Kisatchie National Forest Research Articles

Patterns of Water Consumption in Longleaf Pine Restoration Areas and the Relationship with Cone Production

Monitoring water consumption dynamics across the geographic range of an ecosystem may indicate the possible variation and stress in a biome. Here, model output data based on remote sensing (1979–2022) were used to examine the water consumption dynamics and effects on cone production in three geographic margins in the longleaf pine’s range (i.e., Bladen Lake State Forest, Escambia Experimental Forest, and Kisatchie National Forest) under varying climatic conditions. Results indicated that the mean annual transpiration at Escambia was approximately 431 mm and that at Bladen and Kisatchie was 500 mm. Mean monthly transpiration peaked twice (June and October) at Escambia but only once (August) at Bladen and Kisatchie. The mean annual evapotranspiration ranged from approximately 900 mm at Kisatchie to about 791 mm at Escambia and Bladen. The mean annual transpiration/evapotranspiration ratio was about 0.65 at Bladen and 0.55 at Escambia and Kisatchie. A significant correlation existed between evapotranspiration and specific humidity across the sites on a monthly scale but not on a yearly scale. Significant negative relationships existed between precipitation and the ratios of transpiration/precipitation and evapotranspiration/precipitation on the yearly scale across the sites. Negative power relationships were observed between precipitation and the specific humidity/precipitation ratio on monthly and yearly scales. Cone production was generally highest in years with moderate water consumption. These results provide baseline information on how hydrological and ecological processes of longleaf pine forests interact with climate across broad spatial and temporal scales.

The influence of forest management practices on seasonal bat species occurrence and activity at the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana, USA

In the southeastern United States, where forests are the primary land cover type, understanding how forest stand characteristics and forest management practices influence bat distributions is critical for bat conservation and management. We deployed passive acoustic monitors to record bat calls at sites representing six forest types at the Kisatchie National Forest in central Louisiana during two winter (January–February 2020 and December 2020–February 2021) and two summer (June–August 2020 and 2021) periods. We also collected environmental data at the landscape and local scales to help explain patterns in bat species occurrence. We detected big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), eastern red/Seminole bats (Lasiurus borealis/L. seminolus), Myotis species, tricolored bats (Perimyotis subflavus), Mexican free-tailed bats (Tadarida brasiliensis), and hoary bats (Aeorestes cinereus) during both periods, and additionally detected evening bats (Nycticeius humeralis) during the summer. We observed seasonal differences in habitat use, and found that three bat species were more active during the summer in pine forests with group selection harvest, pine forests managed for red-cockaded woodpeckers (Leuconotopicus borealis), and pine forests that were clearcut within five years of our study when compared to unmanaged pine forests, thinned pine forests, and bottomland hardwood forests. Contrary to other studies, we found that the predicted probability of occupancy decreased with increasing proximity to riparian areas for four bat species, which could reflect the complex understory vegetation conditions that we observed along the riparian corridors in our study area. Our research identified forest characteristics and management practices that promote bat species diversity and activity in central Louisiana and demonstrated that pine forests with open understories and small openings in the canopy provide important foraging habitat for bats that occur in our study area and possibly other regions in the southeast.

APPLICATION OF REMOTE SENSING IN MONITORING FOREST COVER CHANGE AND CARBON DIOXIDE LEVELS AT KISATCHIE NATIONAL FOREST OF LOUISIANA

Abstract. It is estimated that the globe’s forest has shrunk by 3% since 1990, an area equivalence to the geographical boundaries of South Africa. The Kisatchie National Forest of Louisiana replicates plentiful climatic, physiographic and edaphic differences in the country and this forest faces a serious problem of degradation and disturbance of different nature. Remote sensing from satellites offers the best way to observe these changes over time. This study will employ Landsat-8 satellite imagery to analyze forest cover change in Kisatchie National Forest from 2010 to 2020. The objectives of the study are to (i) identify the trend, nature, and the magnitude of forest cover change, (ii) prepare image maps delineating forest cover change for the duration of the study (iii) establish the trend of CO2 levels within Kisatchie environs. Results showed a gain of forest cover within the Kisatchie National Forest which correlated to the rate of CO2 sequestration by sinks. NDVI of 2010 was 0.65 compared to 0.86 for 2020 indicating a gain of 32% of forest cover since 2010. This showed how effective Protected areas are in conserving forest cover and restricting land uses that may disturb forest structure.

