomeroy and Eugene Connor, Madison's own Pine [Tree] Bankers [Abstract]. Journal of Forestry. 115(2): S70.
  • Guldin, James M.; Bragg, Don C.; Zingg, Andreas. 2017. Plentern mit Kiefern--Ergebnisse aus den USA [Plentering with pines--results from the United States].  Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen. 168(2): 75-83.
  • Guldin, James M.; Buford, Marilyn A. 2017. A special issue of the Journal of Forestry-⿿Proceedings of the 2015 National Silviculture Workshop. Journal of Forestry. 115(3): 157-158.
  • Kuhn, Jennifer; Bragg, Don; Guldin, Richard; Moser, Keith. 2017. Jumpstart your research career with SAF's journals [abstract]. Journal of Forestry. 115(2): S46.
  • Sharma, Shakuntala; Adams, Joshua P.; Schuler, Jamie L.; Ficklin, Robert L.; Bragg, Don C. 2016. Effect of seedling stock on the early stand development and physiology of improved loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) seedlings. iForest. 9: 690-695.
  • Webb, Tom; Bragg, Don C. 2016. GLO subcontracting on the Arkansas frontier. Point of Intersection. 16(2): 8-11.


Progress 10/01/15 to 09/30/16

Outputs
OUTPUT: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at 20th Central Hardwoods Conference (Columbia, MO); 2015 Society of American Foresters National Convention (Baton Rouge, LA); Natural Areas Conference (Little Rock, AR); Tunican Chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society (Monticello, AR); LeadAR professional leadership development program (Monticello, AR); South Arkansas Historical Preservation Society (El Dorado, AR); and university classes. Tours included Field tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest for Dr. Gazmend Zeneli from the University of Marin Barleti (Albania);Field tour, shortleaf pine restoration on the Poteau-Cold Springs Ranger District, Ouachita National Forest for Dr. Gazmend Zeneli from the University of Marin Barleti (Albania); Field tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest for Dr. Matt Olson, University of Arkansas-Monticello silviculture professor; Field tour, shortleaf pine and pine-oak restoration on the Big Piney Ranger District, Ozark-St. Francis NF provided to Clarence Coffey and guests of the Tennessee Department of Wildlife, Shortleaf Pine Initiative; Field tour of the Good Forty on the Crossett Experimental Forest for 8 University of Arkansas-Monticello undergraduate silviculture students; and Field tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest for Stephanie Laseter, USFS and Dr. Matt Olson, University of Arkansas-Monticello silviculture professor. Outreach activities included nature hike for 6 Cub Scouts and parents on the University of Arkansas-Monticello campus (Monticello, AR). PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Emeritus Scientist; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; and Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners included Clinton School of Public Service, University of Arkansas; Duke University; USGS; University of Vermont; UC-Santa Barbara; Sarah Lawrence College; University of Michigan; Harvard University; UC-Davis; Northern Arizona University; Swiss Federal Research Institute; Thomas Lynch, Oklahoma State University; and Douglas Stevenson, University of Arkansas. TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests, private forest landowners, state and federal agencies, and the general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Climate change is increasingly challenging scientists, managers, and policy makers across the globe. While many different elements are involved with changing climates, the combination of persistent, abnormally low precipitation (drought) across large areas, accentuated by increased temperatures, probably poses the biggest resource challenge. Drought has been linked to numerous events directly or indirectly responsible for some of the forest losses and ecosystem conversions in the United States. Although the western U.S. has been most prominently affected in recent decades, all portions of the country are vulnerable to drought, and parts of the more mesic eastern U.S. may be particularly sensitive to the prolonged droughts possible under climate change. In their analysis of hundreds of studies and other assessments of drought impacts on forests (some going back many decades), this science synthesis and resulting review papers take a more integrated and comprehensive approach to the issues of drought in U.S. forests. The patterns and processes revealed in these syntheses are tied to management influences and opportunities. The multi-billion dollar timber and recreation industries are the most obviously affected sectors of the economy, but droughts that negatively impact forests also significantly impact other socioeconomic (e.g., water provisioning) and ecological (e.g., endangered species) concerns, making this a critical field of study. Severe winter storms break trunks and limbs and cause loss of foliage, twigs, and branches, and can cause severe bending stem breakage, and uprooting, Surviving trees show a characteristic 2-year decline in ring width. This can be detected using rings laid down in response to injury. Drought may be coincident with severe winter storms and can confound the severe winter storm signal. Forest Service researchers and cooperators found a severe storm signature in shortleaf pine in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas and Oklahoma. Three published site chronologies, a set of five new site chronologies from a 25-year growth and yield study, and an unpublished 400-year dendrochronology in the region were used to study ring patterns after storm events. The method is based on two ring width values for the first and second growing seasons after the storm standardized to the ring widths of the seven growing seasons after the storm. Damaging severe storms occurred in about 2.8% of all years. Two out of three storms identified as ⿿severe⿝ produced glaze icing. Long renowned for its contributions to silvicultural practices in naturally regenerated loblolly and shortleaf pine, the Crossett Experimental Forest (CEF) has also played an important, if much less well known, role in southern pine tree improvement. In the late 1960s, scientists installed part of a full- and half-sibling plus tree loblolly pine progeny test on the CEF compared to ⿿woods-run⿝ materials collected from the experimental forest. At 46-49 years post-establishment, these tests have unique opportunities to reevaluate growth, bole quality, and other performance measures for known families, as well as the promise of new studies related to genetics, tree defense strategies, carbon allocation, and bole/crown dynamics.

Publications

  • Barnes, J.A.; Bragg, D.C.; Bragg, H.A.; Brandon, J.C.; Carlson-Drexler, C.; Colannino-Meeks, C.; Gregory, K.; Scott, R.J. 2015. Behind the scenes of Hollywood: science and problem solving at Hollywood Plantation. Monticello, AR: Tunican Chapter of the Arkansas Archeological Society, Arkansas Archeological Survey, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture-4H, and the University of Arkansas-Monticello.  199 p.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2015. Descriptions of some Arkansas mound sites from 1870.  Field Notes of the Arkansas Archeological Society. 384: 3-8.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2015. Tree improvement program of the Crossett Experimental Forest. Journal of Forestry. 113(3): 354.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Riddle, Jess; Adams, Joshua; Guldin, James M. 2016. The Crossett Experimental Forest's contributions to southern pine improvement programs. In: Adams, Joshua P., ed. Proceedings of the 33rd southern forest tree improvement conference; 2015 June 8-11; Hot Springs, AR. Ruston, LA: Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee: 40-50.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Tappe, Philip A. 2015. The many values of field-based education in forestry. Journal of Forestry. 113(6):592-594.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Webb, Tom. 2016. "As foreign from truth as heaven is from earth": Charles Hollis Pelham and the original government surveys along the White River in Independence County. Independence County Chronicle. 62(2): 2-39.
  • Cerny, K. Chris; Stahle, David W.; Bragg, Don C. 2016. A frontier shortleaf pine stand in the old-growth Cross Timbers of Oklahoma. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 143(3): 224-238. 15 p.  10.3159/TORREY-D-15-00043.1
  • Guldin, Jim. 2016. The role of planting in ecosystem restoration--pros and cons. In: Adams, Joshua P., ed. Proceedings of the 33rd southern forest tree improvement conference; 2015 June 8-11; Hot Springs, AR. Ruston, LA: Southern Forest Tree Improvement Committee: 2.
  • McDaniel, Virginia; Jennifer Ogle. 2016. Lake Leatherwood City Park. Claytonia. 36(1): 6.
  • Pomeroy, Michael; Bragg, Don C. 2015. Ozark Badger Lumber Company's innovative approach to selective management. Journal of Forestry. 113(2): 257.


