Adam Maggard

Greenhouse gas emissions have contributed to climate change, resulting in significant environmental and socioeconomic consequences, including rising sea levels and more frequent extreme weather events. The urgency to mitigate these effects has motivated governments and industries to seek innovative solutions that reduce carbon footprints and promote sustainability. Sustainable forest management practices, which aim to maximize carbon storage in both forests and forest products, offer a powerful strategy to reduce atmospheric CO₂. This study explores how market-based mechanisms, such as forest carbon programs, can help meet greenhouse gas reduction targets in accordance with international agreements, including the Kyoto Protocol. By examining corporate timber companies’ participation in carbon markets, the study highlights how sustainable forestry practices align with economic goals while reducing atmospheric CO₂ levels. Through a strategic assessment of literature and interviews with decision-makers in corporate forestry, this research study examines the motivations, barriers, and opportunities for carbon market integration, climate policy priorities, and the potential to scale up corporate involvement in carbon projects.

Replacing peat with biochar in nursery growing media could help offset carbon emissions and reduce environmental degradation caused by mining wetlands for peat. However, the effects of replacing peat with biochar on CO₂ emissions are little known. In this study, we measured CO₂ flux rates in growing media with varying proportions of biochar (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100% levels) as a replacement for peat. Overall, we found that higher biochar levels (≥75%) in growing media resulted in a reduction in CO₂ fluxes compared to pure peat (0% biochar), approaching near-zero emissions. In contrast, lower biochar levels (≤25%) had little to no effect on CO₂ fluxes. When the growing media was fertigated or irrigated, we observed a decrease in CO₂ fluxes in mixes containing 25%, 50%, and 75% biochar, though this effect was absent in mixes that were pure peat or pure biochar, suggesting that irrigation and fertilization regimes could be strategized to enhance biochar’s carbon emission impacts. Our study offers insights into the development of sustainable growing media to reduce the carbon footprint of horticulture and forestry nursery production systems and may help balance productivity with environmental conservation.

In the aftermath of events such as hurricanes, the economic impact of downed timber can reach billions of dollars. Accurate forecasting of stumpage prices after such events is crucial for maximizing recovery value while minimizing salvage costs. However, this poses challenges because of the inherent nature of the data. This study addresses these challenges by exploring the application of wavelet analysis, a novel approach in the field of forestry economic analysis. Wavelet analysis offers a unique framework for studying periodic phenomena in time series data, particularly when frequency changes over time are present. By leveraging wavelet analysis, this study uncovers relationships between timber market indices and hurricane seasons. The combination of traditional correlation analysis and wavelet coherence analysis enhances the statistical analysis in this study, offering a comprehensive examination of the relationship between the Timber Market Survey data and market indices. This innovative analytical approach enables a deeper understanding of the dynamics of the timber market and the potential effects of hurricanes on timber prices. Furthermore, this research highlights the recent advancements in wavelet methodology and the availability of open-source packages in the programming language R, such as WaveletComp and WaveletArima, that facilitate wavelet analysis and time series forecasting. The Wavelet-ARIMA model used in this study demonstrates its effectiveness in reducing noise and improving prediction accuracy. The study incorporates an extensive data set consisting of 10 Consumer Price Indices, 7 Producer Price Indices, 30 state-wide Timber Market Survey indices, 54 TMS subregions, and 6 open market series.

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In the United States, Climate Smart Forestry (CSF) has quickly become a popular topic within the academic, political, and industry realms, without substantial delineation of what exactly CSF is. In this review, the aim is to provide a broad overview of CSF by highlighting one of the most productive and prolific forest systems in the United States, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantations. One major objective of CSF is to increase forest carbon storage to combat rising atmospheric carbon or climate change mitigation. Fortuitously, increased forest carbon storage can work harmoniously with on-going Southern pine plantation forestry. With a Southern commercial focus, we show (1) traditional plantation practices such as genetic improvement, site preparation, weed control, and fertilization have aided increased forest carbon storage; (2) forest products and forest product carbon are essential to increase carbon storage beyond the stand-carbon baseline; (3) forest carbon data collection must be improved to realize climate change mitigation goals; and (4) additional avenues for future CSF research.