Seasonal Changes in the Active Bat Community of the Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana

Few North American studies have quantified differences in bat community composition between summer and winter. In southerly regions, especially the coastal plain of the Gulf of Mexico, winters are mild and experience only short periods of freezing weather annually. In regions such as this, there may be a substantive community of bats that are active in the winter. We examined seasonality of the bat community in the Kisatchie National Forest of Louisiana. We mist-netted bats for 130 nights during winter and 51 nights during summer and caught 200 and 190 bats, respectively, from 10 different species. Corynorhinus rafinesquii (Rafinesque's Big-eared Bat), Lasiurus borealis (Eastern Red Bat), and Lasionycteris noctivagans (Silver-haired Bat) were more frequently captured in winter, all other species were captured more frequently in summer. Significant differences existed between summer and winter in species richness and abundance of bats, but not for Shannon's diversity index. Across the entire year and in winter, more bats were caught on nights with higher temperature than on nights with lower temperatures. Although there was much temporal variation in species composition, we found a substantial bat community that is active in the winter in the Kisatchie National Forest of Louisiana.

Impact ofBeauveria bassiana(Ascomycota: Hypocreales) on the Small Southern Pine Engraver (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) in a Loblolly Pine Bolt Assay1

Abstract The small southern pine engraver, Ips avulsus Eichhoff (Coleoptera: Scolytidae), is one member of a guild of southern pine bark beetles that causes millions of dollars of losses to southern U.S. pine forests annually. Our objective was to determine the impact of a commercial preparation of the entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo-Crivelli) Vuillemin (Ascomycota: Hypocreales) in protecting pine host plant tissue from colonization and damage by I. avulsus and on the B. bassiana–induced mortality of I. avulsus adults during the first 2 wk of host attack. The field trials were conducted in the Kisatchie National Forest (Rapides Parish, LA) using a small-bolt technique. Results showed that the I. avulsus adults successfully colonized both the B. bassiana–treated bolts and the control bolts within the first week of field exposure. Although the formulation did not protect bolts from attack, it caused significantly higher mortality of I. avulsus adults in B. bassiana–treated bolts than in ...

Correlation between fecal egg count, presence of Strongylus vulgaris, and body score of feral horses on Fort Polk, Louisiana.

Approximately 700 feral horses, dubbed "trespass horses" by the United States Army, occupy Fort Polk, Louisiana and the surrounding Kisatchie National Forest. These horses are considered a nuisance and hazard, and the military is seeking to remove the horses via adoption. The aim of this research was to evaluate the fecal egg count (FEC), body condition score (BCS), and the presence of Strongylus vulgaris within this previously unstudied horse population prior to removal. The feral horse data was compared to domestic horses living on a single farm in the same area. A modified McMaster FEC, Henneke body scoring via photography, and PCR were used to evaluate 10 domestic horses and 28 feral horses. A significantly higher FEC was identified for feral horses when compared to domestic horses (p = 0.004), and 69.2% of feral horses were positive for S. vulgaris while all domestic horses tested negative. Additionally, no correlation was found between FEC and BCS for domestic (p = 0.213) or feral (p = 0.099) horses, and no association was found between FEC and S. vulgaris presence (p = 0.21) or BCS and S. vulgaris presence (p = 0.52). This study provides insight into S. vulgaris and strongyle prevalence in a previously unstudied group of horses and indicates a need for anthelmintic treatment and monitoring of the feral horses once they are adopted.

Prescribed fire influences habitat selection of female eastern wild turkeys

ABSTRACTPrescribed fire is widely used in southeastern pine (Pinus spp.) forests to maintain desirable forest conditions and provide early successional vegetation. However, it is unclear how fires applied just prior to and during the reproductive cycle of ground nesting Galliformes influence resource selection. We examined the short‐term influence of prescribed fire on habitat selection of female eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) throughout their reproductive cycle (Feb−Aug) at Kisatchie National Forest in west‐central Louisiana, USA during 2014 and 2015. Kisatchie was dominated (>60%) by pine stands managed with prescribed fire at a frequent (i.e., 1–3 yr) return interval. We captured 46 females and equipped them with backpack‐style global positioning system (GPS) transmitters programmed to collect relocation data hourly from 0600 to 2000 each day. We used distance‐based analysis to estimate selection or avoidance of vegetation communities relative to reproductive phenology of individual females. Hardwood and mixed‐pine hardwood vegetation communities were selected for before and after reproductive efforts; hardwood stands were avoided during brooding. While laying their first clutch of the reproductive period, females selected mature pines burned 0–5 months prior. Females avoided mature pine stands 2 growing seasons post‐burn prior to initiating their first nests. Females avoided mature pine stands 3 growing seasons post‐burn when brooding. Turkeys did not select for pine stands that had experienced ≥3 growing seasons post‐burn during any reproductive period, and may avoid these stands during pre‐nesting and brooding. Frequent fire return intervals maintain vegetation communities that females select at some point during the reproductive season in pine‐dominated landscapes. © 2017 The Wildlife Society.

