2010 CREST Annual Report - Alabama A&M University

Final Report: 0420541The proposed Bankhead National Forest Interpretive Center and Laboratory will be a valuable facility for CFEA research, education, andoutreach when it is completed. The Bankhead National Forest Citizen's Liaison Panel and the general public are eager to establish this facilityto showcase CFEA research and facilitate transfer of research technology and knowledge about our forest ecosystems to the community. Theinitiative has forged some new partnerships in the State and will be a concrete contribution for years to come toward the research of forestecosystems and the education of ecologists and the public. CFEA has continued to maintain a webpage (www.saes.edu/forestry) for the project. Currently, the webpage provides information on theproject, participants, activities, and outcomes. It also contains information for current and prospective students, a calendar and links to otherresources. The project experimental design and implementation is also available on the web, so that other researchers with similar researchgoals and objectives can access our methods and protocols.Dr. Dimov developed and maintains several websites that are also accessible from his personal webpage(http://saes.aamu.edu/forestry/CFEApeople/bios/Dimov.htm). They include the website of the Society of American Foresters Mountain LakesChapter (http://saes.aamu.edu/forestry/SAFMtLakes/SAF.htm), and of the Southeastern Hardwood Forestry Group(http://saes.aamu.edu/Forestry/CFEApeople/Dimov/sehfg/sehfg.htm). The members of this Chapter of the Society of American Foresters havegreat interest in the research funded by CREST. Our facilities, laboratories, and instruments are open for use by other disciplines within the University system. Portions of our facilities andequipment were maintained, purchased, or repaired utilizing University funds and is thereby available for use by other researchers within theUniversity system. Most of the personnel within the project are housed in the same building and freely exchange ideas, concepts, and problems,so that common solutions can be reached with such concentration of resources.We have also employed students from other disciplines (Biology, Chemistry, Business, Engineering and Computer Science) in field datacollection, research outreach, and database entry. The students along with support from The Department of Natural Resources andEnvironmental Sciences, and CFEA Faculty have initiated a Graduate Student Association that allows for review of publications and journals,advice on thesis development and implementation, and peer review. Using funds from the BWWB grant, CFEA was able to purchase various equipment shared online with FEWP and CFEA. Serveral additionalwork trucks have been purchased with leverage funds and will be shared with CFEA researchers. Another SUV and one 15-passenger van onloan to CFEA were secured from the BWWB grant. Also secured with BWWB monies are two integrated hand held GPS units with SoloForestmapping software and TCruise timber inventory software; one Garmin stand alone GPS unit; and one laptop computer, complete with widescreen monitor, and additional external hard drive for backing up CFEA Main files. The project assisted to create digital databases (both unprocessed and processed) for socioeconomic and landscape disturbances of the studyregion. These databases will be available for public through the campus server. Three papers were developed from this dissertation project andare in review in scholarly journals. Two papers are being developed to send for publication. These scholarly works are expected to contribute tothe theories of human dimensions of natural resource management in the resource dependent communities. Five oral presentations and twoposters have been made available online for public access.Contributions Beyond Science and Engineering:CONTRIBUTION BEYOND SCIENCE AND ENGINEERINGForest managers are increasingly interested in considering the impacts of forest management practices on ecosystem structure and functionssuch as biodiversity. The response of various forest component to forest management has received much attention because theirinterrelationships and dependence. For example, forest management activities that result in canopy removal can lead to lower biodiversity byreducing the survival rates and smaller body sizes of wildlife species. One of the major advantages and strengths of our Center is the closerelationship and collaboration with USDA Forest Service including the Bankhead National Forest, the agency with the task of managing thepublic forest in the study area. The research result will be immediately available to the forest landowner, resource managers, and concernedgroups. These groups are looking for ways to implement management plans that meet their goals and objectives in an ecologically sustainableand cost effective manner. The findings of CFEA research will provide several different burning and thinning regimes, which will allowlandowners and managers more options in implementing management activities that are more sensitive to the environment. Development ofbrochures, pamphlets, and presentations materials to disseminate at landowner and concern group field day and state wide meetings willprovide resource managers with real world solutions based on sound science to better manage all natural resources for future generations. Oneimportant need is to continue this research so that the long term impact of forest disturbance can be studied to help understand the long termPage 57 of 58