United States

Department of

Agriculture

Forest Service

Northeastern

Research Station

General Technical

Report NE-325

Changing Forests – Challenging Times

Proceedings of the New England

Society of American Foresters

85th Winter Meeting
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Cover Photo

Uneven-aged northern conifer stand on the Penobscot Experimental Forest in Maine
CHANGING FORESTS – CHALLENGING TIMES

Proceedings of the New England

Society of American Foresters

85th Winter Meeting

Portland, Maine

March 16-18, 2005

Edited by

Laura S. Kenefic and Mark J. Twery

Cosponsored by

The Northeastern Forest Pest Council

Small Woodland Owners Association of Maine

Published by

Northeastern Research Station
Oral Presentations

The Value of Long-term Silviculture Research for All Categories of Landowners,

Large and Small, Private and Public

Si Balch ................................................................................................................................... 1

Long-term Ecological Research at the Harvard Forest

Audrey A. Barker Plotkin and David R. Foster .......................................................................... 2

Use of Cybocephalus nipponicus (Coleoptera: Nitidulidea) for Biological Control

of Elongate Hemlock Scale, Fiorinia externa (Homoptera: Diaspidae), in

Pennsylvania Forests

E. Michael Blumenthal, Shahla M. Werner, and Bradley S. Regester ........................................... 3

A Growing Network: Regional Invasive Plant Initiatives in New England

Cynthia Boettner ...................................................................................................................... 4

Invasive Plants, Deer and Forest Regeneration: Observations from Southeastern

Vermont

Jonathan L. Bouton .................................................................................................................. 5

Focus Species Forestry: an Applied Approach to Integrating Timber and

Biodiversity Management in the Northeast

Robert R. Bryan ....................................................................................................................... 6

Landscape-Scale Forest Planning — Using the American Marten as a Guide

Barry Burgason ........................................................................................................................ 7

Profiles of Working Woodlands: Expanding the Definition of Active Forest

Management

Susan Campbell and Paul Catanzaro ........................................................................................ 8

Long-term Forest Genetics Research in Northeastern North America: a Sampler

Katherine K. Carter ................................................................................................................. 9

Sampling Hemlock Woolly Adelgid and Developing Insect-killing Fungi for

Their Suppression

Scott D. Costa, Vladimir Gouli, Svetlana Gouli, Margaret Skinner, Michael Brownbridge

and Bruce L. Parker ............................................................................................................... 10

Managing for Biodiversity in Maine’s Forests: a Maine Natural Areas Program

Perspective

Andy Cutko and Molly Docherty ............................................................................................. 11

Oriental Bittersweet: Understanding its Ecology and Planning its Control

Josh Ellsworth ........................................................................................................................ 12

Influence of Forest Practices on Stand-scale Habitat Selection by Lynx in

Northern Maine: Preliminary Results

Angela K. Fuller and Daniel J. Harrison ................................................................................. 13
Regeneration Strategies of Japanese Barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC) in

Coastal Forests of Maine

Jennifer D’Appollonio, William H. Livingston, and Robert G. Wagner ...................................... 14

A Biodiversity Scorecard for Sustainable Forestry: Simplifying Complexity

John M. Hagan and Andrew A. Whitman ............................................................................... 15

What Landowners and Forest Managers Need to Know about Forest Carbon:

a Background from Global to Local

Linda S. Heath ...................................................................................................................... 16

Carbon Storage in Northeastern US Forest Soils

Coeli M. Hoover .................................................................................................................... 17

Long-term Hardwood Research Work in Québec: the Example of Duchesnay

Forest

Michel Huot and Steve Bédard ............................................................................................... 18

Alternate Year Beechnut Production and its Influence on Bear and Marten

Populations

Walter J. Jakubas.................................................................................................................... 19

Digging Out the Data: USDA Forest Service Research on the Penobscot

Experimental Forest

Laura S. Kenefic, Paul E. Sendak, and John C. Brissette ........................................................... 20

Effects of Silviculture on Mature Forest and Early-successional Shrubland

Passerine Birds in Northern and Central New England

David I. King, Carlin Chandler, Richard Chandler, and Richard M. DeGraaf ......................... 21

VOS – Task Force Recommendations

Kenneth M. Laustsen, CF ....................................................................................................... 22

Forestry and Forest Heritage Tourism Opportunities for Landowners and

Communities

Roger Merchant ...................................................................................................................... 23

Global Trade in Forest Products: Implications for the Forest Products Industry

and Timber Resources in New England

Albert Schuler and Peter Ince .................................................................................................. 24

Impact of a Shelterwood Harvest on the Net Carbon Balance of a Spruce/

Hemlock Dominated Forest in Maine

Neal A. Scott, David Y. Hollinger, Eric A. Davidson, Charles A. Rodrigues,

and D. Bryan Dail ................................................................................................................. 25

Bridging the Gap

Al Schaeffer and Doug Robertson ............................................................................................ 26

Development of Forest Carbon Stock and Stock Change Baselines in Support

of the 2004 Climate Action Plan for Maine

James E. Smith....................................................................................................................... 27
COLE: Carbon On-line Estimator, Version 2

Michael P. Spinney, Paul C. Van Deusen, Linda S. Heath and James E. Smith .......................... 28

Listening to Old Beech & Young Cherry Trees – Experiences in the Alleghenies

& Nearby

Susan L. Stout ........................................................................................................................ 29

Acadia Research Forest: a Primary Forest Research Facility for Natural Resources

Canada, Canadian Forest Service - Atlantic

D. Edwin Swift, Brian Kilpatrick, and Shirley Pegler............................................................... 30

What are National Forests Looking for from Professional Forestry Organizations?

Thomas G. Wagner................................................................................................................. 31

Implementing Forest Stewardship Plans in Urbanizing Areas – Opportunities for

Resource Professionals

Tom Worthley and Roger Monthey ........................................................................................... 32

Poster Presentations

A Forest in Conflict: the Proposal for a 3.2 Million Acre National Park and

Preserve in Maine’s Working Forest

Elizabeth D. Baldwin, Laura S. Kenefic, Wilbur LaPage, and John J. Daigle ............................ 33

Long-term Stand Development in Uneven-aged Northern Hardwoods Under

Selection System Management

Kimberly K. Bohn and Ralph D. Nyland ................................................................................. 34

Variation in Soil Chemical Analytical Results Among Graduate Students

Russell D. Briggs, Donald H. Bickelhaupt, and Eric O. Young .................................................. 35

Massabesic Experimental Forest

John C. Brissette, Paul E. Sendak, Alison C. Dibble, and Catherine A. Rees .............................. 36

Forester’s Guide to NRCS’ Technical Service Provider (TSP) Program

Sally L. Butler ........................................................................................................................ 37

Wildlife Responses to Invasive Shrubs in Early-successional Habitats of

Southeastern New Hampshire

Brendan J. Clifford and John A. Litvaitis ................................................................................ 38

Exotic and Native Tree Plantations at the Fox Research Forest and Vincent State

Forest, New Hampshire

Kenneth Desmarais................................................................................................................. 39

Mice, Mast, and Group-selection Harvest: 20 Years on a Maine Pine-oak Forest

Susan P. Elias, Jack W. Witham, and Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr. .................................................... 40

Aboveground Biomass and Nutrient Content in Developing Hardwood Stands

at Bartlett Experimental Forest, NH

Farrah R. Fatemi ................................................................................................................... 41
The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine – Decadal Responses to Whole Forest

Ecosystem Manipulations

Ivan J. Fernandez, Lindsey E. Rustad, Stephen A. Norton, G. Bruce Wiersma

and J. Stephen Kahl ............................................................................................................... 42

Disturbance History of Old-growth Red Spruce Stands in Northern Maine:

Linking Tree-ring and Stem-mapped Data

Shawn Fraver, Alan S. White .................................................................................................. 43

Changing Landownership in the Northern Forest: Effects on Biodiversity

John M. Hagan, Andrew L. Whitman, and Lloyd C. Irland ..................................................... 44

A State-wide Assessment of the Abundance and Distribution of the Peach Bark

Beetle, Phloeotribus liminaris (Coleoptera: Scolytidae): a Potential Threat to

Black Cherry

Ryan P. Hanavan and Douglas C. Allen .................................................................................. 45

Regeneration of Northern White-cedar Following Silvicultural Treatment:

a Long-term Study

Barbara Hebert, Rejean Gagnon, Catherine LaRouche, Jean-Claude Ruel, Laura S. Kenefic

and John C. Brissette .............................................................................................................. 46

Reality Check: Has the Massachusetts Current-use Tax Program Been Effective

in Deterring Forest Parcelization?

Jaketon H. Hewes ................................................................................................................... 47

Land Use History and Forest Succession on Long Island, Maine

Kristen A. Hoffmann, Alan J. Kimball, and Jeremy S. Wilson ................................................... 48

Stand-level Responses of Northern White-cedar to Silvicultural Treatments in

Central Maine

Philip V. Hofmeyer, Laura S. Kenefic and John C. Brissette...................................................... 49

Ecology and Silviculture of Northern White-cedar

Philip V. Hofmeyer, Laura S. Kenefic, Robert S. Seymour, and John C. Brissette ......................... 50

Competitive Position of the Maine Paper Industry: Benchmarking Against

Competing Regions

Lloyd C. Irland and Robert Rice.............................................................................................. 51

Habitat Features that Influence the Prevalence of Invasive Shrubs in

Early-successional Habitats: the Role of Spatial Scale

Vanessa S. Johnson, John A. Litvaitis, Thomas D. Lee, and Serita D. Frey ................................. 52

Investigating the Onset of Radial Growth Reduction Caused by Balsam Woolly

Adelgid Damage on Balsam Fir in Relation to Climate Using Dendroecological

Methods

Allison M. Kanoti and William H. Livingston ......................................................................... 53

Factors Influencing the Germination, Emergence, and Early Survival of Native

and Non-native Tree Species in the Acadian Forest

Keith G. Kanoti and Robert G. Wagner ................................................................................... 54
Sapling Recruitment and Growth Dynamics in Multi-aged Northern Conifer

Stands: a 20-year Study

Laura S. Kenefic and John C. Brissette..................................................................................... 55

Dynamics of Tree Growth and Composition Following Partial Cutting in an

Oak – Pine Forest in Maine

Laura S. Kenefic, Susan P. Elias, Alan J. Kimball, and Jack W. Witham .................................... 56

Field Efficiency and Bias of Methods for Snag and Cavity Tree Inventory

Robert S. Kenning, Mark J. Ducey, Jeff H. Gove, and John C. Brissette ..................................... 57

P.O. Series – Stand Dynamics

Kenneth M. Laustsen .............................................................................................................. 58

Long-term Effects of Liming on Soil Chemistry in Northern Hardwood Forests

Paul J. Lilly ........................................................................................................................... 59

Simulating Rehabilitation Treatments in Northern Hardwood Stands Following

Diameter-limit Cutting

Michael P. Maguire, Laura S. Kenefic, Jeremy S. Wilson and Ralph D. Nyland ......................... 60

Maine’s Commercial Thinning Research Network: a Long-term Research

Installation Designed to Improve Our Understanding about How Forests

Respond to Thinning

Daniel J. McConville, Robert G. Wagner, and Robert S. Seymour ............................................. 61

The Pack Forest Plain: One of North America’s Oldest Forest Fertilization

Experiments

Christopher A. Nowak ............................................................................................................ 62

Land-use History as a Driver of Current Ecological Processes

John F. O’Keefe, David R. Foster, Glenn Motzkin, and Brian Hall............................................ 63

Effects of Silvicultural Treatments on Coarse Woody Debris in the Catskill

Region

Byung B. Park, Ruth D. Yanai, and René H. Germain ............................................................. 64

Early Development of Gap Origin Northern Conifers: Do Modest Sized Canopy

Openings Provide for Timely Recruitment Opportunities?

David G. Ray, Robert S. Seymour, and John C. Brissette........................................................... 65

Soil Characteristics 30-years Post-harvest on Maine Spruce Flats:

Preliminary Results

Andy B. Reinmann, Laura S. Kenefic, Ivan J. Fernandez, and Walter C. Shortle ....................... 66

Patterns of Aboveground Biomass Accumulation in a Northern Temperate Forest

John B. Richardson, Mark J. Ducey, Marie-Louise Smith ......................................................... 67

Reconstructing the Interactions Between Acer rubrum, Betula lenta and Quercus

rubra in a Mixed-species Forest in Central Massachusetts: Revisiting the Earl

Stephens Plot

Steven S. Roberge ................................................................................................................... 68
Silviculture of Northern White-cedar in Mixedwood Forests

Jean-Claude Ruel, Catherine Larouche, Sabrina Morisette, Jean-Martin Lussier and

Laura S. Kenefic .................................................................................................................... 69

Silviculture and Wildlife in Boreal Irregular Forests: a Cooperative Research

Initiative

Jean-Claude Ruel, David Pothier, Daniel Fortin and Jean-Gabriel Élie .................................... 70

Documenting the Ecological Effects of New Silvicultural Systems in Maine’s

Acadian Forest

Mike Saunders, Robert Wagner, Malcolm Hunter, Jr., Steve Woods, Darci Schofield,

Carol Strojny, Kristopher Abell, and Shelly Thomas .................................................................. 71

Large Area Comparisons of Forest Management Practices (1951– Present)

Thomas M. Schuler, Mary Beth Adams, W. Mark Ford, James N. Kochenderfer,

and Pamela J. Edwards .......................................................................................................... 72

Using Calicioid Lichens and Fungi to Assess Ecological Continuity in the

Acadian Forest

Steven B. Selva ....................................................................................................................... 73

Forty Years of Partial Harvesting in Mixed Northern Conifers in Maine: Results

from the Penobscot Experimental Forest

Paul E. Sendak, John C. Brissette, Robert M. Frank (retired), Laura S. Kenefic ......................... 74

Assessing Christmas Tree Response to N Fertilization

Robert A. Slesak and Russell D. Briggs ..................................................................................... 75

Long-term Research on the USFS Kane Experimental Forest in Northwestern

Pennsylvania

Susan L. Stout and Todd E. Ristau .......................................................................................... 76

Acadia Research Forest: a Living Laboratory

D. Edwin Swift and Brian Kilpatrick ..................................................................................... 77

The Cooperative Forestry Research Unit: a Partnership Between Maine’s Forest

Managers and the University of Maine Since 1975

Robert G. Wagner and Daniel J. McConville ........................................................................... 78

Influence of Silvicultural Intensity and Compositional Objectives on the

Productivity of Regenerating Forest Stands in Maine

Robert G. Wagner, Mike R. Saunders, Keith Kanoti, John C. Brissette,

and Richard J. Dionne ........................................................................................................... 79

Influence of Disturbance on Ingrowth in Hardwood Forests: the Old-series

Plots – 1927-1997

Jeffrey S. Ward........................................................................................................................ 80

Elementary Silviculture: Presenting Forest Science to Children Through the

NSF’s Gk-12 Fellowship

Justin D. Waskiewicz and Laura S. Kenefic.............................................................................. 81
Effect of Harvest Intensity on Soil Physical Properties and Site Productivity in

Riparian Mixedwood Forests

Jamie K. Weaver, Laura S. Kenefic, and Ivan J. Fernandez ....................................................... 82

Lasting Effects of Hurricane Disturbance on Long-term Forest Development at

the Harvard Forest

Kristin R. Wilson, Audrey A. Barker Plotkin and David R. Foster ............................................. 83

Long-term study of a pine – oak forest ecosystem: Holt Research Forest

Jack W. Witham, Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr., Alan J. Kimball, Alan S. White, Susan P. Elias,

and Laura S. Kenefic .............................................................................................................. 84

Tree Regeneration at Holt Research Forest: Impacts of Red Maple Removal and

White-tailed Deer Browsing

Jack W. Witham, Alan J. Kimball, Susan P. Elias, and Laura S. Kenefic .................................... 85
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 1

THE VALUE OF LONG-TERM SILVICULTURE RESEARCH FOR ALL

CATEGORIES OF LANDOWNERS, LARGE AND SMALL, PRIVATE AND PUBLIC

Si Balch

Director of Forest Stewardship, New England Forestry Foundation

32 Foster Street, Littleton, MA 01460

sbalch@newenglandforestry.org

The value of long-term research is that individual people do not live as long as trees and therefore

are unable to watch, learn, and understand the growth and regeneration processes. Even foresters

who are supposed to be aware of this fact often get distracted by life’s other issues. This leads to

forgetting what you know and trying to relearn it.

Long-term silviculture research actually includes any study longer than 10 years. History shows that

this type of work needs to be done by a governmental or educational organization. Private industry

or landowners almost never have the commitment to carry through. Many projects are started and

few are finished.

Results from long-term research must be implemented by foresters working with landowners to be

of any use at all. This applies to all categories of landowners.

Long-term research on regeneration and site productivity are of particular value. Foresters make

decisions daily that they believe to be science-based. They think they understand issues related to

regeneration and productivity, but often do not.

Only a few foresters and research efforts have had the luck, interest, and fortitude to accomplish

long-term research. All foresters talk about it but few actually do it. In my opinion, Bill Leak and

the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station epitomize this wonderful combination of

circumstances.
2 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

LONG-TERM ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH AT THE HARVARD FOREST

Audrey A. Barker Plotkin and David R. Foster

Harvard Forest, Harvard University, P.O. Box 68, Petersham, MA 01366

aabarker@fas.harvard.edu

Permanent plots are a key component of a long-term ecological research program. They provide

direct insight into forest development, complement reconstructive and space-for-time techniques,

and serve as controls to experimental areas. Sites in which the trees are mapped provide detail into

disturbance processes and spatial patterns of forest dynamics. Permanent plot studies have been part

of the Harvard Forest’s mission since it was established in 1907; we present a few examples to

illustrate some of the insights that they have provided.

Since 1909, quantitative forest inventories of the Harvard Forest have been undertaken regularly.

One of these inventories was completed in 1937, fortuitously providing detailed baseline data to

compare to the post-1938 hurricane forest. In 1992, an augmented inventory of the 1937 plots was

completed; analyses highlighted how past land-use is a dominant force in determining current

forest structure and function (Motzkin et al. 1999). This extensive plot system is complemented by

a 3-ha stem-mapped site that has been remeasured decadally since 1969.

The Soil Warming Plots and Nitrogen Saturation Plots were established in 1990 as part of the

Harvard Forest Long-Term Ecological Research program. These are very long running plots for

experimental manipulations, and have yielded surprising, non-linear trends over time (Melillo et al.

2002, Aber 2004). A large stem-mapped hemlock plot was also established in 1990, and its

intensive reconstruction provides a valuable base from which to observe its anticipated decline as

the hemlock woolly adelgid invades the site.

Maintaining field sites and records for long-term plots is a major commitment, especially when

results do not easily lend themselves to publication at each remeasurement cycle. Harvard Forest

has a research assistant, an archivist and a data manager engaged in this activity. Even with this

commitment, it is a challenge to keep up with plot remeasurements and data management,

especially as new studies are simultaneously developed. However, the insights from the long-term

plots are irreplaceable and this continuing legacy is central to the value of Harvard Forest.

Literature Cited

Aber, J.D., ed. 2004. The Harvard Forest (USA) nitrogen saturation experiment: results from

the first 15 years. Special Issue of Forest Ecology and Management. 196: 1-186.

Melillo, J.M., P.A. Steudler, J.D. Aber, K. Newkirk, H. Lux, F.P. Bowles, C. Catricala, A. Magill, T.

Ahrens and S. Morrisseau. 2002. Soil warming and carbon-cycle feedbacks to the climate

system. Science. 298: 2173-2176.

Motzkin, G.M., P. Wilson, D.R. Foster and A. Allen. 1999. Vegetation patterns in heterogeneous

landscapes: the importance of history and environment. Journal of Vegetation Science. 10:

903-920.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 3

USE OF CYBOCEPHALUS NIPPONICUS (COLEOPTERA: NITIDULIDEA) FOR

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF ELONGATE HEMLOCK SCALE, FIORINIA EXTERNA

(HOMOPTERA: DIASPIDAE), IN PENNSYLVANIA FORESTS

E. Michael Blumenthal1, Shahla M. Werner2, and Bradley S. Regester3

1, 2Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Division of Forest Pest

Management, 208 Airport Drive, Middletown, PA 17057 eblumentha@state.pa.us

3

Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Bureau of Forestry, Division of Forest Pest

Management, Northern Area Office, Wellsboro, PA

We have released 82,000 predatory scale-feeding Korean nitidulids, Cybocephalus nipponicus, at 25

hemlock sites infested with the exotic elongate hemlock scale, Fiorinia externa, in southern, eastern,

central and northern areas of Pennsylvania in 2003 and 2004. We released 40,000 C. nipponicus at 14

sites, and made augmentative releases at 5 of these sites, between June and November 2003. We released

42,000 C. nipponicus at 11 new sites and made augmented releases at 12 sites between May and

November 2004. We plan to release 14,000 C. nipponicus at seven (preferably new) sites in 2005. We

are working out the details of timing the seasonal releases with the Alampi Laboratory. It is possible that

we may make releases later in the season to ease time constraints involved with completing projects.

Area Forest Pest Management Specialists used beating sheets to evaluate overwintering and

reproduction of C. nipponicus in the field. Forty C. nipponicus adults were recovered at sites where the

predator was released in 2003. Of these, nine were recovered in the spring, and 31 were recovered in

October. Most recoveries were at a site in the southern area. The presence of adults confirms that the

beetles are able to overwinter in the field. Although we have not yet recovered the tiny beetle larvae, we

assume reproduction is also occurring because of the short lifespan of the adults. These preliminary

results are encouraging for establishing this biocontrol agent in the field.

We assessed the effectiveness C. nipponicus in reducing F. externa populations by comparing the number

of live F. externa on branch samples from a control and release tree at a site in Lycoming County, PA in

2003 and 2004. Several samples contained white hyphae and a black fungus, some of which were

confirmed to be Aschersonia. There were also some tiny black arachnid predators and parasites present

on many of the branches.

On 07/23/03 we observed 1,867 live F. externa, 1,222 on 20 branches (Mean=61.1± 6.1 per 3cm

branch) from a control tree, and 645 on 20 (32.3 ± 3.9) branches on a tree where 2,500 C. nipponicus

were subsequently released. A predatory neuropteran in the family Coniopterygidae was present on one

branch. Many parasitized scales were present. Three months after we released C. nipponicus on 10/10/

03 we observed 1,149 F. externa, 675 on 20 control (33.75 ± 5.3) and 474 (23.7 ± 3.6) on 20 release

branches. We then revisited the site the following year, when we decided to evaluate only ten branches

on each control and release tree. On 06/10/04 we observed 345 F. externa, 202 on 10 control (20.2 ±

5.1) and 143 (14.3 ± 2.8) on 10 release branches. No mature males were observed. On 07/29/04 we

returned for a final evaluation and observed 754 F. externa, 555 on 10 control (55.5 ± 6.9) and 199

(19.9 ± 5.2) on 10 release branches. Nymphs were mostly on new growth, which was more abundant

on the control tree. This may help explain differences in abundance between control and release trees

more than the release of the predatory beetle, but it is still encouraging to see fewer live scales on the

CN release vs. the control tree for all evaluations we made. Jim Lashomb and a graduate student from

Rutgers are currently assessing the efficacy of C. nipponicus. We will follow his investigations closely to

determine if we will continue to use C. nipponicus for biocontrol of F. externa.
4 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

A GROWING NETWORK: REGIONAL INVASIVE PLANT INITIATIVES

IN NEW ENGLAND

Cynthia Boettner

Coordinator, New England Invasive Plant Group (NIPGro), Silvio O. Conte National Fish and

Wildlife Refuge, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 52 Avenue A, Turners Falls, MA 01376

cynthia_boettner@fws.gov

The invasive plant problem is complex and solutions require people from many disciplines.

Collaborative invasive plant initiatives are underway in New England and opportunities abound to

become involved. Individuals from diverse professions and avocations have joined the New England

Invasive Plant Group (NIPGro) that provides conferences, newsletters, email news briefs, and an

information clearinghouse to inform members and foster networking. The next conference is

planned for Sept. 16-18, 2005. Four hundred and fifty volunteers are trained by the Invasive Plant

Atlas of New England (IPANE) to identify and collect data on species known or suspected to be

invasive in the region. Data collected is verified and made available online in map or data format,

along with a wealth of additional information and photos. More training sessions will be held this

spring. NIPGro and IPANE staff are working to facilitate an Early Detection and Rapid Response

network that will enable New Englanders to detect, assess and preempt the establishment of new

invaders. State invasive plant committees, federal agencies, and another regional organization, the

Northeast Aquatic Nuisance Species Task Force provide advice and links to a larger audience. A

grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture currently funds NIPGro and IPANE. The primary

organizers are the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge, the University of

Connecticut, and the New England Wild Flower Society. More information can be found on the

IPANE website (www.ipane.org).
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 5

INVASIVE PLANTS, DEER AND FOREST REGENERATION:

OBSERVATIONS FROM SOUTHEASTERN VERMONT

Jonathan L. Bouton

Windsor County Forester, Department of Forests, Parks and Recreation

212 Holiday Drive, Suite 4, White River Junction, VT 05001

jon.bouton@anr.state.vt.us

In the past fifteen years, foresters in southeastern Vermont have been increasingly disappointed with

their forest regeneration treatments. We have watched good, knee-high northern hardwood

regeneration on good sites succumb to deer browse, invasive exotics and aggressive hay-scented and

New York fern.

