Georgia Forestry Today Sept-Oct 2013

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY Volume 9, Issue 5 September | October 2013

MAKING FINE-SCALE CHANGES TO IMPROVE WILDLIFE HABITAT

2

September | October 2013

Georgia Forestry Today

3

On the Cover:

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY Printed in the USA

PUBLISHER: A4 Inc. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alva Hopkins ahopkins@a4inc.com

î‚Šis is the second in a two-part series on improving forestland for wildlife.

See story on page 8 LAMAR CANTRELL

CANTRELL FOREST PRODUCTS INC.

We buy all types of timber.

In Woods Chipping cantrellforest@earthlink.net 1433 Galilee Church Road Jefferson, GA 30549 Office: (706) 367-4813 Mobile: (706) 498-6243 Home: (706) 367-1521

4

PRODUCTION MANAGER Pamela Petersen-Frey p.frey@a4inc.com

EDITORIAL BOARD Wendy Burnett Alva Hopkins Jesse Johnson Stasia Kelly Sandi Martin Roland Petersen-Frey Brian Stone Steve McWilliams

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY is published bi-monthly by A4 Inc., 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115. Recipients include participants of the Forest Stewardship Program and the American Tree Farm System.

Opinions expressed by the authors are not necessarily those of the publisher, A4 Inc., nor do they accept responsibility for errors of content or omission and, as a matter of policy, neither do they endorse products or advertisements appearing herein. Part of this magazine may be reproduced with the written consent of the publisher. Correspondence regarding changes of address should be directed to A4 Inc. at the address indicated above. Advertising material should be sent to A4 Inc. at the e-mail address: p.frey@a4inc.com. Questions on advertising should be directed to the advertising director at the e-mail address provided above. Editorial material should be sent to A4 Inc. or to Alva Hopkins.

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY 1154 Lower Birmingham Road, Canton, Georgia 30115

September | October 2013

Volume 9, Issue 5

September | October 2013

Georgia

FORESTRY TODAY P.08

P.11

Making Fine-scale Changes to Improve Wildlife Habitat

P.24

Enjoy Eating Meat? Don’t Forget Your DEET!

Message from the Georgia Forestry Commission Director

P.28

GFT News

P.12

GFC News

P.13

A Gathering of Foresters

P.16

Awards Bestowed at the GFA Annual Meeting

Forestry Calendar September 17-19

P.18

Traces of Native Americans Remain in Georgia Woodlands

2013 SFI Annual Conference Westin Riverwalk, San Antonio, Texas Info: Visit www.sfiprogram.org

September 24-26

If you have a forestry event you’d like to see on our calendar, please contact Alva Hopkins at ahopkins@a4inc.com with the subject line ‘Calendar Event.’

Forestry for Non-Foresters, Part 1 & 2 Flinchum’s Phoenix, Athens, Georgia Info and Registration: (706) 583-0566 or ingvar@uga.edu

September 27 UGA Warnell School of Forestry & Natural Resources Golf Tournament Presented by Plum Creek, e Georgia Club Athens, Georgia

October 19 A Walk in the Forest for Metro Atlanta Scouts Stone Mountain Education Annex Stone Mountain, Georgia Info: walkintheforest2013.eventbrite.com

October 29-30 Introductory Master Timber Harvester Workshop Georgia Forestry Association, Forsyth, Georgia Info: Visit conted.warnell.uga.edu or call Donna Gallaher at (706) 542-7691 Georgia Forestry Today

5

6

September | October 2013

List of advertisers American Forest Management......................................30

International Forest Company .....................................21

Arborgen........................................................................6

James-Bates-Brannan-Groover-LLP................................7

Beach Timber Company Inc. .......................................30

LandMark Spatial Solutions ...........................................3

Blanton’s ......................................................................28

Lanigan & Associates ...................................................23

Bodenhamer Farms & Nursery ....................................23

Meeks’ Farms & Nursery ....................Inside Front Cover

Canal Wood LLC.........................................................30

MorBark ......................................................................30

Cantrell Forest Products Inc...........................................4

Outdoor Underwriters .................................................23

Davis - Garvin .............................................................29

Plum Creek....................................................................5

F2M ..............................................................................4

Prudential ....................................................................22

Farm Credit Associations ...............................................3

Rivers Edge Forest Products .........................................30

Flint Equipment Company ..........................................30

UPC | Georgia 811 ........................................Back Cover

Forest Resource Consultants ........................................21

Vulcan on Board Scales .................................................4

Forest Resource Services Inc.........................................30

Weyerhaeuser ...............................................................23

F&W Forestry Service..................................................23

Yancey Brothers ...................................Inside Back Cover

Georgia Forestry Today

7

MAKING FINE-SCALE CHANGES TO IMPROVE

wildlife habitat

Eric Darracq | Senior and certified wildlife biologist® with the Private Lands Program of Georgia DNR’s Wildlife Resources Division Photo credit: Linda May, GA DNR 8

September | October 2013

Forestland & Wildlife

Part II:

T

his is the second in a two-part series on improving forestland for wildlife. The series is aimed at helping landowners who have wildlife as a primary or very important objective evaluate their forestland and identify management actions to meet their wildlife objectives. Planning is key because wildlife habitat needs vary, and management that benefits one species or group of species may harm another.

However, regardless of the species, supporting healthy wildlife populations requires adequate amounts of food, water, cover, and space year-round.

While Part I focused on a broad-scale habitat evaluation (see the July-August 2013 issue), our focus here is on sitespecific details for evaluating and managing early and late successional habitats to benefit white-tailed deer, wild turkeys, bobwhite quail, and many nongame species.

Integrating wildlife and forest management is best approached by having an experienced registered forester or wildlife biologist evaluate the condition and quality of your forestland’s overstory, midstory, and understory at a fine scale. You can then pick the most effective conservation practices for each stand or cover type to achieve wildlife and forest management objectives. Common practices include particular timber harvesting techniques, forest regeneration, prescribed burning, opening management, and mechanical or chemical treatments.

ReCognIze quAlITY early succession habitats in forests with at least 30-plus percent open canopy and fallow fields should be maintained with prescribed burning, winter disking, and herbicide applications as appropriate per site. Across large forest stands, burning units of 15 to 40 acres on a staggered two- to three-year rotation in a checkerboard pattern will maintain a woodland savanna with diverse ground cover.

Ideally, ground cover should be comprised of about one-third native warm-season grasses, one-third forbs and legumes, and one-third woody shrub thickets (Graphic 1). Thickets should be about 50 feet in diameter and 300 feet apart.

Georgia Forestry Today

9

Graphic 1

To emphasize deer management, increase the coverage of shrubs to 50 percent by widening thickets. Because quail depend almost exclusively on early succession, you can emphasize their habitat by maintaining pine forests with 40-60 percent in open canopy, applying a twoyear burn frequency, and managing 20 percent or more of the property in fallow fields. Fallow fields should be maintained by disking a third to half of each field in a two- to three-year rotation during winter months. Portions of the disked strips can also be planted in winter grains or clover for deer and turkeys. Periodic herbicide treatments may be needed to control midstory tree invasion.