REVISITING LITHIC SCATTERS: A CRM PERSPECTIVE

The scope of an archaeological survey may be defined by environmental or cultural boundaries, or by arbitrarily defined boundaries, which is generally the case in cultural resource management (CRM) surveys. The most common site type encountered during the course of almost any Phase I CRM survey is the temporally nondiagnostic “lithic scatter.” The majority of surveys conducted within the United States today are compliance driven, and thus most lithic scatters are discovered and recorded by CRM firms. They are therefore investigated according to state standards, and their potential for contributing to the archaeological record is evaluated according to criteria established under the National Historic Preservation Act. Under these circumstances, the significance of the vast majority of these sites is dismissed outright during the course of initial investigation and reporting. While nondiagnostic lithic scatters may often be uninteresting as individual units of analysis, this paper argues that in aggregate they represent a vital component of the archaeological record. It further argues that their potential value as individual units of analysis is often dismissed too casually. The paper demonstrates that under currently accepted field methodology, many of these sites are not adequately investigated and are not entered into any meaningful database. Recommendations for improving the initial investigation and interpretation of these sites are offered, based on recent initiatives taken in Louisiana by the U.S. Forest Service on Kisatchie National Forest.

Restoring the rare Kentucky lady's slipper orchid to the Kisatchie National Forest

The Kentucky lady's slipper ( Cypripedium kentuckiense C.F. Reed [Orchidaceae]) is a spectacular orchid native to the southeastern US. Although its range includes much of the Southeast, it is rare due to loss of appropriate edaphic and climatic habitats. Efforts to restore this species to the Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana were initiated by a high school student who located a flowering orchid, pollinated it, and collected a fertile seedpod as a collaborative effort to understand the reproductive potential of the species. Results from these evaluations are inconclusive and must be considered preliminary. Additional studies are planned to develop protocols that will facilitate the production of Kentucky lady's slipper orchids on a scale that will allow significant reintroductions of the rare orchid to the Kisatchie National Forest.

Longleaf pine (Pinus palustris Mill.) fire scars reveal new details of a frequent fire regime

Question: How frequent and variable were fire disturbances in longleaf pine ecosystems? Has the frequency and seasonality of fire events changed during the past few centuries? Location: Kisatchie National Forest, Western Gulf Coastal Plain, longleaf pine‐bluestem ecosystem, in relatively rough topography adjacent to the Red River, Louisiana, USA. Methods: Cross-sections of 19 remnant pines exhibiting 190 fire scars were collected from a 1.2-km 2 area. Tree-rings and fire scars were precisely dated and analysed for the purpose of characterizing past changes in fire and tree growth. Temporal variability in fire occurrence and seasonality was described for the pre- and post-European settlement periods. Seasonality of historic fires was determined by the scar position within the rings. The relationship between fire and drought was investigated using correlation and superposed epoch analysis. Results: The mean fire return interval for the period 1650-1905 was 2.2 years (range 0.5 to 12 yr). Significant new findings include: evidence for years of biannual burning, temporal variability in fire seasonality, an increase in fire frequency and percentage of trees scarred circa 1790, and synchronous growth suppression and subsequent release of trees coinciding with land-use changes near the turn of the 20th century. Drought conditions appeared unrelated to the occurrence of fire events or fire seasonality. Conclusions: Multi-century fire history records from longleaf pine ecosystems are difficult to obtain due to historic land-use practices and the species high resistance to scarring; however, our results indicate potential for reconstructing detailed fire histories in this ecosystem. Fire scars quantitatively documented one of the most frequent fire regimes known. Fire regime information, such as the temporal variability in fire intervals, prevalence of late-growing season fire events and biannual burning, provide a new perspective on the dynamics of longleaf pine fire regimes.