This presentation is a collection of observations, theories and speculation about this change to our

forests and how we may be able to adapt. For example, some of us believe that as colonies of

invasive exotic plants become well-established and disperse increasing numbers of seeds to occupy

new areas, deer aid in their success by selectively browsing our regenerating native species. We

speculate that this in turn lowers the forest’s carrying capacity for deer at the same time hunters are

demanding higher deer populations. To successfully adapt, we may need a collaborative, multiaction approach that includes vegetation management that slows the spread of invasives, people

management that breaks down social barriers between hunters and non-hunting landowners, and

deer herd management that prioritizes forest health (carrying capacity) above consumer demands

(hunter and wildlife observation satisfaction).
6 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

FOCUS SPECIES FORESTRY: AN APPLIED APPROACH TO INTEGRATING

TIMBER AND BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT IN THE NORTHEAST

Robert R. Bryan

Maine Audubon, 20 Gilsland Farm Road, Falmouth, ME 04105

rbryan@maineaudubon.org

Forest certification and other forest management programs have required foresters to place greater

emphasis on biodiversity in their management plans. Many traditional wildlife management guides

have featured management for a limited number of species on the a-la-carte menu format, i.e., the

landowner or manager identifies species of interest and follows those recommendations. There are

also some extremely comprehensive wildlife guides that are excellent background references, but

due to their breadth and depth they do not readily lend themselves to field use or ready integration

into forest management plans. Newer guides to biodiversity management typically emphasize

general principles but do not have recommendations specific to species or forest types. Focus

Species Forestry addresses these gaps by providing forest managers with a tool to readily integrate

biodiversity considerations into more traditional approaches to forest management.

Focus Species Forestry has a goal of comprehensive biodiversity management, either as a standalone system or within the context of management for other values such as timber. It is based on 25

focus species that represent the breadth of forest types, development stages, and sensitive habitats

found in the region’s forests. In sum, these species serve as a coarse-filter “umbrella” whose habitat

covers those of all other forest vertebrate wildlife species and most elements of forest biodiversity. A

suite of 12 “primary” focus species has been identified to further streamline forest management

considerations. These species cover early-successional forest, extensive intermediate to mature forest,

late-successional forest, dead and decaying wood, vernal pools, and streams. Management plans for

these habitat types are developed in conjunction with management for other values. Options for

management at different scales (small woodlands and larger, landscape-scale forests) are also

discussed. Sources of information for rare, threatened, or endangered species are also included.

The Maine guide is organized under six broad forest ecosystem types, and includes forest type and

wildlife species management recommendations that can be integrated into typical forest

management plans. By linking management to a relatively short list of easy-to-identify species and

forest types, the goal is to make biodiversity management more understandable and attainable

within a traditional forest management context.

Forest management plans based on Focus Species Forestry should meet the biodiversity

requirements for FSC, SFI, and Tree Farm certification. The species, forest types, and management

recommendations featured in the original Maine guide have broad applicability to the remainder of

New England, New York, the Maritime provinces, southern Quebec and southern Ontario. A

supplement is included with the Maine guide for application in other northeastern states and

provinces. Plans are under way to develop a regional version of the guide.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 7

LANDSCAPE-SCALE FOREST PLANNING —

USING THE AMERICAN MARTEN AS A GUIDE

Barry Burgason

Practicing Ecologist, Huber Resources Corporation, PO Box 554, Old Town, ME 04468

Bburgason@huber.com

Huber Resources is using a habitat model for the American marten as a landscape-scale harvest

planning tool. Based on work by Dr. Dan Harrison of the University of Maine, a marten habitat

unit is defined as approximately 1,250 acres in size. Marten cover necessary for denning, predator

escape and foraging consists of hardwood, softwood or mixed wood stands over 30 feet in height

and >80 square feet of basal area. A successful marten habitat unit will have 70% or more of its area

occupied by these cover stands.

In planning future timber harvests across the landscape, the goal would be to have four or more

marten habitat units per township size area (~23,000 acres) at any given point in time. The concept

is that, over time, these marten habitats will shift across the landscape as the forest is harvested and

re-grows. During the time they are in earlier stages of succession, they provide habitat for a different

suite of species. The marten was selected as a surrogate species because the scale of habitat it

requires appears to benefit a majority of other vertebrate species occurring in northern Maine

forests.
8 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

PROFILES OF WORKING WOODLANDS: EXPANDING THE DEFINITION

OF ACTIVE FOREST MANAGEMENT

Susan Campbell1 and Paul Catanzaro2

1

Associate Director, Massachusetts Woodlands Cooperative

1 Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield, MA 01373

susan@masswoodlands.coop

2

Extension Forestry Specialist in the Department of Natural Resources Conservation at the

University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Holdsworth Natural Resources Center,

160 Holdsworth Way, Amherst, MA 01003

cat@umext.umass.edu

Forest conversion and fragmentation continues to increase in our Northeastern forests, creating

smaller, fragmented parcels owned by landowners who may no longer identify with timber

production. Solutions to these issues should be designed which are both ecologically sound while

economically viable and may mean expanding the traditional definition of active forest

management. Profiles of those that have developed a variety of business models will be presented.

In addition, the presenters will discuss local efforts and new programs to help encourage and

support small, natural resource-based businesses.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 9

LONG-TERM FOREST GENETICS RESEARCH IN NORTHEASTERN

NORTH AMERICA: A SAMPLER

Katherine K. Carter

Department of Forest Management, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

carter@umenfa.maine.edu

Tree breeding research began in the Northeast as early as the 1920s, when the Oxford Paper

Company of Rumford, ME sponsored hybrid poplar breeding work by Dr. Ernest Schreiner. This

research was transferred to the USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station in Durham,

NH in 1937. For the rest of the 20th century, the Station remained active in long-term forest

genetics research on a variety of species, including many research plantations on the Massabesic

Experimental Forest near Alfred, ME. Some recent applications from research originated by the

USDA Forest Service on white pine and sugar maple illustrate the continuing utility of this work.

Various universities in New England also maintain long-term forest genetics research projects.

At about the same time that hybrid poplar research was beginning in the Northeastern U.S., forest

genetics research was also underway in Canada. Much early work was based at Petawawa, Ontario.

Over 300 genetic test plantings still exist there and are available for ongoing research activities.

Applied tree improvement programs began in eastern Canada in 1976 with the cooperative New

Brunswick Tree Improvement program that originated as a joint effort by forest industry, provincial

and federal governments, and universities. The NBTIC seed orchards are now producing adequate

supplies of black spruce, jack pine, and white spruce seed to meet all planting needs in the

province. The provinces of Quebec, Ontario, and Nova Scotia maintain similar long-term applied

tree improvement programs.
10 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

SAMPLING HEMLOCK WOOLLY ADELGID AND DEVELOPING

INSECT-KILLING FUNGI FOR THEIR SUPPRESSION

Scott D. Costa1, Vladimir Gouli, Svetlana Gouli, Margaret Skinner,

Michael Brownbridge and Bruce L. Parker

1

University of Vermont, Entomology Research Laboratory, 661 Spear St., Burlington, VT 05405

Scott.Costa@uvm.edu

The hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae) has been spreading through the eastern United States

for over 50 years destroying hemlock forests and dramatically changing the landscape. However, the

lack of an efficient sampling plan for detecting new infestations and quantifying the percentage of

infested trees hampers foresters and researchers. A survey of 1,700 trees in 17 sites with a wide

range of infestations forms the basis of the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) sampling plan. This is a

statistically based plan that allows for defined reliability of population estimates. Yet the plan is

relatively straightforward in its execution and is flexible enough to accommodate various sampling

goals. The forest practitioner surveys 2 ground-level branches per hemlock tree for the presence or

absence of white woolly masses of adelgid on 1-meter sections. Between 8 and 100 trees are

sampled depending on how many positive trees are found. This allows determination of the

percentage of trees infested at the specified precision level (0.25). No sampling plan can ever

confirm that a hemlock stand is free of HWA. However, after sampling 100 trees and finding no

HWA the conclusion made with 75% reliability using this plan is that HWA infest less than 2% of

trees in the stand.

A concerted effort is underway to develop insect-killing fungi and other biological agents for

management of HWA. The dramatic declines in gypsy moth populations in North America due to

the fungus Entomophaga miamaiga highlight the potential of insect-killing fungi for forest pest

management. Initially, we directed our research on insect-killing fungi toward collecting numerous

isolates and then identifying those with the most insect killing activity. We also examined their

suitability for mass production in anticipation of producing enough fungi for widespread

application. Subsequent research examined fungal efficacy against HWA in the field on single

hemlock branches to assess the rate and timing of fungal application. Lab and field trials examined

the non-target effects of the fungi on Sasajiscymnus tsugae, an introduced predatory beetle of HWA.

The results to date are encouraging for the development of insect-killing fungi as a management

tool for HWA. We are actively researching three isolates, a Verticillium lecanni and two of Beauveria

bassiana, because of their positive profiles for efficacy, mass production potential and compatibility

with the predatory beetle. Field trials between spring 2001 and fall 2003 indicate that significant

reductions in adelgid populations occur with fall application of fungal conidia. These fungi, when

applied at twice field application rate, did not negatively affect the predatory beetle, S. tsugae.

Currently we are optimizing formulations for ULV delivery, further studying non-target effects and

examining fungal persistence. The ability of applied fungi to persist in the environment and have

lasting effects on HWA population dynamics influences the selection of deployment strategies for

widespread applications.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 11

MANAGING FOR BIODIVERSITY IN MAINE’S FORESTS:

A MAINE NATURAL AREAS PROGRAM PERSPECTIVE

Andy Cutko1 and Molly Docherty

Maine Natural Areas Program, State House Station #93, Augusta, ME 02144

Andrew.r.cutko@maine.gov

As forest certification programs have grown in Maine, the Maine Natural Areas Program (MNAP)

has played a key role in providing a number of biodiversity related services to landowners and

foresters. Both SFI and FSC require assessment of biodiversity issues, and MNAP routinely

provides a number of helpful services. MNAP data and products are also an important component

of cost-sharing and forest management plans developed by consulting foresters, who may now

acquire a variety of natural resource information at no charge through “one-stop shopping” at

MNAP. MNAP’s forestry-related services include:

(1) computer-based “screening” of the MNAP database to determine if any important features

(see description of Beginning with Habitat below) are known from a particular site,

(2) field-based site reviews to evaluate potential impacts and develop harvesting plans that are

compatible with protection of important features.

(3) ownership-wide “landscape analysis” using air photos, satellite imagery, and GIS-generated

date to determine sites likely to support important features,

(4) ownership-wide field surveys to document rare species and exemplary natural communities,

and

(5) field-based training on how to recognize and manage sensitive habitats.

Many of these services and projects may be available from Natural Heritage programs in other states.

A substantial amount of the state’s biodiversity-related information has been mapped and

distributed statewide through a groundbreaking, collaborative program known as “Beginning with

Habitat (BWH).” BWH information includes rare species, exemplary natural communities, Maine

Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife (MDIFW) essential habitats (e.g., bald eagle nests),

MDIFW significant habitats (e.g., waterfowl and wading bird habitats), large habitat blocks

(important for wildlife home ranges), streams and wetlands, and other related data. MNAP is

spearheading the accessibility and use of this information by foresters, land use planners, land

trusts, and private landowners.

The Maine Natural Areas Program, a division within the State’s Department of Conservation, is

part of an international network of similar “Natural Heritage” programs that obtain, assess, and

disseminate information on biodiversity. MNAP shares information and works cooperatively with

the Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, which manages wildlife species and

information in the state. See the MNAP and BWH web sites (www.mainenaturalareas.org and

http://www.beginningwithhabitat.org for details).
12 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

ORIENTAL BITTERSWEET: UNDERSTANDING ITS ECOLOGY

AND PLANNING ITS CONTROL

Josh Ellsworth

Restoration Ecologist, Ellsworth Land Management, LLC, 29 Jay Street,

Somerville, MA 02144

elm@comcast.net

Oriental bittersweet (Celastrus orbiculatus) is a woody, twining vine introduced from Asia in the

1860s. It has been widely dispersed by birds, mammals, nurseries and the ornamental wreath trade.

It is now common in much of the Northeast and poses a serious, long-term threat to silviculture in

the region. Once established, Oriental bittersweet can quickly overtop trees along roads, in clearings

and in forest gaps. Dense invasions can effectively halt forest succession and the vines can spread

from treetop to treetop, creating dangerous felling conditions. Because of its ability to survive in the

shade for several years and then grow rapidly after overstory removal, foresters should learn to

recognize and control Oriental bittersweet in the understory before timber is harvested. This talk

will focus on the suite of ecological traits that should be considered when monitoring for

bittersweet and planning its control. Preferred control methods will also be discussed.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 13

INFLUENCE OF FOREST PRACTICES ON STAND-SCALE HABITAT

SELECTION BY LYNX IN NORTHERN MAINE: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Angela K. Fuller and Daniel J. Harrison

Department of Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469

angela.fuller@umit.maine.edu

Canada lynx (Lynx canadensis) occur across much of the northern United States and Canada, but

little is known about lynx-habitat relationships in eastern North America. Results of the few habitat

studies conducted on lynx throughout their North American range have been extrapolated to areas

with potentially unique ecologies, including differences in climate, prey abundance, predator-prey

communities, and rates of forest succession. Data on lynx-habitat relationships is lacking for eastern

North America; Maine supports the only verified population of lynx east of Minnesota in the

United States. Lynx have recently been provincially listed as an endangered species in Nova Scotia,

and are of increasing management interest throughout eastern Canada.

Lynx are considered specialists on snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), and habitat use by lynx is

closely associated with density of snowshoe hares. It is important to determine the direct and

indirect effects of silvicultural practices on habitat choice by wide ranging species that depend on

hares, such as lynx. Within the Acadian forest, hares are closely associated with regenerating stands

with an abundant coniferous understory. Silvicultural practices that create early-successional stages

may increase densities of snowshoe hares and associated foraging opportunities for lynx. However,

habitat use by lynx may be associated with more than just access to snowshoe hares, but with

overstory and understory features related to protection from predation. Partial harvesting has the

potential to reduce habitat quality for lynx because partially harvested stands had the lowest

densities of snowshoe hares during winter among all overstory types (including regenerating

clearcut, coniferous, deciduous, and mixedwood stands) sampled in north central Maine. Partial

harvesting is commonly practiced in Maine and eastern Canada, but it is unknown how lynx

respond to the forest structure and reduced density of hares in these stands. Thus, we evaluated the

stand-scale effects of forest practices, including partial harvesting and clearcutting, on lynx in

northern Maine.

We evaluated habitat selection at the scale of the forest stand by comparing the distance traveled by

lynx in each overstory type to the percent of those overstory types within the home range of each

lynx. We snowtracked six radio-collared lynx (3 females, 3 males) for 64 km January - March, 2002

and 2003. We utilized continuous GPS sampling to track lynx and recorded overstory type along

the lynx trails. Habitat selection by lynx was strongest for short mid-successional regenerating

clearcuts (11-14’ tall, 11-22 years old). Partially harvested stands (1-10 years old) were also selected

for, but were ranked below short mid-successional regenerating clearcuts. Lynx selected against tall

mid-successional regenerating clearcuts (15-24’, 11-26 years old) and strongly selected against

mature second-growth stands. There was extremely low use of early regenerating clearcuts (<11

years old) and these stands were avoided at the scale of the home range likely because of very low

densities of snowshoe hares.
14 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

 REGENERATION STRATEGIES OF JAPANESE BARBERRY

(BERBERIS THUNBERGII DC) IN COASTAL FORESTS OF MAINE

Jennifer D’Appollonio, William H. Livingston, and Robert G. Wagner

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

jennifer.dappollonio@maine.edu

Invasive exotic plant species have been shown to threaten biodiversity, habitat quality, and

ecosystem functions, as well as agricultural and silvicultural economics via loss of revenue and high

costs of invasive control programs. Invasion into intact closed-canopy forest ecosystems is less

common than in open (e.g. grassland) habitats. However, one invasive species that has successfully

invaded forests is the introduced ornamental shrub Japanese barberry (Berberis thunbergii DC.) in

the family Berberidaceae. Japanese barberry was introduced over 125 years ago and is becoming a

major threat to native systems, but relatively little has been published about the basic biology or

ecology of the species. Gaps in knowledge include shortages of published information about

regeneration dynamics and seedbanks. This study addresses the questions: (1) What is the density

and origin of regenerating Japanese barberry and other species before and after removal of the

Japanese barberry overstory? (2) Does a portion of Japanese barberry seeds remain viable for at least

a year under natural conditions? (3) Do varying temperature and moisture regimes affect the

germination success of seeds with and without the presence of Japanese barberry fruit pulp?

These questions will be addressed by two separate studies. The first study encompasses questions 1

and 2 and consists of a field study and greenhouse study. Monhegan Island, ME, and Wells

National Estuarine Research Reserve in Wells, ME, have been chosen for study sites due to high

levels of barberry invasion. A continuous stand of Japanese barberry will be delineated at each site,

and transects will be cut through each stand to allow access to sample plots. A maximum of thirty

1m radius plots will be cleared and sampled on Monhegan Island in late summer 2004 before the

current year’s fruits ripen. Measurements will include percent cover of Japanese barberry, percent

overstory shade, Japanese barberry regeneration counts, and the presence of other species. A pair of

soil samples (14cm x 14cm x 10cm) will be collected from one half of each plot. One soil sample

will be placed in a greenhouse setting, and Japanese barberry seedlings will be counted as they

emerge. The other soil sample in each pair will be kept in cold storage over the winter and will be

processed using the same methods in spring 2005. One soil sample in up to 30 additional sample

plots will be collected in spring 2005 on Monhegan Island and from another 30 plots on the Wells

Research Reserve. The undisturbed halves of all sample plots will be sampled in late summer 2005

to gather additional regeneration data for Japanese barberry and other species.

Study Two consists of collecting ripe fruits from the two sites and germination of intact fruits,

extracted seeds, and commercially collected control seeds in growth chambers. Replicates of 25

control seeds and 25 extracted seeds will be incubated in growth chambers to identify the optimum

temperature and moisture regimes for germination. An additional 25 seeds in berries will be used in

each replicate to evaluate the influence of the fruit pulp on germination.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 15

A BIODIVERSITY SCORECARD FOR SUSTAINABLE FORESTRY:

SIMPLIFYING COMPLEXITY

John M. Hagan and Andrew A. Whitman

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, 14 Maine St., Brunswick, ME 04011

jmhagan@ime.net

Maintaining biodiversity is a fundamental goal of sustainable forestry certification. But how do we

know if “life in all its forms” is being maintained? Biodiversity can seem overwhelmingly complex.

A quandary arises: the number of species and all their potential interactions simply cannot be

quantified, and yet something that is not being measured cannot be managed. The only practical

approach to assessing life in all its forms is to measure a relatively few components of the forest

system (e.g., species, processes, stressors) that are correlated with as many other components of the

system as possible—in essence, indicators. Most sustainable forestry indicators are called “policy

response” indicators. That is, the indicator itself is the implementation of a company policy that is

supposed to maintain biodiversity. Policy response indicators do not actually tell you how

biodiversity is doing. We are developing a Biodiversity Scorecard for sustainable forestry. The

Scorecard will be comprised of 8-12 “condition” indicators that inform the land managers about

the status of biodiversity on their landbase. The Scorecard approach integrates the values of

stakeholders into the indicator selection process to give the indicators social legitimacy. At the same

time, condition indicators must be practical and affordable to measure by the land manager. This

presentation will discuss the process for selecting condition indicators, and present some of the first

indicators in the Scorecard. With quantitative indicators that reflect specific biodiversity values,

landowners can actually link the results of the indicators with their decision making (i.e., they can

make real decisions with the results). Condition indicators will begin to move sustainable forestry

into the realm of quantitative science.
16 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

WHAT LANDOWNERS AND FOREST MANAGERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT

FOREST CARBON: A BACKGROUND FROM GLOBAL TO LOCAL

Linda S. Heath

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH 03824

lheath@fs.fed.us

Carbon sequestration is becoming an important land management objective because growing trees

and vegetation can reduce the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. Many scientists believe

that increasing the concentration of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide in the atmosphere will

affect the climate. Concern over human-induced climate change prompted many nations, including

the United States, to sign and later ratify the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate

Change in the 1990s. The agreement to work to stabilize greenhouse gas concentrations has

spawned an increasing number of discussions and activities about actions that can reduce

atmospheric greenhouse gases. More recently, and at a more local level, states are increasingly

working for clean air, including the possibility of regulating the amount of carbon dioxide release.

Human activities such as burning fossil fuels for transportation or electricity generation and altering

land and vegetation for food or shelter release gases into the atmosphere. Eighty percent of the total

greenhouse gas emissions of the U.S. is related specifically to carbon dioxide exchange. Depending

on the land management activity, the unseen greenhouse gases are released or stored. Carbon can be

taken from the atmosphere as carbon dioxide and stored—called sequestration—by growing trees

and vegetation. Carbon continues to be stored in wood products after harvest, or in landfills after

wood or paper products are thrown away. Thus, landowner management decisions affect how much

carbon is being sequestered or emitted from their forests and farms. For the U.S. as a whole in

2003, it is estimated that forests store at least 10 percent of the total emissions from all other

sectors. Land management activities are viewed as a relatively cost-efficient way of reducing net

emissions.

Basic methods are presented for forest managers and landowners to learn how to estimate carbon

sequestration for their forests. The more a landowner knows about their specific forests and

management activities, the more precise the estimates. The existing 1605(b) voluntary reporting

program for greenhouse gas activities in the U.S., and the updated methods currently under review,

are discussed.

The unknown of greatest interest to most managers of forest land in the U.S. is: will there be

payments for carbon credits, and if so, when? Although the answer is not known to this question,

it is clear that markets for carbon credits from managing lands have edged closer to reality over the

last decade. Since the Kyoto Protocol has been ratified and entered into force, carbon credits will be

actively traded in at least some parts of the world. The more interest in a carbon market, the more

likely the market will occur.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 17

CARBON STORAGE IN NORTHEASTERN US FOREST SOILS

Coeli M. Hoover

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH 03824

choover@fs.fed.us

Ongoing climate change negotiations have focused attention on the role of forests in the global

carbon cycle; this role is also important in international sustainability agreements such as the

Montreal Process. Consequently, understanding the effects of forest management on forest carbon

cycles is a high priority. The soil carbon pool is poorly understood; little is known about the rate of

carbon accumulation, the maximum amount of carbon that can be stored in soils, the effects of

vegetation type on carbon dynamics, or the effects of forest management on soil carbon cycles. This

study utilizes pre-existing thinning studies in the Northeastern and North Central Research Station

areas to obtain baseline data and to assess the effects of management practices on soil carbon

storage.

Soils from thinned and unthinned stands were sampled from the following forests over a 3-year

period: Argonne Experimental Forest (EF), Bartlett EF, Fernow EF, SUNY Heiberg Memorial

Forest, Kane EF, Middle Mountain Research Area (Monongahela National Forest), and the

Penobscot EF. Thinning treatments varied by study site, though experimental designs were often

similar. Generally, three replicate plots per treatment were available for sampling in each forest.

Most of the studies were installed in the mid-1970s and had been thinned once. When available,

old growth stands or stands without histories of recent management were also sampled.

Soil carbon content from 0-20 cm depth was variable across forests, ranging from about 30 – 70

metric tons of carbon per hectare (MT C/ha), with most plots between about 45-60 MT C/ha.

Forest floor carbon content varied between 2.5 and 28 MT C/ha, with many sites falling between

7-10 MT C/ha. No consistent relationship between thinning intensity and soil or forest floor

carbon content or concentration was found. In general, thinning treatments appeared to have no

significant effect on carbon storage. At a few forests, however, significant differences were apparent.