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.), and slash pine (Pinus elliottii Engelm.) are two southern pine species that are popular for producing pine straw for landscaping. The objective of this research was to determine the response of soil properties and weed growth to the application of pine straw. Longleaf pine, slash pine, and two non-mulched controls (with and without chemical weed control) were tested. Volumetric soil water content, soil nutrients, soil temperature, weed biomass, and seedling growth were measured. Compared to non-mulched controls, both longleaf and slash pine plots had a greater soil moisture during extended periods without rainfall in the full sun environment. When soil temperatures increased, mulched plots had lower soil temperature relative to non-mulched plots. Soil pH and soil nutrients were generally similar between pine straw types with few significant differences in measured variables. Both pine straw treatments reduced weed growth and longleaf pine maintained a greater straw depth over the study period compared to slash pine, but no differences were observed for decomposition. These results indicate that longleaf pine straw and slash pine straw perform equally as well in terms of increasing soil moisture, moderating soil temperature, and reducing weed growth compared to not using mulch. Index words:Pinus elliottii, Pinus palustris, organic mulch, soil properties, landscaping. Species used in this study: Shumard oak, Quercus shumardii Buckl., Eastern redbud, Cercis canadensis L.

The productivity of the approximately 11 million ha of loblolly pine plantations in the southeastern USA could be threatened by decreased water availability in a future climate. To determine the effects of sustained drought on leaf gas exchange, whole-tree water use, and individual tree growth, we examined the response of loblolly pine trees to 100% throughfall exclusion cumulatively spanning the sixth and seventh growing seasons of a plantation in southeastern Oklahoma. Throughfall exclusion reduced volumetric soil water content for 0–12 cm soil depth from 10.8% to 4.8% and for 12–45 cm soil depth from 24.2% to 15.6%. Compared to ambient throughfall trees, leaf water potential of the throughfall exclusion trees became more negative, −0.9 MPa vs. −1.3 MPa for predawn measurements and −1.5 MPa vs. −1.9 MPa for midday measurements. Throughfall exclusion did not significantly reduce leaf gas exchange or tree water use. However, throughfall exclusion significantly reduced leaf biomass by 21% and stem volume growth by 23%. These results indicate that sustained drought may cause downward shifts in leaf quantity to conserve water rather than reducing leaf-level water use.

The objective of this research was to determine the response of soil properties and plant growth to the application of various tree-based mulches and provide information specifically regarding attributes of eastern redcedar mulch ( Juniperus virginiana ). Eastern redcedar mulch, cypress mulch ( Taxodium distichum ), pine bark nuggets [southern yellow pine ( Pinus sp.)], pine mulch (southern yellow pine), hardwood mulch [maple ( Acer sp.), oak ( Quercus sp.)], red-dyed mulch [maple, poplar ( Populus sp.)], and grand eucalyptus mulch ( Eucalyptus grandis ), as well as two nonmulched controls (with and without chemical weed control) were tested. Volumetric soil moisture, soil nutrients, soil temperature, weed growth, and growth and survival of planted annuals and trees were measured. Compared with nonmulched controls, mulch treatments generally increased growth of annuals and trees and decreased weed growth, but few differences in measured variables were noted among mulch types. Mulched plots had greater volumetric soil moisture than nonmulched plots during extended periods without rainfall. Mulched plots had more moderate diurnal soil temperatures than nonmulched control plots. Soil pH and soil potassium increased with hardwood mulch during the 2 years of the study. These results indicate tree-based mulch benefits plant growth and survival by maintaining greater soil moisture, decreasing competition from weeds, and moderating soil temperatures compared with not using mulch. Eastern redcedar mulch provides similar benefits as other common wood mulches and is a viable forest product.