Prescribed burning maintains native plants by top-killing trees that cannot tolerate fire and which would eventually shade out native plants in the understory. Pine forests that have not been maintained with fire often have an excessive woody midstory with little ground cover. Herbicide treatments are needed to remove the midstory and allow for more natural cover conditions.

Before buying and using herbicides, always also consult a licensed representative and make sure you understand the product label. (A helpful source is Crop Data Management Systems (CDMS), www.cdms.net.)

Areas dominated by Bermuda, fescue, Bahiagrass, other sod grass or invasive-exotic plants or trees, or which lack diversity for other reasons, should be treated with herbicide and restored either through natural plant succession or by planting a native seed mix of big bluestem (at 1.5 pounds per acre), Indian grass (1.5 pounds), little bluestem (1.5 pounds), and forbs and legumes (1 pound). For more information, see “Im10

pacts of Exotic Pasture Grasses on Bobwhites” and “Herbicide Control of Bermudagrass” at www.georgiawildlife. com/node/2248.

Burning, disking, and, when needed, applying herbicides should improve the presence of understory plants that are favored by wildlife (Graphic 2).

Late succession habitats comprised of closed-canopy mixed and hardwood forests with diverse tree species are best enhanced through selective thinning to stimulate production of acorns, nuts, seeds, fruit, and other mast. You can do this by removing competing trees near favored native trees identified as good mast producers. The competing trees can be removed through a commercial thin that also generates income, or they can be taken out noncommercially by applying herbicide to each stem that needs to be culled.

The aim of light thinnings is to improve the growth of midstory and overstory trees that wildlife favor (Graphic 3).

PlAn AnD ACT WITH A FoCuS Before implementing management, consult with a natural resource professional and, even better, work with one or more to develop a detailed long-term management plan to guide you.

Planned and objective-driven management minimizes direct and indirect costs while enhancing timber production and wildlife benefits.

Also, keep a plant and tree identification guide handy to assess the finescale condition of your forest resources as it changes through time and management. You will become more in tune with your land and how natural plant communities benefit wildlife.

For a complete version of this arti-

Graphic 2

cle, visit www.georgiawildlife.com/ hunting/game-management. To apply for a Forest Stewardship Program plan for your property, visit www.gfc.state.ga.us and select ‘Forest Management,’ then ‘Forest Stewardship.’ The Georgia Forestry Commission administers and coordinates the Forest Stewardship Program with assistance from many conservation partners. v

Graphic 3 September | October 2013

Georgia Forestry Commission

Message from the Director Robert Farris

Dear GFT Reader, s a surprise a surprise if you suspect it might be coming? Probably not, but that can be a good thing when the surprise is not a pleasant one and when preparations are needed to reduce its impact.

That’s the case right now in Georgia, where it’s been discovered that the emerald ash borer (EAB) has crossed state lines and has been trapped in two Georgia counties.

The EAB leaves behind a trail of destruction from Michigan, where it was first discovered and thought to have arrived in shipping materials in 2002, all the way to Tennessee. Tens of millions of ash trees have already succumbed to this innocuous looking emerald green beetle, as it feeds on ash trees and widens its reach by hitching a ride on wood-in-transit. Firewood moved by humans is one of the EAB’s favorite modes of travel. While only one percent of Georgia’s forested acres contain ash trees, the potential destruction is significant. Some three million ash trees are in urban environments and another two million acres are in rural settings. Losses generated to the forest industry and the public could reach $1 billion.

That’s a bleak picture, but fortunately, Georgia stands ready to fight. Forestry specialists here have been surveying for the pest since 2005, and the GFC has a strong arsenal in the form of partners and experts who’ve worked together on big challenges in the past. Even before the EAB trappings were positively identified, the Georgia InGeorgia Forestry Today

vasive Species Task Force was calling in GFC, the Georgia Department of Agriculture, University of Georgia, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, and USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to launch a prepared plan of quarantines and education that can help stem the insect’s spread. And of course, the Southern Group of State Foresters, which you will read about in this issue of Georgia Forestry Today, has a long track record of success in dealing with forestry dilemmas that are shared by its 13 member states.

Those dilemmas include other troublesome invasives, such as cogongrass.

Georgia, Florida, and Alabama have worked markedly through shared resources, information, practices, and programs that have successfully slowed the spread of this noxious weed. Laurel wilt disease and the hemlock wooly adelgid are other invasives that member states are battling more efficiently through shared strategies.

On the fire front, no individual state could have easily developed a tool as effective as the Southern Wildfire Risk Assessment. Our collective expertise in fire behavior and protection tactics provided processes that have assisted countless communities across the South. It’s not a stretch to say that lives and property are safer today with the implementation of SWRAs in our region.

Clearly, Georgia will benefit from the experiences of Tennessee, Kentucky, and

North Carolina in dealing with the EAB. Foresters in those states have already shared information and resources that will help us fight this pest more efficiently. As quarantines are initiated, communication will be of utmost importance. Information will be conveyed faster to wood producers, homeowners, and others involved in the movement of wood because of messaging that’s ready to go. In fact, we are already three years into the ‘Don’t Move Firewood’ campaign, which has helped raise awareness among camping and recreation communities about the danger of transporting firewood outside its county of origin.

Speaking of awareness, as always, I urge you to talk to your colleagues, neighbors, and friends about this latest challenge to Georgia’s forests. Face to face communication among people who trust one another is the very best way to share important news, and this is one important happening in Georgia forestry. For the latest news about EAB quarantines, identification, and resources to treat trees and slow the insect’s spread, please visit our Web site at GaTrees.org. And pass that web address on to your contacts. Georgia’s ash trees are a beautiful, valuable resource and working together, we can slow the spread of yet another invasive species threatening Georgia forests.

Sincerely, Robert Farris GFC Commissioner v 11

Photo by David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org

GFC News Emerald ash borer, the invasive insect responsible for the death or decline of tens of millions of ash trees in 20 states, has been detected in Georgia for the first time. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, suspect emerald ash borer (EAB) beetles were removed from survey traps during routine monitoring in DeKalb and Fulton counties in July. The Georgia Invasive Species Task Force is working to execute a plan to prevent EAB spread via a quarantine in the two counties and public education about the danger of moving firewood because it may host EAB or other invasives. The emerald ash borer (EAB) is a small, green metallic beetle and signs of EAB infestation include a general decline in the appearance of the tree, thinning of upper branches and twigs, loss of leaves, and serpentine tunnels produced by EAB larvae under the bark. Woodpeckers may often be observed removing the bark of infested trees to access the larvae. Georgia Forestry Commission Director Robert Farris explained that while only one percent of Georgia’s forested acres contain ash trees, the potential destruction is significant. Some three million acres containing ash are in urban environments and another two million acres are in rural settings. Losses generated to the forest industry and the public could reach $1 billion. The Georgia Forestry Commission and Georgia Department of Agriculture will work with forest landowners, loggers, firewood producers, nurseries, municipalities, and others to insure that commerce can still occur while safeguards are in place to prevent ash borer movement. For more information, including identification tips for landowners who suspect the presence of emerald ash borers or other invasive species on their property, visit www.gainvasives.org/eab. e The Georgia Forestry Commission’s Flint River Nursery has begun taking orders for the 2013-14 tree planting season. Several new additions have been placed on the species-available list, including pear, pecan, Georgia oak, pin oak, and select Piedmont 3 loblolly pines. Georgia Giant Pines, genetically improved loblolly pines only available through the Georgia Forestry Commission, are superior trees for planting in Georgia’s Coastal Plain. They boast above average stem straightness, exceptional resistance to fusiform rust disease, and are approximately 54 percent more productive in terms of stem volume at six years. Online ordering is available and more information can be found at gatrees.org. e The Georgia Primary Wood-Using Industries Directory 2013 is now available in electronic format at gatrees.org. The directory focuses on primary wood-using industries: mills that convert roundwood products such as saw logs, veneer logs, and pulpwood into primary wood products including lumber, veneer or sheathing, poles and posts, and wood pulp. In addition, chip mills, energy product mills, and other mills are included. A mill location map is provided to assist with referencing mill locations. The Directory cites 168 mills; in addition, 14 mills have multiple mill types, for a total of 182 mills. Printed copies of the directory are also available by contacting Risher Willard (rwillard@gfc.state.ga.us). e 12