Work continues to identify which local factors may affect the response of the soil carbon pool to

forest management treatments, including soil texture, parent material, and management history.
18 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

LONG-TERM HARDWOOD RESEARCH WORK IN QUÉBEC:

THE EXAMPLE OF DUCHESNAY FOREST

Michel Huot1 and Steve Bédard2

1

Direction des programmes forestiers, Ministère des ressources naturelles, de la Faune et des Parcs,

880 Chemin Sainte-Foy, Québec, PQ G1S 4X4

michel.huot@mrnfp.gouv.qc.ca

2

Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des ressources naturelles,

de la Faune et des Parcs, Sainte-Foy, PQ

Duchesnay was officially created in 1933 and now covers a 8900-ha forested area. Diameter-limit

cuttings were the common method used in mixedwood and hardwood stands. However, some areas

were clearcut in the 1930s for charcoal production, therefore providing opportunities for even-aged

management studies. The predominant cover is sugar maple-yellow birch-American beech.

The first studies date back to the mid 1940s and dealt with yellow birch regeneration and forest

pathology. Major efforts in research coincide with Lise Robitaille joining the newly created

provincial research service. As a forester, she worked on the second management plan of Duchesnay

and initiated several basic studies in northern hardwood silviculture. A first group of studies is

about diameter-limit cutting (1972-1974), precommercial thinning in a 30-yr-old maple stand,

and management for sap and sugar production. Also, a high-graded stand was clearcut in 1972

providing opportunities for studying new methods. On half of the clearcut, site preparation, direct

seeding and plantation were applied in May 1974 to determine which species performed the best in

rehabilitating the area. Several hardwood and softwood species were used in the test, and the other

half was left to develop naturally.

A second group of studies were started in the early 1980s, focusing on new regeneration methods

and intensive management for veneer yellow birch production. For a while, strip-cutting was

applied and some of the strips enriched with a low density of eastern white pine, Norway spruce

and red spruce. In 1982, a combination of thinning, fertilization and pruning treatments were

applied in the 10-yr-old hardwood stand. At the time, it was hypothesized that an earlier

intervention would bring more interesting growth results.

While these studies were being followed-up, new situations developed, like some hardwood decline

in the sugarbush study. Reaction against the use of clearcutting has prompted the development of a

new uneven-aged management approach. A forest ecologist started new silvicultural studies at

another research forest known as Mousseau Experimental Forest. Papers about these studies have

been published mostly in French. In the early 1990s, new researchers joined the organization and

took over the remeasurement process. Over those years, Duchesnay has been used by other agencies

(Laval University; CFS Laurentian) as well. Tours on hardwood silviculture are being organized and

ecotourism continues to develop with Sépaq.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 19

ALTERNATE YEAR BEECHNUT PRODUCTION AND ITS INFLUENCE ON BEAR

AND MARTEN POPULATIONS

Walter J. Jakubas

Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife, 650 State Street, Bangor, ME 04401

Maine’s Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife is interested in determining the amount of

beech (Fagus grandifolia) needed on the landscape to support bear and other wildlife populations.

Long-term monitoring of Maine’s black bear (Ursus americana) and marten (Martes americana)

populations indicate that beechnut production may be correlated to alternate year patterns in bear

reproduction and marten harvest rates. In northern Maine, 22% of the female black bears that were

reproductively available reproduced following falls when beechnut production was poor. The

proportion of reproducing females increased (P < 0.001) to 80% following falls when beechnut

production was high. Female bears must accumulate sufficient fat reserves to reproduce. Female

bears (≥ 7 yr of age) were heavier following good beechnut years. After 21 years of a consistent

alternate year pattern in bear reproduction, the reproductive pattern changed in 2003. Possible

explanations related to beechnut production and forestry are discussed. For marten, trapping

harvests rates exhibit a strong alternate year pattern where harvest rates during odd-numbered years

are double the harvest rates of even-numbered years. Marten harvest patterns are similar (P < 0.001;

r

2

 = 0.65) in northern Maine and the Adirondacks of New York, and appear to be inversely related

to beechnut production. Two hypotheses have been proposed to explain the variance in harvest

rates: (1) marten are difficult to attract to baited traps during years when beechnuts are abundant

(2) increased energy intake from small mammals and nuts during a good beechnut year increases

kit production or survival. This results in a large number of juveniles available for trapping the

following fall. We conclude that more information is needed on mast production to better

understand the influence of beech on northern ecological communities.
20 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

DIGGING OUT THE DATA: USDA FOREST SERVICE RESEARCH ON THE

PENOBSCOT EXPERIMENTAL FOREST

Laura S. Kenefic1, Paul E. Sendak2, and John C. Brissette2

1

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, 686 Government Road, Bradley, ME 04411

lkenefic@fs.fed.us

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

In 1950 a number of pulp and paper and land-holding companies purchased land in the towns of

Bradley and Eddington, Maine. This land was leased to the USDA Forest Service, Northeastern

Research Station to be used for a long-term experiment in silviculture of northern conifers.

Frequently occurring conifers include balsam fir, red spruce, eastern hemlock, northern white-cedar,

and eastern white pine, in mixedwood stands with maple, birch, and aspen species. Since the 1950s,

a dozen silvicultural treatments have been applied in a 560-acre study. Each treatment is replicated

at the stand level, with an extensive network of permanent sample plots. Growth and regeneration

data have been collected before and after every harvest and at 5-year intervals between harvests since

the study began, providing more than 50 years of data.

The Forest Service experiment on the PEF encompasses even-, two-, and uneven-aged silvicultural

systems. Regeneration methods include selection cutting on 5-, 10-, and 20-year cutting cycles,

shelterwood with two- and three-stage overstory removals, and shelterwood with retention.

Common removal-driven harvesting practices, such as diameter-limit cutting and unregulated

harvesting are also included in the study. Cooperators, mostly faculty and graduate students from

the University of Maine, have conducted many short-term studies of ecosystem function and

wildlife-habitat relationships within the long-term research area.

Forest Service research on the PEF has been an important source of information about advance

regeneration, seed viability, feasibility of regeneration methods, leaf area relationships, effects of

removal-driven harvests, sustainability of stand structure and composition, habitat suitability, and

precommercial thinning. The most recent comprehensive evaluation of treatment effects established

differences between treatments in stand-level gross growth, composition, quality, and structure

(Sendak et al. 2003).

The experiment is approximately half way through an even-aged rotation for the dominant conifer

species. Research Work Unit NE-4155 (Ecology and Management of Northern Forests) is revising

the study plan based on analysis of stand structural and compositional changes and growth and

yield over the first 45 years of the study. The existing uneven-aged systems will be continued with

prescription modifications, and new treatments will be prescribed for the even- and two-aged

stands. The Forest Service is committed to maintaining the research and anticipates that its value as

a source of long-term data will continue to increase in the future.

Literature Cited

Sendak, P.E.; Brissette, J.C.; Frank, R.M. 2003. Silviculture affects composition, growth, and

yield in mixed northern conifers: 40-year results from the Penobscot Experimental Forest.

Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 33: 2116-2128.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 21

EFFECTS OF SILVICULTURE ON MATURE FOREST AND EARLYSUCCESSIONAL SHRUBLAND PASSERINE BIRDS IN NORTHERN

 AND CENTRAL NEW ENGLAND

David I. King1, Carlin Chandler2, Richard Chandler2, and Richard M. DeGraaf1

1

Northeastern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, University of Massachusetts,

Amherst, MA 01003 dking@fs.fed.us

2

Department of Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA.

In this presentation, we will outline some general patterns of mature forest and early successional

shrubland bird distribution and reproductive success in relation to various silvicultural treatments.

Mature forest birds are negatively affected by even-aged management during the nesting portion of

the reproductive cycle because breeding habitat is lost in the treatment area itself, and because bird

territories are displaced, and nesting success lower, in adjacent mature forest habitat. After the

young leave the nest, however, many mature forest birds move into regenerating clearcuts with their

broods; in New Hampshire we found that the ratio of mistnet captures in clearcuts versus mature

forest was >100:1.

Even-aged management is beneficial to early successional birds. Regenerating clearcuts and

shelterwoods are typically colonized within a few years of treatment. The time period during which

the habitat created by these practices remains suitable varies among species, with some dropping

out 3-5 years (e.g. mourning warbler), and others declining in abundance but remaining on site for

as long as a decade (e.g. chestnut-sided warbler). It does not appear that patch size affects the

distribution or reproductive success of shrubland birds in northern New England as long as patches

are >0.5 ha and located in a cluster, as practiced in group selection (King et al. 2004). It is not clear

whether small, isolated patches are lower quality habitat for these species. In southern New

England, however, some species do appear to prefer larger patches (e.g. prairie warblers). Nest

success in clearcuts in New Hampshire is extremely high, far higher than nest success in powerline

rights-of-ways or managed wildlife openings. Nest success in Massachusetts clearcuts substantially

lower than nest success in New Hampshire clearcuts. Whether this difference is due to differences

in landscape composition, predator community, or habitat is the subject of current research.

Most mature forest and early successional birds are less abundant in stands managed using unevenaged management than unmanaged forest and early regeneration even aged stands, respectively.

There are exceptions to this (e.g. some flycatchers). Also, most if not all early successional passerines

use openings created by group selection in northern New England as long as patches are >0.5 ha.

Prairie warblers, which occur in southern New England, are far less abundant in small patches

relative to clearcuts in Missouri, and the same is probably true for this and other species in southern

New England. Group selection removes habitat for mature forest birds, and results in increased nest

predation in adjacent mature forest, and because it creates more edge per unit area cut than evenaged management, group selection can contribute to the fragmentation of forest stands.
22 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

VOS – TASK FORCE RECOMMENDATIONS

Kenneth M. Laustsen, CF

VOS-TF Member at Large, 16 Mae Terrace, Waterville, ME 04901

ken.laustsen@maine.gov

In December 2002, the Society of American Foresters (SAF) Council chartered the Volunteer

Organizational Structure – Task Force (VOS-TF) with three objectives:

1) To evaluate the implementation success of the 1994 VOS TF report.

2) To evaluate the effectiveness of the current organizational structure in meeting the mission

and strategic direction of the Society of American Foresters.

3) To recommend changes to improve the vitality and effectiveness of the organization.

Due to other intervening SAF conflicts, the task force roster was not finalized until August 2003,

and SAF Council amended the charter for a completion date and report by December 2004. The

37-page report was submitted to SAF Council on December 4, 2004.

The VOS-TF reiterates its view that the recommended changes in SAF organizational structure and

to broaden the scope of the forestry professional and the related membership of the SAF are vital to

the future sustainability of SAF and the forestry profession. We urge the Council and SAF

leadership to address them with utmost urgency.

Because of the number and nature of changes that it proposes, the VOS-TF suggests to Council

that the first step in evaluating and implementing the recommendations should be a joint process

that includes both Council and broader SAF leadership. This joint process is critical to ensure

accurate understanding of what is proposed, to build leadership consensus in support of them, and

to create a united message that is delivered with conviction to SAF members from their leaders.

It is the VOS-TF estimate that the implementation phase could take approximately 1 year to

understand and gain acceptance and then 1 to 2 years for the subsequent implementation

transition. It will require a membership referendum to alter the SAF constitution.

The recommendations are proffered so that SAF can regain its role as a strong and relevant

organization for professional forestry and forest resources management.

Literature Cited

Smith, D.W. Chair. Volunteer Organizational Structure Task Force – A Report to the SAF

Council. December 4, 2004.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 23

FORESTRY AND FOREST HERITAGE TOURISM OPPORTUNITIES FOR

LANDOWNERS AND COMMUNITIES

Roger Merchant

Extension Educator, Natural Resources and Community Development, University of Maine

Cooperative Extension, Dover-Foxcroft, ME

rogerm@umext.maine.edu

This workshop will provide information about forest heritage and a framework for assessing natural

resource based tourism opportunities at woodlot and community levels. Participants will be

oriented to planning and evaluation tools that incorporate personal, forest resource and business

attributes into the opportunity assessment process.
24 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

GLOBAL TRADE IN FOREST PRODUCTS: IMPLICATIONS FOR THE FOREST

PRODUCTS INDUSTRY AND TIMBER RESOURCES IN NEW ENGLAND

Albert Schuler1 and Peter Ince2

1

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Princeton, WV 24740

aschuler@fs.fed.us

2

USDA Forest Service, Forest Products Lab, Madison, WI

Global trade in forest products has been expanding at 4.5% per year over the past decade; however,

the U.S. is losing its competitive position. Today, we import 20% of our paper and board; 25% of

our plywood and OSB; 37% of our softwood lumber; 55% of wood household furniture; 30% of

hardwood molding, and 50% of softwood molding. In 1990, we were self-sufficient in OSB and

plywood and we produced almost 80% of the softwood lumber, molding products, and household

wood furniture consumed in this country. Globalization and other trends have exposed our

domestic industries to new and stronger international competitors while shifts in currency exchange

rates are playing a bigger role in global commodity markets. Studies have identified a clear trend in

forest products (indeed U.S. manufacturing in general) away from labor intensive and toward more

capital intensive enterprises.

The New England forest products industry is one of the least competitive regions in the U.S. Wood

costs are approximately 20% to 25% higher than the U.S. South, and, as consumption of

plantation wood expands, the South’s cost advantage will increase. In addition, with commodities,

scale economies are key, and plant size in New England is only about half the scale of sawmills and

OSB mills in the South and Canada. How does the industry see New England as a potential

investment - you can count on one hand the number of new mills (lumber, OSB, pulp & paper)

built in the past decade.

What about the forest resource? We believe that to have a healthy forest resource, we need a healthy

forest products industry. There is a high correlation between timberland values, timberland prices,

and profitability of conversion facilities. The U.S. forest products industry is not as healthy as its

counterparts in South America and Europe where average ROCE (return on capital employed) for

past 6 years is 7.5% in South America; 6.5% in Europe; compared to 5.3% in the U.S. and 4.3%

in Canada. Part of the reason is that real CAPEX spending by our lumber industry, for example,

has fallen 28% in the past 6 years.

Is there a solution? We believe some of our industry has to move up the food chain by adding value

to their product mix; others (ex. Boise and GP) will move up the supply chain by divesting

timberlands and forest product operations while becoming “consumer product” companies;

consolidation will help those that decide to stay in commodities; others will have to find niche

markets while some disappear altogether. A key to moving up the food chain will be more R&D,

but the forest products industry doesn’t do much R&D. That will have to change. If the forest

products industry is to become globally competitive, things need to change, which in turn will

require strong leadership.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 25

IMPACT OF A SHELTERWOOD HARVEST ON THE NET CARBON BALANCE

OF A SPRUCE/HEMLOCK DOMINATED FOREST IN MAINE

Neal A. Scott1, David Y. Hollinger2, Eric A. Davidson1, Charles A. Rodrigues3,

and D. Bryan Dail3

1

Woods Hole Research Center, PO Box 296, Woods Hole, MA 02543

nscott@whrc.org

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

3

Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME

Forest management practices can have a large impact on rates of carbon sequestration in forest, yet

little research has explored the magnitude and direction of these changes for different management

practices. This is a critical issue in the northeastern U.S., where a majority of forests are managed

with varying degrees of intensity. Harvesting activities give rise to a short-term decline in leaf area

and an increase in detritus on the forest floor, but whether this leads to a reduction in net carbon

sequestration over time depends greatly on rates of individual tree growth after harvest. We

evaluated the impact of a commercial shelterwood harvest on forest carbon sequestration in a

spruce-hemlock forest in central Maine. A cut-to-length system with forwarding was used. Under

this management system, one ~60-year rotation includes three harvests, each removing about onethird of the basal area. This type of management has increased dramatically throughout the region

over the past decade.

Harvesting removed about 15 Mg C/ha (SEM=2.1) (~30%), and created about 5.3 Mg C/ha

(SEM=1.1) of aboveground and 5.2 Mg C/ha (SEM=0.7) of root/stump detritus. Leaf-area index

and litterfall declined by about 40% with harvest. A comparison of summer-time net ecosystem

exchange (NEE) of carbon between unharvested and harvested stands, both pre- and post-harvest,

indicated that NEE for this period declined following the harvest by about 18%, which is less than

expected based on basal area and LAI changes. Soil respiration declined slightly with harvest,

suggesting no major soil C loss after harvest; harvesting had little effect on soil moisture and

temperature. Three years after harvest, summer daytime NEE measurements indicate similar rates

of carbon sequestration in both the harvested and unharvested stands. These results suggest that the

forest has returned to pre-harvest rates of carbon sequestration faster than expected due to either

increased total uptake or more efficient formation of woody biomass following forest harvest.
26 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

BRIDGING THE GAP

Al Schaeffer1 and Doug Robertson2

1

OHTS Forestry/Wood Harvesting Instructor, Maine Department of Education

PO Box 313, Norway, ME 04268

aschaeffer@sad17.k12.me.us

2

Agriculture Consultant and Maine State FFA Advisor

Presenters will show that there are still young people in Maine who want to work in Maine’s forests.

Many of these people are enrolled in Maine’s vocational forestry training programs across the state.

They will also present information on various vocational educational leadership organizations and

show how one in particular, National FFA, can be used to help students in vocational forestry and

wood harvesting programs connect with logging contractors, foresters, and others associated with

Maine’s forest resources. Particular attention will be given to the FFA’s Supervised Agricultural

Experience program and how this can be used to develop leadership, business, communication, and

organizational skills, as well as confidence.

Presenters will also discuss how forming a consortium of vocational forestry educators, forest

products industry associations and foresters, logging contractors and others associated with this

industry could serve to attract young people as well as enhance and further develop the education

and training needed for young people to succeed now and in the near future in Maine’s forests.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 27

DEVELOPMENT OF FOREST CARBON STOCK AND STOCK CHANGE

BASELINES IN SUPPORT OF THE 2004 CLIMATE ACTION PLAN FOR MAINE

James E. Smith

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH 03824

jsmith11@fs.fed.us

An overview of issues, data, assumptions, and results pertinent to the development of forest carbon

baselines for Maine is presented. Forest carbon stocks and stock changes, including additional

effects of land use change and long-term retention of carbon in some harvested wood products,

were determined for the period from 1990 through the present. The analysis was compiled for the

Agriculture and Forestry Working Group of the Maine Greenhouse Gas Initiative in early 2004.

Forests are the predominant land cover in Maine. These forest lands represent large reservoirs of

organic carbon in live vegetation, dead woody materials, and in the soil. Growing forests are carbon

sinks, which remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through photosynthesis and subsequent

carbon reduction and incorporation into organic molecules. Alternatively, respiration and decay are

mechanisms for emission of carbon from forests to the atmosphere. Carbon sequestered in plant

biomass serves as a potential offset to the current net release of greenhouse gases in the U.S. Rates

of sequestration or release of carbon to the atmosphere by forests can be affected by land use and

forest management practices. Thus, estimates of recent trends in forest carbon serve as baselines for

projecting outcomes of alternate mitigation options as presented in the Climate Action Plan.

Current estimates indicate Maine forests are currently net carbon sinks.

Forest ecosystem carbon estimates are based on the simulation model FORCARB2, which develops

inventory-based estimates of stocks according to discrete carbon pools. Stock change, or net annual

flux, is based on the difference between two successive stocks divided by the number of years

between surveys. Maine forest inventory surveys summarized by the USDA Forest Service for 1982,

1995, and 2002 serve to identify stocks; intermediate values and stock changes are based on

interpolation and extrapolation of these stocks.

Land use change—either forest land becoming non-forest or non-forest land becoming forest—

affects the change in total forest stocks between surveys principally through the addition or deletion

of land included in a stock estimate. For purposes of the Maine Greenhouse Gas Initiative, carbon

accounting on these changed-use lands was not transferred to another (non-forest) sector but rather

the calculated forest stock change was modified to account for expected additional sequestration or

emissions associated with the land use change. For example, forest land transferred to non-forest

land use was assumed to emit two-thirds of tree carbon; the remaining carbon was included in the

calculation of stock change. Carbon in harvested wood products can remain in products in use or

in landfills for many years. Estimates of stock change are based on the model HARVCARB and on

wood harvested and processed in Maine as well as imports, as reported in the annual Maine Wood

Processor Reports.
28 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

COLE: CARBON ON-LINE ESTIMATOR, VERSION 2

Michael P. Spinney1, Paul C. Van Deusen1, Linda S. Heath2 and James E. Smith2

1

National Council for Air and Stream Improvement, Lowell, MA

mspinney@ncasi.org

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

The Carbon On-Line Estimator (COLE) is an Internet-based forest carbon inventory database

analysis tool. Each component of the program (data retrieval, statistical analysis and output) can be

individually modified to accommodate major changes or additions. Carbon estimates are derived

from FIA data and other ecological data, and includes multiple components of above- and belowground carbon stocks and carbon stock change. The user selects the county, state, or region and

variable of interest, and the appropriate data are retrieved. After the user selects an area and

variables, COLE can produce statistical tables, figures, maps, and PDF reports, as designated by the

user. Analysis complexity ranges from basic “one-click” analyses to advanced statistical analysis. All

outputs can be downloaded for customized use.

Access COLE at: http://ncasi.uml.edu/COLE
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 29

LISTENING TO OLD BEECH & YOUNG CHERRY TREES – EXPERIENCES

IN THE ALLEGHENIES & NEARBY

Susan L. Stout

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Warren, PA

sstout@fs.fed.us

This paper will provide an overview of the value and benefits associated with long-term forestry

research, using examples from the Allegheny Plateau region of northwestern Pennsylvania. The

presentation will include examples from “reference condition” long-term research as well as longterm manipulative research. The values and benefits to be examined include humility, ecological

interactions, quantification of trade-offs, documentation of long-term cost & benefit streams, and

answers to unanticipated questions. The talk will also discuss some of the costs of long-term studies

and the barriers to sustaining them.

One focus will be on studies that represent the “reference condition” concept of long-term research,

focused on studies in the Tionesta Scenic and Research Natural Areas (Bjorkbom and Larsen 1977),

a 4,000-acre tract on the Allegheny National Forest. This area is considered one of the best

representatives of the beech-hemlock forests that covered more than 16 million acres at the time of

European settlement. Since being set aside as a Research Natural Area, it has provided critically

important data about natural disturbance regimes at several scales, the impact of white-tailed deer

on forest communities, and forest change in the face of exotic insects and diseases, specifically

including the beech bark disease complex.

The other focus will be on medium and long-term studies conducted across the Allegheny Plateau

region over the last 8 decades. These include studies of stand development (Marquis 1992),

silvicultural systems, white-tailed deer impact (Horsley and others 2003), and forest liming (Long

and others 1997). We will discuss some threshold for what makes a study “long-term” and give

examples of surprises that arose in studies as they cross the threshold into “long-term.” Finally, the

paper will provide a brief overview of the relationship between long-term studies on the Allegheny

Plateau and the practice of sustainable forestry in that region.

Literature Cited

Bjorkbom, John and Ronald Larson. 1977. The Tionesta scenic and natural area. Gen. Tech.

Rep. NE-31.Upper Darby, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern

Forest Experiment Station. 24 p.

Horsley, Stephen B., Susan L. Stout, and David S. deCalesta. 2003. White-tailed deer impact on

the vegetation dynamics of a northern hardwood forest. Ecol. App. 13: 98-118.

Long, Robert P., Stephen B. Horsely, and Paul R. Lilja. 1997. Impact of forest liming on growth

and crown vigor of sugar maple and associated hardwoods. Can. J. For. Res. 27: 1560-1573.

Marquis, David A. 1992. Stand development patterns in Allegheny hardwood forests, and their

influence on silviculture and management practices. In: Kelty, Matthew J.; Larson, Bruce C.;

Oliver, Chadwick D., eds. The ecology and silviculture of mixed-species forests. Dordrecht, The

Netherlands, Kluwer Academic Publishers. 165-181.
30 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

ACADIA RESEARCH FOREST:

A PRIMARY FOREST RESEARCH FACILITY FOR NATURAL RESOURCES

CANADA, CANADIAN FOREST SERVICE - ATLANTIC

D. Edwin Swift, Brian Kilpatrick, and Shirley Pegler

Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service - Atlantic Forestry Centre,

P.O. Box 4000, Fredericton, NB E3B-5P7 CANADA

eswift@nrcan.gc.ca

The Acadia Forest Experiment Station was established in 1933 as the second in a series of federal

sites across Canada to research and demonstrate good forest management for greater productivity,

sustained yield, and economic benefit (Place 1992). It was later renamed the Acadia Research Forest

(ARF). The ARF comprises about 9000 ha (22,230 acres) of softwood, hardwood, and mixed

forests of both the Grand Lake and Eastern Lowlands Ecoregions. It is located approximately 25

km (16 miles) east of Fredericton, NB, Canada, where the main office of the Atlantic Forestry

Centre (AFC) is situated. Since its establishment, many different experiments, studies, and projects

have been conducted in various research disciplines or themes. In the early 1930s, Canada’s

Department of the Interior used the ARF for unemployment relief projects and the National

Forestry Program, setting up and establishing long-term silvicultural experiments and

demonstrations (Thompson 1955, Place 1992). In the early 1940s, during World War II, the ARF

was used by the Department of National Defense as an internment camp and many of the longterm silvicultural experiments, demonstrations, and infrastructure were established by the internees.

