CLEMSON UNIVERSITY

Supporting NatureServe’s Project: Quantifying Evidence of Imperiled Forest-Associated Species
on SFI Certified Lands

Why This Project Matters

This project will help address threats to biodiversity. Over 1,300 different species in the United States are listed as endangered or threatened, according to the US Environmental protection Agency. Sustainably managed forests can play a significant role in addressing these challenges. This project will quantitatively illustrate the degree to which the SFI‑certified Clemson University Experimental Forest has the potential to support the most critically imperiled species, a key requirement of the SFI 2022 Forest Management Standard.

How the Project is Supporting Imperiled Forest-Associated Species

NatureServe is working with Clemson University to facilitate a geospatial site analysis of Clemson’s 17,500-acre/7,000-hectare experimental forest as a case study to feed into the larger project. Clemson will provide NatureServe with geographic information system files for analysis. The university will also share biodiversity occurrence records. Efforts will be made to organize this list of species according to NatureServe categories: critically imperiled, imperiled, and vulnerable. Federally listed threatened and endangered species classifications are also intended to be applied. (Learn more about the larger NatureServe project.)

SFI’s Contribution

The SFI Conservation and Community Partnerships Grant Program is supporting this project. The results will also be summarized in graphs, charts, and maps produced in collaboration with SFI, to maximize the broader communication objectives of conveying the multiple values of SFI-certified forests. NatureServe will work with SFI to develop materials that accurately and compellingly convey the results of this effort to a wide audience.

How the Project Helps Forest Managers

Clemson University’s contribution to this project will support the larger NatureServe project’s ability to help forest managers and forestland owners conserve biodiversity. Clemson’s data will be of particular interest to forest managers and forestland owners operating in similar geographies in the US Southeast.

This work aims to provide all SFI‑certified organizations with the ability to view the results for any spatial reporting unit via a secure online interactive tool built upon the data analysis conducted for the project. At a minimum, results will be available for individual states and provinces. The project will support SFI‑certified organizations with biodiversity data that is directly relevant to their implementation of SFI standards on each organization’s specific forestlands.

Partners

This partnership includes conservation NGO’s, academics, and forestry companies to quantify evidence of imperiled forest species. These partners include:

Project Lead: Clemson University

Sustainable Forestry Initiative

NatureServe

Related Information

NatureServe: Devising New Ways to Measure Biodiversity Across Millions of Acres

NatureServe: Quantifying Ecological Values Delivered by Forests Certified to SFI and SFI Fiber Sourcing

Clemson Research Helps Land Managers Improve Wildlife Habitat: media release

Clemson: The South Carolina Women Owning Woods Network—Using Forestry and Natural Resources to Educate and Empower Women

About Clemson University Cooperative Extension College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences

Clemson University was established to fulfill its founder’s vision of “a high seminary of learning” to develop “the material resources of the state” for the people of South Carolina. Clemson Extension helps improve the quality of life of all South Carolinians by providing unbiased, research-based information through an array of public outreach programs in youth development, agribusiness, agriculture, food, nutrition and health, and natural resources. With offices in all 46 counties of the state, Extension works to help support South Carolina’s $42 billion agriculture and forestry industries; strengthen families and communities; improve stewardship of natural resources and the environment; strengthen connections between people and their food; and expose South Carolina youth to opportunities in agriculture, science, technology, engineering, and math.