September | October 2013

By stasia Kelly

A panel discussion about threatened and endangered wildlife issues focused on the value of partnerships.

a Gathering of foresters Every year, an estimated 12-million visitors come to Savannah, Georgia to enjoy a city that is rich in history, culture, and compelling activities. Many of the visitors are conventioneers who stay along the riverfront and have the opportunity to marvel at gargantuan cargo ships entering and exiting the Port of Savannah.

Recent visitors to the Savannah waterfront who enjoyed an extra measure of pride in the floating behemoths included forestry professionals who attended the 2013 Annual Meeting of the Southern Group of State Foresters. Participants convened in June to share common issues at the aptly themed gathering, ‘Building Bridges for Southern Forest Futures.’ Each participant in some way relates to the busy Port of Savannah, which is currently the number two port in the nation for the export of American-made goods by tonnage.

Forestry products combined are the number one export from Georgia’s ports, fed by 1216 saw mills, 83 pulp mills, and 230 other mills in the South that produce a variety of wood products. “e bridge metaphor is so appropriate to our industry,” said Georgia Forestry Today

Georgia Forestry Commission Director Robert Farris. “When we reach out to collaborate, we learn and we get things done—most times faster and more efficiently than if we did it on our own. is annual meeting is one of the best ways for us to share—and act— on things that really matter to forest landowners of the South.”

From an opening welcome by Georgia Governor Nathan Deal that highlighted forestry’s value to the state and encouraged attendees to build working relationships with their individual states’ governors, to a series of panel discussions, breakout sessions, SGSF committee meetings, and social events, the SGSF mission resonated: to identify and address existing and emerging issues and challenges that are important to the forests and citizens of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia.

Richer Results through Thorough Planning Some 250 people were able to attend this year’s meeting, ac13

cording to Southern Group of State Foresters Chairman and Florida State Forester, Jim Karels, which he said was an increase from last year. He credited the host organization, the Georgia Forestry Commission, with “doing a great job” of organizing and presenting the conference.

“That’s because we’ve been planning it for a year!” said GFC District 4 Chief Ranger, Jenny Lyn Bruner, who led a team of ten khaki-and-polo shirt-clad conference assistants. “We took good notes at last year’s meeting in Kentucky, where they said they could’ve used more help.

We wanted to make sure all the IT needs were met and we had enough hands available to solve any issues. We’ve had just a really good team effort.”

Naturally, pertinent content provides the framework on which a smooth meeting is built. And while partnership-building took top billing, ‘doing more with less’ was grist that kept the group’s working wheels turning.

“Since 2008, we’ve been hit hard,” said Wib Owen, Executive Director of SGSF. “We’re all working with smaller staffs and tougher budgets. Interacting like this and sharing ideas about how to help private landowners is what’s going to get us through.”

Each day of the conference, participants, sponsors, and exhibitors enjoyed buffet breakfasts and had time for informal conversation before the day’s events began.

Custom daily agendas were provided for the different work groups, including state foresters, fire chiefs, management chiefs, urban forestry coordinators, and the communications and water resources committees. Lunches and dinners allowed for more mingling, while breaks and buffer times encouraged visits to the exhibition area and silent auction table.

Timely Topics Hit the Mark Panelists from several partner agencies engaged in lively, timely discussion during the general session “Wildlife reatened and Endangered Issues—Listing Status /Landowner management options.” Conversation covered several current matters of interest, including Best Management Practices affecting Florida’s wildlife and mutual challenges related to specific species.

“We have about six years to make a difference with the gopher tortoise,” said Cindy Dohner, Regional Director of the US Fish and Wildlife Service. “We’re already working on strategy with our partners.

Please work with us. Share your agency’s information and prioritize at-risk species on your agency’s land.”

“Great conservation needs, plus a tough budget climate, equals a big need for partnerships,” said Jody Olson, Director of

Federal Relations for the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation. “is used to be an organization of ‘a thousand acts of kindness,’ but that won’t work anymore. We’ve got to focus on where we can make the most impact,” Olson said. “We’ve got to identify primary threats, identify actions to alleviate them, and quantify them according to the number of outcomes and the necessary price. at leads to business plans implemented through grants, analyzed and adapted, based on data,” he said.

Olson cited the Longleaf Stewardship Fund as a coordinated effort involving several entities that resulted in success: 30 programs supported in seven states, $6 million in federal funds, and $8 million from partners. “ose are good successes,” Olson said, “but we’ve got a long way to go.”

Texas State Forester Tom Boggus

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal highlighted forestry’s benefits to the state during his conferenceopening speech.

14

September | October 2013

joined the discussion from the floor.

“We’ve got to make these programs more landowner focused,” he said. “If landowners can’t self-manage habitats, the species will lose.”

“And we’ve got to speak with one voice,” added Dan Forster, with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, “to keep the public’s trust.”

Another well-attended gathering was the Fire Compact meeting, during which analyses of fire activity in the South between June, 2012 and June, 2013 were shared. Participants reviewed the year’s significant fires near Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, and learned that 46 percent of the nation’s fires during the year burned in the South; that’s 86 percent of the ten year average number for fires and 50 percent of the ten year average number of acres for the South. State and local jurisdictions were responsible for responding to 75 percent of the total fires in the nation during calendar year 2012. e group also considered projections for hurricane activity, learning that the probability for at least one major category (three-to-five) hurricane making landfall on the US East Coast, including peninsular Florida, is 48 percent. e average for the last century is 31percent.

One of the most enjoyable aspects of any convention is the business and personal relationships that are built or begun. Many are fostered in the exhibit area where attendees see and learn about products and services that can enhance their forestry position.

While CAT, John Deere, and GeorgiaPacific are familiar and appreciated sponsors, the SGSF meeting is also the place to learn about innovative new products, such as Airtech Tools and EnvironX Solutions.

“Our stuff is so good, they stole it!”

laughed Airtech Tools owner, Terry Roby.

He and manufacturer representative Kevin Cruikshank had carted an elaborate demonstration tableau to Savannah to set up and share at the convention. Unfortunately, the company goods were stolen from their motel parking lot by thieves. Fortunately, they had a catchy story to tell and a useful product to advertise: pneumatic tools designed to make tree removal and site preparation practically effortless (airtechtools.com).

