Forestry

To be a wildlife biologist and to be in Alaska … it’s not a question, it’s the good life for this Forest Service land manager. Just ask Robert Stovall, the deputy district ranger for the Seward Ranger District since 2009 for Alaska’s Chugach National Forest. There are no roads into the forest’s...

Climate change and species invasions raise fears that iconic cold-water species like trout, salmon, and char could be extirpated from most of their ranges this century. A new study by researchers at the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station published in Global Change Biology shows that...

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research profile. The U.S. Forest Service has a long history as a leader in conservation genetics, and this recently took an exciting step...

The first in a series of blogs honoring the United Nation’s 2015 International Day of Forests Did you know that carbon dioxide, or CO2, is one of the main contributors to the greenhouse gases that are causing climate change? And, did you know that one averaged-size tree - say a 30-footer - can store...

Hiding beneath a pile of rocks in a clear mountain stream flowing from the Pisgah National Forest in North Carolina lurks North America’s largest salamander, the Eastern hellbender. It is also locked in battle between its perilous decline and valiant struggle for survival. Sediment from runoff...

Think Alaska in the winter: a large land canvas of powdery, granular or icy snow and days of often very, very cold weather. With those conditions, it’s off to the races for some of the heartiest Alaskan sled dogs and volunteers like U.S. Forest Service employee Carol Teitzel, who works in the U.S...

Like many woodland owners in eastern Oregon, Tim Fisher enjoys and appreciates the value wildlife brings to his 1,500-plus acres in Baker County. “I love watching the elk up here,” he said as he drove his pickup truck up a steep dirt road on his property, a mountainous view surrounding him. “I come...

Just off Florida’s 8,000 miles of coastline and tidal areas, in shallow sunlit waters, over two million acres of seagrass meadows waft in the ocean currents. Besides providing food and habitat for manatees, sea turtles, shellfish, and other animals, seagrasses protect coasts from erosion and store...

Finding unique gifts for Valentine’s Day just got a whole lot easier. With 122 ski areas, and thousands of miles of trails, riv­­­ers and streams, the U.S. Forest Service has plenty of ideas for a special outing with your l­­­oved one. Show some warmth by sweeping your loved one away from colder...

Coastal wetlands the world over are known for harboring an impressive array of plants and animals. In the Pacific Islands, wetlands not only provide habitat for many unique species, including some threatened and endangered waterbirds, but also support communities of people who rely on these special...