Scientists & Staff

Melissa Thomas-Van Gundy
News Releases
Current Research
- Fire regimes of the central Appalachians
- Central Appalachian silviculture
- Fire as a silvicultural tool
- Historical records as ecological data
- Red spruce recovery and restoration
Research Interests
Melissa's research includes stand- and landscape-level projects at both long- and short-term time scales. Most of this work is focused on the restoration and sustainable management of forested ecosystems in the eastern United States. Successful restoration of an ecological system requires that a series of important questions be addressed: 1) what are the restoration goals, 2) what techniques or actions will meet these goals, and 3) how is success measured. Restoration includes reestablishing patterns, processes, and species often in the context of a given space and time frame. To establish and accomplish ecological restoration goals, land managers need information about historical conditions.
Why This Research is Important
As with any forest management, managers need to know what actions accomplish the goals of restoring patterns and processes and need to be able to predict the results of those actions. To help answer these questions, Melissa's work includes stand-level studies involving prescribed fire, browse control, and a variety of silvicultural practices. Some of these studies are long-term studies started on the Fernow Experimental Forest to answer more traditional growth and yield questions but also can be used to provide information on long-term stand dynamics.Red spruce-dominated ecosystems are considered critically imperiled in the central and southern Appalachians. These generally high-elevation sites are the focus of restoration efforts by federal, state, and private land managers. These forests are considered to be in recovery from the exploitative harvests of the past, but they are slow to recover and are now subject to current threats from climate change, nonnative invasive insects, large deer populations, and changes in land use. To explore the efficacy of active management for restoration at a landscape-scale, spatial models are used to track forest development under different management scenarios. The resulting modeled forest conditions can be compared to either stated restoration goals or investigated for support of assumptions and goals of management.
To address the lack of knowledge about European settlement-era forests in the central Appalachian region, Melissa has developed a GIS-based dataset of witness trees from the Monongahela National Forest. With this dataset, land managers and researchers can discern the relationships of pre-settlement forest composition with environmental variables, compare past species composition to the present, and provide a model that will guide ecosystem restoration efforts in mixed-oak and high-elevation red spruce forests in the Appalachians. This work has expanded to include witness trees on the Allegheny, Finger Lakes, Green Mountain, and White Mountain National Forests, township-level data for New England, and the states of Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan. As more data are uncovered or made digital, this work may be expanded further into Ohio and Virginia.
As a research forester assigned to NRS-01, Melissa is involved in on-going, long-term silvicultural and forest management research. This long-term research involves developing silvicultural systems for sustaining forest products, wildlife benefits, species diversity, and for restoring forest ecosystems. This research specifically relates to forest management, in particular studying the many silvicultural tools available to sustainably manage forests for a variety of outcomes. Such guidelines and models are sought after by federal, state, and private land managers. Current studies include artificial regeneration; precommercial thinning; crop-tree release; prescribed fire; herbicide use; and even-aged, two-age, and uneven-aged management.
Education
- West Virginia University, Ph.D. Forest Resources Sciences, 2011
- State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, M.S. Resource Management/Silviculture, 1992
- Davis and Elkins College, B.S. Pre-forestry, 1989
Professional Organizations
- Society of American Foresters, West Virginia Chapter (2011 - Current)
Featured Publications & Products
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Perkins, Jessica D.; Krause, Crystal ; Huebner, Cynthia D.; Ferrari, Lorenzo ; Smith, Linda S. 2021. Primeval Paths: Bison in West Virginia. Natural Areas Journal
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa ; Morin, Randall. 2020. Change in Montane Forests of East-central West Virginia over 250 years. Forest Ecology and Management
- Brown, John P.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Schuler, Thomas M.; Wiedenbeck, Janice K. 2018. Silvicultural Prescriptions Influence the Proportion of High-Quality Hardwood Butt Logs Harvested over a Half-Century of Management. Forest Science. 64(2): 203-213.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Nowacki, Gregory J.; Anderson, Roger C.; Bowles, Marlin L.; Brugam, Richard B.; Pavlovic, Noel B.; Halsey, Samniqueka ; McBride, Jenny. 2020. Visualizing the Ecological Importance of pre-Euro-American Settlement Fire across Three Midwestern Landscapes. The American Midland Naturalist. 183(1): 1-23.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Nowacki, Gregory J. 2013. The use of witness trees as pyro-indicators for mapping past fire conditions. Forest Ecology and Management. 304: 333-344.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Strager, Michael P. 2012. European settlement-era vegetation of the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-GTR-101. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 39 p.
- Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas Van-Gundy, Melissa; Adams, Mary B.; Ford, W. Mark. 2010. Seed bank response to prescribed fire in the central Appalachians.. Res. Pap. NRS-9. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 9 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2010. Red spruce restoration modeling in LANDIS. In: Rentch, James S.; Schuler, Thomas M., eds. 2010. Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. 2009 May 14-15; Slatyfork, WV. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-64. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 229.
- Hahn, George E.; Coates, T. Adam; Aust, W. Michael; Copenheaver, Carolyn A.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A. 2020. Eight years later, did a wildfire in southwestern Virginia accomplish first-entry prescribed fire tree regeneration objectives?. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-253. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station
- Thompson, Emma Georgia; Coates, Thomas Adam; Aust, Wallace Michael; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A. 2019. Wildfire and Prescribed Fire Effects on Forest Floor Properties and Erosion Potential in the Central Appalachian Region, USA. Forests
Publications & Products
- LaBella, Jessica ; LaFantasie, Jordge ; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa ; McDonald, Louis M. 2022. Effect of light interception on photosynthetic capacity and vegetative reproduction of running buffalo clover. Research Note NRS-310. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 24 p.
- Nowacki, Gregory J.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A. 2022. The influence of historic fire on the Midwestern Tension Zone. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2022. Twenty-year trends in running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum Muhl. Ex A. Eaton; Fabaceae) on a managed forest in northeastern West Virginia. Natural Areas Journal
- Ford, W. Mark; Johnson, Joshua B.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2021. Northern Long-Eared Bat (Myotis septentrionalis) Day-Roost Loss in the Central Appalachian Mountains following Prescribed Burning. International Journal of Forestry Research
- Hahn, George E.; Coates, T. Adam; Aust, W. Michael; Bolding, M. Chad; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A. 2021. Long-term impacts of silvicultural treatments on wildland fuels and modeled fire behavior in the Ridge and Valley Province, Virginia (USA). Forest Ecology and Management
- Clark, Stacy L.; Schlarbaum, Scott E.; Crane, Barbara S.; Pinchot, Cornelia C.; Schaberg, Paul G.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2020. Restoration of the American chestnut will require more than a blight-resistant tree. In: Pile, Lauren S.; Deal, Robert L.; Dey, Daniel C.; Gwaze, David; Kabrick, John M.; Palik, Brian J.; Schuler, Thomas M., comps. The 2019 National Silviculture Workshop: a focus on forest management-research partnerships. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-193. Madison, WI: U.S. Departmentof Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 38-40.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A. 2019. Inferring fire regimes from data you may already have: assessing landfire fire regime maps using local products. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-237. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station
- Brown, John P.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Schuler, Thomas M. 2018. Overstory cohort survival in an Appalachian hardwood deferment cutting: 35-year results. Forest Ecology and Management
- Brown, John P.; Wiedenbeck, Janice K.; Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas- Van Gundy, Melissa A. 2018. Patterns of overstory mortality in a shelterwood- burn central Appalachian forest. In: Kirschman, Julia E.; Johnsen, Kurt, comps. 2018. Proceedings of the 19th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-234. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station.