An Ecological Classification System for the National Forests and Adjacent Areas of the West Gulf Coastal Plain

We developed a multifactor ecological classification system (ECS) for the National Forests and adjacent lands of Texas and Louisiana. The ECS classifies lands into ecosystem types: repeating combinations of potential natural vegetation, soils, and physiography. This paper uses results of a portion of this effort from the northern part of Louisiana's Kisatchie National Forest as an example. Forest stands were sampled across a range of soil and topographic situations. Non-metric multidimensional scaling ordinations and TWINSPAN classification of the samples based on ground-layer vegetation corresponded to gradients of topographic position, fire frequency, disturbance, and soil nutrients. A separate ordination of only upland stands clarified relationships between upland vegetation and soil texture. Ordination and TWINSPAN results formed the basis for a final classification of the sample stands and for descriptions and dichotomous keys for seven “land-type phases”—local ecosystem types that share soil and topographic attributes, natural plant communities, and responses to management or disturbance. ECS provides an ecologically relevant way to stratify the landscape for inventory, conservation, research, or management and gives the Forest Service and other professionals a valuable tool to aid in making ecologically informed decisions. Future goals include mapping ecological units on National Forest lands and expansion of the area covered.

Influence of investigator disturbance and temporal variation on surveys of bats roosting under bridges

Given the importance of roost sites to bats, monitoring roost use is an important tool for assessing the local status of some species. We surveyed bridges for day-roosting bats in the Kisatchie National Forest of Louisiana to assess how temporal patterns of bridge use and disturbance from surveyors might affect survey results. We found no support for the hypothesis that surveys of day-roosts affected bat use of bridges. The 3 most common species roosting under bridges, Rafinesque's big-eared bats (Corynorhinus rafinesquii), eastern pipistrelles (Pipistrellus subflavus), and big brown bats (Eptesicus fuscus), exhibited strikingly different patterns of seasonal use. Because of seasonal variation in bridge use, a monitoring program would need to involve a minimum of a summer and a winter survey to document all common species that use bridges. Surveys during the day detected many more bats than surveys conducted at night. Although individuals tended to return to the same roosts over long periods of time, tagged bats often were absent during intervening surveys. Because individuals used multiple roosts, at least 3 surveys within a season will be necessary if an objective is to determine which specific bridges are used as roosts by locally abundant species.

CHARACTERISTICS OF POSITIONS SELECTED BY DAY-ROOSTING BATS UNDER BRIDGES IN LOUISIANA

We evaluated hypotheses that the positions of day-roosting bats on the undersurface of bridges were governed by considerations related to predator avoidance and thermoregulation. From January 2002 to January 2003, we characterized bridge roosts in the Kisatchie National Forest located in north-central Louisiana, United States. Bats, predominately Corynorhinus rafinesquii, Pipistrellus subflavus, and Eptesicus fuscus, tended to roost in the darkest portions of the bridge and in the narrowest available spaces. They also roosted closer to the abutment, farther from the side edge, and closer to the ground than predicted; however, bats were never found roosting less than 0.4 m off the ground or against the abutments. Roost sites were warmer than other parts of the bridge and this difference was greatest in warm months. The small difference in temperatures between roost sites and other portions of the bridge is not consistent with predictions that day-roosting bats would choose the coolest possible locations. Tendency of actual roost sites to be slightly warmer than potential roost sites is best explained by the correlation of temperature with distance from the edge of the bridge. Our observations are most consistent with the hypothesis that bats roosted in areas that minimized their visibility and accessibility to predators.

DISCOVERY OF NORTHERN LONG-EARED MYOTIS, MYOTIS SEPTENTRIONALIS (CHIROPTERA: VESPERTILIONIDAE), IN LOUISIANA

Abstract During a survey of the biota of part of Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana, 3 specimens of Myotis septentrionalis were collected and are the first records of the species from Louisiana. Two males and 1 female were collected on 3 nights. The female is the earliest record (10 May) of lactation for M. septentrionalis. Caves known in Louisiana are 55 to 87 km from the Winn Parish collection site, but use of these caves by M. septentrionalis has not been documented. Based on the discovery of M. septentrionalis in Louisiana, it is necessary to reevaluate the southern boundary of the distribution of this species.

Tree/wood quality in slash pine following longterm cattle grazing

Tree height, diameter, and grade were measured on 14 cattle grazing trial plots located on the Palustris Experimental Forest in Louisiana's Kisatchie National Forest. These plots had been established in the early 1960s. Mensurational data was gathered on 28 trees from grazed sites and another 28 from ungrazed plots. Increment cores were also taken from these trees. Statistical analyses showed no effect attributable to grazing on any of the variables measured: tree height, tree diameter at breast height, tree grade, growth rate, amount of latewood, unextracted specific gravity, or tracheid length.

