Item No. 1 of 1

INVESTIGATOR: Shange, R.

PERFORMING INSTITUTION:
TUSKEGEE UNIVERSITY
TUSKEGEE, ALABAMA 36088

DEVELOPMENT OF A FOREST MANAGEMENT SYSTEM TO ENHANCE ECOSYSTEM RESTORATION AND MANAGEMENT FOR LIMITED RESOURCE LANDOWNERS

NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY: The southeastern US is often referred to as the "wood basket" of the country, as forests represent a significant portion of the land use and economy of the region. A large amount of the referenced forest land is in private ownership. Because of issues in trust and participation, a majority of these owners are unwilling and unable to effectively take part in USDA programs targeting conservation management. This gap in participation has led to an issue of mismanagement of forest resources among limited resource landowners and managers. This project seeks to partner with the Tuskegee National Forest to: i) develop decision support tools that can handle large amounts of data (geospatial, seasonal, climatic, biotic) and are applicable across various scales; ii) develop a network of demonstration forests at Tuskegee University and Tuskegee National Forest to serve our targeted clientele in restoration and management for forest health; and iii) establish long-term research/education sites within the demonstration forests to facilitate curricular and co-curricular education among undergraduate and graduate students in Environmental Science and Forestry through ecosystem management and research experiences. The expected outcomes of the project are to educate forest professionals in the interpretation of the decision support tool, improve forest health in local ecosystems, and provide science-based research for forestry and environment professionals in the region.

OBJECTIVES: The major goals of this project are to: 1) ProvideGIS/Remote Sensing Analysis and Mapping for Adaptive Management and Accelerated Ecological Restoration, 2)Develop Forest Demonstration Sites with complimentary Extension and Educational Programs for Forest Professionals, Landowners, and General Public in Adaptive Management and Accelerated Restoration, and 3)Establish Long-Term Ecological Research and Monitoring to Determine the Impact of Accelerated Forest Restoration and Adaptive Management Practices on Dynamic Ecosystem Properties.

