ScienceDaily (Jan. 2, 2008) — The Forest Service's Eastern Forest Environmental Threat Assessment Center (EFETAC) recently launched its forest threats summary viewer, a tool that will provide images, threat distribution maps, additional forestry contact information, and brief descriptions about forest threats throughout the eastern U.S. EFETAC partnered with the University of North Carolina Asheville's National Environmental Modeling and Analysis Center (NEMAC) to develop the tool.

"The forest threats summary viewer is an excellent tool for individuals concerned about environmental threats to healthy forests, or how these threats affect trees in their backyard," says Danny C. Lee, EFETAC Director. "The viewer will make forest research more relevant and useful to forest land managers and homeowners by connecting them with resources to help address their concerns."

The viewer is a user-friendly, Web-based tool searchable by forest threat (e.g., hemlock woolly adelgid) or by State. Threats are categorized by today's familiar forest concerns, including invasive plants, insects and diseases, loss of open space, climate change, and wildland fire. The user is also provided current and credible Web links to other Federal, State, and local resources that offer additional in-depth information. This initial version of the multi-phased tool will be continually updated with environmental threats as well as additional search features.

"UNC Asheville is excited to be working with the Forest Service on a project that provides an innovative and dynamic way for people to access information on forest threats," said Karin Lichtenstein, NEMAC project manager and research associate. "This new collaboration allows students to work directly on applied research projects and create real products for the public that help the environment."

EFETAC and NEMAC joined forces in June 2006 to create user-friendly tools that share the latest research and expertise concerning threats to forest health. These tools will assist forest landowners, managers, policy makers, scientists, and general audiences make sound land management decisions. The tool is available at the EFETAC's website, http://www.forestthreats.org.

Related Stories

Forests Of The Continental U.S. Continue To Fragment (Feb. 11, 2003) — A recent report by USDA Forest Service researcher Kurt Riitters shows that although U.S. forests are still connected over large regions, fragmentation is pervasive enough to potentially affect the ...  > read more

Rove Beetles Act As Warning Signs For Clear-cutting Consequences (June 15, 2007) — New research has revealed the humble rove beetle may actually have a lot to tell us about the effects of harvesting on forests species. Rove beetles can be used as indicators of clear-cut harvesting ...  > read more

Smithsonian Researchers Show Amazonian Deforestation Accelerating (Jan. 15, 2002) — A research team of U.S. and Brazilian scientists has provided compelling evidence that rates of forest destruction in the Brazilian Amazon have accelerated over the last decade. The team, led by ...  > read more

A New Model To Simulate Forest Growth (Nov. 21, 2007) — A simulator modeling the evolution of a forest applies computational geometry to the problem of understanding forest growth. Tree development within a forest largely depends on how much space they ...  > read more

Search ScienceDaily

Is Your Drinking Water Contaminated?