Entomological and pathological studies have been and still are conducted at the ARF. In 1950s and

1960s, concerns about clearcutting resulted in a number of long-term alternative silvicultural

studies. A tree improvement program was formalized and established at the research forest in 1958.

By 1965, the nursery at ARF was producing more than 100,000 trees annually to support research

in tree improvement and reforestation programs. The nursery is now located at the AFC’s main

office in Fredericton. Since the 1980s, several experiments and studies have been initiated to

respond to environmental policy concerns over air pollution, global change, carbon sequestration,

and biodiversity. The facilities and forest history often attract researchers from other organizations

for ongoing cooperative research projects. In addition to research and sustainable forest

management, the ARF provides an area for educational forestry training, forestry demonstrations,

and non-industrial uses such a bird watching. In summary, the ARF is steeped in history, possesses

great natural beauty, and continues to be used for long-term research for present and future

benefits. More information is available at the following website:

http://www.atl.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/index-e/who-e/role-e/role-e/acadia-e.htm.

Literature Cited

Place, I.C.M. 1992. Experiment forests in Canada: policy, problems, and commitment. In:

Proceedings of experimental forests workshops. Forest Research Development Agreement

(FRDA) Report 202: 43-46.

Thompson, C.C. 1955. The Acadia Forest Experiment Station. Canada Department of Northern

Affairs and Natural Resoures, Forestry Branch Miscellaneous Publication No. 5, 19 p.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 31

WHAT ARE NATIONAL FORESTS LOOKING FOR FROM PROFESSIONAL

FORESTRY ORGANIZATIONS?

Thomas G. Wagner

Forest Supervisor, White Mountain National Forest, Laconia, NH 03426

twagner02@fs.fed.us

Much has changed in the forestry profession since I received my Forest Management degree over 25

years ago. My perspective on the future role of professional organizations is shaped by my

experience working almost exclusively on a number of national forests across the United States with

all kinds of professional resource managers and/or advocates. My perspective is that professional

organizations remain effective and relevant to the discussions and policies on the management of

public land when they demonstrate leadership in a number of key areas. The Society of American

Foresters has been very active in many of these leadership areas; however,

 some of the leadership venues appear to have a potential for greater consideration.

I would highlight six areas for additional discussion: development and retention of future

professionals, ongoing assistance in the development of a land ethic, effective communication/

education with policy makers at the local and national level, continuing education/workshops,

ongoing relationships with the media on forestry issues, and effective partnering with other

professional organizations.

National Forests continue to be a place where we should practice forestry to meet ecological,

economic and social objectives but they also serve as a place where we can engage the larger

population in discussions on the benefits and tradeoffs of sustainable forest practices. Members of

professional forestry organizations should continue to be a key partner with the Forest Service and

other public land management agencies in looking for more effective ways to accomplish this goal.
32 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

IMPLEMENTING FOREST STEWARDSHIP PLANS IN URBANIZING AREAS –

OPPORTUNITIES FOR RESOURCE PROFESSIONALS

Tom Worthley1 and Roger Monthey2

1

Forest Stewardship Coordinator, CT Forest Stewardship Program, East Haddam, CT

thomas.worthley@uconn.edu

2

Forest Stewardship Coordinator, USDA Forest Service, State & Private Forestry, Durham, NH

Completing a forest stewardship plan is the beginning and not the end of a sound management

strategy for small forested ownerships. In urbanizing areas with small forest parcel sizes (for

example, 13 acre average in CT), it is often difficult to find technical help to implement the plan.

A grant to the CT Forest Stewardship Program provided by the USDA Forest Service State &

Private Forestry is funding an effort to train individuals to properly perform selected noncommercial forest management and improvement practices. Examples of these practices include:

wildlife habitat enhancement, ecological inventories, invasive exotic removal, and other practices for

which there is not an immediate commercial or economic return. In urbanizing areas, few, if any,

properly equipped and experienced firms and individuals are educated to the potential business

opportunities presented by these issues, nor are they properly trained to perform the tasks

specifically associated with forest land improvement and habitat enhancement practices.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 33

A FOREST IN CONFLICT: THE PROPOSAL FOR A 3.2 MILLION ACRE

NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE IN MAINE’S WORKING FOREST

Elizabeth D. Baldwin1, Laura S. Kenefic2, Wilbur LaPage1, and John J. Daigle1

1

Department of Forest Management (Parks, Recreation and Tourism Program), University of

Maine, Orono, ME 04469

elizabeth.baldwin@umit.maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

The proposal of a Maine Woods National Park and Preserve in the mostly industrial forest land of

northern Maine has caused many debates. Questions about traditional uses of the north woods,

issues of access and economic impact, are at the heart of the conflict.

In March of 2003, Maine Governor John Baldacci announced the Fall 2003 Blaine House

Conference on natural resource industries. It was a gathering of experts from the fishing, farming,

forestry, aquaculture, and tourism and recreation industries in Maine. They discussed challenges

they face, contributing factors to those challenges, creative plans for sustaining them, and Maine’s

natural resource-based economy. The conference steering committee of 39 members was surveyed

in the summer of 2003 regarding the proposed national park and issues surrounding the debate.

The purpose of the survey was to examine diverse forest values, bring greater perspective to this

issue, and inform further research.

The survey respondents believed there could be a “common ground” solution for Maine, especially

in light of the decline of the timber industry and the rising value of outdoor recreation and

tourism. They categorized the park proposal as an important natural resource policy issue. It is for

that reason that this survey has led to further research designed to examine the proposal in the

context of diverse values of the forest, as well as the array of conservation strategies for northern

Maine.
34 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

LONG-TERM STAND DEVELOPMENT IN UNEVEN-AGED NORTHERN

HARDWOODS UNDER SELECTION SYSTEM MANAGEMENT

Kimberly K. Bohn and Ralph D. Nyland

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 211 Marshall Hall,

1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210

kkbohn@att.net

Uneven-aged silviculture has become more desirable for landowners interested in maintaining

continuous forest cover while providing benefits such as timber production and wildlife habitat.

Beginning in 1973, Ralph D. Nyland of SUNY-ESF established permanent plots in several unevenaged northern hardwood stands undergoing partial cutting treatments at the Cuyler Hill State

Forest in Cortland County, NY and at the Huntington Wildlife Forest in Hamilton County, NY.

These plots were used to document changes in stand structure and patterns of regeneration.

The development of diameter distributions in uneven-aged stands indicates the likelihood of

obtaining sustained yields over multiple entries. Diameters of tagged trees on permanent plots were

collected prior to cutting and at 3 - 5 year intervals after treatment. The diameter distributions in

stands receiving single-tree selection method cuts have retained the classic reverse-j shape, which is

thought to resemble sustainable structures. However, other stands receiving partial cuts resembling

diameter-limit cutting have developed an excess of pole-sized trees, with slower growth into the

sawtimber classes.

These stands have also been used to evaluate the development of understory beech, which is a

significant interfering plant to more desirable regeneration such as sugar maple. Bohn and Nyland

(2003) evaluated the change in understory beech importance ten years after partial cutting. Species

importance was assessed using an index value incorporating both abundance and heights of stems.

We found that understory beech increased in importance on plots when initially established at

moderate to high levels before cutting, and did not typically increase in importance where not

previously established.

Currently, the stands are being used to evaluate changes in spatial variability of trees and the effects

on volume production resulting from selection system and diameter-limit cutting practices. Stem

maps in 2-acre areas in four stands were created to assess both point pattern of residual trees and

plot-level variation in basal area. Preliminary results suggest that selection system silviculture results

in a more uniform spacing of sawtimber-sized trees. Tending in pole and sapling classes during

selection system management reduces localized competition but does not affect the overall spatial

pattern of the stand.

Literature Cited

Bohn, K.K.; Nyland, R.D. 2003. Forecasting development of understory American beech after

partial cutting in uneven-aged northern hardwood stands. Forest Ecology and Management.

180: 453-461.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 35

VARIATION IN SOIL CHEMICAL ANALYTICAL RESULTS AMONG

GRADUATE STUDENTS

Russell D. Briggs, Donald H. Bickelhaupt, and Eric O. Young

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 358 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Drive,

Syracuse, NY 13210

rdbriggs@esf.edu

Variability in soil chemical analyses results from spatial and temporal effects in the field as well as

laboratory technique. We assessed the reliability of soil chemical analytical results among graduate

students recently trained in laboratory procedures. Soil samples were collected in November 2003

from A and B horizons of three pits excavated from two different map units under agricultural

management. Each of the 12 samples was processed through a 2-mm sieve, thoroughly mixed, and

stored in five individual containers (60 total). Beginning January 2004, five students (each provided

with 12 sample containers) analyzed their samples for pH, organic carbon, CEC, extractable P, total

N, and exchangeable cations. An experienced (30+ yr) technician analyzed each of the 60 samples

for the same variables. Analysis of variance (split-split plot) showed significant differences among

students for all variables examined. However paired t-tests showed no consistent significant

differences between four of five students and the experienced technician for most variables. We

conclude that data from recently trained graduate students are reliable.
36 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

MASSABESIC EXPERIMENTAL FOREST

John C. Brissette1, Paul E. Sendak1, Alison C. Dibble2, and Catherine A. Rees2

1

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH 03824

jbrissette@fs.fed.us

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

The Massabesic Experimental Forest (MEF) is typical of much privately owned non-industrial

forest land in New England. Located in Maine’s southernmost county, the MEF was once farmland

that was abandoned between the Civil War and the Great Depression. The eastern white pinenorthern red oak forest type dominates upland sites. Eastern hemlock and red maple are also well

represented throughout the forest.

The USDA Forest Service purchased the land between 1937 and 1942. The 3,700-ac MEF consists

of two units, North and South, which are approximately the same size. About 3,000 ac of the MEF

burned in October 1947, in the large fire that burned across southwestern Maine. Eighty percent of

the timber on the MEF was either destroyed by the fire or salvaged.

When the MEF was established, permanent sample plots were installed, but many plot location

stakes were lost in the 1947 fire and not re-established. Following the 1947 fire, emphasis changed

from white pine management to pine artificial regeneration research, including aerial seeding and

pesticides to control competing vegetation and white pine weevil. Management research was

discontinued in the 1960s and a series of genetics studies searching for white pine weevil resistance

was initiated, followed by a broader focus on tree improvement research. Recent research included

investigations of soil nitrogen processes, aquatic insects, amphibian and owl ecology, and an

inventory of all upland vascular plants, including trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.

The inventory was conducted on a grid of 399 sample points, using a combination of variable

radius plot sampling and fixed-radius plots (Dibble et al. 2004). We found six forest cover types;

the white pine type was most common, followed by pine-oak, and pine-hemlock. We identified

464 vascular plants, or about 25 percent of all vascular plants found in Maine. White pine,

hemlock, red oak, and red maple were the most abundant and well-distributed tree species. Red

maple was found on 94 percent of the plots, white pine on 86 percent, and red oak on 84 percent.

Hemlock, white pine, red maple, and red and white oaks are the most common tree seedlings. With

an average of more than 500 stems/ac, hemlock seedlings are three times more abundant than any

other species on the MEF. Red maple seedlings are slightly less abundant than either pine or oak,

but they are more uniformly distributed. Thus, without management or natural disturbance, the

composition of the forest will likely shift toward more shade-tolerant species.

Literature Cited

Dibble, A.C.; Rees, C.A.; Sendak, P.E.; Brissette, J.C. 2004. Vegetation of forested uplands in the

Massabesic Experimental Forest. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-320. Newtown Square, PA:

U.S.Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 71 p.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 37

FORESTER’S GUIDE TO NRCS’ TECHNICAL SERVICE PROVIDER (TSP)

PROGRAM

Sally L. Butler

USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 3, Bangor, ME 04401

sally.butler@me.usda.gov

The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) is implementing a new program to offer

technical assistance to small woodlot owners through their Technical Service Provider (TSP)

program. A Forester’s Guide has been developed to increase awareness of this program to private

consulting foresters and assist them in the registration process.

In the past, NRCS was unable to assist woodlot owners with technical forestry questions due to

their limited number of forestry personnel. The TSP Program was developed to augment our

technical assistance delivery capabilities. NRCS has always provided funds for financial assistance in

implementing forestry practices within several of our cost-share programs, including the

Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) and Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program

(WHIP). However, these programs did not provide funds to the landowner for the technical

assistance provided by foresters, including marking trees for forest stand improvement and tree

pruning.

The Forester’s Guide includes a general overview of the TSP program and some brief examples of

how this program compliments various NRCS and other USDA cost-share (financial assistance)

programs. A major focus of the guide is the step-by-step instructions on how to get on the TSP

register. Other topics discussed include how landowners select a TSP forester and what

qualifications are required. The most current state-by-state “not-to-exceed” technical assistance rates

for typical conservation practices in New England are included as well.
38 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

WILDLIFE RESPONSES TO INVASIVE SHRUBS IN EARLY-SUCCESSIONAL

HABITATS OF SOUTHEASTERN NEW HAMPSHIRE

Brendan J. Clifford and John A. Litvaitis

Department of Natural Resources, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824

bjc@cisunix.unh.edu

In New England, disturbance-generated habitats include native shrublands and early-successional

forests. Regionally, these habitats support a diverse assemblage of plants and animals that may

include several species that are of conservation concern [e.g., New England cottontails (Slyvilagus

transitionalis) and golden-wing warblers (Vermivora chrysoptera)]. Management activities used to

perpetuate early-successional habitats (e.g., timber harvests, mowing, or controlled fires) may

increase their vulnerability to encroachment by alien plants because physical disturbances can

temporarily remove native plants that are able to prevent alien plants from colonizing a site via

competition. Concern is increasing regarding the consequences of alien plant invasions. In addition

to reducing the abundance and diversity of native plants, the suitability of alien plants for wildlife

may be less than native plants. For example, alien plants may be less palatable to native herbivores

(including phytophagous insects) because native herbivores lack adaptations to the chemical or

structural defenses that alien plants possess. In fact, this release from herbivore pressure has been

suggested as one explanation for the success of some alien plants (the enemy release hypothesis). A

reduction in insect abundance and diversity therefore may have ramifications on other wildlife taxa

that are dependent on insects as a major food (e.g., nesting birds, amphibians, reptiles, and some

small mammals).

We investigated the suitability of alien shrubs, including buckthorn (Rhamnus spp.), autumn olive

(Elaeagnus umbellata), and multiflora rose (Rosa multiflora) on six sites in southeastern New

Hampshire. Abundance of alien shrubs ranged from 13 to 93% of shrub cover. At each site, insect

abundance and diversity were sampled among alien and native shrubs using timed counts and

pitfall traps. Relative abundance and distribution of amphibians and reptiles were based on captures

associated with cover boards and plastic cover sheets. Small mammals were inventoried with baited

livetraps.

Our preliminary results indicate that alien shrubs did indeed support fewer species of insects.

However, responses by insectivorous vertebrates were less definitive. Amphibian captures were too

few to evaluate. Reptiles captured included garter (Thamnophis sirtalis), redbelly (Storeria

ccipitomaculata), and milk snakes (Lampropeltis triangulum), but samples at all sites were dominated

by garter snakes. This generalist snake did not respond to the abundance of alien shrubs. Small

mammal captures included deer mice (Peromyscus spp.), short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda),

chipmunks (Tamias striatus), and jumping mice (Zapus hudsonius). Again, the generalist deer mouse

dominated the sample and apparently was not affected by the abundance of alien shrubs. We

conclude that alien shrubs can affect insect populations but the ramifications of this effect on insect

consumers warrants additional investigation, especially among specialized consumers that are likely

to respond to changes in the abundance of insect prey.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 39

EXOTIC AND NATIVE TREE PLANTATIONS AT THE FOX RESEARCH FOREST

AND VINCENT STATE FOREST, NEW HAMPSHIRE

Kenneth Desmarais

Fox Research Forest, NH Division of Forests & Lands, PO Box 1175, Hillsboro, NH 03244

foxforest@dred.state.nh.us

Many exotic and native tree plantations have been established at Fox Research Forest and elsewhere

on New Hampshire State lands since the early 1930s (Baldwin 1965). These plantations consist

chiefly of Norway spruce (Picea abies), European larch (Larix decidua), and Scots pine (Pinus

sylvestris). Other species planted to a lesser extent include Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii), hybrid

poplars (Populus spp.), hybrid chestnuts (Castenea spp.), concolor fir (Abies concolor), red spruce

(Picea rubens) and Austrian pine (Pinus nigra).

The two species that received the greatest attention from the Fox Forest research program are

Norway spruce and European larch. Fox Research Forest is the site of an International Union of

Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO) provenance test for European larch. Seed collection

continued from 1942 to 1944, seeds were planted at the Fox Forest nursery in 1946 and outplanted

in 1948. This plantation contains replicates of 14 sources of seed from as far north as N58o 02′ and

as far south as N49o 16′. Countries represented in the seed sources include Germany, the Czech

Republic, Scotland, Poland, Finland and Sweden. There also are several non-IUFRO plantations of

larch at both locations including two hybrid larch plantations (Dunkeld).

Vincent State Forest is the location of an IUFRO provenance test for Norway spruce. The seeds

were planted in our nursery in 1938 and transplanted in 1940 and outplanted in 1942. This

plantation contains replicates of 25 seed sources ranging from as far north as N65o 58′ to as far

south as N43o 50′. Countries represented in the seed sources include the Czech Republic, Finland,

Italy, Yugoslavia, Latvia, Norway, Poland, Romania, Sweden and Switzerland. Norway spruce was

planted in a few other Non-IUFRO plantations at both locations.

An IUFRO plantation of Scots pine was started as sown seed in 1938, transplanted in 1940 and

outplanted in 1942 at Vincent State Forest. Fifty-five replicates totaling about 25,000 seedlings

represented 13 countries. Seed sources ranged from as far north as N68o 55′ to as far south as N48o

42′ and the countries represented included Belgium, the Czech Republic, Finland, Germany,

Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Scotland and Sweden. This

plantation did not develop well and consequently was harvested.

Other plantations of interest are the 1943 trial of Eastern white pine at Vincent State Forest, the

1952 plantation of Douglas fir at Fox Forest and the 1935 plantation of hybrid poplars at Fox

Forest.

Literature Cited

Baldwin, Henry I. 1965. Inventory of seed sources – A key to New Hampshire plantations

established to test provenances of forest trees. Fox Research Forest, Bulletin #15. NH Division

of Forests and Lands.
40 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

MICE, MAST, AND GROUP-SELECTION HARVEST:

20 YEARS ON A MAINE PINE-OAK FOREST

Susan P. Elias1, Jack W. Witham1, and Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr.2

1

Holt Research Forest, University of Maine, 508 Old Stage Road,

Arrowsic, ME 04530 susan.elias@maine.edu

2

Department of Wildife Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME

The white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) is a habitat generalist, a significant predator and

distributor of acorns, and a competent reservoir host of Lyme disease spirochetes (Borrelia

burgdorferi). It is the most abundant mammal species on the Holt Research Forest, Maine, a pineoak forest within 125 km of the northern edge of this species’ range. With 10 years of live-trapping

and seed trap data, McKracken et al. (1999) showed P. leucopus summer abundance was positively

correlated with previous autumn acorn crop. A new investigation recently opened with the benefit

of 20 years of data (1983-2002). We recognized a 4-year periodicity in the P. leucopus abundance

time series that was partly independent of acorn crop. Specifically, abundance always increased after

a low population phase coupled with a large acorn crop, but in three summers population declines

followed population peaks despite large acorn crops. A model that accounted for periodicity as well

as acorn abundance had greater predictive value (r

2

 = 0.69) than an acorns-only model (Elias et al.

2004). Causes of cycling are still unknown, but predator response could be one explanation. That P.

leucopus abundance is not entirely tied to acorn mast has implications for oak regeneration and risk

of Lyme disease exposure to humans.

Another research question was: What impact does group-selection harvest have on P. leucopus

abundance? The harvest was conducted on 10 of 40 1-ha blocks in the winter of 1987-88.

McKracken (1999) reported an association between the harvest and increased P. leucopus captures

on harvest blocks in 2 of 4 years post-harvest. However, the tight post-harvest correlation between

the harvested and non-harvested time series suggested no harvest-induced disruption in P. leucopus

captures or periodicity.

These studies illustrate the advantage of long-term ecological research over the typical 2- or 3-year

period of a graduate research project. If our study had been conducted 1986-88, with a study areawide harvest between the peak P. leucopus phase of 1986 and the decline phase of 1987-88, one

might conclude that the harvest suppressed numbers. Conversely, a harvest between the low year of

1993 and the increase year of 1994 and peak of 1995, might lead to the conclusion that P. leucopus

increased as a result of the harvest.

Literature Cited

Elias, S.P.; Witham, J.W.; Hunter, M.L. 2004. Peromyscus leucopus abundance and acorn mast:

population fluctuation patterns over 20 years Maine. Journal of Mammalogy. 85: 743-747.

McKracken, K.E.; Witham, J.W.; Hunter, M.L. 1999. Relationships between seed fall of three

tree species and Peromyscus leucopus and Clethrionomys gapperi during 10 years in an oakpine forest. Journal of Mammalogy. 80: 1288-1296.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 41

ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS AND NUTRIENT CONTENT IN DEVELOPING

HARDWOOD STANDS AT BARTLETT EXPERIMENTAL FOREST, NH

Farrah R. Fatemi

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210

frfatemi@syr.edu

Biomass and nutrient content estimations serve as crucial indicators of the ecological status and

economic value of forested ecosystems. A large portion of forests in the U.S. are second-growth and

accurate estimates of aboveground biomass and nutrients in these forests are essential for developing

land management strategies. In order to predict the future ecological status of forests and develop

long-term management plans, knowledge of how biomass and nutrient content may change in

forests over time is critical. Although many authors have investigated forest biomass and nutrient

content, few have reported these values for relatively smaller trees (<12cm dbh). We have attempted

to characterize the biomass and nutrient content status of four developing stands, two of which are

approximately 15 years old and two of which are roughly 30 years old (since clear cut).

These stands are located within Bartlett Experimental Forest (BEF) where research activities have

been conducted since 1931. BEF is located within the Saco Ranger District of the White Mountain

National Forest in New Hampshire. This experimental forest currently encompasses approximately

2,600 acres. Many silviculture projects have taken place at BEF over the last 75 years, making it a

prime site to investigate the properties of developing stands.

To characterize biomass and nutrient content in these stands at BEF, five major species were chosen

to sample across each age group. In both stand age categories, younger (15 yr old) and mid-age

(~30 yr old), the five species sampled included American beech, red maple, yellow birch and white

birch and pin cherry. Three trees of each species per stand were destructively sampled, yielding a

total of 60 trees sampled. Trees were destructively sampled by cutting as close to the ground as

possible with either a chain or bowsaw. These trees were then separated into three major

components; bole wood, branches and leaves. Branches were cut from the tree stem and leaves were

stripped off of the branches by hand at the petiole. Each of the three components were weighed in

the field and then sub-sampled.

Samples will be analyzed for macro and micronutrients including Ca, Mg, P, K, N, C, Mn, Fe and

Zn. We will report nutrient content of leaves, branches, wood and bark for each tree species in each

age category. We will also develop allometric equations relating aboveground tree biomass, bole

wood, branches and leaf biomass to dbh. Nutrient content and biomass estimations for these small

trees can contribute to literature significantly, as most previous studies have focused on larger trees

in older stands. However, many of the stands in the Northeast are developing and it will be useful

for land managers to be able to estimate aboveground biomass and associated nutrient

concentrations for trees of relatively younger age and size.
42 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

THE BEAR BROOK WATERSHED IN MAINE – DECADAL RESPONSES

TO WHOLE FOREST ECOSYSTEM MANIPULATIONS

Ivan J. Fernandez1, Lindsey E. Rustad2, Stephen A. Norton3,

G. Bruce Wiersma4 and J. Stephen Kahl5

1

Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, 5722 Deering Hall, University of Maine,

Orono, ME 04469 ivanjf@maine.edu.

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Cumberland, ME

3

Department of Earth Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME

4

Department of Forest Ecosystem Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME

5

Center for the Environment, Plymouth State University, Plymouth, NH

The Bear Brook Watershed in Maine (BBWM) is a long-term, paired, forested, ecosystem study

examining the effects of a changing physical and chemical climate. The East Bear watershed (11.0

ha) serves as the reference watershed. The West Bear watershed (10.3 ha) has been treated

bimonthly with ammonium sulfate ((NH4

)

2

SO4) starting in November 1989 and continuing to the

present. Granular (NH4

)

2

SO4 has been aerially applied at approximately 28.8 kg S/ha/yr and 25.2

kg N/ha/yr. The chemical manipulation is designed to investigate the effects of atmospheric

deposition of N and S.