APPROACH: Objectives and their proposed methods:GIS/Remote Sensing Analysis and Mapping for Adaptive Management and Accelerated Ecological RestorationRemote Sensing ApplicationsFor this objective remote sensing components will be to: 1) Map the forest systems into the majority species or natural communities within the Tuskegee Forest Landscape; 2) Map forest areas into individual tree classes or groups, such as of broadleaf trees, longleaf trees, coniferous trees, deciduous trees, mixed forest or clear-cuts; 3) Assess forest trend changes over the last several decades; 4) Assess forest health heath and trends within the last several decades; 5) Study forest tree characteristics such as tree height, trunk size and basal area, canopy density, and midstory density.Geographic Information System ApplicationsIn this project, GIS will be used to: 1) Map the spatial distribution of forest stocks in various ways (forest density, forest types, species, natural communities etc), as extracted from the remote sensing analysis; 2) Map habitat and species for managing wildlife; 3) Collect, analyze and constantly update data from forest inventories, including tree species, size, and location; 4) Map forest health determined through remote sensing technologies and field surveys that will identify tree growth and mortality, insect infestation, other damages caused by environmental conditions, but also land-use change which is an indicator of forest conversion; 5) Map burned areas; 6) Perform spatial forest modeling in order to plan for harvesting strategies and accurate herbicide and fertilization treatment.Database Development for the Tuskegee Forest Management SystemThe combined use of GIS and remote sensing will allow the development of a geodatabase that will integrate various datasets, and will provide the spatial data needed as input in a geospatial model. The datasets will be queried and layers will be combined using overlay methods in order to generate useful information regarding the relationships between different forest components including species types and conditions, wildlife habitats, endangered species, disease prevalence and risk maps.The resulting products of this integration between GIS and remote sensing as well as other information from reports and various surveys will be integrated into a Forest Management System (FMS) that can be queried as a decision support system for adaptive forest management. The FMS and accompanying database will also be made available online for forest professionals and managers to have access to.Develop Forest Demonstration Sites with complimentary Extension and Educational Programs for Forest Professionals, Landowners, and General Public in Adaptive Management and Accelerated RestorationEstablishing demonstration sites for forest ecosystem restoration, management, and Long Term Ecological Monitoring at both TU and TNF sites. Within both the TNF and TU land holdings, restoration efforts have already been underway. Establishing sites between each of the institutions will allow for both formal and informal education of landowners, students, professionals, and the general public in an engaging manner that gives visual and tangible evidence for the efficacy of restoration management techniques utilized.Expanding and coordinating private landowner technical assistance and outreach by providing field days within the working forests, providing educational workshops.Organize eight field days, events, workshops per year, linking private landowners to cost-share programs and management information with forestry and other professionals resulting in at least 10 landowners (~500 acres) who will receive technical support for the development and implementation of management plans (longleaf planting, prescribed fire, understory enhancements, etc.). Workshops include coordinating existing workshops a Longleaf 101 Academy (3-day workshop initiated in March 2016), one-day workshop/field day in Silvopasture, Agroforestry, Timber Selection and Sales (all a part of various activities in TUCE). Additionally, new workshop topics in habitat restoration, alternative forest products, selective cutting, and prescribed burning will be developed in partnership with TNF.Develop outreach materials for local stakeholders to broaden the base of support for longleaf conservation in the eastern Alabama Black Belt. Specifically, we will coordinate at least one community event on conservation land, develop ecological service metrics and materials to elucidate and promote benefits of conservation land to communities. Additionally, a curriculum for forest restoration and adaptive management will be developed to parallel the demonstration program to be established between TU and TNF.c) Establish Long-Term Ecological Research and Monitoring to Determine the Impact of Accelerated Forest Restoration and Adaptive Management Practices on Dynamic Ecosystem Properties Baseline data for ecosystem properties will be needed to quantitatively describe measurable improvements during the project period. A network of ecological demonstration/monitoring plots will be established on TU and TNF sites to document baseline conditions and changes over time. Given the identified demonstration sites from the above-mentioned objectives, these sites will provide long-term ecological research sites for various ecosystem properties. Demonstrated management types will be: 1) Silvopasture, 2) Agroforestry, 3) Selective Cutting, 4) Prescribed Burn, 5) Chemical Site Preparation, 6) Mechanical Site Preparation, and 7) Revegetation. Sites 1 and 2 have been established at TU Camp Atkins prior to this project and will be leveraged for demonstration purposes; Site 2 and 3 will be established at TNF as long term monitoring sites that will be established as grid sampling over a ¼ acre subplot of the established demonstration plots (1 acre); Sites 4-7 are to be established at TU Russell Plantation as randomized blocks (1 acre) with 3 treatments of varying frequency of the applied management and a control. Each block will be replicated three times, and sampled yearly. Soil samples will be collected from each subplot from the upper 5cm of soils. The litter and duff letter will also be collected for chemical analysis.Assess the impact of Adaptive Management/Accelerated Restoration on the soil edaphic/ecological factors of the TNF/TU holdings under ECM. As one of the concerns of forest management is its impact on carbon cycling and sequestration in forest soil, TU's EQL has the resources to assess soil microbial communities, exogenous enzymes, and their relationship to soil carbon pools.?Establishing student curricular and co-curricular experiences to prepare future Professionals in Natural Resource Management and Sustainable Forest Resource Management. Co-curricular programming and experiential learning will include the expansion of internship opportunities through the CISC at TU. To compliment summer internship opportunities with TNC and TNF, in semester internship opportunities will be offered as well as a part of the Future Farmers and Agricultural Specialists Program. Students engaged in the internship program will be expected to assist with the implementation and maintenance of either the FMS (Stand Exams and field data collection, GIS/Remote Sensing utilization), and the management and maintenance of the demonstration sites for long term research and education at sites designated throughout the TNF-TU network. Curriculum enhancement will take place by all of the participating faculties' agreement to utilize both the FMS and demonstration sites for curricular purposes in already established courses at the undergraduate and graduate level.