Peat FireX is part of the EnvironX Solutions line, and is touted as “the only product ever proven to stop peat fires cold.”

President and CEO Steve Sinunu is an engaging salesman who successfully showed scores of booth visitors how the patented, non-chemical base solution penetrates peat and above ground fires with its environmentally friendly formula. Many fans were earned (environxsolutions.com).

Billy Fyfe, the president of John Deere

representative G.R. Manufacturing who marked his 26th year of exhibiting at the SGSF conference said, “We come to these meetings because of relationships. We don’t expect to go home with a pocketful of purchase orders. In this arena, all the folks talk to each other. Take good care of ‘em and they’ll remember you. I feel like the luckiest guy in the world.”

As the setting sun provided a goldenred backdrop for the illuminated Talmadge Memorial Bridge, and peel-n-eat-shrimp were served up alongside refreshing adult beverages at an SGSF dinner, the room reverberated with a happy hum. A one-man band provided multi-musician-sounding tunes, as people discovered they had mutual friends and predicaments, passions, and pasts. ey found a natural Southern comfort as tomorrow beckoned in a promising new way. v

Virginia State Forester Carl Garrison gets an up-close look at a new product on the exhibitors’ floor from EnvironX Solutions founder Steve Sinunu.

Georgia Forestry Today

15

AWARDS BESTOWED AT THE GFA ANNUAL MEETING Jerry Mullis, Axson Timber Awarded 2013 georgia logger of the Year On July 21, the Georgia Forestry Association recognized Jerry Mullis of Axson Timber as the 2013 GFA Logger of the Year at its Annual Conference in Hilton Head, South Carolina. Mullis, who has been involved in the timber industry since 1967, is a credit to his profession and a person who consistently demonstrates the qualities of an exceptional logger. e Logger of the Year nominees are judged on the their ability to be compliant with all applicable laws, practice safety and loss control programs, establish and maintain equipment security practices, and practice sound business management. Also, the nominee’s participation in the Master Timber Harvester Program is a key factor.

“Jerry Mullis has set a high example for others in the industry,” Dotty Porter, trustee of the Sessoms Timber Trust, said. “e professional image he portrays, the safety record he ensures, and the consistency, versatility, and flexibility he instills in Axon Timber warrant his recognition as the 2013 Logger of the Year.”

Due to Mullis’ leadership and enforcement of high standards within the company, Axson Timber did not just meet the criteria for the logger of the year, it exceeded all expectations and serves as a true example of an extraordinary logging operation.

When the timber market was at its peak, Axson Timber employed almost 80 subcontractors and covered territory throughout South Georgia and North Florida. However, due to the decline in forest product manufacturing in recent years, Axson Timber has shied to a results based business which currently has 11 employees and machinery which consists of two skidders, one loader, six logging trucks, and a track machine for sensitive areas—all of which are owned by the company. Axson Timber currently delivers 2,500 tons of wood on average to six different facilities 16

Jerry Mullis

while maintaining a three percent or less variation between wood orders.

“While I am honored to be recognized through this award, the success of our company would not be possible without the valuable employees that work hard every day,” Mullis said. e company’s collective dedication to safety, its professional approach and consistent quality of logging operations have not only ensured the success of Axson Timber, but also improved the positive correlation between the forest industry and stewardship of forestland in Georgia. v georgia Sustainable Forestry Initiative Presented evergreen Award for Promoting Forestry At the 2013 Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) Annual Conference Awards Luncheon on July 21, GFA presented its Evergreen Award to the Georgia Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee (GASIC) for its effort to promote the sustainability of working forests in Georgia.

e Evergreen Award is presented to an organization that has contributed significantly to the forestry community in ways that are supportive of GFA’s own mission. is year’s recipient, the Georgia Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee (GA-SIC) consistently proves its value to the state’s forests, forest landowners, and forest based businesses not only through its mission to promote sustainability among the forestry community, but also its goal to educate the public of the economic and environmental benefits of Georgia’s working forests.

In early 2012, the GA-SIC started planning a public information project in order to educate the general public about the numerous benefits of forestry in Georgia. e information effort was created with a central focus to demonstrate the forestry community’s commitment to responsible stewardship of an abundant, renewable natural resource while helping a Georgia family achieve their dream of home ownership. e GA-SIC organized volunteers from 30 SFI Program Participant companies and over 50 other forestry community stakeholders—organizations, companies, and individuals and raised over $110,000 in cash and materials donations to implement the highlight of the initiative, a Habitat for Humanity (HFH) home building project.

Aer construction, the HFH home build was showcased through a documentary that demonstrated the vital connection between sustainable forestry and products that enhance the daily quality of life. On May 14, the GA-SIC launched its program and presented the official speech and a short documentary film, e Sustainable Forest— A Georgia Success Story. e speech and documentary together have been presented to over 30 community events and local meetings throughout Georgia. e GA-SIC’s great attention to public September | October 2013

awareness and ability to coordinate such an effective initiative has undoubtedly promoted Georgia’s forests and communicated a healthy sustainable message about forestry that will stick with many Georgia citizens for years to come. v Sustainable Forestry Advocate given Wise owl Award Sustainability plays a vital role in the management of Georgia’s 24.8 million acres of forest land. Trees are a renewable resource that not only meet the demand for forest products in Georgia, but also provide clean air, clean water, and wildlife habitat. Due to the implementation of sound forest management practices, the state’s forest growth has consistently exceeded net removals, and as a result, there is more timber in Georgia than there was in the 1930s. e Georgia Forestry Association has the honor of recognizing one person that— through years of service—has played a vital role in the improvement of the forest industry as a whole. At the 2013 Georgia Forestry Association (GFA) Annual Conference in Hilton Head, South Carolina, the Association presented Donna Gallaher with the 2013 Wise Owl Award for her years of continuous service to the forestry community and her unending dedication to the promotion of sustainability in Georgia.

Since 1980, GFA has given the Wise Owl Award to an individual who has made countless outstanding contributions to the forestry community. It recognizes not only Donna Gallaher

forestry advocacy, but also an uncommon passion to improve the industry for all landowners and forestry related businesses.

“Few people have made such an impact on the forest industry and the forest ecosystem as Donna has,” Tom Trembath, Southern Region Manager at Forest Investment Associates, said. “Even though she will retire later this year, she will remain as the name and face behind the Sustainable Forestry Initiative in Georgia.”

From 1978-1996, Gallaher worked for Quality Forest Products in Forsyth, Georgia, where she gained an outstanding reputation as an advocate for the logging industry. Aer its inception in 1996, Gallaher was named the Program Coordinator for the Georgia Sustainable Forestry Initiative Implementation Committee (GASIC). Since then, she has been responsible for developing state programs that address the SFI principles including logger education, landowner outreach, public education, reporting inconsistent practices, and continuous improvement.