The BBWM is on International Paper land under a long-term agreement with The University of

Maine. The study is a collaboration among the University of Maine, International Paper, the

USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Geological Survey, and Plymouth State University. Continuous

measurements of precipitation and stream hydrology and chemistry provide input-output budgets

for the treated and reference watershed while studies of soil chemistry and biology, soil solutions,

fine root dynamics, soil respiration, vegetation chemistry and physiology, litter and litterfall, and

stream and sediment processes define mechanisms of ecosystem response. The study has resulted in

over 100 scientific publications and is recognized internationally for its contributions to forest

ecosystem sciences.

After 15 years of whole-watershed chemical manipulations treatments have resulted in soil base

cation depletion and metal mobilization, developing N saturation, changes in forest physiology and

chemistry, and progressive acidification of soils and streams. Mechanisms of response to treatments

that emerge on a decadal time scale are different than those that were evident during the initial

years of treatments, underscoring the critical importance of long-term research in defining forest

ecosystem response to environmental stressors. The BBWM program of research also focuses on the

response of the reference watershed to long-term changes in ambient atmospheric deposition, and

the interaction between climate and biogeochemical processes in both the treated and reference

watershed.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 43

DISTURBANCE HISTORY OF OLD-GROWTH RED SPRUCE STANDS IN

NORTHERN MAINE: LINKING TREE-RING AND STEM-MAPPED DATA

Shawn Fraver1,2, Alan S. White 1

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono,

ME 04469 white@umenfa.maine.edu

2

Dept. of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Mid Sweden University (Mitthögskolan),

Sundsvall, Sweden

The aim of this study was to reconstruct the detailed history of natural disturbance for three oldgrowth, mid-elevation red spruce stands in northern Maine. By linking dendroecological methods

and stem-mapped data, we estimated the actual area encompassed by particular disturbance events,

as well as their frequency and location within stands.

We conducted the work in the Big Reed Forest Reserve, which at ca. 2000 hectares is thought to be

the largest remaining contiguous tract of old-growth forest in New England. Unlike many small,

isolated old-growth stands that may not be representative of the surrounding landscape, the Reserve

supports forest communities, soils, elevation ranges, and topographic settings typical of northern

Maine. Thus, it affords a unique glimpse of forest structure, composition, and processes that

represent what forests of this region might have been like in the absence of disturbances associated

with European settlement and subsequent development.

Three 50-by-50 m spruce-forest plots from a larger study were selected for intensive sampling here.

The X and Y coordinates were recorded for all living and dead trees (individuals ≥ 10 cm diameter

at breast height [dbh]) and saplings (individuals ≥ 2 m in height but < 10 cm dbh) within each

plot. For each living tree we recorded dbh, total height, height to base of the live crown, crown class

(dominant, co-dominant, intermediate, and overtopped), and stratum. To determine canopy

projection area for each tree, we measured the horizontal distance from bole center to the canopy

drip line in four cardinal directions.

We found no evidence of stand-replacing disturbance in these three spruce stands. The disturbance

dynamic appears to have two components: pulses of moderate-severity disturbances caused by hostspecific disturbance agents (i.e. spruce budworm, spruce bark beetle) interposed upon a

background of scattered small-scale canopy gaps, presumably from wind damage. Consequently,

rates of disturbance fluctuated considerably over time; however, they rarely exceeded 35% of

canopy area lost per decade. The overall mean decadal disturbance rate was 10.1%. Gap areas, even

during peak decades of disturbance, were apparently too small or too densely occupied by advance

spruce regeneration to admit shade-intolerant species, although at times they did admit midtolerant species. Spruce trees clearly benefit from relatively small canopy gaps scattered in space and

time: 80.6 % of trees showed one or more releases before canopy accession. Thus, this pattern of

disturbance maintains red spruce dominance of the canopy. Reconstructed gap areas reveal that,

following budworm outbreaks, gaps were both larger and more numerous. Gap areas thus

calculated were generally smaller (median 25.3 m2

, mean 46.7 m2) than those from other Picea

forests.
44 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

CHANGING LANDOWNERSHIP IN THE NORTHERN FOREST:

EFFECTS ON BIODIVERSITY

John M. Hagan1, Andrew L. Whitman1, and Lloyd C. Irland2

1

Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, 14 Maine Street, Brunswick, ME 04011

jmhagan@ime.net

2

The Irland Group and Yale University, Wayne, ME

For most of the 20th century, private landownership in the Northern Forest of New York and

northern New England was relatively stable. The roster of major owners included the leading forest

industry companies in the Fortune 500, financially strong companies with leading positions in their

industries. Indeed, these companies had been founded in this region, one of the culture hearths of

modern papermaking in North America. Industry growth began to slow in the late 1980s and by

the 1990s, the industry was facing slowing demand growth and stiff competition on all fronts. In a

period of about two decades, the landownership picture in the Northern Forest has been

dramatically re-arranged. As of early 2005, there remain no major U.S. publicly traded paper and

wood products companies owning more than nominal acreages in this region.

This ownership shift gave rise to serious public concerns about the future of undeveloped

landscapes across the region. One concern is the effect of new ownership conditions and

management practices on biodiversity. Funded by the National Council on Science for Sustainable

Forestry, we are conducting a preliminary study of this issue. We compiled a detailed database of

land transactions larger than 5000 acres since 1980. We then interviewed sellers and buyers of a

sample of properties to see how management practices may have changed.

Preliminary results are available. First, we recognize that the shifts in landownership may not yet be

finished, and many changes in management occur slowly and are not yet visible. Also, many of the

changes in use of properties, especially at the smaller end of the size spectrum, took place in

response to growing demand for exurban lands, and would have occurred even had there been no

change in ownership by the large companies. Mere totals of lands sold are misleading, because for

many of the larger sales, only minimal changes in ownership and management occurred. Also, we

are finding it difficult to devise a convincing classification of owners by economic situation and

motives. The situation is often too ambiguous and fluid for that. Many of the largest ownerships

consisted of clusters of towns in diverse areas and were not tightly blocked up. When the pieces are

sold off to separate buyers, as occasionally occurs, actual fragmentation of contiguous tracts may

not occur. Finally, the process of ownership change has led to significant gains in public ownership

and conservation group ownership, especially for easements.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 45

A STATE-WIDE ASSESSMENT OF THE ABUNDANCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF

THE PEACH BARK BEETLE, PHLOEOTRIBUS LIMINARIS (COLEOPTERA:

SCOLYTIDAE): A POTENTIAL THREAT TO BLACK CHERRY

Ryan P. Hanavan and Douglas C. Allen

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210

rphanava@syr.edu

A survey was designed to assess the relative abundance and distribution of the peach bark beetle

(PBB), Phloeotribus liminaris, across 100 northern hardwood stands in New York state in 2002 and

2003. A second study determined the within-tree distribution of overwintering PBB and

relationships between density of external gum spots, number of overwintering galleries and number

of emerging PBBs in order to develop a method for predicting PBB population density and trend.

A third study assessed the crowns of black cherry as a potential source of brood material when black

cherry slash is not available. A fourth study was initiated in 2004 that eventually will serve as the

basis of recommending a time of year when cherry can be harvested and minimize the likelihood of

a buildup in PBB populations.

PBB was distributed in every county surveyed in New York. Abundance was associated with the

presence of recently created black cherry slash and increasing black cherry basal area. The Tug Hill

and Catskill regions had the highest frequency of PBB. Overwintering beetles, though present

throughout the tree bole, were concentrated on the lower half of a black cherry stem. There was a

positive linear relationship between number of gum spots and number of overwintering galleries,

but gum spot density and number of captured adult peach bark beetles were not related. The

possible mechanisms driving the abundance and distribution of peach bark beetle at regional, stand

and site scales are discussed.
46 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

REGENERATION OF NORTHERN WHITE-CEDAR FOLLOWING

SILVICULTURAL TREATMENT: A LONG-TERM STUDY

Barbara Hebert1, Rejean Gagnon2, Catherine LaRouche3, Jean-Claude Ruel3,

Laura S. Kenefic4 and John C. Brissette5

1

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Gaspe, PQ

bhebert@cgaspesie.qc.ca

2

Université du Québec à Chicoutimi, Chicoutimi, PQ

3

Université Laval, Québec, PQ

4

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

5

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is found on many different types of sites, both in pure

stands and in mixture with other species. Common associates include spruce (Picea species), balsam

fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), and yellow birch (Betula alleganiensis Britton). Unfortunately, the

circumstances leading to the successful recruitment of northern white-cedar are poorly understood.

Some studies suggest that regeneration is associated with small natural disturbances such as

blowdown. However, silvicultural treatments imitating nature have had varying degrees of success

with regard to northern white-cedar regeneration. Browsing has been identified as the main factor

limiting establishment and sapling development in many regions, but some areas do not regenerate

successfully even when fenced.

Concerns about sustainable forest management have motivated researchers to study the

relationships between silvicultural treatments and northern white-cedar regeneration. Experiments

have been planned on lowland areas in the Gaspé Peninsula, eastern Québec and on mesic sites in

the Outaouais region, western Québec. Though these new experiments will enable us to better

identify the conditions associated with successful regeneration, they will only provide a short-term

perspective. Medium-term data will be provided by a retrospective study of partial cuts conducted

15-20 years ago. Fortunately, researchers at the Penobscot Experimental Forest in Maine have been

collecting data on northern white-cedar regeneration and growth for over 50 years. The PEF

experiment includes 10 replicated silvicultural treatments. These data will be analysed in order to

determine if there are relationships between treatment and northern white-cedar regeneration, and

the findings will be used to develop treatments for the Gaspé Peninsula experiment. Further

analysis will be conducted in order to examine the interactions of treatment and site type on cedar

regeneration and tree response to partial cutting.

The results of this study will provide us with a better understanding of northern white-cedar

regeneration mechanisms, and will help us to identify silvicultural regimes that promote cedar

establishment and growth.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 47

REALITY CHECK: HAS THE MASSACHUSETTS CURRENT-USE TAX

PROGRAM BEEN EFFECTIVE IN DETERRING FOREST PARCELIZATION?

Jaketon H. Hewes

Department of Natural Resources Conservation, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA

jhewes@forwild.umass.edu

Residential and commercial development of forestland threatens to compromise the many

environmental, economic, and social benefits provided by the forested landscape. Heightened

demands for land accompanied by increased property values and escalating tax liabilities, have

significantly pressured many private owners to sell off part or all of their forestland. The resulting

parcelization and fragmentation of forests has been shown to undermine the integrity of wildlife

habitat, and to compromise the fiscal vitality of nonindustrial timber harvesting.

Studies have indicated that landowners who actively plan and manage their forestland are better

equipped to resist the financial pressure to develop. With this in mind, various policy instruments

have been offered to provide landowners with tools and information to encourage long-term tenure

and stewardship.

The Massachusetts forest property tax program, better known as Chapter 61, provides a 95%

reduction in assessed property tax value for enrolled landowners. To be eligible for enrollment

landowners must have a 10-year forest management plan approved by the state forester’s office. In

exchange for reduced tax payments to the town, landowners commit to keeping their property

forested and to managing for timber production for the duration of program enrollment.

My study (to be completed by December 2005) will attempt to address the efficacy of the Chapter

61 program in deterring forest parcelization across the state since the mid-1980s. I will take

advantage of the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation (DCR) database

management system in addition to its comprehensive library of enrollee management plans.

Enrollment data will be collected from these sources for a sample of predominantly forested towns

and will be used in conjunction with spatial data to determine ultimate parcelization.

This study will also examine the rate of enrollees who obtain permanent protection for their forest

land through conservation restrictions following initial program enrollment.

Preliminary research conducted in the summer of 2004 has suggested that the dichotomy between

state approval and town implementation of program enrollment may complicate a statewide

analysis. Although landowner management plans are filed with the state, subsequent changes in

attributes of enrollment often fail to make it back there, suggesting DCR records aren’t necessarily

reflective of reality at the town level.

As a result my study will also seek to assess, characterize, and quantify the communication

breakdown between towns and the state as well as the resulting gap in enrollment information.
48 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

LAND USE HISTORY AND FOREST SUCCESSION ON LONG ISLAND, MAINE

Kristen A. Hoffmann, Alan J. Kimball, and Jeremy S. Wilson

Department of Forest Management, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

kristen.hoffmann@umit.maine.edu

Disturbance histories are important factors in determining the composition and structure of today’s

forests. Not least among these disturbances is land-use history, due to its widespread and longlasting impacts. Land clearing for Maine peaked in 1880 at 6.5 million acres. This was almost half

of Maine’s forested land. The very first settlements in Maine were on the coastal islands due to their

accessibility. Therefore, Maine’s islands contain some of the longest-impacted areas of forest.

Long Island is located in Blue Hill Bay, west of Blue Hill and east of Mount Desert Island. It is 4.5

miles long and 2 miles wide at its widest point, encompassing 4,555 acres. It was first settled in

1779 and grew to a population of about 200 year-round residents. The primary occupation on

Long Island was farming, which included raising livestock, mainly sheepherding. Lumbering,

fishing and a granite quarry provided supplemental livelihoods. By 1920 all of the residents of the

island had moved to the mainland, leaving only a few summer camps scattered along the coast. A

limited-use easement on 4,312 acres was acquired by Acadia National Park in 1995.

The objectives of this study are to: 1) establish ownership boundaries and their respective land-use

histories; 2) quantify vegetation coverage and variability for each property; and 3) correlate

ownership boundaries and land-use histories with current forest succession patterns. These

objectives are being accomplished by historical research and field studies.

Historical research consists of examining deeds from the Hancock County Registry of Deeds,

various readings and publications, interviews and visits to historical societies in the area. Tentative

boundary lines, based on the deeds were plotted with GIS software and loaded into a hand-held

GPS unit. These were then taken into the field to help guide the search for physical evidence of the

property lines and homesteads. Any barbed wire, rock walls, foundations and such were georeferenced and compared to established properties. Thirteen adjacent properties were delineated

using the deeds’ metes and bounds descriptions. Cellar holes were found for each property, as were

wells for all but one.

To obtain vegetation and information, a one-sided variable width transect with a BAF 75 prism was

used. Species, DBH and condition class were recorded for all live trees larger than or equal to 0.5′′

DBH. The species, diameter, transect line intersection and decay class were also recorded for all

dead and downed trees with a diameter larger than or equal to 6”. Coverage descriptions, including

the presence of ledges, blow downs and fern patches, were recorded for every 100 feet of the

transect. This information is being processed using FlexFIBER, an inventory and growth modeling

software. Seventeen transects on ten properties have been completed, documenting dramatic

transitions in vegetation, suggesting that this technique is useful and appropriate for this

application.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 49

STAND-LEVEL RESPONSES OF NORTHERN WHITE-CEDAR TO

SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS IN CENTRAL MAINE

Philip V. Hofmeyer1, Laura S. Kenefic2 and John C. Brissette3

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

Philip.Hofmeyer@maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

3

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is arguably one of the least studied commercial tree

species in the northeastern United States and adjacent Canada. Many cedar-dominated stands are

being harvested without understanding likely treatment responses. Few studies on stand-level cedar

responses to silviculture have been pursued, most of which have been in the Lake States or the

boreal forests and have limited relevance to the Northeast due to soil and climate differences.

Previous research has demonstrated that cedar regeneration and sapling recruitment are problematic

in stands where cedar sustainability is not the focus of silvicultural treatment.

The Penobscot Experimental Forest (PEF) in central Maine has 50+ years of stand-level silvicultural

research in which northern white-cedar is a small, but important component of the species

composition. Changes in the proportions of stand basal area (BA, expressed as m2

/ha, trees ≥1.3 cm

dbh), density (number of stems ≥ 1.3 cm dbh per hectare), and volume (m3

/ha, trees ≥ 11.4 cm

dbh) comprised of cedar were analyzed for nine treatments, including selection cutting, modified

and fixed diameter-limit cutting, shelterwood, and commercial clearcutting. There were no

significant differences between treatments in the magnitude of change in the proportion of cedar

density (p = 0.30) or volume (p = 0.22) during the first 45 years of the study. There were, however,

significant differences among treatments in the magnitude and direction of the percentage of cedar

BA change (p = 0.02). The percentage change in BA was significantly different between the fixed

diameter-limit (2% increase) and 5- and 20-year selection treatments (9% decrease) (p= 0.03), and

between the modified diameter-limit (<1% decrease) and the 5-year selection treatment (p = 0.09).

Other treatments did not differ from one another, and had a mean cedar BA decrease of

approximately 4%.

Though the percent volume change was not statistically significant among treatments, this may be

due to high within-treatment variability and low statistical power (only two replicates of stand-level

treatments). In general, treatment prescriptions that ignored cedar have resulted in increases in

mean volume of that species over time, whereas treatments that discriminated against cedar have

decreased its volume. There has been a consistent decline in cedar density on the PEF in the past 45

years, although BA has remained fairly constant. This suggests existing trees are increasing in radial

increment with little to no sapling recruitment. Browse effects on regeneration have not yet been

evaluated on the PEF, though herbivory likely affects recruitment. Future research will address cedar

growth patterns, age structures, regeneration and recruitment dynamics, and the impacts of site.
50 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

ECOLOGY AND SILVICULTURE OF NORTHERN WHITE-CEDAR

Philip V. Hofmeyer1, Laura S. Kenefic2, Robert S. Seymour1, and John C. Brissette3

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

Philip.Hofmeyer@maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

3

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

Northern white-cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) is an important ecological and economic component

of northern forest ecosystems throughout northern New England and eastern Canada. In addition

to its commodity value as shingles, posts, boat-building lumber, and mulch, it is an important

source of winter forage and habitat for white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Despite its utility

and value, there has been little research on the ecology and management of this species. Most

studies of cedar have been conducted in the Lake States, where forest type, soil condition, climate,

and disturbance history vary greatly from the forests of the Northeast. We have a limited ability to

predict cedar growth in northeastern forests, especially in response to silvicultural treatments, and

know little about its regeneration and early development.

Though foresters generally associate higher stem quality in cedar with upland seepage forests, these

ideas have not been substantiated through data in any meaningful way. Cedar is often a minor

component of mixed-species stands and is harvested opportunistically in the course of managing for

more dominant species. Foresters interested in managing for cedar are handicapped by a lack of

knowledge of cedar silviculture. Recruitment into sapling and pole stages is often problematic, and

managers have expressed concern about the sustainability of the cedar resource. Further research

into cedar ecology and response to silviculture is critical for sustainable management.

We propose to: 1) develop methods to predict stand- and tree-level growth of northern white-cedar

in response to silvicultural treatment and site quality; 2) estimate rotation ages needed to attain

various diameters; and 3) quantify sapling recruitment and growth patterns during early stand

development. These objectives will be accomplished by conducting stem analysis on cedar trees in

managed upland and wetland stands in central and northern Maine, and from a Maibec Industries

millyard in Quebec, in order to assess age/size relationships and growth rates. These data will be

supplemented by those collected on the USDA Forest Service silviculture experiment on the

Penobscot Experimental Forest in central Maine, and in old-growth stands in the 5000-acre Big

Reed Reserve in northern Maine.

We anticipate this study will provide data needed to improve our understanding of northern whitecedar ecology, and to develop effective management guidelines for cedar in the mixed-species

northern forest.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 51

COMPETITIVE POSITION OF THE MAINE PAPER INDUSTRY:

BENCHMARKING AGAINST COMPETING REGIONS

Lloyd C. Irland1 and Robert Rice2

1

The Irland Group, 174 Lord Road, Wayne, ME 04284 and Yale University

irland@aol.com

2

Department of Forest Management, University of Maine, Orono, ME

The North American paper industry has endured a painful period of restructuring since the late

1990s. Global economic forces, such as emerging production in tropical regions, adverse shifts in

exchange rates, and maturing markets in North America and Europe, have prompted mill and

machine shutdowns, investments to improve quality and shift grades, and significant industry

consolidation. Despite rising demand until the late 90s, the U.S. industry ceased to build new mills

a long time ago. The last greenfield papermill based on virgin fiber was started up in the South in

the late 1980s. Just last year, the first newsprint mill built in the South (1939) was shut down.

As one of the original centers of modern papermaking in North America, Maine has a long history

in this industry. Local forces have been at work as well. Maine mills went through a major period of

reinvestment during the late 1970s through the early 80s. As machine sizes and speeds in world

class new mills increase, Northeastern mills fall slowly behind the mills at the low end of the cost

quartiles for their grades.

What are the implications of this situation for Maine? How is its competitive position changing? As

one contribution to this question, with a U.S. Forest Service grant, we are exploring the issue in

some detail. This poster offers a preliminary report. We are benchmarking the Maine industry

against Quebec, Wisconsin, and Georgia, which produce large volumes of competing paper grades.

One major challenge is that complete data on the fiber balance of the paper industry by state or

province does not exist. We can identity wood and chip usage fairly well, but market pulp and

recycled fiber data are not available. Further, determining delivered prices for the major fiber

sources is next to impossible. As a result, a precise accounting for differences in fiber cost between

competing regions is elusive. We are comparing fiber supply expansion potential between these

areas, and find that in both Georgia and Wisconsin, ability to expand supply significantly at recent

cost levels is minimal, though this could change in coming decades in Georgia. Quebec is expected

to see a significant decline in harvest levels on its Crown lands, though precise numbers are not

available.

We are also comparing labor costs, power costs, and other cost elements as part of our analysis. At

present, it appears that the most significant competitive threats will come from upgrading machines

in Quebec and Georgia to produce printing and writing grades, and from imports.
52 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

HABITAT FEATURES THAT INFLUENCE THE PREVALENCE OF INVASIVE

SHRUBS IN EARLY-SUCCESSIONAL HABITATS:

THE ROLE OF SPATIAL SCALE

Vanessa S. Johnson, John A. Litvaitis, Thomas D. Lee, and Serita D. Frey

Department of Natural Resources, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824

vsj@cisunix.unh.edu

Alien plants have invaded nearly all regions of the world. In the United States, approximately 5,000

species of alien plants have escaped into native communities. These introductions have resulted in a

range of community- and ecosystem-level effects. Among terrestrial communities, invasive plants

can out-compete native plants and alter community characteristics. The profound effects that

invasive organisms are having has caused ecologists to consider their spread as second only to

habitat destruction as a threat to global biodiversity. The establishment of an invasive plant is

dependent on three factors: availability and transport of seeds, life-history characteristics of the

alien plant, and the susceptibility of a habitat to invasion. Among the factors influencing

susceptibility is the frequency and intensity of physical disturbance that removes native vegetation.

In New England, early-successional habitats are becoming increasingly scarce and may require

active management if they are to be present at levels sufficient to support the diverse groups of

plants and animals that are dependent on them. Early-successional habitats require some form of

disturbance to maintain them (e.g., timber harvests, mowing, or controlled fires); thus, these

habitats may be especially vulnerable to encroachment by invasive plants. Additionally, some

invasive shrubs (e.g., autumn olive, multiflora rose, and honeysuckles) were intentionally planted in

these habitats as a way to enhance food and cover for game animals. As a result, early-successional

habitats may be disproportionately colonized by invasive shrubs in comparison to other terrestrial

habitats. In response to this concern, we are investigating habitat features and land use

characteristics at three spatial scales (landscape, local, and site) to determine their influence on the

vulnerability of early-successional habitats to exotic plant invasions.

We examined the abundance of invasive plants in 58 early-successional sites in southeastern New

Hampshire. At the landscape scale, we inventoried road and river density (potential corridors for

seed dispersal) within a 1- km radius of the study sites. At the local scale, historic use of each site

was determined by examining aerial photographs taken in 1962, 1974, and 1998. Current land use

and time since disturbance were determined during site visits while soil samples were collected to

determine pH, texture, and nitrate content. We will present preliminary results that identify which

features may be most important in ranking the vulnerability of a site to plant invasions. Such

information should affect management activities in these habitats.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 53

INVESTIGATING THE ONSET OF RADIAL GROWTH REDUCTION CAUSED BY

BALSAM WOOLLY ADELGID DAMAGE ON BALSAM FIR IN RELATION TO

CLIMATE USING DENDROECOLOGICAL METHODS

Allison M. Kanoti and William H. Livingston

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono,

ME 04469

Allison_Kanoti@umit.maine.edu

Balsam woolly adelgid (BWA) (Adelges piceae) was first identified in Maine in 1908 and spread

throughout the lower half of the state by 1950. Isolated patches of infestation occurred as far north

as Westmanland in northern Aroostook County. After 1950, chronic infestations remained in

coastal areas of Maine, while further inland damage became sporadic and widely scattered. Within

the last decade, however, damage has increased in interior portions of the state with the worst

damage in central Hancock and Washington Counties.

