Forest Health in the Southeastern United States: Assessment of the State of the Science
Abstract
In order for the Army, and other land managers, to meet responsibilities for sustainable management of natural resources, they must closely monitor the health of those resources and respond to potential threats. A number of recent studies and reviews have suggested there may be declines in the health of southeastern forest ecosystems that support these facilities. These apparent declines involve multiple hardwood and softwood species such as oaks and pines, and appear to have a wide range of potential causes, including fungal and insect pests, air pollutants, and even climate change and the pre-military land use history. As an example, one facility has special concerns about the function of its pine-dominated forests in supporting endangered species, particularly the Red Cockaded Woodpecker (RCW). In their opinion, too many mature Loblolly Pines, which represent the majority of RCW cavity trees on that site, are dying. Younger trees and longleaf pine may also be affected. Other installations have reported concerns with other aspects of pine forest management as well. In a June 2007 workshop, researchers and land managers from several states met to examine the nature and possible causes of the problem from a regional perspective. The questions developed from the workshop by no means cover all the possible issues. Underlying all discussions were concerns that present long-term plans to manage these forest systems to support the recovery needs of the RCW might have to be totally revised. This report represents a summary of several separate reports prepared by groups of workshop participants.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jun 01, 2008
- Accession Number
- ADA485256
Entities
People
- Clifford S. Duke
- Corrie Mauldin
- Harold E. Balbach
Organizations
- Engineer Research and Development Center