Progress 10/01/14 to 09/30/15

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at Big Thicket Science Conference: Biodiversity and ecology of the West Gulf Coastal Plain landscape (Nacogdoches, TX), 33rd Southern Forest Tree Improvement Conference (Hot Springs, AR), 18th biennial southern silvicultural research conference (Knoxville, TN), 24th IUFRO World Forestry Congress (Salt Lake City, UT), and university classes. Tours included field tour of the Crossett EF for 10 students and 3 faculty from University of Arkansas⿿Monticello, tour provided for an international guest, Dr. Gazmend Zeneli of Albania, a visiting scholar at the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service, and field tour of the Crossett EF for Mohammad Bataineh (University of Arkansas⿿Monticello faculty) plus 4 graduate students and instructor (Chris Keyes) from the University of Montana. Outreach activities included a talk to Warren Rotary Club, Warren, AR. PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Emeritus Scientist; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; and Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners included Tom Webb, Fayetteville, AR; Thomas Lynch, Oklahoma State University; Pradip Saud, Oklahoma State University; Laurel Haavik, Ohio State University; Fred Stephen, University of Arkansas; and Sharon Billings, University of Kansas. TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests; private forest landowners, state and federal agencies; and the general public PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Two hundred years ago, public land surveyors began the task of subdividing remote, rugged, and sparsely populated Arkansas landscapes into parcels that the federal government could offer to a land-hungry population. This effort turned the vast public domain into a draw for untold numbers of immigrants, who came to settle the land with their farms, factories, and communities. Today, ecologists and historians frequently use the General Land Office records to reconstruct the natural and human communities of that historical period (in Arkansas, between 1815 and 1859). However, many are unaware of the problems with the surveys; some were so egregious that a substantial resurveying effort was undertaken during the 1850s (in Arkansas) to correct them. The documentary record of this resurveying effort focuses on 2 of the men hired to resurvey much of Arkansas and many of the other principals involved with this effort at local, state, and national levels. Only a portion of the Arkansas lands needing resurvey were completed before the federal government shut down the effort just before the beginning of the Civil War; many of these original flawed surveys still haunt land surveyors in their efforts today. Recent patterns suggest changes in the traditional sequence of events and factors involved in forest decline. Several reports involve emergent mortality agents, including native insects and diseases. Changing climate and weather patterns place increasing emphasis on root dynamics, given the critical role of roots in tolerance to drought. Successive extremes of wet and dry periods could negatively affect tree carbon (C) balance and water relations, which may provide an advantage to secondary agents such as root pathogens (e.g., Armillaria and Phytophthora spp.). We used a case study of the red oak borer, Enaphalodes rufulus, which, interacting with drought and forest history, resulted in an unprecedented oak mortality event (1999⿿2003, Ozark region). Surviving oaks often exhibited slow growth early during forest development, yet became superior competitors later on, and exhibited nonlinear growth dynamics; trees that died often exhibited the opposite pattern, with rapid growth early in life and linear growth dynamics. We speculate that these different growth strategies could be related to patterns of resource allocation and/or microsite conditions and driven or influenced by repeated drought. Carbon balance dysfunction may be the underlying mechanism of oak mortality during decline. It is likely caused by changes in C supply and demand during drought and/or defoliation that weaken oaks by depleting C reserves, or somehow inhibiting translocation of stored C to repair damaged tissues and resist secondary biotic agents. Ultimately, successive drought and persistent activity by these insects and pathogens kill affected oaks. An individual-tree basal area growth model previously developed for even-aged naturally occurring shortleaf pine trees in western Arkansas and southeastern Oklahoma did not include weather variables. Individual-tree growth and yield modeling of shortleaf pine has been carried out using the remeasurements of permanent plots on the Ozark and Ouachita National Forests. Different basal area growth models for shortleaf pine have been proposed previously, such as a model that was part of a distance-independent individual-tree simulator and a model that utilized nonlinear mixed modeling of basal area growth. In this research, non-linear least squares modeling methods with weather variables used to estimate parameters in an individual-tree basal area growth model for naturally occurring shortleaf pine indicated better fit than a model without weather variables. A small but significant influence of weather variables including precipitation and average air temperature was observed in the modified individual-tree basal area growth model of shortleaf pine.

Publications

  • Bragg, D.C.; Riddle, J.D. 2014. Serendipitous data following a severe windstorm in an old-growth pine stand. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science. 68: 37-44. 8 p.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Shelton, Michael G. 2014. The value of old forests: lessons from the Reynolds Research Natural Area. In: Hayes, Deborah C.; Stout, Susan L.; Crawford, Ralph H.; Hoover, Anne P., eds. USDA Forest Service Experimental Forests and Ranges: Research for the long term. New York, NY: Springer: 61-84. 24 p.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Webb, Tom. 2014. "As false as the Black Prince of Hades": resurveying in Arkansas, 1849-1859. Arkansas Historical Quarterly. 73(3): 268-292.
  • Haavik, L.; Billings, S.; Guldin, J.; Stephen, F. 2014. Insect outbreaks and oak decline interact to shape drier forests of the future [abstract]. International Forestry Review. 16(5): 328.
  • Haavik, Laurel J.; Billings, Sharon A.; Guldin, James M.; Stephen, Fred M. 2015. Emergent insects, pathogens and drought shape changing patterns in oak decline in North America and Europe. Forest Ecology and Management. 354: 190-205. 10.1016/j.foreco.2015.06.019
  • Saud, Pradip; Lynch, Thomas B.; Wilson, Duncan S.; Stewart, John; Guldin, James M.; Heinemann, Bob; Holeman, Randy; Wilson, Dennis; Anderson, Keith. 2015. Influence of weather and climate variables on the basal area growth of individual shortleaf pine trees. In: Holley, A. Gordon; Connor, Kristina F.; Haywood, James D., eds. Proceedings of the 17th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-203. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 406-408.
  • Stevenson, Douglas J.; Lynch, Thomas B.; Guldin, James M. 2015. Tree-ring record of droughts and severe winter storms in the Ouachita Mountains since 1745. In: Holley, A. Gordon; Connor, Kristina F.; Haywood, James D., eds. Proceedings of the 17th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-203. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 301.