We are testing the hypotheses that reductions in radial growth of BWA infested balsam fir (Abies

balsamea) in central Hancock and Washington counties was initiated within the last decade, and

that distinct weather patterns such as warm winters and/or drought are associated with infestation

changes. We are also confirming whether damage severity varies with soil drainage class and other

stand parameters.

Circular, 0.08-hectare (1/5-acre) study plots were established in the area east of the Penobscot River

where recent reports of BWA damage have originated. Twenty-nine plots, stratified by climate

region and soil drainage class, were established on sites capable of commercial production of balsam

fir. Several site and tree measurements were recorded on each plot and increment cores were taken

from at least 12 host and 12 non-host trees. Measurements were taken as described in the Forest

Inventory and Analysis Field Guide (USDA Forest Service 2003).

Chronologies will be developed from the increment cores for balsam fir and non-host species.

These chronologies will be cross-dated, standardized, and compared with each other to remove

stand-wide effects on growth patterns in an attempt to single out BWA effects on balsam fir. This

examination will show whether reduction in radial growth of adelgid-infested fir is a recent event.

The onset of growth decline will be compared with climate records to evaluate relationships

between minimum temperatures, drought (as indicated by precipitation and stream flow), and

BWA signals in fir chronologies. Relationships between soil drainage class, other stand parameters,

and severity of BWA symptoms will be quantified using multivariate analytical techniques. The

study’s results will indicate if climate can explain the recent increase in BWA damage in Hancock

and Washington Counties and how severity of BWA damage varies by drainage class and with

radial growth reductions at DBH.

Literature Cited

USDA Forest Service. 2003. Forest inventory and analysis national core field guide, volume 1:

field data collection procedures for phase 2 plots, version 1.7. USDA, For. Serv.-WO.

Internal report.
54 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE GERMINATION, EMERGENCE, AND EARLY

SURVIVAL OF NATIVE AND NON-NATIVE TREE SPECIES IN THE

ACADIAN FOREST

Keith G. Kanoti and Robert G. Wagner

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine,

Orono, ME 04469

kkanoti@umenfa.maine.edu

The Acadian forest forms the transition zone between the eastern temperate and the boreal forest.

With the possibility of a changing climate, it will be important to predict how increasing

temperatures and changing patterns of precipitation may influence the distribution of important

native and exotic tree species. Although climate may act to limit the geographic distribution of a

tree species at any of several points during its lifecycle, the influence of temperature and moisture

on the sensitive early life stages may be particularly important. In addition, understanding how

other factors such as seed predation, herbivory, plant competition, and season of dispersal can

influence whether a seed is able to germinate, emerge, and survive the first year will help determine

the relative importance of climate on these life stages.

The objectives of this study are to: 1) examine the effects of different temperature and moisture

regimes on the germination success of important native Acadian tree species and exotic tree species;

2) quantify the effects of seed predation, herbaceous competition, overstory, and sowing date on the

emergence and first-year survival of important native Acadian tree species and exotic tree species;

and 3) determine if silviculture can be used to mitigate possible negative effects of global climate

change on soil temperature and moisture to encourage the germination and establishment of

desired Acadian forest species. These objectives are being accomplished using both growth chamber

and field studies.

The growth chamber study is examining the germination patterns of nine tree species, representing

boreal, (balsam fir, trembling aspen, white birch) temperate (eastern white pine, red maple, red

spruce) and exotic species (hybrid larch, Norway maple, Norway spruce), under three temperature

and moisture regimes in a factorial design. Moisture levels in the germination media were

controlled using polyethylene glycol 8000 solutions with potentials of 0 Mpa, -0.6 Mpa and -1.2

Mpa to simulate wet, moderate and dry conditions, respectively. Temperature regimes included the

30 year average for Bangor, Maine from 1971-2000 [June high (23.5oC) and low (11.8oC)] and

plus and minus 7.5oC from this baseline. This experiment provided control over temperature and

moisture conditions, as well as observation of the timing of germination that is generally not

possible in the field.

The field study includes seed of the same nine species in a 24

 factorial design, and is examining the

influence of: 1) sowing date (fall vs. spring), 2) overstory canopy (overstory vs. no overstory), 3)

vertebrate predator protection (cage vs. no cage) and 4) herbaceous plat competition (grass vs. no

grass) on emergence and early survival. Emergence, mortality and cause of mortality, were tracked

weekly during the first growing season in 2004. General patterns of soil temperature and moisture

also have been monitored.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 55

SAPLING RECRUITMENT AND GROWTH DYNAMICS IN MULTI-AGED

NORTHERN CONIFER STANDS: A 20-YEAR STUDY

Laura S. Kenefic1 and John C. Brissette2

1

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, 686 Government Road, Bradley, ME 04411

lkenefic@fs.fed.us

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

It has long been recognized that sustainable multi-aged management relies upon defining and

attaining specific stand structural goals. These goals are typically defined in terms of residual basal

area, maximum diameter and number of trees per size class. Most assessments of multi-aged stands

focus on these attributes, i.e. the structure and growth of the merchantable classes. However, the

amount, species, growth and mortality of the sapling classes have important implications for longterm sustainability.

The USDA Forest Service Northeastern Research Station established a long-term silviculture

experiment on the Penobscot Experimental Forest in Maine in 1952. Treatments are replicated at

the stand level and include selection cutting on 5-, 10-, and 20-year cycles (SC05, SC10, and

SC20, respectively) as well as modified (MDL) and fixed (FDL) diameter-limit cutting at 20-year

intervals. A subsample of trees 0.5 inches and larger in diameter at breast height have been

numbered and followed individually since 1975, with measurements taken before and after

treatment and at 5-year intervals between treatments.

Preliminary analysis of sapling ingrowth data from year 25 of the study to the present revealed high

within-treatment variability. The amount of ingrowth recorded in a single inventory varied

temporally within treatments by as much as tenfold, and spatially (between replicates) by twofold.

Values ranged from as low as 109 stems/acre over a five-year inventory period in one of the SC05

stands, to 1918 stems/acre in one of the SC20 stands. The mean rate of ingrowth over the

measurement period differed only for SC05 (53.7 stems/acre/year) and S20 (240.6 stems/acre/

year). Species composition of sapling ingrowth did not differ by treatment.

Individual tree dynamics were evaluated using the sapling ingrowth in year 25 of the study, and

following that ingrowth “cohort” over time. Twenty years later the proportions of this class that had

died, remained saplings, and reached the poletimber did not differ by treatment. On average, 50%

of the “class of 25” ingrowth had died, 48% remained sapling size, and 2% reached the pole classes.

Principal cause of mortality differed between the 5- and 10-year selection (residual stand damage)

and 20-year selection (suppression). There were no other treatment differences in amount or cause

of sapling ingrowth mortality.

Rates of sapling diameter growth at the time of ingrowth did not differ by treatment and averaged

<0.1 inch per year. This slow rate of sapling ingrowth diameter growth, combined with high

mortality, suggests problems with subsequent merchantable ingrowth and long-term sustainability

of structure and production in the multi-aged stands. Future work will address merchantable

ingrowth dynamics.
56 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

DYNAMICS OF TREE GROWTH AND COMPOSITION FOLLOWING PARTIAL

CUTTING IN AN OAK – PINE FOREST IN MAINE

Laura S. Kenefic1, Susan P. Elias2, Alan J. Kimball3, and Jack W. Witham2

1

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, 686 Government Road, Bradley, ME 04411

lkenefic@fs.fed.us

2

University of Maine, Holt Research Forest, Arrowsic, ME

3

University of Maine, Department of Forest Management, Orono, ME

The Holt Research Forest in Maine is an early 1900s origin even-aged second-growth forest.

Common tree species include eastern white pine, red maple, and red oak in mixture with other

softwoods and hardwoods. In 1987 ten 1-ha blocks on the forest were partially harvested to initiate

a long-term study of ecosystem response to silvicultural treatment. Since that time, data from

treated blocks and untreated controls have been used to assess changes in stand structure (density

and volume), species composition, growth, mortality, and snag dynamics.

Objectives of the treatment were to increase structural diversity, regenerate a new cohort, and

improve stand quality, growth, and composition. White pine and red oak were favored, as were

good form yellow and paper birch, red spruce, and eastern hemlock. Grey birch, mature balsam fir,

poor vigor red spruce, and trees > 50 cm dbh (primarily white pine “wolf” trees) were removed.

These objectives, and the low-impact partial harvesting applied, are consistent with the objectives

and forest management preferences of small landowners in the region.

There were no pre-treatment structural or compositional differences between harvest and control

blocks (for species > 5% of BA). Inventory data collected post-treatment indicated fewer trees and

less volume in the harvest blocks, as would be expected. Total stem density no longer differed

between treatments nine years after harvest, apparently due to the combined effects of higher

ingrowth in the harvest blocks and higher mortality in the control. Volume remained lower in the

harvest than control blocks. Species composition did not differ between treatments, either

immediately or one decade after harvest, despite attempts to improve composition. Net growth was

also not differentiated by treatment, with the exception of higher medium-large sawtimber growth

in the control due to greater stocking in those classes.

Post-harvest inventory revealed that the harvest blocks had fewer snags, despite no pre-harvest

difference in snag density between treatment areas. Though the number of snags increased in both

the harvest and control blocks over the next decade, greater snag recruitment (a function of

mortality) occurred in the control. Partial cutting thus decreased both the number of snags in the

residual stand and the rate of snag formation, resulting in increasing between-treatment differences

in snag density over time.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 57

FIELD EFFICIENCY AND BIAS OF METHODS FOR SNAG AND CAVITY

TREE INVENTORY

Robert S. Kenning1, Mark J. Ducey1,3, Jeff H. Gove2, and John C. Brissette2

1

University of New Hampshire, Department of Natural Resources, 215 James Hall,

Durham, NH 03824

2 Northeastern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Durham, NH

3

Author for correspondence. mjducey@cisunix.unh.edu

Snags and cavity trees are important to the structure and ecological function of forest ecosystems,

yet due to operational sampling difficulties and limited resources snags are often not included in

forest inventory. This study tested N-tree distance sampling as a new time saving device for snag

assessment and compared N-tree distance sampling to fixed area sampling and modified horizontal

line sampling (MHLS). Also presented is a novel modification of N-tree distance sampling that

limits the area an observer must search to find tally trees. Results show N-tree distance sampling to

be quick yet generally biased with high variability in snag inventory. Based on our inventory and

time trials of all above-mentioned methods, we give recommendations on operational snag

inventory in similar forest types.
58 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

P.O. SERIES – STAND DYNAMICS

Kenneth M. Laustsen

Department of Conservation, Maine Forest Service, Forest Health and Monitoring Division,

22 State House Station, Augusta, ME 04333

ken.laustsen@maine.gov

The Permanent Observation (PO) series of plots were established in the fall of 1924 with the object

of capturing a continuous record of regeneration. All plots experienced a recent cutting of spruce

and fir to a 6′′ diameter limit, i.e. commercial clearcut. These plots located in the Penobscot River

watershed on the Great Northern Paper Company ownership, were periodically remeasured up

through 1994, and have more than met the original objective.

The 70 years of remeasurement data, photographic documentation, and graphical analysis

encompass two major dynamic developments:

- Through the 1960s, the stand maturation response following the 1910 - 1920 spruce budworm

epidemic and the circa 1920 harvest, and

- Then the stand degradation process from the mortality impacts of the 1970s - 1980s era spruce

budworm epidemic.

Five plots (PO – 2, 3, 5, 6, and 10) can be characterized as representing a spruce flat development

type, with equal representation of spruce and fir, moderate to poor drainage, and associated species

of red maple, yellow birch, and white birch. In 1924, at a derived spruce-fir stand age of 10; these

plots averaged 13,000 seedlings, 97 saplings (1 – 6′′ dbh class), and 50 merchantable size trees per

acre. The merchantable basal area was 53 ft2

/acre and the merchantable volume was estimated at 12

cords per acre, 95 percent of which was post-harvest residual yellow and white birch.

For the 25 year period (stand age 24 - 49), spruce-fir ingrowth averaged 0.51 cords per acre per

year, with fir ingrowth concentrated early in this period and spruce tagging along later. At the 1963

data collection cycle and at a stand age of 49 years, spruce-fir periodic accretion peaks at 1.29

cords/acre/year. Ten years later, the mean annual increment of spruce-fir peaks at 0.52 cords/acre/

year. At a derived stand age of 59 years, the average merchantable stock and stand values per acre

are 630 trees, 167 ft2

 of basal area, and 32 cords.

The next 10-year period encompasses the recent spruce budworm epidemic and how it impacts

these plots:

- 1974 - 1978, the plots average an estimated -2.04 cords/acre/year in mortality, resulting in an

estimated net growth of -2.01 cords/acre/year. There was no measurable accretion!

- 1979 - 1983, the plots average an estimated -1.72 cords/acre/year in mortality, resulting in an

estimated net growth of -1.72 cords/acre/year. Again, there was no measurable accretion.

In 1983, the average merchantable stock and stand values per acre are now 217 trees, 70 ft2

 of basal

area, and 14 cords. The four remaining unharvested plots continued to decrement in volume and

net growth through the last measurement period of 1984 - 1994, even as the next stand of

seedlings/saplings started to express their development.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 59

LONG-TERM EFFECTS OF LIMING ON SOIL CHEMISTRY IN NORTHERN

HARDWOOD FORESTS

Paul J. Lilly

State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210

Most studies on forest liming and soil acidity deal with short-term (<10 yrs) effects (Johnson et al.

1995). The few that have revisited limed sites after longer periods of time (e.g. Persson et al. 1995)

suggest that while pH effects from liming may dissipate relatively quickly, other effects—changes in

base saturation, exchangeable cations, distribution of organic matter—can be more persistent. Since

these properties are normally related, this uncoupling suggests that in the long term, liming causes

fundamental changes in the chemical properties of the treated soil.

In order to characterize these long-term effects, I located four previously established liming

experiments in northern hardwood or mixed hardwood stands across the northeast. In all cases,

lime or dolomite had been applied to mature stands; application rates ranged from 1.1 to 6.9 T/ha.

The oldest experiment is in the Bartlett Experimental Forest in Bartlett, NH, and is part of a

fertilization study that was put in place in 1963. The next oldest is located in the Harvard Forest

near Petersham, MA, and was initiated 1984-85. The third experiment is at Woods Lake, part of

the Integrated Lake-Watershed Acidification Study initiated in the early 1980s to address the

acidification of lakes in the Adirondacks; the lime application was done in 1989. The fourth and

youngest experiment is located at the Proctor Maple Research Center, near Burlington, VT, and was

limed in 1990.

Samples of organic horizons and of the top 15 cm of the B horizon were taken from treatment and

control locations at each experiment during the summer/fall of 2004. Horizon depths were

measured at the time of sampling as well. The long-term effects of liming on pH, organic carbon

content, exchangeable cations and acidity, effective and total CEC, and organically bound Al will

be presented; initial analysis of horizon data indicates that liming resulted in an increased

occurrence of A horizons and a decrease in the depth of Oe horizons.

Literature Cited

Johnson, D.W.; Swank, W.T.; Vose, J.M. 1995. Effects of liming on soils and streamwaters in a

deciduous forest: comparison of field results and simulations. Journal of Environmental

Quality. 24(6): 1104-1117.

Persson, T.; Rudebeck, A.; Wiren, A. 1995. Pools and fluxes of carbon and nitrogen in 40-yearsold forest liming experiments in southern Sweden. Water, Air, and Soil Pollution. 85: 901-

906.
60 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

SIMULATING REHABILITATION TREATMENTS IN NORTHERN HARDWOOD

STANDS FOLLOWING DIAMETER-LIMIT CUTTING

Michael P. Maguire1, Laura S. Kenefic2, Jeremy S. Wilson3 and Ralph D. Nyland4

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

mtmaguire@megalink.net

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

3

Department of Forest Management, University of Maine, Orono, ME

4

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY

Exploitive cutting practices, such as high-grading and diameter-limit cutting, are common

throughout the Northeast. The primary focus of such practices is timber extraction. Unlike

silvicultural treatments, they do not attempt to deliberately regenerate or tend residual trees. These

practices are popular because, by removing the largest and most valuable trees, landowners and/or

loggers generate immediate and relatively high financial returns. However, studies have shown that

the benefits of repeated diameter-limit cutting are limited to the initial harvests. Short-term benefits

are offset by long-term ecological and economical costs. Adverse effects may include residual stands

with poor quality and low vigor trees, less commercially valuable species, and variable stocking and

crown cover. Although the negative effects of diameter-limit cutting have been documented,

research addressing rehabilitation options is scant.

The purpose of this study is to identify silvicultural strategies for managing northern hardwood

stands, with a focus on overstory dynamics, following diameter-limit cuttings. Data were obtained

from well-stocked, even-aged northern hardwood stands in Maine. Exploitive and silvicultural

treatments were simulated over a 50-year period using a USDA Forest Service growth and yield

model (NE-TWIGS variant of the Forest Vegetation Simulator). Six scenarios were explored

including moderate and intensive rehabilitation treatments as well as no treatments, followed by

one and two 12-inch diameter-limit cuttings. Moderate and intensive treatments differed in terms

of the amount of basal area retained in each stand following rehabilitation treatments. Stand data

were evaluated using the Stand Product Optimization Tool which attempts to determine an optimal

mix of products for a stand based on user-provided merchantability standards, product values and

sampling data (McConville and Svitak 2004). Species composition, merchantable volume by

product class, and net present value were evaluated and compared across scenarios and between

stands. Net growth will also be evaluated.

Preliminary results suggest that intensive rehabilitation treatments were most successful in

improving species composition compared to moderate rehabilitation treatments and no treatments.

Net present values were also generally highest for the intensive treatments and lowest for no

treatments, when evaluated at the end of the 50-year modeling period. Moderate rehabilitation

treatments were typically constrained by the species composition and density.

Literature Cited

McConville, Daniel J.; Svitak, Joseph T. 2004. Cooperative Forestry Research Unit. University of

Maine, Orono. Unpublished report.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 61

MAINE’S COMMERCIAL THINNING RESEARCH NETWORK:

A LONG-TERM RESEARCH INSTALLATION DESIGNED TO IMPROVE OUR

UNDERSTANDING ABOUT HOW FORESTS RESPOND TO THINNING

Daniel J. McConville, Robert G. Wagner, and Robert S. Seymour

Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

Dan_McConville@umenfa.maine.edu

Maine’s Commercial Thinning Research Network was established in 2000 to develop a better

understanding about stand responses to commercial thinning in the state’s forests. Initial efforts by

the network are divided into two phases. Phase I developed a set of interim guidelines for

commercial thinning through the development of a software product called ThinME. Phase II,

representing most of the effort, has involved establishing a statewide network of research sites to

address specific questions about commercial thinning. Data from Phase II will help further refine

the thinning software developed in Phase I, improve regional growth and yield models related to

thinning responses, and address other silvicultural questions of interest. The plot network is

currently focused on answering two key questions about commercial thinning in spruce-fir stands

across the state: (1) For natural spruce-fir stands that have not received pre-commercial thinning

(PCT), what is the influence of (a) method of commercial thinning and (b) residual density on

subsequent stand response? (2) For natural spruce-fir stands that have received previous PCT, what

is the influence of (a) timing of first commercial thinning entry and (b) residual density on

subsequent stand response?

Twelve study sites have been established across the state of Maine. Six sites have previously received

PCT and range in age from 25 to 40 years old. The other six sites have never received PCT and

range from 40 to 70 years old. At each site, seven 0.37 ha (61 m x 61 m) treatment plots have been

established. Commercial thinning treatments in stands that have not received PCT include a

factorial combination of thinning method (low, crown, or dominant) and level of relative density

reduction (33 percent or 50 percent). Commercial thinning treatments in stands that have received

PCT include a factorial combination of timing of first commercial thinning (now, delay 5 yrs, or

delay 10 yrs) and level of relative density reduction (33 percent or 50 percent). The thinning

treatments, which used single-grip harvesters and forwarder trails spaced 30.5 m apart, were applied

from fall 2000 through fall 2002. Four 0.02-ha (15.2 m x 13.3 m) measurement plots were placed

at the center of each treatment plot. All plots have been measured before and after thinning.

Regular post-treatment measurements are being collected from permanent tagged trees.

Measurements include species, DBH, tree location, total height, and height to live crown.
62 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

THE PACK FOREST PLAIN: ONE OF NORTH AMERICA’S OLDEST FOREST

FERTILIZATION EXPERIMENTS

Christopher A. Nowak

Faculty of Forest and Natural Resources Management, State University of New York College of

Environmental Science and Forestry, 1 Forestry Drive, Syracuse, NY 13210

canowak@esf.edu

In 1928, Svend Heiberg—one of the first foresters and soil scientists to practice, teach and conduct

research on forestry in the United States—led the establishment of a series of conifer plantations

that have been regularly used for scientific inquiry of forest nutrition, stand development,

biogeochemistry, and silviculture. The 50-hectare collection of plantations— mostly red pine (Pinus

resinosa Ait.) located on a glaciofluvial outwash sandplain (“The Plain”) on the Charles Lathrop

Pack Demonstration Forest in the southeastern Adirondacks of New York—were amended with

organic matter or fertilized with various amounts and combinations of N, P, and K from 1935 to

1956, making the site one of the oldest forest nutrition trials in North America. Early on in the

research, The Plain was discovered to have severe K deficiencies for growing red pine and other

species, so studies focused on K nutrition and its interaction with other site resources, including

water and light. Some of the first practice and theory papers on forest fertilization in North

America were produced by Heiberg and others, including many of today’s top soil scientists who

worked on The Plain as students in the 1940s-1960s. In the 1970s and 80s, the long-term research

sites were used by Heiberg-descendants (including Drs. Al Leaf and Ed White) to study

biogeochemistry in association with plantation development (aggradation) and concern for acidic

deposition effects in forest ecosystems. Results are featured in Brady and Weil’s seminal textbook on

soils (“The Nature and Property of Soils”, 12th and 13th editions). Research work has continued to

present with a growing record of information on changes in tree communities and soil chemistry.

Future research will hopefully continue along these lines of inquiry, and would focus on

sustainability of conifer plantations, site amelioration of degraded soils using plantations, acidic

deposition and its changing influence on site quality in the Adirondacks, and plantation forestry as

related to long-term carbon dynamics.

Select bibliography (selected from over 50 refereed articles from research on The Plain):

Buxbaum, C.A.Z.; Nowak, C.A.; White, E.H. 2001. Long-term soil nutrient dynamics and

lateral nutrient movement in fertilized and unfertilized red pine plantations.

Biogeochemistry. 55: 269-292.

Nowak, C.A.; Shepard, J.P.; Downard Jr., R.B.; White, E.H.; Raynal, D.J.; Mitchell, M.J. 1990.

Nutrient cycling in declining Adirondack conifer plantations: Is acidic deposition an

influencing factor? Water, Air and Soil Pollution. 48: 209 224.

Nowak, C.A.; Downard, Jr., R.B.; White, E.H. 1991. Potassium trends in red pine plantations

at Pack Forest, New York. Soil Science Society of America Journal. 55: 847 850.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 63

LAND-USE HISTORY AS A DRIVER OF CURRENT ECOLOGICAL PROCESSES

John F. O’Keefe, David R. Foster, Glenn Motzkin, and Brian Hall

Harvard Forest, Harvard University, 324 North Main Street, Petersham, MA 01366

jokeefe@fas.harvard.edu

The forests of the northeastern United States present a history of almost continual change, albeit

change that has varied greatly in scale, rates, and causes through time. The importance of human

disturbance relative to natural disturbance has steadily increased, most rapidly and dramatically

following European settlement. Legacies from clearing and plowing, grazing, burning, and cutting

from the 17th through 19th centuries strongly influence most ecological processes in the region

today. Harvard Forest has been investigating these influences for nearly a century, as exemplified by

the famed Land-use History dioramas in the Fisher Museum at Harvard Forest (Foster and O’Keefe

2000) and, more recently, through its research as a National Science Foundation (NSF) Long-Term

Ecological Research (LTER) site.

We have used a variety of data sources including proxy data such as pollen in sediments, historical

maps, survey data and records, physical evidence on the landscape, and long-term plots and

experimental treatments to investigate these changes. Virtually every ecological process studied

reflects a legacy of land-use history. The dramatic cover changes during the last 150 years and the

resulting successional patterns influence current plant species abundances (less beech and hemlock,

more birch and red maple now than pre-settlement) and distributions. Moreover, these impacts

typically vary with scale: homogenization at the broad landscape scale, but a mosaic of persistent

patches at the local scale. Wildlife species have responded strongly to these changes and patterns.

