Survival analysis methodologies provide novel approaches for forest mortality analysis that may aid in detecting, monitoring, and mitigating of large-scale forest health issues. This study examined survivor analysis for evaluating a regional forest health issue - Missouri oak decline. With a statewide Missouri forest inventory, log-rank tests of the effects of covariates on the survivor functio...

Currently, oak woodlands of Northern California and their associated mycorrhizal fungi are receiving more attention. In order to address the impact mycorrhizal fungal associations have on survival of various tree species in oak woodlands, we investigated the extramatrical fungal hyphae associated with several mature oak woodland tree species. Specifically our objective was to quantify the funga...

The effect on herbaceous production of blue oak canopies of 25, 50, and 75 percent, and the effect of complete removal of such canopies were determined over a 7-year period for a single site in the foothills of the northern Sierra Nevada. Tree covered plots produced 12 percent less than open grassland plots, while cleared plots produced 46 percent more than tree covered plots. Percentage differ...

Original oak (Quercus) forests in the southwestern Carpathian Mountains, Slovakia, were replaced by non-forest cover or managed stands often containing introduced non-native tree species. We compared the composition, richness, and abundance of litter-dwelling beetle (Coleoptera) communities in 30 stands across three management types: (i) reserved stands that most closely approximate the pre-cle...

Microorganisms have many roles in nature. They may act as decomposers that obtain nutrients from dead materials, while some are pathogens that cause diseases in animals, insects, and plants. Some are symbionts that enhance plant growth, such as arbuscular mycorrhizae and nitrogen fixation bacteria. However, roles of plant pathogens and diseases in natural ecosystems are still poorly understood....

We sampled characteristics of vegetation and estimated abundances of bird species on 23 plots representing a continuum of tree densities of the blue oak phase of the Coast Range foothill woodland near Hopland, California. Fifty-one bird species were found breeding. Cavity-nesters dominated the bird community in number of species and individuals. Cavitynesters used a variety of tree species for ...

Defoliation by the European gypsy moth (Lymantria dispar L.) and subsequent tree mortality have been well documented in the northeastern United States. In this study we evaluate tree mortality after initial defoliation in mixed pine-hardwood stands in the southeastern United States as the range of European gypsy moth expands. In 1993, 46 mature pine-oak and pine-sweetgum stands were selected on...

Economic assessment of damage caused by invasive alien species provides useful information to consider when determining whether management programs should be established, modified, or discontinued. We estimate the baseline economic damage from an invasive alien pathogen, Ceratocystis fagacearum, a fungus that causes oak wilt, which is a significant disease of oaks (Quercus spp.) in the central ...

Anthracnose is one of the most common and important foliage diseases of shade trees in Iowa. Symptoms of anthracnose are often referred to as “leaf blights” or “leaf spots” and are most serious on sycamore, ash, maple, white and bur oak, and walnut. Linden, hickory, elm, red and black oak, and other deciduous trees also are susceptible, although anthracnose is less common and damaging on these ...

A quantitative evaluation of wood chemical components for some tree species in a forest area from east-northern Romania is presented here, through a comparative study from 1964 to 2000. Investigation upon the wood tree-rings in a Quercus robur L. tree species, as a dominant species, as regards its chemical composition and structure of the natural polymer constituents cellulose and lignin was al...