- Butler-Leopold, Patricia R.; Iverson, Louis R.; Thompson, Frank R.; Brandt, Leslie A.; Handler, Stephen D.; Janowiak, Maria K.; Shannon, P. Danielle; Swanston, Christopher W.; Bearer, Scott ; Bryan, Alexander M.; Clark, Kenneth L.; Czarnecki, Greg ; DeSenze, Philip ; Dijak, William D.; Fraser, Jacob S.; Gugger, Paul F.; Hille, Andrea ; Hynicka, Justin ; Jantz, Claire A.; Kelly, Matthew C.; Krause, Katrina M.; La Puma, Inga Parker; Landau, Deborah ; Lathrop, Richard G.; Leites, Laura P.; Madlinger, Evan ; Matthews, Stephen N.; Ozbay, Gulnihal ; Peters, Matthew P.; Prasad, Anantha ; Schmit, David A.; Shephard, Collin ; Shirer, Rebecca ; Skowronski, Nicholas S.; Steele, Al ; Stout, Susan ; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa ; Thompson, John ; Turcotte, Richard M.; Weinstein, David A.; Yáñez, Alfonso. 2018. Mid-Atlantic forest ecosystem vulnerability assessment and synthesis: a report from the Mid-Atlantic Climate Change Response Framework project. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-181. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 294 p.
- Lorber, Jean ; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa ; Croy, Steve. 2018. Characterizing effects of prescribed fire on forest canopy cover in the George Washington and Jefferson National Forests. Research Paper NRS-31. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 30 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Edwards, Pamela J.; Schuler, Thomas M. 2018. Establishment of native species on a natural gas pipeline: the importance of seeding rate, aspect, and species selection. Res. Pap. NRS-30. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 11 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Schuler, Thomas M.; Adams, M. Beth. 2018. Early impacts of fire and canopy gaps on seedling and sapling layers: evidence for reversing mesophication? In: Kirschman, Julia E., comp. In: Kirschman, Julia E., comp. 2018. Proceedings of the 19th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-234. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station
- Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Brown, John P.; Wiedenbeck, Jan. 2017. Managing Appalachian hardwood stands using four management practices: 60-year results. Forest Ecology and Management. 387: 3-11. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2016.08.019
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Bard, Jane; Kochenderfer, Jeff; Berrang, Paul. 2017. Mortality, early growth, and blight occurrence in hybrid, Chinese, and American chestnut seedlings in West Virginia. 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: 222-239.
- Wiedenbeck, Janice K.; Brown, John P.; Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2017. Tree-quality impacts associated with use of the shelterwood-fire technique in a central Appalachian forest. 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: 146-156.
- Strager, Michael P.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Maxwell, Aaron E. 2016. Predicting post-fire change in West Virginia, USA from remotely-sensed data. Journal of Geospatial Applications in Natural Resources. 1(2): article 1.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Nowacki, Gregory J. 2016. Landscape-fire relationships inferred from bearing trees in Minnesota. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-GTR-160. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 32 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Whetsell, Robert. 2016. Realistic restoration targets. Journal of the American Chestnut Foundation. 2(30): 28-29.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Whetsell, Robert. 2016. West Virginia's big trees: setting the record straight. Journal of Forestry. 114(5): 582-583.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Nowacki, Gregory J.; Cogbill, Charles V. 2015. Mapping pyrophilic percentages across the northeastern United States using witness trees, with focus on four national forests. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-145. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 26 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Wood, Katharina U.; Rentch, James S. 2015. Impacts of wildfire recency and frequency on an Appalachian oak forest. Journal of Forestry. 113(4): 393-403.
- Clark, Stacy L.; Schlarbaum, Scott E.; Pinchot, Cornelia C.; Anagnostakis, Sandra L.; Saunders, Michael R.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Schaberg, Paul; McKenna, James; Bard, Jane F.; Berrang, Paul C.; Casey, David M.; Casey, Chris E.; Crane, Barbara; Jackson, Brian D.; Kochenderfer, Jeff D.; MacFarlane, Russ; Makowske, Robert; Miller, Mark D.; Rodrigue, Jason A.; Stelick, Jim; Thornton, Christopher D.; Williamson, Tyler S. 2014. Reintroduction of American Chestnut in the National Forest System. Journal of Forestry
- Fenwick, Adele; Schuler, Jamie L.; Grushecky, Shawn; Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2014. Kanawha State Forest, WV: Wildland fire fuel load assessment and geospatial distribution. In: Groninger, John W.; Holzmueller, Eric J.; Nielsen, Clayton K.; Dey, Daniel C., eds. Proceedings, 19th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; 2014 March 10-12; Carbondale, IL. General Technical Report NRS-P-142. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 122-132.