The landscape’s ability to store carbon (approximately 2 metric tons/ha/yr) and its response to

nitrogen deposition also reflect land-use history.

Separating human and environmental drivers of ecological change requires much work and at least

a millennial perspective. It is critical that environmental decision-making begin with a knowledge

and appreciation of the history and dynamic nature of our landscape.

Literature Cited

Foster, D.R.; O’Keefe, J.F. 2000. New England Forests Through Time: Insights from the

Harvard Forest Dioramas. Harvard Forest, Petersham, MA.
64 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

EFFECTS OF SILVICULTURAL TREATMENTS ON COARSE WOODY DEBRIS

IN THE CATSKILL REGION

Byung B. Park, Ruth D. Yanai, and René H. Germain

Faculty of Forestry and Natural Resources Management, State University of New York College of

Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY 13210

bbpark@syr.edu

Coarse woody debris (CWD) is an important component of forested ecosystems that requires

increased attention with changing demands on forest management. CWD can be an important

component of aboveground carbon and nutrient storage, but the variety of silvicultural treatments

applied makes it difficult to predict.

This study was conducted to determine the effects of silvicultural treatments and harvesting

practices on CWD biomass, nutrient capital and carbon content. The research plots were located in

two of four model forests within the Catskill/Delaware watershed of the New York City (NYC)

water supply system. The NYC watershed model forests offer an opportunity to demonstrate how

the balance between a working landscape and water quality can be maintained while providing a

practical means of studying and monitoring the effects of forest management on ecosystem

functions and water quality. Information on CWD was collected by using the modified planar

intercept method at the Lennox Memorial Model Forest with a variety of silvicultural treatments

and the Mink Hollow Model Forest in the Catskills. We collected subsamples 15 cm in length by

species and 4 decay classes to determine their density and nutrient concentration.

The biomass of CWD in control, crown thinning, high-grade harvesting, shelterwood cut, and

patch clearcut is 10, 23, 39, 40, and 48 megagrams/ha respectively. Biomass of CWD depends on

the degree of decay class of wood and the selected treatment. High-grade harvesting and light

crown thinning did not produce much large CWD (> 20 cm). As expected, the proportion of low

decay class in the treated sites was greater than in the control. The proportion of well-decayed

CWD is highest in the control and high-grade harvesting sites. The density of CWD decreases as it

falls to the ground and decays. Change in density on aboveground (Da

) and downed CWD (Dd)

can be obtained from Da

 = - 0.05 × (Decay class) + 0.47 (R2 = 0.36) and Dd = -0.08 × (Decay class)

+ 0.46 (R2

 = 0.60).

Nitrogen concentration consistently increased as decay progressed in all species, but P, K, Ca, and

Mg were less predictable. Nutrient content of CWD was the lowest (37, 2, 5, 30, and 3 kg/ha for

N, P, K, Ca, and Mg respectively) in the control and the highest in the patch clearcut (109, 7, 40,

363, and 21 kg/ha for N, P, K, Ca, and Mg respectively). The carbon storage of CWD remaining

on site is 5, 11, 19, 19, and 23 ton/ha for control, crown thinning, high-grade harvesting,

shelterwood cut, and patch clearcut treatment respectively.

This study shows that silvicultural methods can significantly influence the amount of CWD and

nutrient, especially soon after cutting. This study will provide valuable information in selecting

treatments to accommodate non-timber values such as wildlife habitat, nutrient cycling, and carbon

storage.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 65

EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF GAP ORIGIN NORTHERN CONIFERS:

DO MODEST SIZED CANOPY OPENINGS PROVIDE FOR TIMELY

RECRUITMENT OPPORTUNITIES?

David G. Ray1, Robert S. Seymour1, and John C. Brissette2

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono,

ME 04469

david.ray@umit.maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

One of the greatest challenges faced by forest managers interested in transitioning from single to

multi-aged stand structures is the establishment and timely recruitment of new age classes. The

Acadian Forest of central Maine, characterized by long-lived shade-tolerant species that regenerate

reliably, provides an ideal backdrop for identifying viable strategies. To that end, this study presents

a retrospective analysis of the height growth of gap origin saplings in a mature single-storied

northern conifer stand transitioning into the understory reinitiation stage of stand development.

The tallest individual saplings of each of the three most common species [Tsuga canadensis (EH),

Picea rubens (RS), Abies balsamea (BF)] were harvested from each of six densely regenerated canopy

gaps of varying size (gap fraction range=0.19 to 0.33, roughly corresponding to the removal of 1-2

main canopy trees). Sapling age, measured at the root collar, averaged 29 yrs (range=19 to 46), and

average total height was 4.9 ft (range=1.7 to 11.9), when sampled in 2004. Species composition of

the overstory was dominated by EH (60% of total stand basal area which was 165 ft2

); RS (28 ft2)

and BF (10 ft2

) were also represented in the overstory. The average breast height age of main

canopy trees on the margins of the studied gaps was >100 yrs.

In general, the radial growth patterns exhibited by these saplings did not indicate distinct periods of

suppression and release, but rather suggested accelerating growth in response to increased resource

availability in the gaps and their increasing capacity to utilize them. Further, radial growth patterns

of the surviving overstory trees surrounding the gaps showed little evidence of enhanced increment

in response to the vacated growing space, perhaps due to their advancing ages and/or current social

position within the stand. Seventy-four percent of the variability in recent sapling height growth

could be accounted for in a linear model including species (P=0.026), gap fraction (P=0.006), and

relative sapling height (P=0.047) as inputs; means separation indicated that on average EH grew

faster in height than either BF or RS under these conditions. Current rates of height growth among

these leading saplings does not appear to be sufficient to ensure their timely recruitment into the

main canopy layer (EH=0.48 ft/yr, BF=0.31 ft/yr, RS=0.15 ft/yr), with the possible exception of

EH. Our findings highlight a potential bottleneck when converting single-cohort stands to multiaged structures. In fairness, the modest sized canopy gaps represented in this study may have been

too small to promote thrifty height growth, even among these shade-tolerant species. Observation

of gap origin saplings within openings more typical of group selection cuttings (up to 0.5 ac) may

lead to a different conclusion.
66 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

SOIL CHARACTERISTICS 30-YEARS POST-HARVEST ON MAINE SPRUCE

FLATS: PRELIMINARY RESULTS

Andy B. Reinmann1, Laura S. Kenefic2, Ivan J. Fernandez3, and Walter C. Shortle4

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

Andrew_Reinmann@umit.maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

3

Department of Plant, Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME

4

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

The objective of this retrospective study was to quantify the effects of tree harvesting on spruce flats

in northern Maine, 30 years post-harvest. Spruce flats are dominated by shallow-rooted species and,

therefore, nutrients vertically redistributed in the mineral soil following disturbance may be

biologically out of reach. In order to test this hypothesis we selected stands cut 30 years ago

representing three harvest intensities (30%, 50%, and 80% removal) and two unharvested reference

sites. Samples from the O and B horizons were collected from pits excavated near each of ten

mature red spruce selected at each site. These samples were analyzed for C, N, exchangeable cations,

extractable P, pH, and exchangeable acidity. O horizon soil moisture was calculated from samples

collected during the summer of 2004.

Preliminary results indicate that a threshold exists between 50% and 80% removal-by-volume

beyond which the impacts on the soil are noticeable, 30-years post-harvest. Beyond this threshold,

the O horizon is significantly thinner and has a lower C:N ratio. Total C and total N in the mineral

soil were highest in the 80% harvest. This indicates increased leaching of dissolved organic matter

from the O horizon post-harvest. The mass of extractable P and exchangeable K in the O horizon

was significantly lower in the 80% harvest, while concentrations in the B horizon of the three

stands after 30 years were indistinguishable. Phosphorus and K were not adsorbed by the upper 20

cm of the mineral soil and likely were leached below the sampling depth or from the system.

Conversely, the mass and concentration of exchangeable Mn were higher in the O horizon of the

80% harvest.

A threshold exists between 50% and 80% removal beyond which nutrient dynamics are adversely

impacted. In these shallow-rooted systems, some limiting nutrients likely are redistributed to

locations where they are unavailable to trees. This can impair the fertility and productivity of these

stands. The results from this study can help foresters implement management plans that will help

maintain the integrity of the region’s spruce-fir forests.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 67

PATTERNS OF ABOVEGROUND BIOMASS ACCUMULATION IN A NORTHERN

TEMPERATE FOREST

John B. Richardson1, Mark J. Ducey1,3, Marie-Louise Smith2

1

University of New Hampshire, Department of Natural Resources, 215 James Hall,

Durham, NH 03824

2

Northeastern Research Station, USDA Forest Service, Durham, NH

3

Author for correspondence. mjducey@cisunix.unh.edu

Current detailed understanding of the role forest ecosystems play in the Earth’s carbon budget is

often limited to small areas and short time spans. In order to better understand the role that these

forest ecosystems play in the global carbon budget it is necessary to understand the dynamics of

biomass accumulation and the patterns of change that occur through time and arising from both

anthropogenic and natural disturbances. Here we present preliminary results of an analysis of

patterns of change in standing aboveground biomass across a broad spatial (1050 ha) and temporal

(>75 years) scale for the Bartlett Experimental Forest, located in White Mountain National Forest,

New Hampshire, USA.
68 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

RECONSTRUCTING THE INTERACTIONS BETWEEN ACER RUBRUM,

BETULA LENTA AND QUERCUS RUBRA IN A MIXED-SPECIES FOREST IN

CENTRAL MASSACHUSETTS: REVISITING THE EARL STEPHENS PLOT

Steven S. Roberge

Yale School of Forestry & Environmental Studies, 205 Prospect Street, New Haven, CT 06520

steven.roberge@yale.edu

In 1952 Earl Stephens clearcut and meticulously reconstructed the history of a 0.36 ha plot on the

Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA. It was found, and later presented in paper by Oliver and

Stephens in 1977, that the forest developed from allogenic processes, rather than the continuous

recruitment of shade tolerant species through autogenic processes. Since that initial study little has

been done to investigate the development of the plot. The plot was revisited in the fall of 2004 to

measure and inventory the species present. The data will be used to determine how the forest

initiated and how the species present on the site interacted with each other after the clearing in

1952.

These interactions between northern red oak and red maple have been documented (Oliver 1977),

but little has been done to try and understand the dynamics between black birch and red maple.

This study focuses primarily of the relationships between these two species with and without the

presence of northern red oak. Ten percent of the 0.36 ha plot was sampled; the plot was divided

into the original 9.3 m2

 subplots from the 1952 reconstruction. Increment cores, canopy

dimensions, diameter and height information were collected for each tree within the sampled

subplot.

The purpose of this study is to provide information on how black birch and red maple interact with

each in a mixed-species forest in central New England. Knowledge of such interactions will

construct a better understanding of forest dynamics in central New England.

Literature Cited

Oliver, C.D.; Stephens, E.P. 1977. Reconstruction of a mixed-species forest in central New

England. Ecology. 58(3): 562-572.

Oliver, C.D. 1977. The ecological role and silvicultural implications of northern red oak

(Quercus rubra L.) in mixed species stands in central New England. Bulletin of the Yale

University School of Forestry and Environmental Studies.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 69

SILVICULTURE OF NORTHERN WHITE-CEDAR IN MIXEDWOOD FORESTS

Jean-Claude Ruel1, Catherine Larouche1, Sabrina Morisette1, Jean-Martin Lussier2

and Laura S. Kenefic3

1

Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, PQ, Canada. G1K 7P4

Jean-Claude-Ruel@sbf.ulaval.ca

2

Service Canadien des Forêts, Sainte-Foy, PQ

3

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

Concerns have been expressed regarding a decrease in the abundance of northern white cedar over a

large part of its range. Possible reasons for a decrease include poorly controlled harvesting and an

increase in deer browsing. Cedar can be the main species on some sites but it is also a companion

species in mixedwood stands. In these stands, productivity and stem quality can be very good,

making it an important resource for the forest industry. However, cedar response to silviculture in

such stands remains poorly documented so that the selection of silvicultural treatments is largely

based on the silvics of other associated species.

In order to assess cedar response in these stands, a study was initiated in western Quebec, Canada.

The study addresses two aspects of cedar response: regeneration establishment and residual tree

growth response. It comprises three sub-projects. The first one consists in an experiment where

short-term seedling establishment and development will be put in relation with level of cutting,

seed rain, seedbed type, browsing pressure as well as light, nutrient and water availability. The

second sub-project consists in a retrospective study in which regeneration and residual tree response

will be examined in relation with the type of cutting, the local skid trail network and the local

growth environment. The last sub-project will use long-term data from the Penobscot Experimental

Forest (Maine) to look at the combined effect of site type and silviculture on the growth and

regeneration of cedar. Together, the information gathered will make it possible to provide

management recommendations for cedar management in mixedwood stands.
70 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

SILVICULTURE AND WILDLIFE IN BOREAL IRREGULAR FORESTS:

A COOPERATIVE RESEARCH INITIATIVE

Jean-Claude Ruel1, David Pothier1, Daniel Fortin2 and Jean-Gabriel Élie

1

Département des sciences du bois et de la forêt, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, PQ, Canada. G1K 7P4

Jean-Claude-Ruel@sbf.ulaval.ca

2

Département de biologie, Université Laval, Sainte-Foy, PQ

It is generally assumed that fire is the dominant natural disturbance of boreal forests. This

assumption might promote the current extensive use of the clearcut system. However, there are

portions of the boreal forest receiving abundant precipitations. The interval between successive fires

may then be longer than the lifespan of individual trees. Tree mortality creates openings in the

canopy, and stands become characterized by an uneven and more diversified structure. Eastern

Canada provides an example of balsam fir and black spruce forests having an irregular structure.

The biodiversity characterizing the irregular boreal forest appears to stand out from the rest of the

boreal forest, but information remains limited. If forest management is to be adapted to stand

structure in a way that emulates natural disturbance patterns, alternatives to the clearcut system

must be developed.

In 2003, a research program was launched to develop silvicultural systems suitable to maintain the

biodiversity and ecosystem function in irregular boreal forests. This research conducted in Eastern

Canada involves financial participation from provincial and federal governments, as well as the

forest industry and wildlife agencies. The initial five-year research program focuses on three axes.

Each of these axes incorporates wildlife and forest components so that integrated scenarios can be

developed. The first axis will characterize the ecology of irregular forests by using specifically

adapted descriptors. While building on this information, the second axis will define and compare

various silvicultural treatments. Some of these treatments will be implemented from an operational

point of view. Finally, the third axis will transpose the results of the first two at the landscape level

so as to integrate the spatial distribution of stands and silvicultural treatments in terms of forestry

operations. This will make it possible to evaluate the impact of the proposed silviculture on

ecosystem processes acting at the landscape scale.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 71

DOCUMENTING THE ECOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF NEW SILVICULTURAL

SYSTEMS IN MAINE’S ACADIAN FOREST

Mike Saunders1, Robert Wagner1, Malcolm Hunter, Jr.2, Steve Woods3,

Darci Schofield, Carol Strojny2, Kristopher Abell3, and Shelly Thomas2

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Sciences, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono,

ME 04469. mike_saunders@umenfa.maine.edu

2

Department of Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME

3

Department of Biological Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME

The Forest Ecosystem Research Program (FERP) was initiated in 1993 on the Penobscot

Experiment Forest in Bradley, ME. Using current information about natural disturbance regimes in

the Acadian Ecoregion, an expanding-gap silvicultural system with permanent reserve trees was

developed. Based loosely on the German “Femelschlag” system, the treatment prescriptions include:

a) 20% canopy removal on a 10-year cutting cycle (creating 0.2 ha openings) with 10% of the basal

area remaining in permanent reserve trees, and b) 10% canopy removal level on a 10-year cutting

cycle (creating 0.1 ha openings) with 30% of the basal area remaining in permanent reserve trees.

Changes in baseline data, including measurements of overstory trees, tree regeneration, understory

vegetation, snags and downed woody material, are being monitored on a periodic basis. The large

size of FERP plots has been designed to facilitate interdisciplinary investigations and include

projects: 1) establishing the relationship between light intensity and the diversity of herbaceous

vegetation in harvest and natural gaps; 2) determining the influence of natural and harvest gaps on

forest amphibians; 3) describing the influence of both gaps and DWD distribution on forest

insects, specifically parasitic wasps and click beetles; 4) quantifying the nutrient content of DWD;

and 5) modeling the effects of harvesting on vertical and horizontal forest structure.
72 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

LARGE AREA COMPARISONS OF FOREST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES

(1951– PRESENT)

Thomas M. Schuler, Mary Beth Adams, W. Mark Ford, James N. Kochenderfer,

and Pamela J. Edwards

Timber and Watershed Laboratory, Northeastern Research Station, USDA Forest Service,

Parsons, WV

tschuler@fs.fed.us

Species composition, tree quality, and growth and yield were the primary response variables of

interest when this study was established in 1951 on the Fernow Experimental Forest in West

Virginia. Silvicultural treatments include single-tree selection, diameter-limit harvesting, patch

cutting, and unmanaged reference areas replicated on three northern red oak site index classes (24,

21, and 18) on 280 ha. To date, designated treatments have included nearly 70 individual timber

harvests totaling approximately 98,000 m3

 (7 MMBF) conducted by a Forest Service logging crew.

The successful bid for the 712 MBF scheduled for harvest in FY 2005 was over $500,000. In

addition to the original objectives, portions of the study have been used to evaluate epicormic

branching, logging safety, aesthetics, forest hydrology, water quality, forest operations, economics,

tree grade, regeneration, cull management, gap dynamics, and woody and herbaceous species

diversity, and most recently, management implications of two endangered species. The study area

virtually surrounds a winter hibernacula of the federally endangered Indiana bat and is the site of

the second largest known population of the federally endangered running buffalo clover. Numerous

scientists spanning three generations have been responsible for about 60 publications emanating

from aspects of the overall study. Hundreds of camera points were established during the early years

and recently thousands of photographs from these camera points have been digitized, providing

time lapse imagery spanning four decades of forest management. Environmental Impact

Statements, consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, NEPA, Monongahela National

Forest Planning documents, incidental take permits, and state required BMPs are all part of the

increasing administrative requirements that must be addressed to continue this study that did not

exist when the study was initiated. This study provides an outstanding example of the challenges

and benefits of long-term silvicultural research.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 73

USING CALICIOID LICHENS AND FUNGI TO ASSESS ECOLOGICAL

CONTINUITY IN THE ACADIAN FOREST

Steven B. Selva

Division of Natural and Behavioral Sciences, University of Maine at Fort Kent, Fort Kent, ME 04743

sselva@maine.edu

Using lichens to assess ecological continuity in forest ecosystems was pioneered by Francis Rose in

the British Isles. Rose established that oak woodlands in Britain, which have retained some degree

of long-term ecological continuity, support significant lichen assemblages, which are absent or

poorly represented in woods where disruption to ecological continuity has occurred to a greater or

lesser degree. He concluded that these species represent a “relict flora” and developed the concept of

their use as “indicator species” for grading woodlands on a scale of increasing or decreasing levels of

past disturbance. Reasoning that the methods of Rose could also be used to assess the continuity of

forest ecosystems in northeastern North America, old-growth indicator lichens were identified and

indices were developed to assess the ecological continuity of northern hardwoods and spruce-fir

stands in the Acadian Forest Ecoregion.

Given the wide variety of potential microhabitats that characterize aging forests, and the fact that an

analysis of ecological continuity using the methods of Rose is only as valid as species inventories are

complete, such investigations are often as daunting as they are time consuming. A more efficient

method is suggested in the conclusions of Selva (1994), who showed that, not only do epiphytic

lichen floras become richer over time—with older stands harboring more rare species—but the total

number of calicioid lichens and fungi collected at a site is, itself, an indicator of continuity. With

calicioid taxa found growing in more forest microhabitats than any other group of species, it is

argued that an assessment index based on the total number of calicioid species collected at a site

provides a more accurate assessment of continuity than an assessment following the methods of

Rose. The higher the number of calicioid species collected at a site, the more ancient the site, and

vice versa.

Commonly called the “stubble lichens” because of their small size, the calicioid lichens and fungi

are an assemblage of saprophytic, parasitic and lichenized fungi that can be distinguished, in part,

by their tiny (1-2 mm tall) stipitate apothecia. They colonize a variety of substrates including the

bark and lignum of numerous angiosperm and gymnosperm species. Most species show clear

substrate preferences, with many of the rarer calicioid species restricted to old-growth and ancient

forest sites. Once established—and because dispersal is limited—these ancient forest indicators

require ecological continuity of mature trees and a constant supply of substrate in various stages of

decomposition to persist.

To date, the ecological continuity of 78 northern hardwoods and spruce-fir stands in the Acadian

Forest Ecoregion have been assessed using this calicioid species index, 17 of which are considered

ancient forest sites.
74 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

FORTY YEARS OF PARTIAL HARVESTING IN MIXED NORTHERN CONIFERS

IN MAINE: RESULTS FROM THE PENOBSCOT EXPERIMENTAL FOREST

Paul E. Sendak1, John C. Brissette2, Robert M. Frank3 (retired), Laura S. Kenefic3

1

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH 03824

psendak@fs.fed.us

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

3

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

A long-term experiment on the Penobscot Experimental Forest in east-central Maine was designed

to provide information on the best silvicultural practices for managing stands of mixed northern

conifers. We evaluated growth and yield and changes in species composition, quality, and structure

during the first 40 years of the experiment (Sendak et al. 2003). Replicated treatments include the

selection system, uniform shelterwood, unregulated harvesting, and diameter-limit cutting. We

examined results of partial harvests: selection treatments at 5- (S05), 10- (S10), and 20-yr (S20)

cutting cycles and fixed (FDL) and modified (MDL) diameter-limit cutting on a 20-year harvest

interval.

The selection stands were managed under the BDq method, where B is residual basal area, D is

maximum residual DBH, and q defines the number of trees in each diameter class. The selection

stands had species composition targets and received timber stand improvement. Under FDL, all

merchantable trees of desirable species exceeding the diameter limits were removed. Under MDL,

trees above more conservative specified limits were sometimes left as a seed source and for wind

protection, and high-risk trees of desirable species below the specified limits were harvested to

capture mortality. Undesirable species, culls, and all or most desirable trees below minimum

diameter limits were retained in both diameter-limit treatments.

Between-treatment differences in net and gross volume growth and treatment yields were not

statistically significant, nor were net and gross volume growth for the selection versus diameterlimit cutting. For all treatments, mean annual net growth was 37.2 ft3

/ac and mean volume

harvested was 2,454 ft3

/ac. The spruce component increased as a percentage of basal area over the

40-yr period in the selection compartments and MDL but decreased in FDL. Fir increased in FDL,

remained about the same in S05 and S20, and decreased in S10 and MDL. Hemlock decreased in

S20 and FDL, increased in S05 and MDL, and was unchanged in S10. Growth and regeneration of

hemlock is encouraged by relatively light partial harvests and where hemlock stocking was initially

high, such as in S05. Hardwoods decreased in S05, remained about the same in S10 and MDL, and

increased in S20 and FDL. Volume in cull trees, used as a measure of stand quality, decreased in the

selection treatments to about 1 percent of total volume but increased in MDL and FDL to about

12-13 percent of volume.

Literature Cited

Sendak, P.E.; Brissette, J.C.; Frank, R.M. 2003. Silviculture affects composition, growth, and

yield in mixed northern conifers: 40-year results from the Penobscot Experimental Forest.

Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 33: 2116-2128.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 75

ASSESSING CHRISTMAS TREE RESPONSE TO N FERTILIZATION

Robert A. Slesak and Russell D. Briggs

SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry, 358 Illick Hall, 1 Forestry Drive,

Syracuse, NY 13210

rdbriggs@esf.edu

Fertilizers are often used in Christmas tree production to increase tree growth and quality. The

capacity to detect nutrient deficiencies that constrain tree growth and quality is an important

component of an effective Christmas tree management program. Ammonium nitrate (AN) and

chicken manure compost (CMC) were applied to five Christmas tree species commonly grown in

New York State at 11 sites in the spring of 2003. Foliage was collected the following fall and

analyzed for total nitrogen (N) and needle mass. Basal diameter current annual increment (CAI)

was used as a response variable. Across all sites, AN treated trees had significant increases in CAI

and needle N concentration relative to controls. There was no significant effect of CMC on growth

in the first season following fertilization for any of the species. Vector analysis results corresponded

with first year growth response approximately 65% of the time. However, there were distinct

differences between species with correspondence rates ranging from 83% to 44%. Based on these

first year results, it appears that tree response to fertilizer application can potentially be diagnosed

with the use of vector analysis. Longer-term response assessment will clarify the overall usefulness of

vector analysis in making fertilizer recommendations for Christmas tree production.
76 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

LONG-TERM RESEARCH ON THE USFS KANE EXPERIMENTAL FOREST

IN NORTHWESTERN PENNSYLVANIA

Susan L. Stout and Todd E. Ristau

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Warren, PA

sstout@fs.fed.us

The Kane Experimental Forest was established and dedicated to research use in March, 1932.

