Research Plots | FALL 2021

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Southern Research Station Science

New research supports the notion that stabilizing the land base, particularly forests and agriculture, is an important component of natural climate solutions.

A 15-year experiment measured the effects of increased CO₂ on coarse root biomass and growth, with implications for estimating carbon sequestration in southern forests.

Alley cropping, or planting trees and row crops together, could reduce future financial risks even as floods and droughts become more frequent and severe, a new study finds.

Understanding territoriality of wild pigs can help with whole-sounder trapping and control programs. This research received a 2021 Southern Regional Forester's Honor Award.

Most bats prefer open forests, as a new booklet for private landowners discusses. The booklet also discusses prescribed fire, bat habitat, and white-nose syndrome.

Researchers studied fish in 25 Appalachian mountain streams and found that more species diversity meant greater fish production. Production is an expansive metric that includes fish size, growth, and numbers.

A book edited and co-authored by SRS presents original research and knowledge syntheses on fire ecology and management across major U.S. forest ecosystems.

New research shows that wildfire could affect water supply from the Southern Appalachian Mountains as the fire season lengthens and droughts make wildfire more likely.

New research from the 2016 Southern Appalachian wildfires finds that fire-adapted trees were more likely to die and that prescribed fire could promote their long-term health and survival.

The Prescribed Fire Science Consortium joins scientists with managers for a unified research approach aimed at understanding and improving prescribed fire as both an ecological process and a management tool.

Season 2 of the Fueling Collaboration webinar series will bring people together to discuss, explore, and address the latest fire science and fire management issues across the eastern U.S.

A review spanning 67 years and seven countries shows that tree community responses to changing fire frequencies depends on both climate and species characteristics.

A new silviculture handbook outlines practical methods – and supporting science – for managing bottomland hardwood stands to produce high-quality oak sawtimber, improve wildlife habitat through acorn production, or an integrated approach for both (SRS-GTR-263).

Renewed collaboration between SRS and national forests in the Southeast gives a full picture of forest landscapes, the threats they face, and how best to conserve the many benefits they provide. This project received a 2021 Southern Regional Forester's Honor Award.

SRS science is helping heirs' property owners keep their land and sustainably manage their forests. SRS is part of the Sustainable Forestry and African American Land Retention Program which is building long-term, interdisciplinary public-private collaborations to address complex problems in land ownership and forest management.

A newly updated story map for the SRS Experimental Forest Network provides details on each forest, nearby public lands, research conducted on each site, and more.

A recent study found that privately-owned forest lands are the most important source of drinking water in the eastern U.S., followed by federal forests.

FIA data can show where insects, pathogens, and disturbances are damaging trees, where changes in growth and mortality may be significant, and what future forest conditions may be if no management action is taken.

A unique partnership is increasing our knowledge of where ticks are found and which diseases they carry, including a westernmost sighting of the invasive Asian longhorned tick in Kentucky.

A book chapter explores how public engagement in invasive species monitoring and management can complement and amplify the work of natural resource professionals.