Progress 10/01/13 to 09/30/14

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at 2013 national convention, Society of American Foresters (North Charleston, SC), 2014 Arkansas Academy of Science annual meeting (Searcy, AR), 2014 Arkansas Historical Association annual meeting (Washington, AR), 2014 Ecological Society of America annual meeting (Sacramento, CA), and the Southwest's old-growth forests: a conference (Durango, CO). Tours included field tour of shortleaf pine-bluestem restoration on the Ouachita National Forest provided for 30 participants of the Shortleaf Pine Initiative; tour of Warren Prairie, Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission provided to the Arkansas Field Tour, Yale F&ES Graduate Student Spring Field Trip; and field tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest for 14 students plus instructor from Texas A&M University, and field tour of the shortleaf pine projects on the Crossett Experimental Forest and private lands in Ashley and Cleveland counties for the Shortleaf Pine Initiative. Outreach activities included More than 165 students and teachers from local high schools attended the Crossett Forestry Field Day Youth Program sponsored by the Crossett Experimental Forest and the University of Arkansas at Monticello on 2014 May 16. Researchers discussed ecosystem services and timber management, and gave a presentation on carbon-related issues. Students also received an understanding of possible career paths in forestry. PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Emeritus Scientist; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests; private forest landowners, state and federal agencies; general public PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Across most of the southeastern U.S., mature, unmanaged, naturally regenerated forests are increasingly scarce, particularly in the uplands now dominated by intensive timber management. The Reynolds Research Natural Area (RRNA) represents an even rarer resource: a mature, unmanaged pine-hardwood stand that has been closely monitored for many decades. Reserved from harvesting in 1937, researchers have tracked changes in stand structure, composition, and dynamics since that time. We reviewed this long-term data to learn how species composition and diameter distributions can be interpreted for a number of historical and contemporary resource issues, such as forest vegetation change, dead wood accumulation and disturbance regimes, endangered species habitat, old-growth management, large tree measurement, carbon storage, and even climate change. As new tools and technologies are available to measure forest attributes across a range of scales, it is critical that measurements be as accurate as possible to avoid compounding errors. Tree height is subject to considerable error if improperly done. A relatively new approach, the sine method, is not subject to as many inherent assumptions as most previous techniques. At the forest stand level, biomass estimation is also increasingly important, and is likewise subject to problems with compounding errors, particularly when extrapolated from individual trees to stands or landscapes. Locally derived biomass models offer more accurate estimates of biomass at finer scales, allowing for specific projects to be better evaluated. A local biomass model for natural-origin pines compared to models developed for other regions demonstrates the value of improved knowledge about the relationship between tree diameter and biomass, particularly when scaled up. The forests of the Ozark Mountains, Arkansas, were affected by an unusually damaging outbreak of the red oak borer, a native wood-boring insect, during 1995-2005. More than 250,000 ac of oak stands on the Ozark National Forest were affected by the epidemic, with some ridgetop stands losing >75% of their red oaks. We used a series of LANDSAT images from 1990, 1996, and 2006 to show how oak forests in the region were affected. Changes in the infrared reflection from foliage of the trees meant that the forest structure was different from one time period to the next, and field inspections confirmed when that change was likely due to areas where oaks had been killed. The method revealed a number of previously unrecorded locations where past red oak borer infestations occurred. LANDSAT images will allow managers to keep track of areas that are likely to be affected by the red oak borer, and also to detect other natural disturbances. For silviculturists, short-term challenges from climate change are likely to be related to disturbance events that require a response that ameliorates or rehabilitates affected stands through practices that promote continued resistance, resilience, or recovery from the disturbance. Challenges in the long term will focus on an enhanced understanding of the genetic diversity and species composition of the new regeneration cohorts that are established to replace the existing stand. The likelihood of seeing a stand develop as planned from sapling stage to maturity will probably vary inversely with rotation age or the interval between new age cohorts. Rather than developing static management plans for forested properties, the role of silviculturists in the future will more closely resemble incident response, bringing adaptive management to bear in the face of changing ecological conditions

Publications

  • Bragg, D.C.; McElligott, K.M. 2013. Comparing aboveground biomass predictions for an uneven-aged pine-dominated stand using local, regional, and national models. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science. 67: 34-41.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2014. Eighty years of silvicultural history at the Crossett Experimental Forest. Journal of Forestry. 112(2): 237-240.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2014. Knowledge transfer to 4-H youths at the Crossett Experimental Forest. Journal of Forestry. 112(3): 316.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2014. The modest beginning of the Crossett Experimental Forest. Journal of Forestry. 112(1): 55.
  • Bragg, Don C.; O'Neill, Ricky; Holimon, William; Fox, Joe; Thornton, Gary; Mangham, Roger. 2014. Moro Big Pine: conservation and collaboration in the pine flatwoods of Arkansas. Journal of Forestry. 112(5): 446-456.
  • Bragg, Don; O'Neill, Ricky; Holimon, Bill; Mangham, Roger; Fox, Joe; Thornton, Gary. 2014. Moro Big Pine: conservation, collaboration, and forest legacy in the pine flatwoods of Arkansas. Journal of Forestry. 112(1): 144. Abstract.
  • Guldin, James M. 2014. Adapting silviculture to a changing climate in the southern United States. In: Vose, James M.; Klepzig, Kier D., eds. Climate change adaptation and mitigation management options: A guide for natural resource managers in southern forest ecosystems. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press: 173-192.
  • Jones, Joshua S.; Tullis, Jason A.; Haavik, Laurel J.; Guldin, James M.; Stephen, Fred M. 2014. Monitoring oak-hickory forest change during an unprecedented red oak borer outbreak in the Ozark Mountains: 1990 to 2006. Journal of Applied Remote Sensing 8: article 083687. [DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.8.083687]
  • McElligott, K.M.; Bragg, D.C. 2013. Deriving biomass models for small-diameter loblolly pine on the Crossett Experimental Forest. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science. 67: 94-102.
  • McNab, W. Henry; Spetich, Martin A.; Perry, Roger W.; Haywood, James D.; Laird, Shelby Gull; Clark, Stacy L.; Hart, Justin L.; Torreano, Scott J.; Buchanan, Megan L. 2014. Climate-induced migration of native tree populations and consequences for forest composition. In: Vose, James M.; Klepzig, Kier D., eds. Climate change adaptation and mitigation management options: A guide for natural resource managers in southern forest ecosystems. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. 307-378.
  • Wang, Lei; Birt, Andrew G.; Lafon, Charles W.; Cairns, David M.; Coulson, Robert N.; Tchakerian, Maria D.; Xi, Weimin; Popescu, Sorin C.; Guldin, James M. 2013. Computer-based synthetic data to assess the tree delineation algorithm from airborne LiDAR survey. Geoinformatica. 17(1): 35-61.