Under Gallaher’s direction, the GASIC integrated logger education into the Georgia College Curriculum; partnered with the Southeastern Wood Producer’s Association to transition continuing logger education to the loggers association; worked with the Georgia Forestry Commission to develop a process to report and correct forestry practices that violated BMPs and/or the SFI standard; trained more than 4,000 loggers and foresters, and was awarded the SFI SIC of the Year in 2002.v Joe Butler, Jr. Recognized as 2013 georgia Tree Farmer of the Year Of Georgia’s 37 million acres of land area, over two-thirds are covered by forest land, 56 percent of which is owned by private, non-industrial landowners. Due to the dedication of these landowners to sustainability, the net growth of the state’s forests has consistently exceeded net removal and the volume of timber is greater now than it was in the 1930s.

Each year, the Georgia Tree Farm Program, an affiliate of the American Tree Farm

Georgia Forestry Today

System, honors one exceptional landowner who is a certified tree farmer. At the Georgia Forestry Association’s Annual Conference on July 21, Joe Butler, Jr., fih generation family owner and manager of Forest Lodge Farms LLC, was recognized as the 2013 Tree Farmer of the Year for his endless commitment to forest stewardship, wildlife management, and public education.

“As you visit Forest Lodge Farms, you quickly understand that although timber production is the primary management goal, Joe’s passion goes beyond the dollars and cents of timber harvesting,” Georgia Tree Farm Chairman Tommy Joines said. “e farm serves as a prime example of sustainable forestry through its pristine condition and is a testament to Joe’s dedication to forest stewardship.”

Forest Lodge Farms is 1514 acre Tree Farm located in Camilla, Georgia. e farm is operated as a family owned LLC by Joe Butler Jr., and brothers Cliff and David Butler. e property has been in the Butler family since 1871 and has officially been a Certified Tree Farm since 1983; however, older records show Tree Farm signs posted in the 1950s. e entire property has been under a permanent Conservation Easement since 2007 under the Georgia Forestry Commission’s Forest Legacy Program. Joe Butler Sr. wanted to ensure the property would be managed as a working forest in perpetuity.

Permitted uses under the easement include timber & wildlife management, educational uses, tours, and aesthetic management. Development of any sort, conversion of timber land to agriculture, and the introduction of any invasive plant or animal species is prohibited.

Along with managing the farm, Butler is an active member of several organizations including GFA, the Longleaf Alliance, Forest Landowner Association, Southwest Georgia Prescribed Fire Council, e Orianne Society, Quail Unlimited, National Wild Turkey Federation, Quality Deer Management Association, and e Gopher Tortoise Council (of which he is a life-time member). v 17

Traces of Native Americans Remain in Georgia Woodlands

By John Trussell

The most creative and unique pottery in Georgia is probably Swift Creek. It is widespread across the state and dates from 300 BC to 100 AD. The design was carved into a flat wood board and pressed onto the wet clay before it was fire tempered.

18

September | October 2013

Recently, when Georgia Registered Forester Hubert Bickley of Talbot County was cruising timber for a land owner, he happened to look down and next to his boot lay an Indian arrowhead. Normally he is mostly concerned with determining the value of standing timber, marking property lines, and the other typical responsibilities of a forester. But finding an artifact from a long-gone civilization is something very special. e arrowhead had lain on the ground for many hundreds —if not thousands—of years. He thought, if this arrowhead could talk, imagine the stories it could tell. He had to ponder the questions: who lost the arrowhead, and how long has it been here? Is it legal to pick it up? In this story, we will try to answer some of these questions.

First, let’s discuss what you can legally do. According to the Georgia Society of Archaeology, it is legal to surface collect on your own land or on private land with the written permission of the property owner. It is also legal to own a collection of legally-collected artifacts. In Georgia, on private land, it is legal to dig or metal detect for artifacts only if you have written permission from the landowner, and if you

Georgia Forestry Today

Dr. Steve Gordon, a dentist from Macon, brought this soap stone bowl into the Artifact ID day in Gordon at the old train station.

have notified the Georgia Department of Natural Resources in writing five business days before you begin. Contact the State Archaeologist, Bryan Tucker, if you plan to dig, by either calling 404-657-1042 or e-mailing to Jennifer.bedell@ dnr.state.ga.us.

Tucker says that if you find a major archaeological site, you are strongly encouraged to let him know, so that important information and artifacts are not lost or damaged.

Now, let’s discuss what you can’t do. Without the proper permits and permissions, in Georgia it is illegal to: *Collect artifacts on public land. *Dig or disturb an archaeological site on public land or in Georgia’s waterways. *Disturb a human burial on either public or private land. *Display any human remains in public. *Sell artifacts that were ever associated with a human burial, or to bring such artifacts from another state in the U.S. 19

Jimmy Clements, who lives on Lake Blackshear, found this very rare Simpson Mustache point on the bank of the lake in December 2012. *Import artifacts taken illegally in a foreign country. *Remove artifacts or disturb a site on private property without permission of the land owner. *Receive stolen artifacts.

Hopefully this information helps to clarify the issue, so now let’s look back in time. Archaeologists tell us that the first modern humans migrated out of Africa about 100,000 years ago and populated Europe, Asia, and even Australia. ey displaced Neanderthals, and over the last 25,000 years, inhabited all the Americas. A major boon to migration into North America was the last ice age which reached its peak about 22,000 years ago. As a result, ice covered much of the USA, but never reached down into Georgia. Because so much water Native American axes were a muli-tool used to chop trees, for defense, and for ceremonial wear. The top axe is a full groove axe made from sandstone and dates from 7000 BC to 2500 BC. The flint axe at bottom was used for thousands of years, but mainly during the Swift Creek period, 300 BC to 1100 AD. 20

September | October 2013

From left, Kirk corner notch 7500 to 6500 BC; Taylor point, 8200-7500 BC; Dalton 8500-7900 BC; three Clovis points, Georgia’s oldest, ranging from 9500 to 10000 BC.

was contained in ice that rose hundreds of feet above the land, the coastline was much further out than today. It’s hard to imagine, but 20,000 years ago, the coastline of Georgia was 30 to 60 miles further east than it is today. e increased levels of ice created a ‘land bridge’ which created a travel route for more humans to travel out of Asia, from the Siberian area, through Alaska into North America. By 10,500 years ago the bridge had melted into the Bering sea.

As late as 13,500 years ago, a group of Native Americans mi-

Georgia Forestry Today

21

grated to an area near Clovis, New Mexico. eir type of projectiles, called Clovis points, can be found all over North America, including Georgia. e first Paleo-Indians in Georgia hunted mammoths and Antiquus bison (buffalo) with this type of weapon.

Following the Paleo-Indian era, Native American groups were forced to adjust to the warming climate. e large animals that they primarily hunted went extinct, and the kin-groups living in North America developed pottery and agriculture. ese developments allowed Native Americans to settle, and they developed more complex hierarchical societies with permanent villages sometimes associated with burial mounds. Finally, beginning in a period known as the Mississippian in 900AD, Native Americans developed a complex society of centralized towns organized around a chiefdom and a complex religion characterized by large temple mound complexes. One such group was associated with the Ocmulgee.

