Take a moment to think about science research. What ideas came into your mind? Did you think of scientists in a lab collecting data or writing down observations? Maybe they were looking at a computer and analyzing data or out in a field measuring something. These examples are common aspects of science research. However, one aspect that most people don’t think about when it comes to science is the issue of balancing competing interests.

Scientists often have to find a balance between competing interests. In the world of natural resource science, for instance, scientists may study how both animals and people can safely use a particular area, like creating road crossings for animals. Another example of competing interests in natural resource science is balancing the need to use trees as products and the need for conservation.

In this research, the scientists are looking at how to balance land use issues. In particular, they are examining how to balance an animal’s habitat needs with the needs and benefits of a particular tree species. You will learn more about the specific details as you read further along. As you read, think about the challenges and rewards of doing research about natural resource issues that involve competing interests.

An endangered species is a species that is at serious risk of extinction. Often, scientists and the public must find ways to protect endangered species while also protecting local economies. In the research in this article, the endangered species is the red-cockaded woodpecker (figure 1).

The red-cockaded woodpecker is a habitat specialist. A habitat specialist means that the woodpecker strongly prefers one type of habitat. In this case, the scientists believe that the woodpecker’s preferred habitat is old growth forests. In particular, these woodpeckers prefer old-growth forests that include longleaf pine trees (figure 2). They also prefer those forests to have openings where they can forage for food.

Longleaf pines are an important tree species in the southeastern United States. Longleaf pine forests are important because these forests are diverse ecosystems with over 600 different types of plant and animal species, including 29 threatened species or endangered species. For example, the endangered gopher tortoise lives in the longleaf pine habitat (figures 3 and 4). Gopher tortoises are endangered in certain parts of their habitat and threatened in other areas of their habitat.

Longleaf pine has an extensive taproot, which enables it to be tolerant of drought conditions and hurricanes (figure 5). Longleaf pine is also resistant to attacks by southern pine beetles.

Longleaf pine tree forests used to be common in the southeastern United States. At one point, 92 million acres in the region were covered in longleaf pine forests (figure 6A). Today, approximately 4.3 million acres are left (figure 6B).

Longleaf pine forests need periodic fire to maintain a healthy ecosystem. Typically, the periodic fire interval is 5 to 10 years for longleaf pine. The periodic fire helps the longleaf pine growth cycle and clears out underbrush. Certain animals like the red-cockaded woodpecker prefer to have some areas that are cleared out so that they can forage for food.

All forests play an important role in the carbon cycle (figure 7). The carbon cycle refers to the movement of the element carbon through our world. Carbon is found in all living things. Humans are approximately 18 percent carbon. That means if you weigh 100 pounds, then 18 pounds of you is carbon! Plants are approximately 45 percent carbon. Forests are filled with plants and animals; therefore, forests contain a lot of carbon. Forest soils also contain carbon. When a place contains or stores a lot of carbon, it is called a carbon sink.

When carbon is not stored, it can combine with other elements. When carbon combines with oxygen, carbon dioxide (CO2) is created. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas. That means that when carbon dioxide is in the atmosphere, it helps keep some of the sun’s warmth close to the Earth. If carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases did not exist, Earth would be cold. Earth would not be the planet we know today because it could not support life as we know it.

However, too much carbon dioxide means that too much heat is kept in the Earth’s atmosphere. Earth’s atmosphere, therefore, maintains a fine balance that keeps our planet livable. In today’s world, a lot of carbon dioxide is produced by our lifestyle. Forests and other carbon sinks, such as oceans and soil, help keep the carbon cycle in balance.

Natural disturbances, such as fire, can reduce carbon storage in the forests and release CO2 into the atmosphere. However, many forests need occasional fire to remain healthy (figure 8).

Forest managers may conduct a prescribed fire or forest thinning activities to manage a forest and reduce the chance of destructive wildfire that will release large amounts of CO2 into the atmosphere (figure 9).

Prescribed fires are planned fires. Plans are written by fire specialists who describe the ideal weather and timing of the burn. Forest managers follow these plans when they implement the burn, and they closely monitor the fire (figure 10).

Prescribed fires are managed so that they are safe for people and the environment (figure 11).

The scientists in this study were interested in looking at how prescribed fire affects longleaf pine forests and their ability to store carbon. The scientists also wanted to know how red-cockaded woodpecker habitat is affected by prescribed fire. Recall that the red-cockaded woodpecker, which lives in longleaf pine forests, is an endangered species. Therefore, the woodpecker’s health and protection must be considered when thinking about any management action.

The scientists conducted their study at the Fort Benning military post in Georgia (figure 12). Across the landscape of Fort Benning, trees range in age from less than 10 years to over 100 years.

The scientists collected data from 223 plots that represented the wide variety of tree ages as well as different types of red-cockaded woodpecker habitat (table 1). The scientists also assigned prescribed burn management for different sections including the following: no management; burn only (burn every 3 years); and thin and burn (burn every 3 years and thin every 30 years). Thinning is a management practice that involves cutting a certain percentage of trees in the forest to restore forest health.

The scientists used an elemental analyzer with an isotope-ratio mass spectrometer to determine the total carbon. An elemental analyzer is a machine that helps scientists figure out what kinds of elements and how much of each element are in an item.

The scientists also took measurements of the amount of surface fuel litter and coarse woody debris. Surface fuel litter and coarse woody debris are the leaves, sticks, dead wood, and other material on the forest floor (figure 13). The amount of this forest fuel and woody debris in an area gives scientists an idea of how fire may move through an area.

For example, as forest fuel and woody debris accumulate over time, it changes the forest structure. As more fuel accumulates, the forest becomes overcrowded, and there are more pathways for a fire to move up into the tops of the trees. Typically, the tops of trees are closer together, enabling fire to spread quickly. These types of fires are known as crown fires. They are intense fires and difficult to control.

Scientists also took a variety of measurements from the trees in the plots. Some examples of these measurements include tree species, height, diameter at breast height (DBH), and whether the tree was alive or dead. DBH is a measurement that is taken at the same height aboveground for every tree. In the United States, the measurement is taken at 4.5 feet (figure 14).

The scientists took all the information they gathered and put the data into computer models. The models represented different scenarios of prescribed fire (no management, burn only, and thin and burn). The scientists examined the different models to look at the effects of managing for red-cockaded woodpecker habitat and carbon storage in the longleaf pine forests.

The scientists found that each of the three treatments gained carbon over time, but they gained the carbon at different rates (figure 15).

The unmanaged treatment provided the greatest carbon storage, but habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker was lost and the risk of destructive wildfires increased.

Treatment with thinning and prescribed burning helped expand red-cockaded woodpecker habitat because longleaf pine became more prevalent. This type of treatment also helped reduce the density of the forest.

Reducing the density of the forest helps create open space and reduces the risk of destructive wildfires. The open spaces are used by certain animals, like the red-cockaded woodpecker, for foraging. However, 22 percent less carbon was stored in this treatment area.

The results show that carbon storage, habitat for the red-cockaded woodpecker, and conservation of longleaf pine ecosystems can be achieved. The study suggests that forests where fire is suppressed hold more carbon. Fire suppression means that fires that might normally burn, if there was no human intervention, are stopped by humans.

However, the suppression of fire leads to less biodiversity. More frequent prescribed fire can also reduce the area’s susceptibility to wildfire by reducing the surface fuel load available. There are tradeoffs, but depending on the needs of the community where this problem occurs, there can be several management scenarios to achieve a variety of objectives.