Science

Science is the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the study of the structure and behaviour of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. As it pertains to the work, we do, science informs everything we do to improve and manage property. We take pride in translating science for landowners to understand and use to attract wildlife and improve property.

Here is a sampling of scientific papers that inform our decisions and management strategies.

SOUTHERN APPALACHIAN NATURAL HISTORY

NATIVE AMERICANS, FIRE AND FORESTS

The natural history of the southern Appalachians is so unique…..]

2013 (Matlack) Reassessment of the Use of Fire as a Management Tool in Eastern North American Deciduous Forests

2011 (Liknes et al) Net Change in Forest Density, 1873-2001 – using historical maps to monitor long-term forest trends

2009 (Pausas and Keeley) A Burning Story – the Role of Fire in the History of Life

2008 (Abrams and Nowacki) Native Americans as Active and Passive Promoters of Mast and Fruit trees in the Eastern USA

2007 (Fowler and Konopik) The History of Fire in the Southern United States

2004 (Delcourt and Delcourt) Prehistoric Native Americans and Ecological Change

2004 (Cooley) Understanding Traditional Knowledge for Ecological Restoration – A Qualitative Study with the Eastern Band of Cherokee and southern Appalachian Community Members

2002 (guyette et al) dynamics of an antrhopogenic fire regime

2001 (brose et al) bringing fire back -the changing regimes of the appalachian mixed-oak forests

1998 (frost) presettlement fire frequency regimes of the united states – a first approximation

1991 (devivo) indian use of fire and land clearance in the southern appalachians (1)1992 (denevan) the pristine myth — the landscape of the americas in 1492 1989 (van lear) history, uses, and effects of fire in the appalachians

1980 (lewis) indian fires of spring

1971 (devorsey) early maps as a source in the reconstruction of southern indian landscapes

1962 (cumming) the southeast in early maps – delisle 1718

1953 (Sharp) Ethnobotany of the Cherokee

1940 (shea) our pappies burned the woods

1911 (holmes) forest conditions in western north carolina

1905 (ayers and ashe) the southern appalachian forests

1883 (hale) the woods and timbers of north carolina

1861 (guyot) on the appalachian mountain system

1791 (bartram) travels through north and south carolina, georgia, east and west florida

1731 (catesby) the natural history of carolina, florida, and the bahama islands

OAK

Following the dissappearance of the most important food resource in the southern Appalachians, the American Chestnut, oak species became the most importnat tree-provided food for wildlife. Oaks still predomindate much of the canopy of our forests, but the shade-tolerant trees that like just below the canopy will assume canopy dominance when the oaks die. This will result in far less food for wildlife over the next 100 years.

2017 (dey et al) silviculture to restore oak savannas and woodlands

2011 (fei et al) change in oak abundance in the eastern united states from 1980 – 2008

2009 (lashley et al) masting characteristics of white oaks — implications for management

2007 (dillaway et al) light availability influences root carbohydrates, and potentially vigor, in white oak advance regeneration

2007 (mcshea et al) forestry matters – decline of oaks will impact wildlife in hardwood forests

2003 (abrams) where has all the white oak gone

2003 (rodewald) decline of oak forests and implications for forest wildlife conservation

2000 (mcshea) the influence of acorn crops on annual variation in rodent and bird populations

1989 (eiler et al) reproduction in black bears in the southern appalachian mountains

MESOPHICATION

The changing of our forests from a oak-hickory dominated composition to one that is more dominated my mesophytic (they don’t like it too wet or too dry) trees in called “mesophication.”

2018 (kreye et al) mesophytic litter dampens flammability in fire-excluded pyrophytic oak–hickory woodlands

2016 (caldwell et al) declining water yield from forested mountain watersheds in response to climate change and forest mesophication

2008 (Nowacki and Abrams) the demise of fire and mesophication of forests in the eastern united states

1998 (Abrams) the red maple paradox – what explains the widespread expansion of red maple in eastern forests

EARLY SUCCESSIONAL HABITAT

Early successional habitats are those that are dominated by shade-intolerant pioneer plant species. This is different from “Young forest,” which describes stands that are recovering from disturbance largely through the recruitment of canopy species from advanced regeneration

2017 (harper) a quick guide for landowners managing old-fields for wildlife

2014 (klimstra et al) small mammal use of native warm season and non-native cool-season grass forage fields

2014 (yeiser et al) using prescribed fire and herbicide to manage rank native warm season grass for northern bobwhite

2014 (king and schlossberg) synthesis of the conservation value of the early-successional stage in forests of eastern north america

2012 (university of tennessee) native warm season grass roles in soil and water conservation – a literature synthesis gww habitat on grazed forestland and montane pastures in the appalachians

2011 (thompson and dessecker) management of early-successional communities in central hardwood forests

2011 (Greenberg et al) ecology and management of early successional habitats in the central hardwood region, usa

2007 (harper and gruchy) old field management (for white tailed deer)

2007 (harper et al) native warm season grasses – identification, establishment, and management for wildlife and forage production in the mid-south

2007 (harper) strategies for managing early successional habitat

2001 (lorimer) historical and ecological roles of disturbance in eastern north american forests – 9,000 years of change

2000 (Washburn et al) improving northern bobwhite habitat by converting tall fescue fields to native warm-season grasses