When James Oglethorpe first set foot on Georgia soil in 1732 at present day Savannah, Native Americans had already been living here for at least 13,000 years. Oglethorpe quickly met the chief of the local Creek tribe, Tomochichi, and their good relationship became critical to the success of the new Georgia colony. In 1734, Oglethorpe invited Tomochichi to England. ere, he met King George II of Great Britain at Kensington Palace and gave the King eagle feathers as a token of peace. Tomochichi was a big celebrity hit in England, and his good behavior helped to cement additional funding for the Georgia colony.

At the time, Native Americans were called Creek Indians because they lived along creek or other water sources. e name ‘Creek’ came from the shortening of ‘Ocheese Creek’ Indians—a name given by the English to the native people living along the Ocheese Creek (or OcmulgeeRiver). In time, the name was applied to all groups of the confederacy, who by necessity, lived close to water sources.

As European settlers continued to pour into the land of oppor-

22

The chunky stone on the left was rolled on the ground and was used in a popular Indian game that had several variations. The soap stone gorget on the right was worn around the neck on string made of deer hide.

tunity, the Native American population was devastated by common human diseases such as smallpox, diphtheria, and chicken pox. Europeans, who oen lived in crowded cities, had developed some immunities to these illnesses, but the Native Americans were not so lucky, and medical attention was nonexistent, so many died.

By the late 1700s, Georgia had built many forts in the wilderness, like Fort Benjamin Hawkins in Macon, to protect settlers from Indian attacks. Discord among settlers and Indians, treaties giving up land, and finally the Georgia gold rush of 1832 sealed the Native American’s fate. e culmination of tensions between the Cherokee and various states, including Georgia, led to the forced migration of Native Americans, later known as the Trail of Tears in 1838-39.

Chief John Ross, who helped to lead his people west, le notes stating that approximately 15,410 Native Americans made the migration during winter to Oklahoma and about 4,000 perished from disease and injury along the way. By the time of the migration, many native Americans, whose population had greatly decreased, had le on their own to points west or to Florida.

Although this is a brief description of Native Americans in Georgia, much more information can be found, especially on identifying projectile points and pottery types, at these Web sites. First try www.thesga.org, the Society for Georgia Archaeology, a non-profit organization whose vision is that all Georgians understand the significance of their archaeological sites so that they will support archaeological preservation, education, and research. It has vast amounts of information on Georgia Archaeology as well as links to the ten associated chapters around the state. At these chapter meetings, average citizens interested in archaeology can hear speakers on a wide range of archaeology subjects, and participate in field trips and artifact ID days, so consider September | October 2013

joining a chapter.

A great book on pioneer Georgians' conflicts with Native Americans is,” Wilderness Still the Cradle of Nature: Frontier Georgia”

by Edward Cashin. It is available through your local library. Other great books are “e Southern Indians and Benjamin Hawkins,” by Florette Henri, and “Sun Circles and Human Hands - e Southeastern Indians—Art and Industry,” by Emma Funderburk. is writer, who is a member of the Ocmulgee Archaeological Society, would be glad to assist readers of Georgia Forestry Today to identify and date specific points and pottery. You may send clear digital photos by e-mail to john@trussell.org. Archaeology enriches our lives, so get involved! v

Georgia Forestry Today

23

Enjoy Eating Meat? Don’t Forget Your DEET!

By Alan Evans | Freelance Writer

The lone star tick is named after the white dot on the female‘s back—not after the state of Texas. (Picture courtesy of the CDC.)

Ticks!

Every forester knows that they should protect themselves from the hazards of tick bites in the woods, but it’s a practice that many people forgo. Ticks transmit many diseases, such as Lyme disease, which can be difficult to diagnose due to their similarities to other illnesses. But if you’re a forest lover who happens to be a steak lover, there’s yet another reason to remember your tick repellent.

It seems difficult to believe, but a bite 24

from the lone star tick—abundant in Georgia—can actually create an allergic reaction to red meat, including beef, lamb, and pork. An unfortunate bite from one of these voracious arachnids could potentially mean your last hamburger, steak, or, perhaps worst of all, piece of bacon.

Through a method not yet thoroughly understood, bites from the tick induce the body to create antibodies that respond to alpha-gal—a sugar carbohydrate found in red meat. The range of symptoms stretches from annoyance to ex-

tremely harmful. Milder symptoms include itchy hives, rashes, and vomiting.

But at its worst, the reaction can be strong enough to trigger full-blown anaphylaxis, which can cause breathing difficulties so severe that they sometimes result in death.

If you are familiar with peanut allergies, the results are similar.

This particular brand of meat allergy can be difficult to diagnose. Unlike typical food allergies, symptoms typically don’t present until three to six hours after eating.

If the meat was consumed at dinner, this September | October 2013

The male lone star tick does not have the distinctive white dot. (Picture courtesy of the CDC.)

often means that sufferers wake up in the middle of the night with rashes or shortness of breath and have difficulty linking it back to their meal. Further complicating the matter is that allergic reactions from the lone star tick often don’t occur for weeks or months after the initial bite.

This condition was relatively unknown before 2007. In fact, for a time, some doctors were unwilling to make the connection, as delayed anaphylaxis is relatively unheard of. Furthermore, as of now, scientists are unclear why the lone star tick is transmitting this condition. It’s not known whether it’s a natural result of the bite or due to a pathogen the tick carries.

There is no known cure.

Despite initial skepticism, the evidence is becoming undeniable. There are now at least 1,500 reported cases of patients who have developed the red meat alpha-gal allergic reaction following exposure to a lone star tick bite. That number continues to rise as the tick is becoming more prevalent due to the fact that it’s primary hosts—the white-tailed deer and the wild turkey—have seen increased range and populations.

shirt into your pants and your socks into your boots can help make it much more difficult for ticks to achieve skin contact.

Perhaps most important is repellent. Be sure to spray your clothing with a repellent that contains DEET. Repellents that contain at least 20 percent DEET will work for several hours at a time. DEET may also be applied to the skin. Repellents with permethrin can also be used, but only when sprayed on clothing. Contact with skin should be avoided.

Once you come in from the woods, it’s important to check your (light-colored) clothing for ticks. After removing them, placing them in a dryer on high heat for an hour will kill any remaining ticks. Once you’ve removed your clothes, take a shower, and then check your body for ticks. It can be frustrating to take all of these steps—especially if you work outdoors every day—but a few minutes of prevention can prevent long periods of disease, permanent skin damage, and as we’ve learned today, a lifetime of never being able to enjoy another steak.

As with any tick bite, time is of the essence when it comes to removal. Like most of you, when I grew up, I heard a lot of conventional wisdom when it came to tick-removal. My family personally went with the nail polish removal method.

These days, we know that these folk remedies should be avoided for one very important reason: chemicals, such as alcohol and nail polish remover, when applied to a tick’s body, often causes the tick to regur-

gitate back into the person’s skin. For obvious reasons, this should be avoided.

According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), mechanical removal is the best and safest method to rid yourself of a tick. Their step-by-step guidelines are as follows: 1. Use fine-tipped tweezers to grasp the tick as close to the skin’s surface as possible.

2.

Pull upward with steady, even pressure. Don’t twist or jerk the tick; this can cause the mouth-parts to break off and remain in the skin. If this happens, remove the mouth-parts w i t h tweezers. If you are unable to remove the mouth easily with clean tweezers, leave it alone and let the skin heal.

