Cedar Waxing or Waning? The Potential to Save Yellow-Cedar Trees Using Adaptive Management
As the climate changes, the tree species living in a forest may also change. This change means that some trees species may die and new species may move into the area. Scientists find it difficult to know for sure whether tree movement and tree death result from a changing climate. Other factors, not related to climate, may also cause a forest’s tree species to change. The cause of yellow-cedar death was unknown for many years. The scientists in this study spent 20 years discovering the probable cause of yellow-cedar death.
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In this FACTivity, you will consider the recommendation made by the scientists in this study. You will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of following the scientists’ recommendation. You will...FACTivity – Cedar Waxing or Waning
In this FACTivity, you will consider the recommendation made by the scientists in this study. You will also discuss the advantages and disadvantages of following the scientists’ recommendation. You will...
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Scientific modeling is used in medical, marine, space, and environmental science, among other fields. Scientific modeling helps scientists understand how things work now and how they might work in the...
Spotlight – Scientific Models in Adaptive Management
Scientific modeling is used in medical, marine, space, and environmental science, among other fields. Scientific modeling helps scientists understand how things work now and how they might work in the...
Glossary
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Paul Hennon
My favorite science experience is working on a research team with scientists from different fields. Plus, my job takes me to so many remarkably beautiful, pristine, and remote places.View Profile -
David D’Amore
My favorite science experience was conducting bird surveys in the forest. I assisted the bird survey crew and had to get up before dawn, which meant 2 a.m. in Alaska....View Profile -
Paul Schaberg
My favorite science experience is getting an unexpected result to an experiment. Sure, it is great to develop a hypothesis and test it in an experiment. A hypothesis is an...View Profile -
Dustin Wittwer
My favorite science experience is collecting and analyzing geographic data from the remote and wild locations of Alaska. I love testing and using new and innovative technology to collect geographic...View Profile -
Colin Shanley
My favorite science experience was spending the summer tracking mountain goats by foot in the Cascade Mountains of Washington and Oregon.View Profile
Standards addressed in this Article:
Social Studies Standards
- Culture
- Production, Distribution, and Consumption
- Time, Continuity, and Change
Note To Educators
The Forest Service's Mission
The Forest Service’s mission is to sustain the health, diversity, and productivity of the Nation’s forests and grasslands to meet the needs of present and future generations. For more than 100 years, our motto has been “caring for the land and serving people.” The Forest Service, an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), recognizes its responsibility to be engaged in efforts to connect youth to nature and to promote the development of science-based conservation education programs and materials nationwide.
What Is the Natural Inquirer?
Natural Inquirer is a science education resource journal to be used by students in grade 6 and up. Natural Inquirer contains articles describing environmental and natural resource research conducted by Forest Service scientists and their cooperators. These scientific journal articles have been reformatted to meet the needs of middle school students. The articles are easy to understand, are aesthetically pleasing to the eye, contain glossaries, and include hands-on activities. The goal of Natural Inquirer is to stimulate critical reading and thinking about scientific inquiry and investigation while teaching about ecology, the natural environment, and natural resources.
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Meet the Scientists
Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.
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What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?
Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.
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Thinking About Science
Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.
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Thinking About the Environment
Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.
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Introduction
Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.
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Method
Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.
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Findings & Discussion
Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.
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Reflection Section
Presents questions aimed at stimulating critical thinking about what has been read or predicting what might be presented in the next section. These questions are placed at the end of each of the main article sections.
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Number Crunches
Presents an easy math problem related to the research.
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Glossary
Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.
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Citation
Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.
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FACTivity
Presents a hands-on activity that emphasizes something presented in the article.
Science Education Standards
You will find a listing of education standards which are addressed by each article at the back of each publication and on our website.
We Welcome Feedback
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Contact
Jessica Nickelsen
Director, Natural Inquirer program -
Email
Lessons
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In this lesson, students will read and summarize four of the article’s sections. After the class reads the article and summarizes the sections, students should work in groups to create...Lesson Plan – Model Construction
In this lesson, students will read and summarize four of the article’s sections. After the class reads the article and summarizes the sections, students should work in groups to create...
Education Files
Project Learning Tree
If you are a Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Trees in Trouble” as an additional resource.
Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer
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In “Grow Where You’re Planted,” students will learn about how different planting elevations can affect Jeffrey and ponderosa pines’ survival, growth, and bud development timing. As part of the Moon...Grow Where You’re Planted – Vol. 1 No. 24
In “Grow Where You’re Planted,” students will learn about how different planting elevations can affect Jeffrey and ponderosa pines’ survival, growth, and bud development timing. As part of the Moon... -
The scientists in this study conducted an experiment to see how much carbon is stored in a tree’s roots versus its leaves. The monograph explores the relationship between carbon, photosynthesis,...FACELook – Vol. 1 No. 1
The scientists in this study conducted an experiment to see how much carbon is stored in a tree’s roots versus its leaves. The monograph explores the relationship between carbon, photosynthesis,... -
The scientists in this study were interested in trees that live in the Eastern United States. They wanted to explore how the habitat of these trees might change in the...Moving on Up: The Possible Impact of Climate Change on Forest Habitats
The scientists in this study were interested in trees that live in the Eastern United States. They wanted to explore how the habitat of these trees might change in the... -
A naturalized species has two ranges. The first range is the one where the species lives in its native habitat. The second range is the one where the species is...North of the Border: Are Nonnative Species Moving Northward As the Climate Changes?
A naturalized species has two ranges. The first range is the one where the species lives in its native habitat. The second range is the one where the species is...
Additional Resources
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USDA Forest Service: "Trees on the move: A scientific effort to adapt to climate change"
Read ArticleWhen thinking of the term migration, the mind envisions seasonal bird journeys or perhaps historical human movement around the globe. However, scientists at the USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station are studying another type of migration—the movement of trees and how that relates to climate change.