- Jensen, N.K.; Holzmueller, E.J.; Edwards, P.J.; Thomas-Van Gundy, M.; DeWalle, D.R.; Williard, K.W.J. 2014. Tree response to experimental watershed acidification. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 225(7): 2034. 12 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A. 2014. Mapping fire regimes from data you may already have: assessing LANDFIRE fire regime maps using local products. In: Waldrop, Thomas A., ed. Proceedings, Wildland fire in the Appalachians: discussions among fire managers and scientists. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-199. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station: 132-140.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Sturtevant, Brian R. 2014. Using scenario modeling for red spruce restoration planning in West Virginia. Journal of Forestry. 112(5): 457-466.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Rentch, James; Adams, Mary Beth; Carson, Walter. 2014. Reversing legacy effects in the understory of an oak-dominated forest. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 44(4): 350-364.
- Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Adams, Mary Beth; Ford, W. Mark. 2013. Analysis of two pre-shelterwood prescribed fires in a mesic mixed-oak forest in West Virginia. In: Miller, Gary W.; Schuler, Thomas M.; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Brooks, John R.; Grushecky, Shawn T.; Spong, Ben D.; Rentch, James S., eds. Proceedings, 18th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; 2012 March 26-28; Morgantown, WV; Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-117. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 430-446.
- Adams, Mary Beth; Edwards, Pamela J.; Ford, W. Mark; Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Wood, Frederica. 2012. Fernow Experimental Forest: Research History and Opportunities. Experimental Forests and Ranges EFR-2. Washington, D.C: USDA Forest Service. 26 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Strager, Michael; Rentch, James. 2012. Site characteristics of red spruce witness tree locations in the uplands of West Virginia, USA. Journal of the Torrey Botanical Society. 139(4): 391-405.
- Adams, Mary Beth; Edwards, Pamela J.; Ford, W. Mark; Johnson, Joshua B.; Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Wood, Frederica. 2011. Effects of development of a natural gas well and associated pipeline on the natural and scientific resources of the Fernow Experimental Forest. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-76. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 24 p.
- Adams, Mary Beth; Ford, W. Mark; Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2011. Effects of natural gas development on forest ecosystems. In: Fei, Songlin; Lhotka, John M.; Stringer, Jeffrey W.; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Miller, Gary W., eds. Proceedings, 17th central hardwood forest conference; 2010 April 5-7; Lexington, KY; Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-78. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 219-226.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Strager, Michael. 2011. Site characteristics of American chestnut, oak, and hickory witness trees on the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. In: Fei, Songlin; Lhotka, John M.; Stringer, Jeffrey W.; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Miller, Gary W., eds. Proceedings, 17th central hardwood forest conference; 2010 April 5-7; Lexington, KY; Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-78. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 208-218.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2010. Red spruce as witness tree on the Monongahela National Forest. In: Rentch, James S.; Schuler, Thomas M., eds. 2010. Proceedings from the conference on the ecology and management of high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachian Mountains. 2009 May 14-15; Slatyfork, WV. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-64. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 242.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa; Schuler, Thomas M. 2008. Deferred rotation harvests in central Appalachia: 20- and 25-year results. In: Jacobs, Douglass F.; Michler, Charles H., eds. 2008. Proceedings, 16th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; 2008 April 8-9; West Lafayette, IN. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-24. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 423-435.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Nowacki, Gregory J.; Schuler, Thomas M. 2007. Rule-based mapping of fire-adapted vegetation and fire regimes for the Monongahela National Forest. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-12. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station. 24 p.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa. 2006. Assigning fire regimes on the Monongahela National Forest, West Virginia. In: Dickinson, Matthew B., ed. 2006. Fire in eastern oak forests: delivering science to land managers, proceedings of a conference; 2005 November 15-17; Columbus, OH. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-1. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 300.
Other Publications
Research Datasets
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Schuler, Thomas M.; Wood, Frederica. 2020. Fernow Experimental Forest overstory tree and regeneration data from the "Financial Maturity" study. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2020-0015.
- Schuler, Thomas M.; Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Wood, Frederica. 2017. Fernow Experimental Forest overstory tree and regeneration data from the "Management Intensity Demonstration" study. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2017-0052.
