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  • Cedar Waxing or Waning? The Potential to Save Yellow-Cedar Trees Using Adaptive Management
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Cedar Waxing or Waning? The Potential to Save Yellow-Cedar Trees Using Adaptive Management

  • Article
  • High School
  • Middle School
  • 1 Classroom Period
  • Climate
  • Wilderness
  • Climate Change
  • Long-term Research
  • North Pacific Coastal Rainforest
  • Seedlings
  • Tree growth
  • Yellow-cedar Tree
Cover for the 'Cedar Waxing or Waning' article. The main image is a photograph of a heavily wooded forest.
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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.

 

Cedar Waxing or Waning? The Potential to Save Yellow-Cedar Trees Using Adaptive Management

Part Of

Scientific Models in Adaptive Management - Vol. 17 No. 1

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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

    • Activity
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • 2-3 Classroom Periods
    • Climate
    • Wilderness
    • Adaptive Management
    • Class Discussion
    • Experiment
    • Group Activity
    • Land Management
    • Pros and Cons
    • Research Project
    • Wildland
    • Writing Activity
    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...
    Explore Activity Download FACTivity (PDF)
    Explore Activity Download FACTivity (PDF)

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    Cedar Waxing or Waning? The Potential to Save Yellow-Cedar Trees Using 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...

    Spotlight – Scientific Models in Adaptive Management

    • Spotlight
    • Middle School
    • Less than 30 minutes
    • Adaptive Management
    • Analyzing Charts
    • Ecosystem
    • Scientific Models
    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...
    Explore Spotlight Download Spotlight (PDF)
    Explore Spotlight Download Spotlight (PDF)

    Part Of

    Scientific Models in Adaptive Management - Vol. 17 No. 1

Glossary

View All Glossary
  • aromatic

    (a rə ma tik): Having a strong smell.

  • bole

    (bōl): Tree trunk.

  • coarse root

    (kȯrs rūt): The thicker root structure of a plant when compared with the finer roots.

  • crown

    (krau̇n): The highest part of the leaves and branches of a tree or shrub.

  • fine root

    (fīn rūt): A small, hair-like root growing out of a plant’s coarse roots.

  • forest cover

    (fȯr əst kə vər): The area of land covered by forest crowns.

  • iconic

    (ī kän ik): Of or pertaining to an icon. An icon is a picture representation, a symbol.

  • maladapted

    (ma lə dap təd): Poorly suited or unsuited.

  • novel

    (nä vəl): New and not resembling anything used or known before.

  • pristine

    (pri stēn): Not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted.

  • seedling

    (sēd liŋ): A young plant grown from a seed.

  • simulate

    (sim yǝ lāt): To make an imitation (or copy or model) by one system or process of the way in which another system or process works.

  • spatial

    (spā shəl): Of, relating to, or involved in the perception of relationships (as of objects) in space.

  • species

    (spē sēz or spē shēz): A category of living things that ranks below a genus, is made up of related individuals able to produce fertile offspring, and is identified by a two-part scientific name.

  • surrogate

    (sər ə gāt): (verb) Substitute; to put in the place of another.

  • totem pole

    (tō təm pȯl): A pole carved and painted with totems and set up by native Alaskan peoples. A totem is an honored symbol.

  • wilderness area

    (wil dər nəs er ē ə): An area in the United States designated by law for preservation and protection in its natural condition. A wilderness area also refers to a large unspoiled natural area.

  • Photo of Paul Hennon standing in a forest, wearing a yellow hard hat and holding a shovel.

    Paul Hennon

    Plant Pathologist

    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
  • Dr. David D'Amore standing in a forest

    David D’Amore

    Soil Scientist

    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
  • Dr. Schaberg hiking in the snow

    Paul Schaberg

    Plant Physiologist

    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
  • Photo of Dr. Dustin Wittwer using a measuring device in a forest.

    Dustin Wittwer

    Geospatial Analyst | Geospatial Services Specialist

    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
  • Photo of Dr. Colin Shanley skying down a snowy mountainside.

    Colin Shanley

    Geographic Information Systems Analyst

    My favorite science experience was spending the summer tracking mountain goats by foot in the Cascade Mountains of Washington and Oregon.  
    View Profile

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  • Education Standards
  • Educator Guide
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  • Project Learning Tree

Standards addressed in this Article:

Social Studies Standards

Social Studies Standards are educational guidelines outlining the essential knowledge, skills, and concepts students should learn in subjects such as history, geography, civics, and economics, aiming to provide a comprehensive understanding of societal structures, historical events, and global perspectives.
  • 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.