3.

After removing the tick, thoroughly clean the bite area and your hands with rubbing alcohol, an iodine scrub, or soap and water.

Finally, it is advisable to keep the tick in a container following removal. That way, if you develop symptoms in the future, you can give the tick to your doctor to aid his diagnosis. The most likely symptoms to develop from any tick bite are fever or rash.

Unfortunately, many tickborne illnesses have symptoms which are similar to the flu—headache, fever, muscle aches, etc.

Keep this in mind if you develop symptoms in the months following a tick bite. v

Prevention and Removal

If your job or recreational activities take you into the woods, you owe it to yourself to protect yourself as much as possible against tick bites. Wearing light-colored clothing makes it easier to detect ticks crawling on them. Likewise, tucking your Georgia Forestry Today

Approximate distribution of the Lone Star tick. (Map courtesy of the CDC.) 25

NEWS Natural Resource Organizations Team up to Educate Teachers about Forestry Georgia’s forest industry is the second largest industry in the state in terms of employment, wages, and salaries. In 2012, the forest industry contributed $23.6 billion to the state’s economy and provided 108,112 jobs. Aside from the benefits to the economy, Georgia’s abundant forests provide countless benefits to the ecosystem including clean water, clean air, and a healthy habitat for wildlife. A report by the University of Georgia found that these ecosystem services are worth an estimated $37 billion annually.

Strong markets for forest products in Georgia provide revenue to the private landowners that make up 91 percent of forest ownership in Georgia. is revenue provides incentive for these families to continue to keep that land in forestry and even to revert previously converted lands back to forestry. ere is no doubt that the individuals involved with the forest industry in Georgia

are well aware of the benefits of a healthy forest market; however, due to misinformation and a lack of public education, the general public oen associates timber harvesting with land degradation, wildlife disruption, and environmental pollution. e Georgia Forestry Foundation (GFF) held its ninth annual Teacher Conservation Workshop (TCW) on June 1721, 2013 with the central purpose to educate Georgia’s educators about proper forest management and the benefit it can provide to Georgia’s citizens.

GFF partnered with the Georgia Forestry Commission, the University of Georgia Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Resources Division, and the Environmental Protection Division to host the event at the Charlie Elliott Wildlife Conference Center

in Mansfield, Georgia. e workshop focused on conservation topics related to the benefits of forestry, including the cycle of growing trees, utilization of trees for products, and how trees are managed for wildlife habitat.

“People learn best through experiences that embed knowledge,” workshop participant Linda Dickinson of Abbots Hill Elementary in Fulton County said. “is workshop allowed me to see, smell, touch, and do many things related to forestry and conservation. e materials, notes, and photos I took and contacts I made will all help me remember and utilize this information in my classroom.” e 28 participants were certified in Project Learning Tree, Project WILD, and Project WET programs. e teachers will receive three PLUs upon completion of a follow-up activity v

GFA Joins Partners in Appeal to USGBC In a letter dated August 1, the Georgia Forestry Association joined with several state forestry associations, forest product companies, and private landowners in an appeal to the U. S. Green Building Council “to convene a truly inclusive consensus process to develop an objective, brand-neutral replacement” for USGBC’s current practice of awarding credit to one brand of certified forest product—Forest Stewardship Council—to the exclusion of competing products from certification systems most widely used in the U.S.—the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and the American Tree Farm System."

26

“Despite letters of opposition from 89 Members of Congress, 14 governors and thousands of other affected stakeholders, USGBC stubbornly continues to promote a discriminatory credit awards system that disadvantages wood produced in Georgia and across the southern part of the country,” GFA President Steve McWilliams said.

Members will recall that last year, at GFA’s urging, Governor Nathan Deal was the first governor in the South and second in the nation to issue an Executive Order requiring that any construction or renovation funded by the state treat all forest certifications equally.

e letter to USGBC points out that the Council’s own records “contain ample evidence that the preference for FSC-certified products is not technically sound” because “FSC standards vary widely and the labels do not tell consumers which FSC standard a product comes from”. SFI- and Tree Farm-certified products come from environmental and social conditions equal to or better than those of the FSC products endorsed by LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) building design standards, the letter asserts. v September | October 2013

Dougherty & Dougherty Forestry Services Creates Center of Forestry Research and Applied Management Dougherty & Dougherty Forestry Services Inc. (DDFSI), a forestry company specializing in applied forestland management and forest productivity research, recently announced the establishment of its Center of Forestry Research and Applied Management (CFRAM).

Dr. Jesus Espinoza will serve as the Center’s Director of Research. Espinoza will be responsible for outlining and overseeing research projects carried out under the Center. Espinoza will be assisted by Senior Forest Research Scientist Dr. Phil Dougherty.

Derek Dougherty, CEO of Dougherty & Dougherty Forestry Services, said, “e Center will work to list out and proactively address the factors most limiting forest productivity. Collectively, Jesus and Phil have an understanding of tree physiology, tree breeding and testing, and operational man-

agement of multiple plantation species in the US South and beyond. e Center’s studies, results, and interpretations will help lead our customers and the forestry sector forward.”

Jesus Espinoza joins the Center aer working most recently for the International Tree Improvement and Conservation Program (Camcore) at North Carolina State University where he worked as a Researcher in Genetics, Ecophysiology, Crop Management, and Specialized Forest Modeling.

Jesus has a wide variety of operational work experience dating back to 1993 involving different phases of establishment and management of forestry plantations in Venezuela. He has been responsible for conducting silvicultural research dealing with site preparation, planting, and fertilization, weed control, and pest and disease control.

He has also held positions dealing with biometric assessment, development of volume equations, operations, harvesting, and wood supply to the pulp mill, in Smurfit Cartón of Venezuela. Jesus received his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University in 2009.

Phil Dougherty joins the center with over 35 years of experience in the forest research field, including positions at Weyerhaeuser, Mead-Westvaco, the University of Georgia, the U.S. Forest Service, and Arborgen, LLC. Phil has consulted in Brazil, Chile, and Israel. Most recently, Phil’s research has focused on developing silvicultural systems for deploying advanced genetic material. Phil received his Bachelors and Masters degrees from Texas A&M University, and his Ph.D. from the University of Missouri. v

Forest-interior Birds may be Benefiting from Harvested Clearings

By United States Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station

Efforts to conserve declining populations of forest-interior birds have largely focused on preserving the mature forests where birds breed, but a U.S. Forest Service study suggests that in the weeks leading up to migration, younger forest habitat may be just as important.

In an article published recently in the American Ornithologist Union’s publication ‘e Auk,’ research wildlife biologist Scott Stoleson of the U.S. Forest Service’s Northern Research Station suggests that forest regrowth in clearcuts may be vital to birds as they prepare for fall migration. e article is titled “Condition Varies with Habitat Choice in Postbreeding Forest Birds” and is available at nrs.fs.fed.us. e study suggests that declines in forest-interior species may be due in part to the increasing maturity and homogenization of forests. Openings created by timber harvesting may increase habitat for some forest interior birds, according to Stoleson.

Georgia Forestry Today

“Humans have really changed the nature of mature forests in the Northeast,” Stoleson said. “Natural processes that once created open spaces even within mature forests, such as fire, are largely controlled, diminishing the availability of quality habitat.”