- Thomas-Van Gundy, Melissa A.; Strager, Michael P. 2014. Witness trees of the Monongahela National Forest: 1752-1899. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2014-0022.
National Research Highlights
Collaboration makes fire science available and useful to land managers
Year: 2017
Forest Service researchers and foresters are partnering to document the effects of landscape-scale prescribed fire on the George Washington and Jefferson national forests.
Forest management demonstration area highlights working forest
Year: 2017
New research published in 2017 describes the results of a 60-year forest management demonstration area on the Fernow Experimental Forest and the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia.
Witness Trees as Indicators of Past Fire
Year: 2016
In ecosystem restoration, the question “What was the forest like back then?” is often difficult to answer. Understanding and mapping forest composition before European settlement is an important basis for ecosystem restoration. To help in returning fire into ecosystems that formerly burned, scientists from the Forest Service’s Northern Research Station used “witness trees,” which are trees indicated in old land surveys to help identify areas where fire likely occurred in the past.
Restoration of a Forest Giant
Year: 2016
The blight resistance of a variety of families of hybrid American chestnuts is under study on the Monongahela National Forest in West Virginia. Early mortality and height growth results show differences between families that will provide useful information for the production of a hybrid with the blight resistance of the Chinese chestnut and the growth form of the American chestnut. As a side effort, the subject in a photo previously reported to be of a large American chestnut in the pre-blight forest was found to be of a redwood tree in California.
“Witness Trees” as Indicators of Past Fire
Year: 2015
In ecosystem restoration, the question of “What was it like back then?” is often difficult to answer. Understanding and mapping forest composition from before European settlement is an important basis for ecosystem restoration, helping to ensure the return of fire into ecosystems that formerly burned. Forest Service scientists used “witness trees,” which are trees indicated on old maps and land surveys, to help identify trees that grew in the past.
A Landscape Model for Planning Red Spruce Restoration in West Virginia
Year: 2015
A Forest Service scientist developed a model to answer specific questions about meeting restoration goals for red spruce while protecting habitat for the Virginia northern flying squirrel. Although the squirrel was recently removed from the Endangered Species List, management of its habitat and potential habitat is still a concern. The harvests modeled shows that hands-off approaches to threatened or endangered species habitat can delay progress on restoration goals in this red spruce-dominated landscape.
Investigating the Roles of Fire, Browse, and Canopy Gaps in the Understory of an Oak-dominated Forest
Year: 2015
Current forests developed under conditions different from original forests, with more deer, less fire, and smaller canopy gaps. This has resulted in understories dominated by trees that are browse-tolerant, shade-tolerant, and fire sensitive, often making it harder for oaks to regenerate in some areas. Forest Service scientists evaluated how three key processes - understory fire, canopy gaps, and browsing - affected tree species in east central West Virginia to help foresters determine management actions.
Roles of Fire, Browse, and Canopy Gaps in the Understory of an Oak-dominated Forest
Year: 2014
Current forests developed under conditions different from original forests, with more deer, less fire, and smaller canopy gaps. The difference resulted in understories dominated by trees that are browse-tolerant, shade-tolerant, and fire sensitive, and also makes it harder for oaks to regenerate in some areas. To help foresters determine management actions, a Forest Service scientist and research partner evaluated how three key processes, understory fire, canopy gaps, and browsing, affected tree species in east-central West Virginia.
Using a Landscape Model for Planning Red Spruce Restoration in West Virginia
Year: 2014
A new Forest Service model was developed to answer specific questions about meeting restoration goals for red spruce while protecting habitat for the Virginia northern flying squirrel. The patch cuts modeled in this experiement were designed to be close to the intended restoration actions. The harvests modeled show that hands-off approaches to threatened or endangered species habitat can delay progress on restoration goals in this red spruce-dominated landscape.
Witness Trees Reveal Where to Restore Fire
Year: 2013
To help land managers make decisions and plan for restoration of oak-dominated forests, witness trees from early surveys were used by a Forest Service scientist as clues to disturbance history. Tree species were categorized into two categories based on fire ecology and spatial interpolation of point data resulted in a usable picture of past disturbance on a complex landscape.