Research 



During the past 50 years, Forest 

 Service research has served the 

 Nation well by keeping forestry 

 abreast of the people's needs. Now, 

 with the national population growing 

 rapidly and altering its living habits 

 just as fast, we are looking for more 

 ways to meet the needs of the future. 

 Research itself is changing. Solving 

 many of today's problems requires 

 sophisticated techniques and 

 complicated equipment. These shifts 

 demand new skills in research 

 personnel. Until about a decade ago, 

 most Forest Service researchers 

 were graduates of forestry schools. 

 Today, most new research 

 employees have specialized 

 graduate training in a basic science 

 or in engineering. 



To illustrate the nature of the tasks 

 and the skills required of 

 researchers, here is a partial list of 

 goals the Forest Service hopes to 

 achieve in the coming years: 



• Increase the growth efficiency 

 of individual trees and forage 

 plants through applied 

 principles of genetics and 

 physiology. 



• Through weather modification, 

 prevent lightning-caused forest 

 fires and increase the 

 productivity of forests and 

 ranges. 



• Improve techniques for and 

 reduce costs of determining the 

 presence, characteristics, and 

 damage of forest pests, fires, 

 and other destructive agents 

 through remote sensing. 



• Develop improved techniques 

 for rehabilitating eroding land, 

 preventing floods, improving 

 aquatic habitats and water 

 supplies, and restoring 

 landscape beauty. 



• Through economic analyses 

 and forest resource surveys, 

 provide technical information 

 that will help rural communities 



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Forest Service scientist planting sugar 

 maple seedlings at greenhouse of 

 University of Vermont. 



F— 515324 



F— 515279 



Gas chromatograph is used in basic 

 research on control of insects that attack 

 wood products (Wood Products Insect 

 Laboratory, Gulf-port, Miss.) 



F-516626 



Weather balloons sent aloft by project 

 meteorologists are used to record 

 temperature changes. 



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