Progress 10/01/12 to 09/30/13

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at 17th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference (Shreveport, LA); 4th International EcoSummit (Columbus, OH); 2013 Missouri Consulting Foresters Association Annual Winter Meeting (Jefferson City, MO); Annual Meeting of the Entomological Society of America (Knoxville, TN); University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Knoxville, TN); Four-State Forestry Conference (Texarkana, TX); Four-State Forestry Conference: Forestry on the Grow; Ouachita Mountains Resource Conservation and Development Council; Meeting of SRS and Tennessee/Kentucky State Foresters; and 9th North American Forest Ecology Workshop (Bloomington, IN). Tours included field tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest for Arkansas Archeological Survey; field tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest for North Carolina Department of Agriculture forester; and pine woodland restoration and woodland restoration silviculture tours presented to undergraduate silviculture classes, Oklahoma State Univ. and Univ. Michigan. Outreach activities included presentations of "The right tree in the right place," Southeast Arkansas Master Gardeners, Monticello, AR (planting the proper tree in the correction location, plus some other advice regarding tree planting techniques, finding an arborist, proper tree pruning, etc.); and "Careers in forestry and the U.S. Forest Service," Monticello Adult Education Center, Monticello, AR (informed adult education students about the background and career requirements for work as a forester, and employment opportunities within the US Forest Service, also discussed issues related to natural resource management in southern Arkansas, and the National Forest System in general). PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Emeritus Scientist; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners included Arkansas Archeological Survey; Arkansas Forest Resources Center; Arkansas Historical Association; Forest History Society; University of Arkansas-Monticello; U.S. Forest Service, Region 8; and Oklahoma State University. TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests; private forest landowners, state and federal agencies; general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
The Crossett Experimental Forest began operations on January 1, 1934, and has since been the source of decades of valuable scientific and technical knowledge related to the silviculture and ecology of loblolly and shortleaf pine-dominated forests. Though the management history of this important research forest has long been documented, much less has been reported on the people and events that led to its establishment. The ⿿founding fathers⿝ of the Crossett Experimental Forest came from the Crossett Lumber Company, Yale University, and the Southern Forest Experiment Station of the U.S. Forest Service. Each contributed in their own way to laying the groundwork for this research forest, without which it would not likely have been successful. Prior to their efforts, many other people and events shaped the landscape of the Crossett region, and these have been documented in a number of formats, including maps. This research project involves an ongoing effort to reconstruct the history of the Crossett Experimental Forest, the forests of the region, and the rise and refinement of silvicultural practices in this portion of the southeastern United States. A privately owned, mature stand of pine and hardwood timber in Drew County, Arkansas, is similar to old-growth forests in mesic streamside terraces in this region. Although it is not completely unmodified, this stand is more representative than most of the remaining unmanaged examples of mature pine-hardwood in the region. Most notably, this arboreally diverse forest has a high level of aboveground live tree biomass for the eastern United States, suggesting that this ecosystem likely stores significant quantities of carbon. Riparian forests also serve other ecosystem management goals, such as protection of water quality, conservation of biological diversity, and provision of unique habitats in what is an otherwise intensively managed landscape. Given the rarity of these ecosystems, it is necessary to develop partnerships between private landowners (who may own important if often unrecognized sites) and public agencies and conservation groups interested in promoting the value of these locations. Documenting the structure and composition of these old, unmanaged forests before they disappear is critical to this goal.

Publications

  • Stevenson, Douglas J.; Lynch, Thomas B.; Guldin, James M. 2013. Growth ring response in shortleaf pine following glaze icing conditions in western Arkansas and eastern Oklahoma. In: Guldin, James M., ed. Proceedings of the 15th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-GTR-175. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 575-576.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2012. A mapped history of the Crossett Experimental Forest. Forest History Today. 18(2): 45-53.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2012. The founding fathers of the Crossett Experimental Forest. Forest History Today. 18(2): 40-44.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2013. Composition, biomass, and overstory spatial patterns in a mature pine-hardwood stand in southeastern Arkansas. Castanea. 78(1): 37-55.


Progress 10/01/11 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at Central Louisiana Orchid Society Show (Alexandria, LA); Southern Pine Module, USFS National Advanced Silviculture Program (Pineville, LA); Southern Forest Nursery Conference (Chattanooga, TN); 2012 Arkansas Historical Association annual meeting (Fayetteville, AR); 2012 Central Hardwoods Conference Proceedings (Morgantown, WV); South Arkansas Historical Foundation (El Dorado, AR); 2011 Natural Areas Conference (Tallahassee, FL); 2011 Southern Mensurationists Annual Meeting (Memphis, TN); 7th Forest Summit (Holyoke, MA); Leadership Development for Success and Change Leadership Workshop: The Key to Leadership in Any Career Path. Hispanic/Latino Graduate Student Association in cooperation with the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, Texas A&M University (College Station, TX); and Annual Winter Meeting, Ouachita Society of American Foresters (Fort Smith AR). Tours included the Good Forty Uneven-aged Demonstration Area to 7 undergraduate silviculture students from the University of Arkansas-Monticello; the Crossett EF with a forest sampling and inventory theme to 22 undergraduate forestry students + instructor from Louisiana Technological University; 7 tours given to the NASP Southern Pine Module silviculture class, Crossett, AR; and the pine woodland restoration efforts on the Poteau Ranger District of the Ouachita National Forest. Outreach activities included the primary instructor for 24 Cub Scouts, Webelos, and Boy Scouts at the Crossett Experimental Forest; lectured on trees, forests, forestry, and forest ecology, and provided a guided nature hike. PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Emeritus Scientist; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; and Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners included Arkansas Archeological Survey; Arkansas Forest Resources Center; Arkansas Historical Association; Forest History Society; Native Tree Society; Plum Creek Timber Company; University of Arkansas, Agricultural Experiment Station; University of Arkansas-Fayetteville; University of Arkansas-Monticello; and U.S. Forest Service, Region 8. TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests; private forest landowners, state and federal agencies; and general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Humans have manipulated the forests of the Midsouth for thousands of years, especially following European settlement over the last 200 years. However, we poorly understand the social and environmental consequences of these interventions. We described historic forest conditions in Arkansas and the role that past land management practices have played on these ecosystems. Scientists with the U.S. Forest Service, the University of Arkansas, and the Arkansas Archeological Survey are looking for novel ways to incorporate archival information and modern assessments to extract information not otherwise available and provide relevant interpretations of this material. Understanding how forest structure is a function of environmental context, stand developmental processes, human intervention, and climate is critical to the development of new management strategies, including those focused on ecosystem restoration and carbon storage. Scientists have found multiple size and age classes in surprisingly diverse stands, particularly as they develop over time, important in the context of climate change and invasive species. Another offshoot of this work is the development and refinement of a new methodology (the sine method) to more precisely and accurately measure tree height, an important measure of the structure of these stands. Across the southeastern U.S., loblolly pine (Pinus taeda) plantations have increased in coverage considerably over the last 30 years. Much of this has come at the expense of naturally regenerated pine-dominated forests, which are not as efficient in growing timber. We are investigating a broad array of ecosystem services, including carbon sequestration, timber production, biofuel production opportunities, and wildlife values as a part of the economic efficiency analysis. The integration of socioeconomic and ecological information arising from this research partnership will help develop a new series of options and evaluation tools for the practice of silviculture in this region. The Kentucky lady⿿s slipper (Cypripedium kentuckiense) is a spectacular orchid native to the southeastern U.S. It is rare due to loss of appropriate edaphic and climatic habitats. Efforts to restore this species to the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana were initiated by a high school student who located a flowering orchid, pollinated it, and collected a fertile seedpod. Studies are planned to develop protocols that will facilitate the production of Kentucky lady⿿s slipper orchids on a scale that will allow significant reintroductions of the rare orchid to the Kisatchie National Forest. Oak-hickory forests in the Ozark and Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas recently experienced an episode of oak mortality in concert with an outbreak of the red oak borer. We used data from the FIA program of the USDA Forest Service to explore changes in percent red oak mortality as a function of standing trees, basal area and stem density during and after a recent borer outbreak throughout Arkansas. Mean red oak mortality levels in Arkansas FIA oak-hickory plots that were sampled both during and after the borer outbreak increased from 19 ± 3 to 34 ± 4% of standing red oaks, resulting in reduced red oak basal area and stem density in these stands. Mean size of red oaks did not change during this time period, implying that all size classes experienced mortality. After red oak borer populations subsided, oak-hickory survey plots experienced increases in red oak mortality levels during a drought year (2006) and after an ice storm (2009), which suggests that these stress events, in addition to prior red oak borer infestation, could have had some influence on tree mortality.