USDA and Forest Service Logos

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.

Natural Inquirer bee sitting at a desk with paper and pencil

  • Meet the Scientists

    Introduces students to the scientists who did the research. This section may be used in a discussion about careers in science.

  • What Kinds of Scientist Did This Research?

    Introduces students to the scientific disciplines of the scientists who conducted the research.

  • Thinking About Science

    Introduces something new about the scientific process, such as a scientific habit of mind or procedures used in scientific studies.

  • Thinking About the Environment

    Introduces the environmental topic being addressed in the research.

  • Introduction

    Introduces the problem or question that the research addresses.

  • Method

    Describes the method the scientists used to collect and analyze their data.

  • Findings & Discussion

    Describes the results of the analysis. Addresses the findings and places them into the context of the original problem or question.

  • 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.

  • Number Crunches

    Presents an easy math problem related to the research.

  • Glossary

    Defines potentially new scientific or other terms to students. The first occurrence of a glossary word is bold in the text.

  • Citation

    Gives the original article citation with an internet link to the original article.

  • 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

  • Contact

    Jessica Nickelsen
    Director, Natural Inquirer program

  • Email

    Contact us here.

Lessons

  • 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

    • Lesson Plan
    • Middle School
    • 2-3 Classroom Periods
    • Agriculture
    • Carbon
    • Citizen Science
    • Climate
    • Engineering and Forest Products
    • Fire
    • Insects
    • Pollinators
    • Pollution
    • Recreation
    • Social Science
    • Water
    • Wilderness
    • Wildlife
    • Graphic Organizer
    • Group Activity
    • Making a Model
    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...
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)
    Explore Lesson Plan Download Lesson Plan (PDF)

    Part Of

    Scientific Models in Adaptive Management - Vol. 17 No. 1

Education Files

Project Learning Tree

If you are a Project Learning Tree educator, you may use “Trees in Trouble” as an additional resource.

Jump To

  • Related from Natural Inquirer
  • Additional Resources

Related Resources from the Natural Inquirer

  • 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

    • Monograph
    • Middle School
    • Wilderness
    • Apollo 14
    • Artemis I
    • Bud Development
    • Climate Change
    • Computer Model
    • Diameter at Breast Height (DBH)
    • Forest Restoration
    • Genotype
    • Jeffrey pine
    • Native Range
    • Ponderosa Pine
    • Seed Extractory
    • Seed Germination
    • Seeds
    • Smokejumper
    • Tree growth
    • Tree Survival Rates
    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...
    Explore Monograph Download Monograph (PDF)
    Explore Monograph Download Monograph (PDF)
  • 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

    • Monograph
    • Middle School
    • Carbon
    • Climate
    • Atmosphere
    • Carbon Cycle
    • Carbon Dioxide
    • Climate Change
    • Photosynthesis
    • Tree growth
    • Trees
    • Troposphere
    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,...
    Explore Monograph Download Monograph (PDF)
    Explore Monograph Download Monograph (PDF)
  • 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

    • Article
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Climate
    • Wilderness
    • Carbon Dioxide
    • Fossil Fuels
    • Habiat
    • Habitat Loss
    • Seed Dispersal
    • Trees
    • Trend
    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...
    Explore Article Download Article (PDF)
    Explore Article Download Article (PDF)

    Part Of

    Natural Inquirer - Vol. 14 No. 1

  • 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?

    • Article
    • Middle School
    • 1 Classroom Period
    • Climate
    • Wilderness
    • Wildlife
    • Climate Change
    • Invasive
    • Native Species
    • Naturalized Species
    • Nonnative Species
    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...
    Explore Article Download Article (PDF)
    Explore Article Download Article (PDF)

    Part Of

    Natural IQ Climate Change - Vol. 1 No. 1


Additional Resources

  • USDA Forest Service: "Trees on the move: A scientific effort to adapt to climate change"

    When 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.

    Read Article
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The Natural Inquirer program produces a variety of science education materials for PreK through grade 12. Natural Inquirer products are produced by the USDA Forest Service, FIND Outdoors, and other cooperators and partners.

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