Forests
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If you drive through southeast Alabama or southwest Georgia, you can still see plenty of damage from Hurricane Michael, which hit there in 2018. Researchers with Auburn University’s School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences are currently working on a “Downed Timber Initiative,” which aims to develop new methods of using fallen trees and branches decimated…
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A new research study published in Science shows that autumn leaves are falling earlier than in previous years, a surprise considering that warmer temperatures are moving the fall freezing temperatures later in the year. The scientists link this to quicker growth in the spring and maxing out the amount of carbon they can store. This…
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The USDA Southeast Climate Hub has recently expanded their list of guides for hurricane preparation and recovery. There are guides available for each state but there are also guides available for many different commodities and agricultural products in the region. The guides include livestock, forests, forage, and even beekeeping in addition to several specialty and…
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I’ve posted several stories about the impacts of Sally on agriculture in the Southeast. This latest, from IFAS, indicates that the costs from Sally were between $55 and $100 million. Damage from 2018 Hurricane Michael was worse because the winds were stronger and lasted farther inland, but Sally dropped a lot more rain because it…
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According to The Nature Conservancy, more than one third of all US forests are stewarded by individuals and families, including those in the Southeast. Those groups are often overlooked when it comes to fighting climate change through sequestration of carbon. But now there are groups that are partnering with these families and small landowners to…
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We’ve had a lot of severe weather lately, and with that comes the chance of lightning. If it hits a tree, it can do a lot of damage to the tree (and anything under it). What do you do with the tree after it’s been hit? Walter Reeves has a few suggestions here. When in…
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The severe weather of last weekend caused a lot of damage to trees as well as buildings. Cleaning up from storms like this can be dangerous if not done correctly, so make sure you know how to use chain saws safely. If you have to replace a tree, make sure to pick a variety that…