Publications

  • Chaudhari, Umesh Kumar. 2011. Evaluating loblolly pine management scenarios considering carbon markets. M.S. Thesis. Monticello, AR: School of Forest Resources, University of Arkansas. 179 p.
  • Goelz, J.C.G.; Strom, B.L.; Barnett, J.P.; Sword Sayer, M.A. 2012. Guidelines for regenerating southern pine beetle spots. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-153. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 11 p.
  • Guldin, James M.; Moltzan, Bruce D. 2012. Southern forest diseases. In: Bechtold, William A.; Bohne, Michael J.; Conkling, Barbara L.; Friedman, Dana L.; Tkacz, Borys M., eds. A synthesis of Evaluation Monitoring projects sponsored by the Forest Health Monitoring Program (1998-2007). Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-159. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 53-62.
  • Haavik, Laurel J.; Jones, Joshua S.; Galligan, Larry D.; Guldin, James M.; Stephen, Fred M. 2012. Oak decline and red oak borer outbreak: impact in upland oak-hickory forests of Arkansas, USA. Forestry 85(3):341-351.
  • Jackson, D. Paul; Dumroese, R. Kasten; Barnett, James P. 2012. Nursery response of container Pinus palustris seedlings to nitrogen supply and subsequent effects on outplanting performance. Forest Ecology and Management. 265: 1-12.
  • Wakeley, Philip C.; Barnett, James P. 2011. Early forestry research in the South: a personal history. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-137. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 90 p.
  • Barnett, James P.; Allen, Kevin; Moore, David. 2012. Restoring the rare Kentucky lady's slipper orchid to the Kisatchie National Forest. Native Plants Journal 13(2):98-106.
  • Barnett, James P.; Allen, Kevin; Moore, David. 2012. Restoring the rare Kentucky lady's slipper to the Kisatchie National Forest [poster]. In: Central Louisiana Orchid Society show; 2012 May 11-12; Alexandria, LA.
  • Barnett, James P.; Burns, Anna C. 2012 The work of the Civilian Conservation Corps: pioneering conservation in Louisiana. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-154. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 64 p.
  • Bragg, D. C. 2011. Multicomponent prehistoric sites on the Crossett Experimental Forest [abstract]. In: Arkansas Archeological Society annual meeting; 2011 October 1; Fort Smith, AR.
  • Bragg, D.C. 2011. Arboreal composition and biomass of unmanaged pine-dominated natural areas in southern Arkansas [abstract]. In: Natural areas conference; 2011 November 1-4; Tallahassee, FL.
  • Barnett, James P.; Haywood, James D.; Pearson, Henry A. 2011. Louisiana⿿s Palustris Experimental Forest: 75 years of research that transformed the South. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-148. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 64 p.
  • Barnett, Jim; Burns, Anna. 2011. Delaneys of Woodworth: innovative forestry for decades. Forests and People 61(4): 14-16.
  • Barnett, Jim; Burns, Anna. 2012. Sonie Moore Milton: first female LSU forestry graduate. Forests and People 62(1): 14-16.
  • Bragg, D. C. 2011. Modeling loblolly pine aboveground live biomass in a mature pine-hardwood stand: a cautionary tale. Journal of the Arkansas Academy of Science 65:31-38.
  • Bragg, D.C. 2011. Using Hoerl's special function to extend the Crossett Experimental Forest's local cubic volume table [abstract]. In: 2011 Southern Mensurationists conference; 2011 October 23-25; Memphis, TN.
  • Bragg, D.C. 2012. Founded from conflict: military bounty warrants, historic lumbering, and the Crossett Experimental Forest [abstract]. In: 2012 Arkansas Historical Association annual meeting; 2012 April 12-14; Fayetteville, AR.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2011. Cypress lumbering in antebellum Arkansas. Arkansas Review: A Journal of Delta Studies 42(3):185-196.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2011. Forests and forestry in Arkansas during the last two centuries. In: Riley, L. E.; Haase, D. L.; Pinto, J. R., tech. coords. National proceedings: forest and conservation nursery associations--2010. Proc. RMRS-P-65. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 3-9.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2012. A brief history of forests and tree planting in Arkansas. Tree Planters' Notes 55(1):12-21.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2012. Age structure of a southern pine stand following 72 years of uneven-aged silviculture. In: Butnor, John R., ed. 2012. Proceedings of the 16th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-156. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 29-30.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2012. Developing contemporary and historical live tree biomass estimates for old pine-hardwood stands of the Midsouth, USA. Forest Ecology and Management 281:32-40.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Frelich, Lee E.; Leverett, Robert T.; Blozan, Will; Luthringer, Dale J. 2011. The sine method: an alternative height measurement technique. Res. Note SRS-22. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 11 p.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Stahle, David W.; Cerny, K. Chris. 2012. Structural attributes of two old-growth Cross Timbers stands in western Arkansas. American Midland Naturalist 167(1):40-55.


Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/12

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at Arkansas Forestry Association Annual Meeting, Hot Springs, AR; 11th international workshop on uneven-aged silviculture: challenges for increasing adaptability, Valdivia, Chile; 20th biennial southern silvicultural research conference, Shreveport, LA; National Silviculture Workshop, Bemidji, MN; Southern Forest Tree Improvement conference, Lexington, KY; Southwest Arkansas Chapter of the Society of American Foresters, Monticello, AR; and Delta Region [Arkansas] Master Gardeners, Crossett, AR. Tours included field tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest headquarters area and progeny test plantings; tour for silviculture class from University of Arkansas⿿Monticello, Crossett Experimental Forest; tour of the Crossett Experimental Forest for 16 German and Austrian foresters/academics/landowners traveling with Arbeitsgemeinschaft Naturgemäÿe Waldwirtschaft (ANW); and tour for Louisiana Tech forestry students summer camp, Crossett Experimental Forest. PARTICIPANTS: Don C. Bragg, Project Leader; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners included Brice Hanberry (Rocky Mountain Research Station); and Todd Hutchinson (Northern Research Station). TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests, private forest landowners, state and federal agencies, and the general public. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
There is abundant historical evidence that many of the landscapes of eastern North America were dominated by open oak and pine forests, which are markedly different ecologically from the closed canopies of early and late successional managed (or even old-growth) forests frequently considered as models of the past. Despite the historical abundance of savannas and woodlands, the ecology of open forest ecosystems remains ill-defined when compared to either closed forests or grasslands because of a lack of research on this forest type. Our research suggests that the open forests of eastern North Americas had simple internal stand structures consisting of a single layer of variably spaced, often very old, overstory trees and limited midstories. These open forests were maintained by understory disturbance (particularly surface fires) that controlled tree regeneration and encouraged a taxonomically rich herbaceous groundlayer. In contrast, closed canopy forests have dense woody growth throughout the vertical profile, limiting herbaceous plants. To better describe and manage for open forest ecosystems, we developed a canopy closure spectrum model dependent on the interactions between prevailing disturbance regimes of the historical and current eras. This model depends on the effects of disturbances on either the tree understory (regeneration) or overstory, and tree traits of fire and shade tolerance. The recognition of different stand structures, disturbance regimes, and their interrelationships can improve our understanding of open forests and limit ecological misunderstandings and restoration misapplications, thereby improving management of these once historically extensive ecosystems.

Publications

  • Barnes, Jodi A.; Bragg, Don C. 2019. Partnering for forest and cultural resource management: lessons from the Sulphur Springs Site (3AS1/5). Field Notes, Newsletter of the Arkansas Archeological Society. 408(May-June): 3-11.
  • Bemmels, Jordan B.; Dick, Christopher W. 2018. Genomic evidence of a widespread southern distribution during the Last Glacial Maximum for two eastern North American hickory species. Journal of Biogeography. 45: 1739-1750.
  • Bemmels, Jordan B.; Knowles, L. Lacey; Dick, Christopher W. 2019. Genomic evidence of survival near ice sheet margins for some, but not all North American trees. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America. 116(17): 8431-8436.
  • Bragg, D.C. 2019. The long struggle for accreditation: the Arkansas A&M forestry program comes of age, 1958-1984. Drew County Historical Journal. 33: 1-38.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2018. A woody chamber of secrets. Frontiers in Ecology and the Environment. 16(10): 598.
  • Bragg, Don C. 2019. Avoiding irrelevance in the 21st century. Journal of Forestry. 117(4): 423-424.
  • Hanberry, Brice B.; Dey, Don C.; Hutchinson, Todd F. 2018. A reconceptualization of open oak and pine ecosystems of eastern North America using a forest structure spectrum. Ecosphere. 9(10): e02431.
  • Mandalika, A.; Bragg, D.; Schuler, J.; Baker, D.; Elder, T.; Groom, L. 2019. Potential of natural-origin loblolly pine tree fractions as a bioenergy feedstock. Wood and Fiber Science. 51(1): 26-40.


Progress 10/01/09 to 09/30/10

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at IUFRO, Joint Meeting of Working Parties 7.03.05 "Integrated Control of Scolytid Bark Beetles" and 7.03.07 "Population Dynamics of Forest Insects" (Jackson Hole, WY); 2009 Ouachita Society of American Foresters annual meeting (Mt. Magazine State Park, AR); Montana SAF Meeting (Missoula, MT); LSU School of Renewable Natural Resources, Xi Sigma Pi Apple Pie Seminar; Southern Hardwood Forest Research Group (Stoneville, MS); Northern Primeval Forests: Ecology, Conservation and Management symposium (Sundsvall, Sweden); Ecological Society of America annual meeting (Pittsburgh, PA); and East Texas Forest Entomology Seminar (Nacogdoches TX). Outreach activities included presentations to the 2010 Arkansas Historical Association annual meeting (Jonesboro, AR); 2010 Southern Forest Nursery Association annual meeting ( Little Rock, AR); and the Monticello Rotary Club (Monticello, AR). One supported student graduated: Laurel Haavik (Ph.D., Department of Entomology, University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, AR). PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Emeritus Scientist; James P. Barnett, Emeritus Scientist; Jimmy Jones, Forester; Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician. Partners include: Arkansas Forestry Commission; International Paper Company; Ouachita National Forest; Sam Droege, Patuxent Wildlife Research Center; U.S. Geological Survey; University of Arkansas-Monticello; USDA Cooperative Research, Education, and Extension Service TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests; private forest landowners, state and federal agencies; general public PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Large areas of mid-rotation loblolly pine plantation were severely impacted by ice storms that hit the Arkansas region in December 2000. We initiated a study on how different types and severities of ice-related injuries affected the survival and growth of loblolly pines in once-thinned plantations over a 5-year observation period. Additionally, wood quality attributes were also examined in pines with different degrees of damage, allowing for the evaluation of internal bole structure as affected by the icing. Severely injured pines (e.g., those uprooted, or heavily bent over, or with much of their crown broken out) are poor candidates for recovery, and probably should be salvaged immediately after the storm. Pines with less apparent injuries are likely to quickly recover their growth and have a very limited chance of dying, and thus should probably be left for future harvest. Severe bending has some impact on wood quality, but probably not enough on small diameter trees to cause them to be culled prematurely, and pines with crown loss experienced little or no change in their wood quality. The USFS Experimental Forests and Ranges (EFR) Working Group and the USGS Patuxent Wildlife Research Center developed a 12-EFR pilot pollinator network to demonstrate proof of concept and administrative issues that would underlie a much broader effort to monitor the status and trends of insect pollinators across the Nation. Bees are the primary insect pollinator in almost all North American environments. There is new interest and concern about this group due to their central role in maintaining habitats, their key to agriculture, the declining fortunes of honey bees and beekeepers, and concerns about the unknown status and trajectories of native species. In 2009, the Crossett Experimental Forest celebrated its 75th year of operation. We have developed a number of presentations and publications focusing on the contributions of this iconic experimental forest to southern pine ecology and silviculture. Some of these products have been delivered to the public already, including a number of talks at silvicultural and ecological meetings around the U.S. and the world. In addition, a number of peer-reviewed and technical publications summarizing the long-term research and demonstration projects have been completed. The culmination of this work will be a special issue of the journal Forest History Today that is geared towards the general public and will place the work at Crossett in an overall context with other regional and national efforts.

Publications

  • Bragg, Don C.; Heitzman, Eric. 2009. Composition, structure, and dynamics of a mature, unmanaged, pine-dominated old-field stand in southeastern Arkansas. Southeastern Naturalist. 8(3): 445-470.
  • Bragg, Don C.; Shelton, Michael G. 2010. Recovery of planted loblolly pine 5 years after severe ice storms in Arkansas. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry. 34(1):13-20.
  • Liechty, Hal O.; Guldin, James M. 2009. Structure and composition of streamside management zones following reproduction cutting in shortleaf pine stands. Forest Ecology and Management. 258(7):1407-1413.
  • Stephen, Fred; Haavik, L. J.; Fierke, M. K.; Riggins, J. J.; Galligan, L. D.; Guldin, J. M. 2009. History and dynamics of red oak borer in Arkansas. In: Forest insects and environmental change: IUFRO 7.03.05, 7.03.07; 2009 September 27-October 2; Jackson Hole, WY. Poster.