PROGRESS: 2018/04 TO 2019/04
Target Audience: 1) Limited resource forest landowners in the Alabama Black Belt, and 2) students engaged in the study of forestry, environmental science, and natural resources. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?It has provided graduate and undergraduate students in semester and out-of semester opportunities to work with TNF staff in natural resource conservation, as well as learning of an dpreparing for job opportunities with USDA Forest Research and Management Agencies. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest?At the Farmers Conference and Professional Agricultural Workers Conferences. What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?Utilize the tool to assess TU landholdings and other privately owned land to verify the tools veracity.Develop an online program for educating the public about GIS, mapping, and associated technology as well as classes for using the Forest Management Tool.

IMPACT: 2018/04 TO 2019/04
What was accomplished under these goals? Under 1): The research (i) identified and collected available remote sensing and spatial, data for the TNF; (ii) processed and analyzed medium and high spatial resolution satellite imagery to develop various vegetation indices; (iii) processed and analyzed GIS data to extract elevation based forest products indices; (iv) organized collected and processed data into a structured geodatabase; and (v)set up an online based ESRI story map using selected layers from the developed geodatabase. The resulting geodatabase and story map provides an effective and efficient tool as a decision support system for the management of the TNF. Under 2): A group of 20 forest landowners, managers, and environmental science students toured restoration sites, undermanaged and mismanaged sites in the Tuskegee National Forest and Tuskegee University land holdings as a part of the 127th Annual Farmers Conference on February 22, 2019. Foresters and TNF staff accompanied thme explaining sustainable management of forestland, burning schedules, mechanical removal of understory, and management for recreation.

PUBLICATIONS (not previously reported): 2018/04 TO 2019/04
No publications reported this period.

PROGRESS: 2017/04/15 TO 2018/04/14
Target Audience:The target audience reached in the first year of this proposal was graduate and undergraduate students in Natural Resource Conservation. Changes/Problems: Nothing Reported What opportunities for training and professional development has the project provided?Students were trained in soil sampling, GPS and GIS techniques and analysis, laboratory techniques in soil analysis, and statistical analysis. How have the results been disseminated to communities of interest? Nothing Reported What do you plan to do during the next reporting period to accomplish the goals?For 1): Data will be collected from LiDar and from the Tuskegee National Forest Database to begin development of the Forest Management System Database For 2): Extension workshops will begin to be delivered to cover silvicultural techniques. For 3): Classroom utilization of data and forest stands will be utilized in Environmental Science courses.

IMPACT: 2017/04/15 TO 2018/04/14
What was accomplished under these goals? Under 1)The objective of this study is to initiate the implementation process of the ECM in TNFby collecting field data of the current basal area of pine and non-pine trees and the composition of over-story vegetation species. The basal area and species composition was determined using a Varied Plot Sampling technique for 15 stands designated for restoration management over 3 compartments. The average total basal of each stand was calculated as well as the basal area of pine. The results of a generalized linear model show that compartment 10 had a higher concentration of pine (P< 0.0002) than compartments 1 and 2. This preliminary data will be used to generate analyze correlations with soil types and verify LiDar imagine in the next stage of the ECM development. Under 2): Sites were established Under 3): In the Tuskegee National Forestthe effect of fire, herbicide treatment and basal management on soil properties and enzyme activities were studied. Six randomized samples were taken from three replicate one acre plots under each forest restoration regiments. Soil samples were collected from a depth of 0 to 5 cm using a soil auger.Samples collected were analyzed for acid phosphatases, Alkaline Phosphatases, Phosphodiesterase, and soil pH.No significant differences were observed among the pH and phosphatase activities measured under the 3 different restoration systems studied in the Tuskegee site. However the restored sites consistently had higher levels of acid phosphatase and phosphodiesterase activity levels than the intermediate, and unrestored sites even though there were no significant differences between the sites. Even though there was a lack of significant differences, there were trends which indicated that Restored sites tended to have higher levels of phosphatase activity than unrestored sites. The Open canopy sites showed a trend in having higher phosphatase activity than closed canopy sites with alkaline phosphatases being the exception to the trend. Students interned in the National Forest to learn forest management techniques.

PUBLICATIONS: 2017/04/15 TO 2018/04/14
No publications reported this period.