Scientists of that time, led by Ashbel Hough, designed studies to assess the long-term growth and

development of mixed hardwood stands just growing back after the heavy industrial revolution

logging that had nearly cleared the Allegheny Plateau between 1890 and 1930. In this paper, we

will provide an overview of the results of four early studies, including lessons learned for design and

implementation of long-term research. We will also provide an overview of more recently installed

long-term studies on the Kane Experimental Forest.

One of the early studies focused on what was then called weeding, but we would call cleaning

today—a replicated series of treatments in young stands to influence species composition, with full

controls. This study has yielded important results about the role of pin cherry in stand development

in the Allegheny hardwood forest type (Ristau and Horsley 1999), as well as important information

about the response to these early interventions. A second study—or demonstration—examined the

response of young stands to different strategies after a 1936 ice storm. A third was designed to

provide input to yield tables, and a fourth examined thinning strategies. All of these relied on small

treatment plot sizes – around 0.1 acres.

Studies installed in more recent times have used larger treatment plot sizes, ranging from 2.0 acres

through 4.9 acres. These include additional studies of thinning strategies including tests of residual

density, residual structure, and styles of thinning (crop tree vs. area-wide) (Marquis and Ernst 1991,

Nowak 1996, Stout and Nyland 1987), and tests of different silvicultural systems, including even-,

two-, and uneven-age systems. Most recently, a 2003 wind event has created opportunities to study

recovery from natural disturbance on the Kane Experimental Forest.

Literature Cited

Marquis, David A.; Ernst, Richard L. 1991. The effects of stand structure after thinning on the

growth of an Allegheny hardwood stand. Forest Science. 37(4): 1182-2000.

Nowak, Christopher A. 1996. Wood volume increment in thinned, 50- to 55-year-old, mixedspecies Allegheny hardwoods. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 26: 819-835.

Ristau, Todd E.; Horsley, Stephen B. 1999. Pin Cherry effects on Allegheny hardwood stand

development. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 29: 73-84.

Stout, Susan L.; Nyland, Ralph D. 1987. Role of species composition in relative density

measurement in Allegheny hardwoods. Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 16: 574-579.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 77

ACADIA RESEARCH FOREST: A LIVING LABORATORY

D. Edwin Swift and Brian Kilpatrick

Natural Resources Canada, Canadian Forest Service - Atlantic Forestry Centre, P.O. Box 4000,

Fredericton, NB E3B-5P7 Canada

eswift@nrcan.gc.ca

The Acadia Research Forest (ARF) is located approximately 25 km (16 miles) east of Fredericton,

NB where the main office of the Atlantic Forestry Centre (AFC) is situated. It is the AFC’s outdoor

forestry facility and it comprises about 9000 ha (22,230 acres) of softwood, hardwood, and mixed

forests of both the Grand Lake and Eastern Lowlands ecoregions. Since its establishment in 1933,

many different experiments, studies, and projects have been conducted in various research

disciplines or themes. The original purpose of the research forest was to research and demonstrate

good forest management for greater productivity, sustained yield, and economic benefit (Place

1992). Sustainable forest management has been actively practiced and demonstrated since the

founding days of the AFR. In the early 1930s, Canada’s Department of the Interior used it for

unemployment relief projects and the National Forestry Program to set up and establish long-term

silvicultural experiments and demonstrations (Thompson 1955, Place 1992). During the early

1940s, many long-term silvicultural experiments and demonstrations were established by internees

of a World War II internment camp that was set up at the ARF by the Department of National

Defense. In the 1950s and 1960s, concerns about clearcutting resulted in the establishment of a

number of long-term alternative silvicultural studies. Tree improvement experiments were

established in the 1960s and 1970s. Since the 1980s, several experiments and studies have been

established at the ARF to respond to environmental policy concerns over air pollution, global

change, carbon sequestration, and biodiversity. This poster illustrates some of the past and current

long-term experiments conducted in the ARF; it supplements the oral presentation.

More information is available at the following website:

http://www.atl.cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/index-e/who-e/role-e/role-e/acadia-e.htm.

Literature Cited

Place, I.C.M. 1992. Experiment forests in Canada: policy, problems, and commitment. In:

Proceedings of experimental forests workshops. Forest Research Development Agreement

(FRDA) Report 202: 43–46.

Thompson, C.C. 1955. The Acadia Forest Experiment Station. Canada Department of Northern

Affairs and Natural Resources, Forestry Branch Miscellaneous Publication No. 5. 19 p.
78 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

THE COOPERATIVE FORESTRY RESEARCH UNIT:

A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN MAINE’S FOREST MANAGERS AND THE

UNIVERSITY OF MAINE SINCE 1975

Robert G. Wagner and Daniel J. McConville

Cooperative Forestry Research Unit, 5755 Nutting Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

Dan_McConville@umenfa.maine.edu

Maine’s large forest landowners have long recognized the need to support a strong research effort as

part of their managing Maine’s forests. In 1975, a small group of visionary forest industry leaders

and representatives of the University of Maine formed the Cooperative Forestry Research Unit

(CFRU). It is now one of the oldest industry/university forest research cooperatives in the United

States, and continues to serve as a model of joint leadership and cooperation between Maine’s

largest industry and the University of Maine.

The CFRU is composed of about 24 private and public forestland management organizations from

across the state that guide and support research on key forest management issues facing Maine’s

forest landowners and managers (www.umaine.edu/cfru/). The mission of the CFRU is to “conduct

applied scientific research that contributes to the sustainable management of Maine’s forests for desired

products, services, and conditions.” The CFRU has been generously supported for 29 years through

the voluntary financial and in-kind contributions of its members.

During that time, the CFRU has researched and solved a number of crucial issues facing Maine’s

forest managers. In recent years, the CFRU also has become the primary research and development

effort supporting third-party forest certification in the state. CFRU research has had two primary

objectives: 1) develop information and tools to improve the efficiency and productivity of forest

management and 2) provide science-based information about the ecological effects of forestry

practices.

Research focusing on the ecological effects of forestry practices has allowed the CFRU to provide

scientific information that has been instrumental in helping the forest industry meet the

requirements of certification by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative and Forest Stewardship Council.

In addition, this research has provided key information for policy makers addressing a number of

important forestry issues in Maine and elsewhere. Current CFRU research continues this tradition

with a focus on improving silviculture in the Maine forest and improving our understanding about

the influence of forest management on wildlife habitat and conservation of biodiversity.

In addition, CFRU-sponsored research on the University of Maine campus has provided scores of

undergraduate students, graduate students, and faculty in forestry and wildlife with the opportunity

to learn about and help solve some of the most important problems facing forest managers in the

state. This investment has provided a wealth of expertise that has been drawn upon by forestry

organizations, government agencies, and the public when information and advice was needed about

key sustainable forestry issues. The CFRU has had a positive and lasting influence on the forestry

culture at the University of Maine by providing a direct link between the university and the people

managing Maine’s forest land.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 79

INFLUENCE OF SILVICULTURAL INTENSITY AND COMPOSITIONAL

OBJECTIVES ON THE PRODUCTIVITY OF REGENERATING FOREST

STANDS IN MAINE

Robert G. Wagner1, Mike R. Saunders1, Keith Kanoti1, John C. Brissette2,

and Richard J. Dionne2

1

University of Maine, Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, 5755 Nutting Hall, Orono, ME 04469

bob_wagner@umenfa.maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Durham, NH

Millions of acres of northern Maine’s Acadian forest are in a relatively young condition following

clearcut harvesting. Although natural hardwood and softwood regeneration can be abundant, the

species composition of this regeneration is often not what landowner’s desire. Tremendous

opportunity exists to improve the composition, quality, and growth rates of these stands while they

are in an early successional stage. Many landowners question whether it is better to start over, or to

work with what is there and make the best of it?

The intensity of silvicultural treatments and compositional objectives set by forest managers largely

determine the long-term outcome of stand development. Silvicultural intensity is determined by

the degree of investment in vegetation management, artificial regeneration, and thinning.

Compositional objectives determine whether particular species of conifers, hardwoods, or a mixture

of conifer and hardwood species are desired in the final stand.

In 2004, we established a long-term study on the Penobscot Experimental Forest near Bradley,

Maine that seeks to: (1) quantify the growth and development of early successional stands to

varying intensities of silvicultural intervention and compositional objectives, (2) document

ecophysiological mechanisms affecting the dynamics and productivity of young forest stands, and

(3) compare the energy requirements and financial returns associated with early intervention in

young stands.

The study site is an 8-yr-old naturally regenerated stand of aspen and red maple with an understory

of balsam fir and red spruce. A 3 x 3 factorial design plus an untreated control (10 treatments) is

being used. The treatments include three levels of silvicultural intensity (low, medium, high) and

three compositional objectives (conifer, mixedwood, hardwood). Levels of silvicultural intensity are

defined by the degree of control over (1) species colonization (tree planting), (2) relative species

performance (control of competing vegetation), and (3) spacing among desired trees (thinning). A

stratified, random experimental design with 4 replications is being used. Treatment plots are 30 m x

30 m (0.09 ha) in size and include a nested 20 m x 20 m (0.04 ha) measurement plot. Tree species

planted in the medium and high intensity treatments include improved white spruce and four

clones of hybrid poplar (D51, DN10, DN71, and NM4).

All crop trees (natural and planted) were selected or planted in summer 2004. The initial height,

diameter, crown length and radius, and health condition of all trees also were measured. The

amount of energy input from human labor, petroleum, and herbicides needed to establish the 10

treatments also were recorded.
80 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

INFLUENCE OF DISTURBANCE ON INGROWTH IN HARDWOOD FORESTS:

THE OLD-SERIES PLOTS – 1927-1997

Jeffrey S. Ward

Department of Forestry & Horticulture, The Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station,

PO Box 1106, New Haven, CT 06504

jeffrey.ward@po.state.ct.us

The four Old-Series plots track 70 years of succession in unmanaged central Connecticut hardwood

forests (Ward and others 1999). These plots have experienced three distinct disturbance regimes.

Thus, the long-term impact of different disturbance regimes on ingrowth (forest regeneration)

could be examined. Three plots had several episodes of moderate to severe defoliation (>25%):

1961-63, 1971-1972, and 1981. By contrast, moderate to severe defoliations at the fourth plot

were limited to single year episodes: 1964, 1972, and 1981. A summer wildfire burned

approximately 40% of the fourth plot in 1932. The burned area was inventoried in 1934. Areas

adjacent to roads, trails, and other human disturbance were excluded from this analysis.

Study plots were established in 1926-27. All trees with a diameter of at least 0.5 inch have been

mapped and measured at 10-year intervals, except during the 1940s, using 16.5-foot-wide strips

through the forests. We now have records on 43,357 stems distributed on nearly 60 tree and shrub

species. Soil drainage classes were classified according to the Soil Survey Manual. This analysis

examined trees on very poorly soils and poorly drained soils (1.8 acres). Ingrowth is reported as

stems/acre/decade (SA10). Only the ingrowth of species capable of reaching the upper canopy in a

mature forest is reported.

Ingrowth on the plot that had minor disturbance (single-year defoliations) has steadily decreased

from 99 SA10 between 1927-37 to only 26 SA10 between 1987-97. Maple has been the

predominant ingrowth species – accounting for 38% of stems. Oak ingrowth (<3 SA10)has been

negligible since 1957. By contrast, ingrowth increased markedly on the plots that experienced

multi-year defoliation episodes. Ingrowth rose from 52 SA10 between 1957-67 to 240 SA10 between

1967-87. Birch has accounted for 59% of stems during this twenty-year period. The wildfire on

these moist sites was not as hot as on adjacent drier soils. Nevertheless, one third of all stems were

top-killed by the fire. A dramatic increase of ingrowth, 288 SA10, was noted during the 1957

inventory. Nearly 30% of the new stems were oak. The pulse of ingrowth has subsequently subsided

and only 26 SA10 were observed between 1987-97.

These distinct disturbance regimes have resulted in real differences in species composition. In 1997,

maple accounted for 50% of all stems on the lightly defoliated plots. Birch was the most common

species on the multi-year defoliation plots, 52% of all stems, while oak accounted for <4% of

stems. More than 14% of stems on the burned plot were oak.

Literature Cited

Ward, J.S., Anagnostakis, S.L.; Ferrandino, F.J. 1999. Seventy years of stand dynamics in

Connecticut hardwood forests - the Old-Series plots (1927-1997). The Connecticut

Agricultural Experiment Station Bulletin 959. 68p. http://www.caes.state.ct.us/Bulletins/1990s/

1999/b959.pdf
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 81

ELEMENTARY SILVICULTURE: PRESENTING FOREST SCIENCE TO

CHILDREN THROUGH THE NSF’S GK-12 FELLOWSHIP

Justin D. Waskiewicz1 and Laura S. Kenefic1,2

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

Justin.Waskiewicz@maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

The National Science Foundation’s GK-12 Fellowship Program provides a link between science

education at the graduate and primary/secondary school levels. The program grants 12 fellowships

to University of Maine graduate students in a variety of science or math departments. Fellows each

work with three or four local teachers in grades 3-12 to design and implement demonstrations,

laboratory projects, and field trips. Fellows use their areas of expertise to demonstrate the scientific

method, the use of specialized equipment, and the fun and excitement of science.

This program, and others like it (there are 73 similar programs at other universities in the U.S.),

provide an excellent opportunity for forestry education. The future of Maine’s forests depends on

an informed and scientifically literate public. As an NSF fellow, I will be able to work with

schoolchildren to create an awareness of the importance and complexity of forest ecosystems. I plan

to accomplish this by focusing on four main themes throughout the school year: diversity, growth,

competition and change. I hope that my participation in this program will both facilitate science

education and inspire young students to pursue careers in science.
82 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

EFFECT OF HARVEST INTENSITY ON SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES AND

SITE PRODUCTIVITY IN RIPARIAN MIXEDWOOD FORESTS

Jamie K. Weaver1, Laura S. Kenefic2, and Ivan J. Fernandez3

1

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

jamie.weaver@maine.edu

2

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

3

Department of Plant, Soil, and Environmental Sciences, University of Maine, Orono, ME

Networks of perennial and intermittent streams and rivers cross Maine’s private and public forest

land. Among the functions provided by these riparian forests, water quality has received

considerable attention. Impacts of harvesting practices are an important concern and stringent

water quality standards have been established. Preserving riparian forests is an essential part of

compliance with those standards. However, changes in riparian function associated with various

harvest intensities are poorly understood.

Our objectives include (1) determining impacts of varying harvest intensities on soil physical

properties, forest structure, and site productivity in riparian mixed-wood forests, and (2) relating

terrestrial impacts of harvesting to observed in-stream changes. We propose to meet these objectives

through a study of harvest blocks of varying intensities (from clearcut to no cut) along forested

streams in Maine.

This project will complement an ongoing Agenda 2020 study of harvest intensity, soil productivity,

and growth response (Reinmann et al. 2004), as well as headwater streams research conducted by

the Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences (Wilkerson et al. 2004). We anticipate that this

research will facilitate the identification of key associations within the aquatic-terrestrial interface in

landscapes managed for timber production. This information will provide the basis for assessing the

sustainability of managed mixed-wood riparian ecosystems, and for developing and improving

management guidelines.

Literature Cited

Reinmann, A.; Kenefic, L.; Fernandez, I.; Shortle, W. 2004. Preliminary results from a

retrospective study of harvest intensity, site productivity, and red spruce growth. In: Ward,

J.; Twery, M., eds. Forestry across borders: proceedings of the 84th winter meeting of the New

England Society of American Foresters. Gen Tech. Rep. NE-314. Newtown Square, PA: U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station: 28-29.

Wilkerson, E.; Hagan, J.; Siegel, D.; Whitman, A.A. 2004. The effectiveness of different buffer

widths for protecting water temperature in headwater streams. Cooperative Forestry Research

Unit Research Report 04-01. 7 p.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 83

LASTING EFFECTS OF HURRICANE DISTURBANCE ON LONG-TERM

FOREST DEVELOPMENT AT THE HARVARD FOREST

Kristin R. Wilson1, Audrey A. Barker Plotkin2 and David R. Foster2

1

University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469

Kristin_Wilson@umit.maine.edu

2

Harvard Forest, Harvard University, Petersham, MA

Central to the Harvard Forest research mission is examination of natural disturbance and

anthropogenic stress. Hurricane blowdown is a major natural disturbance process in New England,

and has been studied at Harvard Forest through large-scale manipulation, historical reconstruction

and modeling. Permanent plot data allow us to expand our understanding of long-term hurricane

effects on forest dynamics; here, we use permanent plot data to illustrate the persistent effects of

hurricane damage 30-60 years after the great hurricane of 1938. A 7-acre hardwood forest plot was

established in 1969 at Harvard Forest. All living and dead trees were censused in 1969, 1975,

1987-92 and 2001. Based on distribution of windthrown stems and damage boundaries delineated

immediately after the 1938 hurricane, the site was divided into severe (91-100% damage, 0.7

acres), moderate (51-75% damage, 2.2 acres) and low (11-25% damage, 4.2 acres) damage areas.

Intensity of hurricane damage continues to shape forest development, 30-60 years after the initial

disturbance event. Stand development in the severely damaged area lagged about 30 years behind

the low and moderately damaged areas. There were also marked differences in species composition

between the severely damaged area versus the less-damaged areas. Red oak dominated basal area in

the low and moderately damaged areas, whereas red maple, birch species and white pine were

collectively more important in the severely damaged area. The different areas did not converge over

time; black and yellow birches became more important in the severe area over time, whereas a

growing number of later-successional species (beech, hemlock and sugar maple) recruited into the

low and moderate areas. This case study shows that forest recovery following hurricane disturbance

is a gradual process extending beyond the timeframe of most studies and allows for a better

understanding of the long-term role of hurricane disturbance in the New England landscape.
84 Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325

LONG-TERM STUDY OF A PINE – OAK FOREST ECOSYSTEM:

HOLT RESEARCH FOREST

Jack W. Witham1, Malcolm L. Hunter, Jr.2, Alan J. Kimball3, Alan S. White4,

Susan P. Elias1, and Laura S. Kenefic5

1

Holt Research Forest, University of Maine, 508 Old Stage Road, Arrowsic, ME 04530

jwitham@maine.edu

2

Department of Wildlife Ecology, University of Maine, Orono, ME

3

Department of Forest Management, University of Maine, Orono, ME

4

Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, University of Maine, Orono, ME

5

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

The Holt Research Forest (HRF) was established in 1983 on a 120 ha (300-acre) parcel in Arrowsic

in mid-coastal Maine. A 40-ha study area was established with half to be used as an experimental

area and the other as a reserve. Research and management protocols were established by Hunter

and Kimball for two broad goals to direct the activities at HRF. One is research based: undertake

long-term research to understand the structure and dynamics of an oak-pine forest ecosystem. The

other is management based: develop a demonstration forest where state-of-the-art multiple use

management techniques can be presented to the public. Long-term baseline data has been collected

on many components of the forest including woody and herbaceous vegetation, birds, mammals,

salamanders, seed and fruit production, and soils.

The study area is bisected by the property line of two old farms and the current condition of the

vegetation has been significantly influenced by the past land use. The northern farm was abandoned

in the 1930s and the forest canopy is dominated by white pine, while the southern half has longer

history as a woodlot and is more mixed. Several forest floor species of plants show distributions that

are linked to the land use history as well. The importance of land use history in determining the

present biodiversity of a parcel should not be underestimated.

A group-selection harvest in 1987/1988 in 10 ha of the experiment area resulted in removal of 42%

of the basal area and created canopy gaps ranging in size from 25 to 3000 m2

. This harvest

provided the opportunity to measure the impacts of the harvest on growth rates of adjacent trees,

tree regeneration, understory plants, birds, small mammals, salamanders and a host of other

components. The direct impacts of the harvest resulted in some significant changes in plant species

composition and created fluctuations in bird species composition and abundance. Changes on the

overall structure of the forest as a result of this low-impact harvest have been minimal.

Overall, the study has shown the importance of long-term studies for giving us a better

understanding of the temporal changes in populations. The relative stability of some populations

becomes more apparent while other species populations are cyclic and others seemingly fluctuate

randomly. Understand these populations, in relationship to forest harvesting, has become of critical

importance as we incorporate ecological integrity into our management systems.
Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th Winter Meeting GTR-NE-325 85

TREE REGENERATION AT HOLT RESEARCH FOREST:

IMPACTS OF RED MAPLE REMOVAL AND WHITE-TAILED DEER BROWSING

Jack W. Witham1, Alan J. Kimball2, Susan P. Elias1, and Laura S. Kenefic3

1

Holt Research Forest, University of Maine, 508 Old Stage Road, Arrowsic, ME 04530

jwitham@maine.edu

2

Department of Forest Management, University of Maine, Orono, ME

3

USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Bradley, ME

Tree regeneration was measured at Holt Research Forest in 1997 and 2002 to assess the response to

a group-selection harvest in 1987/1988. Circular 25m2

 (0.006 acre) plots were located in canopy

openings of three types (harvest gaps, ledge gaps, and tree-fall gaps) and in control areas with intact

canopy. All trees >0.5m in height and less than 9.5cm DBH were tallied by species and damage by

deer browse or white pine weevil were evaluated. Data was used to assess the differences between

gap types and intact canopy, the changes in densities between sampling period, the effectiveness of a

2001 removal of red maple stump sprouts, and damage affecting the development of the

regeneration.

In all gap types, white pine was the dominant species with densities of 780 to 2000 stems/ha.

Yellow birch densities were high in harvest gaps (1800 stems/ha) but low in ledge gaps and

nonexistent in tree-fall gaps. Balsam fir (986 and 795 stems/ha) and white pine (679 and 826

stems/ha) were the dominant species in intact forest. Red maple densities were high in all locations

except ledge gaps and seed generated and stump sprouts were of equal density in 1997 in the

harvest gaps.

In the harvest gaps, all hardwood species, except witch hazel, declined while white pine, red spruce,

balsam fir, and hemlock all increased. The combination of a TSI and natural mortality resulted in a

69% reduction in red maple density. Our objectives were to reduce the red maple component to

allow other species a chance to become established. No detectable response attributable to the TSI

was expected in the first year. Densities remained relatively stable in other gap types and the intact

canopy with no dramatic changes except decreases in red oak in tree-fall gaps and intact forest.

Noticeable damage due to white pine weevil was present in 4% of stems in 1997 and 27% in 2002,

as the white pine ages it becomes more susceptible. Damage due to deer browse was detected in

over 60% of red and white oak stems while in other hardwoods the rates were 3% or less in 1997.

In 2002, these numbers remained about the same for oaks while deer increased their browsing on

other hardwood species significantly. As red and white oak densities were reduced from 1997 to

2002, most likely because of browsing induced mortality, deer were forced to rely more heavily on

other species. Deer populations have been shown to be steadily increasing over the last 10 years so

these impacts will continue and the difficulty of establishing oaks will likely become more

problematic as has been the experience in areas south of Maine.
Printed on Recycled Paper

Kenefic, Laura S.; Twery, Mark J., eds. 2005. Changing Forests – Challenging

Times: Proceedings of the New England Society of American Foresters 85th

Winter Meeting. Gen. Tech. Rep. NE-325. Newtown Square, PA: U.S.

Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station. 85 p.

Contains abstracts from 32 oral presentations and 53 posters presentations at the

85th annual winter meeting of the New England Society of American Foresters, in

Portland, Maine, March 16-18, 2005.

Key words: forestry; sustainability; tree growth; New England; vegetation

dynamics; silviculture; forest health.
Headquarters of the Northeastern Research Station is in Newtown Square,

Pennsylvania. Field laboratories are maintained at:

Amherst, Massachusetts, in cooperation with the University of Massachusetts

Burlington, Vermont, in cooperation with the University of Vermont

Delaware, Ohio

Durham, New Hampshire, in cooperation with the University of New Hampshire

Hamden, Connecticut, in cooperation with Yale University

Morgantown, West Virginia, in cooperation with West Virginia University

Parsons, West Virginia

Princeton, West Virginia

Syracuse, New York, in cooperation with the State University of New York,

College of Environmental Sciences and Forestry at Syracuse University

Warren, Pennsylvania

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