Progress 10/01/08 to 09/30/09

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at the 15th Biennial Southern Silvicultural Research Conference (Hot Springs, AR); American Association for the Advancement of Science, Southwestern and Rocky Mountain chapters (Tulsa, OK); American Society of Agronomy Region IV (Monticello, AR); Ouachita Society of American Foresters (Fort Smith, AR); University of Arkansas⿿Fayetteville Geoscience Colloquium (Fayetteville, AR). Outreach activities included presentations to Benton County Master Gardeners (AR); Jonesboro-Hodge Garden Club (Jonesboro, AR); Pineville Rotary Club (Pineville, LA); Southern Forest Heritage Museum & Research Center (Long Leaf, LA); Kent House Plantation (Alexandria, LA); Lecompte Service Club (Forest Hill, LA); Central Louisiana Orchid Society (Alexandria, LA); Central Louisiana Master Gardeners Association (Alexandria, LA); Alexandria Lions Club (Alexandria, LA); Central Louisiana Herb Society (Alexandria, LA); Arkansas Archeological Society (Hot Springs, AR); SRS Leadership Team (Asheville, NC); Arkansas Historical Association (Magnolia, AR); Centennial Celebration of Experimental Forests and Ranges (Washington, DC); National Advanced Silviculture Program (Winn, LA); Society of American Foresters, Central Louisiana Group (Long Leaf, LA); and Graduate Seminar Class, School of Forestry, University of Arkansas⿿Monticello. PARTICIPANTS: James M. Guldin, Project Leader; Don C. Bragg, Research Forester; Michael G. Shelton, Research Forester; Michael L. Chain, Supervisory Forestry Technician; Jimmy Jones, Forester; Kirby Sneed, Forestry Technician, Ancient Cross Timbers Consortium; Arkansas Forestry Commission; Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission; Fort Chaffee [Arkansas National Guard], Kisatchie National Forest; LBJ National Grassland; Oklahoma Forestry Services; Oklahoma State University; Ouachita National Forest; Ozark National Forest; Region 8 of the USDA Forest Service; The Nature Conservancy; University of Arkansas; University of Arkansas-Fayetteville; University of Arkansas-Monticello; University of Memphis; University of Oklahoma; US Army Corps of Engineers TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests; private forest landowners, state and federal agencies; general public PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
We worked with the timber industry, state agencies, and private citizens in southern Arkansas to inventory and describe examples of rare, mature, unmanaged, pine-dominated forests in the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain. Baseline data collected during 70+ years from the Reynolds Research Natural Area on the Crossett Experimental Forest and other sites in the region is being developed and adapted to understand patterns of succession, biomass accumulation, coarse woody debris recruitment, and other structural attributes. Several state and federal agencies are assisting in the collection of data and are using the outputs from this project to help shape their management practices. This study will also yield valuable information for those working on carbon sequestration issues in this region, where unmanaged second-growth stands can act as a no-treatment control regarding carbon dynamics under a range of different silvicultural treatments. In the Missouri Ozarks, the Pioneer Forest is an example of sustainable forest management on non-industrial private forest lands. Pioneer Forest embodies the stewardship ethic of its founder and long-time owner, Leo Drey. Drey has been a pioneer in landscape restoration, natural areas preservation, forest recreation, and sustainable ecosystem management. A new proceedings describes the history and ecology of the region, the scientific basis and method of implementation of the uneven-aged forest management practices used across the ownership, and the economic and social implications of private forest land ownership. This year was the 100th anniversary of the U.S. Forest Service⿿s network of Experimental Forests and Ranges (EF&Rs), >80 sites where researchers can conduct studies and demonstrate innovative management applications for local forest types across the country. The Crossett Experimental Forest is one of the flagship EF&Rs in the Nation and its value for research, demonstration, and science delivery was featured in 3 publications in 2009. Large areas of old-growth oak-dominated forests can be found in the ⿿Cross Timbers⿝ region of eastern Oklahoma, north-central Texas, southern Kansas, and extreme western Arkansas. These stands are valuable because they are largely intact, functional ecosystems and contain ancient trees (primarily post oak and eastern redcedar) that can help dendrochronologists examine past regional climates over long time spans. However, these old-growth remnants are threatened by uncontrolled wildfires, energy development, urbanization, agricultural conversion, invasive species, and exploitive logging practices. We worked with collaborators to locate and describe good examples of the ancient Cross Timber remnants for conservation and restoration efforts. The ecological descriptions of these ancient forests will help local communities and federal/state agencies recognize unique natural systems worthy of protection.