Effects of habitat and growing season fires on resprouting of shrubs in longleaf pine savannas

The effects of habitat and timing of growing season fires on resprouting of shrubs were studied in second-growth longleaf pine savannas of the west Gulf coastal plain in the southeastern United States. Within the headwaters of three different drainages of the Calcasieu River in the Kisatchie National Forest in western Louisiana, replicated permanent transects were established that extended from xeric upland longleaf pine savannas into downslope hydric seepage savannas. All shrubs were mapped and tagged, and numbers of stems were counted prior to any fires. Replicated prescribed fires were set early (June) and late (August) during the 1990 growing season; maximum fire temperatures were measured within both upland and seepage habitats within each transect. Shrubs were relocated; stems were recensused two and twelve months after the fires. At least some shrubs of all species resprouted from underground organs; none regenerated solely from seed banks in the soil. There was no reduction in total numbers of stems one year after fires compared to before fires, either in the upland or in seepage savannas. In addition, there was no reduction in total numbers of stems one year after early or late growing season fires. Fire-related mortality was restricted to small shrubs (< 18 stems) and was not associated with high fire temperatures. The rate of resprouting varied among species and between habitats. Resprouting occurred more rapidly in seepage than upland savannas, but more resprouts were produced in upland than seepage savannas one year after fires. In contrast to other upland species, Vaccinium arboreum and V. elliottii delayed resprouting more than two months following fire. Stems of Rhus copallina and Pyrus arbutifolia, species with long rhizomes, increased more after fires in June than fires in August. We suggest that growing season fires may block further recruitment of shrubs into longleaf pine savannas, but reduction in numbers of large shrubs may require additional management.

Effects of food plots on white-tailed deer in Kisatchie National Forest : M. K. Johnson & K. D. Dancak, Journal of Range Management, 46(2), 1993, pp 110–114

Effects of food plots on white-tailed deer in Kisatchie National Forest : M. K. Johnson & K. D. Dancak, Journal of Range Management, 46(2), 1993, pp 110–114

Effects of Food Plots on White-Tailed Deer in Kisatchie National Forest

An extensive food plot program maintained for 4 years on the National Red Dirt Wildlife Management Preserve of the Kisatchie National Forest, La., failed to produce improvements in southern pine-mixed hardwood forest range sufficient to affect quality of deer (Odocoileus virginianus) harvested by sport hunters. A combination of normal forest management practices plus maintenance of deer densities at relatively low levels was apparently sufficient for maintaining deer in good condition. Other than for public relations, the food plot program was not warranted based on biological effects.

Landsat TM versus MSS data for forest type identification

Abstract Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Multispectral Scanner (MSS) data were digitally analyzed for forest type identification in the Kisatchie Ranger District, Kisatchie National Forest, Louisiana. Ground‐verification maps were produced from field surveys and interpretation of 1.12,000 and 1: 58,000 color‐infrared (CIR) aerial photography of nine compartments. Stand boundary and soils maps were input to a digital Geographic Information System (GIS) with the Landsat and ground‐verification data. ‐ Unsupervised classifications of the Landsat data did not identify the above cover types well. Supervised classifications were tested by stand agreement to the ground verification. The highest four‐class agreement was obtained for the TM classification (76 percent). Three‐class (open, pine, and hardwoods) stand agreements (81 (MSS) and 85 (TM) percent) were not significantly different as tested by analysis of variance (alpha level 0.1).

Monitoring forest plantations using Landsat Thematic Mapper data

Landsat's Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery was used to evaluate its feasibility in differentiating among forest species and age groups of plantations to assist forest managers in planning and managerial operations. The Catahoula and Kisatchie ranger districts of the Kisatchie National Forest were selected as the study site. The Landsat imagery was evaluated on the basis of its spectral band combinations and spatial properties for differentiating among pine species, age groups, stocking rate, and hardwood acreage within the pine plantations. The vector data utilized in the study included the transportation network, hydrography, and the compartment map of the districts. The results revealed that TM imagery is inadequate for differentiating among pine species. However, the differentiation among selected pine age groups was feasible using the band combination of TM Bands 5, 4, and 3. High classification accuracies were achieved with most of the pine age classes for both forest districts. Significant differences were found in differentiating among age groups between the two districts. The 6–10, 11–20, and 21 plus age classes were the major contributors to the differences observed. The small differences observed between the two TM band combinations (TM 5, 4, 3 and TM 5, 4, 3, 2) were not significant. However, the combination of TM Bands 5, 4, and 3 is better based on the higher individual class accuracies and Kappa statistical values produced.