Sampling is conducted at 200 ft elevational intervals from 1800 to 3800 ft on the southwest slope of Camels Hump along the Burrows trail. Ten 10' x 100' plots are used at each elevation from 1800 to 2800 ft, and five plots from 3000 to 3800 ft. This follows a trend which started in 1990. Only small changes were observed in the larger diameter size classes. This leads us to the question of whether or not red spruce decline is over.
Recent evidence supports the notion of at least a temporary recovery.
Density of red spruce trees is increasing, at least in the smaller size classes. Basal area is also increasing slightly. In this figure, the green color indicates healthy trees, yellow represents moderate levels of defoliation, and red indicates severe defoliation. All of these indicators seemingly point to a recovery of health in the high-elevation forest on Camels Hump. It is important to note however, that winter injury has been relatively light over the past several years.