Publications

  • Barnett, James 2009. Bryant Bateman was first LSU forestry graduate in 1926. Piney Woods Journal 13(1): 5-6.
  • Barnett, James 2009. Howell Cobb developed forest seed technology. Piney Woods Journal 12(11): 4.
  • Barnett, James P. 2008. H. H. Chapman called father of controlled burning. Piney Woods Journal 12(2): 6.
  • Barnett, James P. 2008. Lloyd Blackwell started forestry at Tech. Piney Woods Journal 12(7): 5.
  • Barnett, James. 2008. 'Cap' Eldridge and forest survey set stage for reforestation and wood utilization. Piney Woods Journal 12(3): 5.
  • Barnett, James. 2008. Mac Meginnis battled soil erosion and beat it. Piney Woods Journal 12(5): 8.
  • Barnett, James. 2008. Reynolds and the Crossett Experimental Forest. Piney Woods Journal 12(4): 10.
  • Barnett, James. 2009. John Putnam known as 'Mr. Hardwoods'. Piney Woods Journal 12(9): 5, 6.
  • Barnett, James. 2009. Kitchens pioneered forestry education. Piney Woods Journal 12(8): 5, 6.
  • Barnett, James. 2009. Les Pomeroy made sustained yield forestry profitable. Piney Woods Journal 12(12): 5.
  • Barnett, Jim 2009. Sonderegger as state forester made quite a name for himself. Forests and People 59(1):14-15.
  • Birt, Andrew; Feldman, Richard M.; Cairns, David M.; Coulson, Robert N.; Tchakerian, Maria; Xi, Weimin; Guldin, James M. 2009. Stage-structured matrix models for organisms with non-geometric development times. Ecology 90(1): 57-68.
  • Barnett, James. 2009. Elemore Morgan, Sr. was self-taught photographer of Louisiana's forests. Piney Woods Journal 12(10): 5.
  • Bragg, Hope A. 2008. Michigan's state forests: a century of stewardship [book review]. Natural Areas Journal 28(3):321-322.
  • Guldin, James M. 2008. A history of forest management in the Ozark Mountains. In: Pioneer Forest--a half century of sustainable uneven-aged forest management in the Missouri Ozarks. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-108. Asheville, NC: USDA-Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 3-8.
  • Guldin, James M. 2009. The Crossett Experimental Forest--72 years of science delivery in the silviculture of southern pines. In: Ashton, Sarah F.; Hubbard, William G.; Rauscher, H. Michael, eds. A Southern Region conference on technology transfer and extension. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-116. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 203-209.
  • Guldin, James M.; Iffrig, Greg F.; Flader, Susan L. 2008. Pioneer forest - a half century of sustainable uneven-aged forest management in the Missouri Ozarks. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS⿿108. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 123 p.
  • Guldin, Jim. 2009. Experimental forests in the South come of age--again. Compass 13:1-2.
  • Moser, W. Keith; Bolliger, Janine; Bragg, Don C.; Hansen, Mark H.; Hatfield, Mark A.; Nigh, Timothy A.; Schulte, Lisa A. 2008. Tools for understanding landscapes: combining large-scale surveys to characterize change. Chapter 9. In: Lafortezza, Raffaele; Chen, Jiquan; Sanesi, Giovanni; Crow, Thomas R., eds. Patterns and processes in forest landscapes. Springer: 149-166.
  • Wells, Gail; Hayes, Deborah; Krause, Katrina; Bartuska, Ann; LeVan-Green, Susan; Anderson, Jim; Gough, Tivoli; Adams, Mary; Schuler, Thomas; Kolka, Randy; Sebestyen, Steve; Kenefic, Laura; Brissette, John; Stout, Susan; Kanoti, Keith; Swanson, Fred; Greene, Sarah; Herring, Margaret; Ritchie, Martin; Skinner, Carl; Lisle, Tom; Keppeler, Elizabeth; Reid, Leslie; Wohlegemuth, Peter; Kitchen, Stanley; McCaughey, Ward; Guldin, Jim; Bragg, Don; Shelton, Michael; Loftis, David; Greenberg, Cathryn; Murphy, Julia. 2009. Experimental forests and ranges : 100 years of research success stories. General Technical Report FPL-GTR-182. Madison, WI: USDA-Forest Service, Forest Products Laboratory


Progress 10/01/07 to 09/30/08

Outputs
OUTPUTS: Research results were presented to colleagues and collaborators at the Shortleaf Pine Restoration and Ecology in the Ozarks Symposium (Springfield, MO); 16th Central Hardwood Forest Conference (West Lafayette, IN); and the 2007 National Silviculture Workshop (Ketchikan, AK). PARTICIPANTS: Arkansas Natural Heritage Commission; Kisatchie National Forest; Ouachita National Forest; Ozark National Forest; The Nature Conservancy; University of Arkansas, Arkansas Forestry Commission; University of Arkansas-Monticello; University of Memphis. TARGET AUDIENCES: USDA Forest Service, National Forests; Private forest landowners; State and federal agencies; General public PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: Nothing significant to report during this reporting period.

Impacts
Scholarly descriptions of pre-European settlement forest conditions for pine-dominated regions of the Midsouth were developed. This is an important first step in the restoration of old pine forests, as it allows for the formation of benchmarks to measure the success of the efforts. Without these reference conditions and a description of the historical range of variability, managers will not know which silvicultural treatments to apply to the forest to achieve the desired result. This research will also suggest possible manipulations that may be used to accelerate the development of desired conditions in these stands, and thereby help achieve some of the ultimate goals of improving wildlife habitat, aesthetic appeal, and long-term sustainability of these old pine forests. A long-term research project is being installed on the Crossett Experimental Forest to further expound the silvicultural guidelines necessary for this type of forest management. The seismic activity of the Mississippi River Valley in the New Madrid Seismic Zone (NMSZ) has been well documented ever since massive earthquakes struck the region in 1811 and 1812. Much more poorly known is the seismic history of the rest of the region, especially south of the NMSZ. Seismologists have been gathering evidence of earthquake activity in parts of this region, but progress is slow because of decades of land use history that have obliterated the tell-tale signs used to identify seismically active regions. Historical aerial photographs of the region have been examined to help with the description and reconstruction of past forest conditions. In the process, a very large number of circular anomalies in the Mississippi River alluvial plain in Ashley County, Arkansas were spotted. Consultation with a seismologist at the University of Memphis who has been investigating seismic areas in Arkansas confirmed that these circular features were sand blows, a type of liquefaction feature indicative of strong earthquakes. Unit scientists are now working with the University of Memphis and the University of Arkansas-Monticello to acquire, digitize, and describe the extent of the liquefaction evidence in these historical aerial photographs. The eventual goal of this project is to define any additional areas of major earthquake activity in the region, and to use this information plus field collections of soil conditions and possible archeological evidence to better describe the frequency and intensity of earthquakes in this region. Such information should help this impoverished region plan for the possibility of catastrophic seismic events and their impacts on vulnerable infrastructure, including river levees, bridges, buildings, and power generation facilities.

Publications

  • Bragg, D.C. 2007. A.H. Perera, L. J. Buse, and T. R. Crow (eds.): Forest landscape ecology: transferring knowledge to practice [book review]. 22: 1591-1593.
  • Bragg, D.C. 2008. Preliminary silvicultural recommendations and an updated annotated bibliography for birdseye sugar maple. In: Jacobs, D.F.; Michler, C.H. Proceedings, 16th Central Hardwood Forest Conference. Preliminary silvicultural recommendations and an updated annotated bibliography for birdseye sugar maple West Lafayette, IN: USDA For. Serv., Northern Research Station: 114-129.
  • Bragg, D.C. 2008. The prominence of pine in the Upper West Gulf Coastal Plain during historical times. Louisiana State University-Shreveport. 29-54.
  • Bragg, D.C.; Weih, R.C., Jr. 2007. Notable environmental features in some historical aerial photographs from Ashley County, Arkansas. 61: 27-36.
  • Darling, O.H.; Bragg, D.C. 2008. The early mills, railroads, and logging camps of the Crossett Lumber Company. 67(2): 107-140.
  • Guldin, J.M. 2008. The silviculture of restoration: a historical perspective with contemporary application. In: Deal, R.L. Integrated restoration of forested ecosystems to achieve multiresource benefits: proceedings of the 2007 national silviculture workshop. The silviculture of restoration: a historical perspective with contemporary application Ketchikan, AK: USDA For. Serv., Pacific Northwest Research Station: 23-35.
  • Hedrick, L.D.; Bukenhofer, G.A.; Montague, W.G.; [and others]. 2007. Shortleaf pine-bluestem restoration in the Ouachita National Forest. In: Kabrick, J.M.; Dey, D.C.; Gwaze, D. Shortleaf pine restoration and ecology in the Ozarks: proceedings of a symposium. Shortleaf pine-bluestem restoration in the Ouachita National Forest Springfield, MO: USDA For. Serv., Northern Research Station: 206-213.
  • Patterson, D.W.; Hartley, J. 2007. Properties of wood from ice-storm damaged loblolly pine trees. 57(12): 48-51.