Other Threats

General Information

North Carolina’s Emerging Forest Threats (U.S. Forest Service)
The last decade has brought record droughts to North Carolina, increasing wildfires, expanding insect and plant invasions, and more intense hurricane and tornado events. Scientists predict increases in temperature and changes in rainfall patterns that can make these threats occur more often, with more intensity, and/or for longer durations. However, there are forest management strategies that can be used to decrease the risk from these threats.

Forest Landowner Natural Disaster Desk Guide and Tool Kit (Mississippi Coastal Plains RC&D)
This guide provides information to help forest landowners develop disaster plans to reduce the amount of salvage timber products and biomass generated by a natural disaster. It also addresses ways to reduce the response and recovery time, and expense generated from a natural disaster.

Storms

Preparing for Hurricane Season
Here are some tips from N.C. State Extension Forestry of n things you can do before storms arrive to protect your woods and your timber investment.

After the Hurricane: Dealing with Damaged Trees
(U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station)
Hurricanes bring winds that can exceed 125 miles per hour, heavy rain, and flooding — any or all of which can damage trees. Some damage can be seen immediately, while some damage may not become apparent for years after a hurricane.

Decision-Making Guidelines for Storm-Damaged Trees (N.C. State Extension)
When establishing priorities for salvaging storm damaged trees, the first and highest priority should be given to salvaging trees that have the highest potential product value, are the easiest to cut and are the most perishable.

Reforesting With Longleaf Pine After Hurricane Damage (U.S. Forest Service Southern Research Station)
In some areas of the South, one idea for reducing the vulnerability of forests to disturbance involves recreating the ecosystems that existed before they were replaced by loblolly pine plantations. In areas where hurricanes occur, this can mean planting longleaf pine.

Drought

Fire Weather Intelligence Portal (State Climate Office of North Carolina)
This interactive website lets you see current, past and forecast water/drought conditions by county and river basin.

United States Drought Monitor (The National Drought Migration Center)
This website offers current and historical national drought monitoring data.

Drought and Southern Forests: The Importance of Forest Health and Resiliency (U.S. Department of Agriculture)
Some forests resist drought effects and recover quickly. Other forests seem to suffer severely. What causes this phenomenon? This fact sheet will define drought and its impacts to individual trees and forests as we explore the reason behind this question.

Wildfire

Cause of Wildfires in North Carolina 1970-2015 (N.C. Forest Service)
This chart shows the causes of wildfires in North Carolina and the acres burned from 1970-2015.

Monthly Fire Statistics in North Carolina (2009-2017) (N.C. Forest Service)
This chart shows the number of fires and acres burned by month for 2009 to 2017.

Climate Change

Weather Variability and Its Impact on Forest Health (Forestry Webinars)
This webinar discusses the impact weather and climate have on forest health and productivity and the short- and long-term impacts of droughts, floods, winds and ice on insect and fungal populations and damage in southern forests.

Southern Foresters’ Climate Observations (Forestry Webinars)
This webinar reports the findings of a survey of professional foresters in the southern United States to identify how frequently they observe sixteen climate-related variables that affect pine plantations and forests to evaluate how climate change responses vary across the South.

The Climate Change Wildcard (U.S. Forest Service)
Trees can and do move their ranges over time in response to changing environments, but the process is relatively slow. A new climate may already be forcing shifts in some forest tree species, including their distribution across the landscape.