On four sites in the Allegheny National Forest and private timber inholdings in northeastern Pennsylvania, Stoleson set out to learn where the birds spend time aer breeding season and what kind of condition are they in leading up to migration. “Aer the breeding season, birds sing less, stop defending territory, and generally wander.

Tracking them is challenging at this point in their life cycle,” Stoleson said. Between 2005 and 2008, he used constant-effort mist netting to capture songbirds, band them, determine whether they were breeding or postbreeders, and assess their overall condition, including whether they were building fat deposits and the extent of parasites the birds carried.

In 217 days of netting birds over the course of the four-year study, Stoleson netted and banded a total of 3,845 individuals. Of these, 2,021 individuals representing 46 species were in the postbreeding stage, based on physiological criteria. Of these, 33 percent were mature-forest specialists, 22 percent were forest-edge species, and the remaining 45 percent were early-successional specialists. All 46 species were captured in cuts, but only 29 species were captured within forest.

Stoleson’s research concluded birds’ use of young forest in the postbreeding season is correlated with better physiological condition for some forest birds, which suggests that the maintenance of such early-successional habitats in mature forest may benefit these species. Study results did not find a correlation between habitat and the presence of fat or parasites. v 27

Warnell Geneticist, Chung-Jui Tsai, Wins International Fellowship Warnell School plant genetics researcher Chung-Jui Tsai has been named an International Academy of Wood Science fellow, one of the highest honors given by the academy for scientists in this field of study.

Fellows elected by the academy are recognized for their high scientific standards and active engagement in wood science research.

Tsai is the Winfred N. ‘Hank’ Haynes Professor in forest biotechnology in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and also a Georgia Research Alliance Eminent Scholar with a split appointment in the department of genetics. Her work focuses on creating high-yielding trees for use in biofuel. She dissects the molecular mechanisms that affect tree fitness and biomass productivity.

She and her research partner, Scott Harding, have won several noteworthy grants since joining UGA in 2008, including two from the U.S. Department of Energy to study ways to increase tree productivity by genetically modifying proteins critical to wood formation and

28

stress tolerance, two necessary traits for using trees as biofuel feedstock.

“It’s truly an honor to be recognized by this elite group of scientists, many of whom I have always admired myself,” Tsai said.

Past fellows from the Warnell School include professor Jeff Dean and former professor Laurie Schimleck.

Tsai has conducted innovative research that has shed new light on the relationship be-

tween gene duplication and alternative splicing. She and co-researchers have recently discovered a way to increase the salicylic acid found in plants—critical to a plant’s defenses against disease, temperature, drought, and a number of other stresses—without affecting its growth, a hurdle other researchers have been attempting to overcome for years.

A native of Taiwan, Tsai has a doctorate in forest science from Michigan Technological University, where she taught for 11 years in the School of Forest Resources and Environmental Sciences. She also was director of the interdisciplinary Biotechnology Research Center at MTU from 2002 to 2007. e International Academy of Wood Science was founded in 1966. e non-profit assembly of wood scientists promotes the development of the field by recognizing outstanding work done by wood researchers and promoting a high standard of study. For more information about the academy, see iawsweb.org. v

September | October 2013

UGA Researchers Discover Way to Improve Plant Defenses without Negatively Impacting Growth

By Sandi Martin, Media Relations, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources Plant researchers have long been faced with a hurdle in their efforts to grow better plants and trees: salicylic acid is key to protecting plants from everything from extreme temperatures to diseases. But increasing the naturallyoccurring chemical has typically resulted in stunted plant growth. However, a University of Georgia research team has discovered a way to increase levels of salicylic acid in poplars without a negative impact on growth, potentially paving the way for better-growing crops and trees.

In a new paper recently published in Plant Cell, the team outlines how their ap-

proach differed from previous attempts to increase salicylic acid levels in plants while avoiding growth stagnation. C.J. Tsai, a UGA professor with joint appointments in the Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources and department of genetics, said successfully increasing levels of salicylic acid has been an obstacle for researchers.

“It’s such an important hormone,” Tsai said. “People have gone aer this for a long time, but previous attempts to increase the levels of salicylic acid have oen had unwanted side effects. We’re very excited about the possibilities our method has, particularly because

Allow our 30 years of experience serving

• Hunt Club Liability

Forestry Businesses, Landowners and Hunt

• Timberland Liability

Clubs to work for you. The Davis-Garvin

• Standing Timber

Insurance Agency provides a broad range of

• Prescribed Burning

innovative insurance products, services and

• Logging Contractors

solutions for our clients.

• Sawmills

Contact us today to tailor an insurance program that meets your unique situation.

Georgia Forestry Today

• Landowners • Consulting Foresters • Reforestation Insurance

it has a lot of potential for both trees and crops.” Tsai credited the researchers who have been working on the project with this breakthrough. “is was truly a team effort, with many former and current lab members contributing expertise to the project.”

Salicylic acid is very important to plants because it regulates things like photosynthesis and defense against abiotic and biotic stresses —temperature, drought, and disease—yet in many cases, plant growth is stunted when this hormone is artificially elevated.

So the team tried something different.

Tsai’s former postdoctoral student, Yinan Yuan, developed a new strategy for increasing the salicylic acid levels by testing a bi-functional bacterial gene in poplar. is included obtaining the gene and designing the proper expression vectors for introduction into plants. Aer Tsai joined UGA in 2008, her team created transgenic poplar trees for the study, with another former postdoc student, Wenbing Guo, overseeing the experiments. ey then used what they learned from other work they were conducting in the lab—developing genomics tools that included transcriptomics (gene expression), metabolomics (unbiased analysis of metabolites), and computational data analysis pipelines—to analyze their results, which required Liang-Jiao Xue, a bioinformatics postdoc, to build the metabolite and gene networks they needed to dissect the complex regulation. Metabolites are produced by a living organism’s metabolism and have a number of functions, including defense and growth. ey found many metabolites and genes that have been previously associated with salicylic acid regulation, but many more that have never been identified before this study. ey will use these findings in future experiments.

“It will be interesting to see how these metabolites and genes are regulated in multiple species under both normal and stress conditions, as this will provide more clues on how plants adapt to a changing environment,” said Xue. v 29

GEORGIA FORESTRY TODAY DIRECTORY OF PRODUCTS & SERVICES

BEACH TIMBER COMPANY INC. 128 Beach Timber Road Alma, Ga 31510 Office: (912) 632-2800 Gary Strickland Owner We Buy Wood!

Foresters bchtimco@accessatc.net Available

30

FOREST RESOURCE SERVICES INC.

Buyers of Land and Timber in Georgia and the South Canal Wood LLC 601 North Belair Square, Suite 21 Evans, Georgia 30809 Phone: (800) 833-8178 E-mail: dollars4trees@canalwood.com

Specializing in Land and Timber Management & Sales

BOBBY D. BROWN Registered Forester GA Number: 2164 Licensed Realtor GA Number: 165520 20364 GA Hwy #3 Thomasville, GA 31792

(229) 221-3016 brown@ftrealty.com

September | October 2013

Georgia Forestry Today

31