News - June 2022

Pictured here is a photograph of a cluster of pine trees.
Bark beetle responses to hurricane-damaged pine stands

Hurricanes can negatively affect southern pine forests. The strong winds and flooding associated with these storms can damage tree branches, stems, roots, and foliage. A recent example of a severe hurricane that impacted southern forests is Hurricane Michael. Hurricane Michael was a Category 5 hurricane at landfall and had maximum sustained wind speeds of 161 miles per hour. This storm was the fourth strongest hurricane to strike the US since…

Sounder (family group) of wild pigs captured by game or trail camera.
The many troubles of wild pigs

Agriculture producers are well aware of the economic impacts they suffer at the snout and mouth of the wild pig. Hunters are harvesting pigs in the fall along with deer and other game species. Wild pigs are abundant, troublesome, and widespread in Georgia. Wild Pigs–also called feral swine, wild boar, feral pigs and other names—were introduced to the southern United States in the early 1500s by Spanish explorers as a source of food for their…


Nine tax tips every forest landowner should know

Many forest landowners think about taxes only after they had a timber sale. However, careful tax planning is essential to minimize your total taxes considering the long-term nature of forest management and the availability of a few income tax provisions related to timber. Here are 9 tax tips for forest landowners:  1. Know the classification of your timber holding Your timber holding largely determines the type of your timber income,…

A volunteer holds a sea turtle egg.
The incredible egg: Tracking sea turtles through DNA

Data collected from a decade of sea turtle nests now sheds light on the larger population  Mary Sheridan and Lauren Connolly are hunched over a tablet computer at 5:30 a.m., willing it to connect to the internet. Unfortunately, their powers are overwhelmed by the winds of the previous night’s hurricane, which grazed the beach and knocked out the Wi-Fi. Their mission was to scout the beach of Hilton Head Island in their pick-up truck and…

Someone overlooks a snowy mountain view.
State, national parks prove pretty popular

As record numbers of people flock to parks in the wake of the pandemic, those who work there are thinking outside the box to keep them learning, engaged—and coming back. About a year ago, as the country’s pandemic tolerance was reaching a breaking point. As vaccinations became more widespread, lots of folks came to a similar realization: We need to get out of here. And by “out,” they meant outside. As a result, national and state parks and…


Panther now No. 1 predator of white-tailed deer in Southwest Florida

A new study by the University of Georgia found Florida panthers are the No. 1 cause of mortality for white-tailed deer in southwest Florida. The researchers set out to get a better picture of what factors most affect the survival of Florida’s white-tailed deer, the most popular game species in the state and a key prey species for the Florida panther. Published this month in the Journal of Applied Ecology, the publication is part of the South…

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