Everyone's Blog Posts - CornellForestConnect2024-03-19T08:19:02Zhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profiles/blog/feed?xn_auth=noNortheast Silviculture Institute and Climate Adaptation Trainingtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2024-01-02:6448444:BlogPost:1184352024-01-02T15:05:34.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<h1><strong>New</strong> <em>Climate Adaptation and Forest Carbon</em> <strong>training from the</strong> <em>Silviculture Institute</em> <strong>available to all online</strong></h1>
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<p>On October 11-12 of this year, 50 foresters attended graduate level training in Climate Adaptation and Forest Carbon in a new Module of the…</p>
<h1><strong>New</strong> <em>Climate Adaptation and Forest Carbon</em> <strong>training from the</strong> <em>Silviculture Institute</em> <strong>available to all online</strong></h1>
<h1> </h1>
<p>On October 11-12 of this year, 50 foresters attended graduate level training in Climate Adaptation and Forest Carbon in a new Module of the <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finrsllc.us3.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3Df460b21b811f505328e375543%26id%3D49191e559a%26e%3Dc32fbc72e9&data=05%7C01%7Cpjs23%40cornell.edu%7C93225363b9d548e8c96a08dbf0d2b242%7C5d7e43661b9b45cf8e79b14b27df46e1%7C0%7C0%7C638368560123790654%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2Fg2T8VSgwVKhVTl7jxx35d8i%2FdnGvvR0DDCb6elEs20%3D&reserved=0"><strong>Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters</strong><strong>.</strong></a> Funded through the USDA Forest Service grant that created the Securing Northeast Forest Carbon Program effort, the entire training program was video recorded. All the materials are now available for free to everyone and can be accessed <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finrsllc.us3.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3Df460b21b811f505328e375543%26id%3D483c80f3d4%26e%3Dc32fbc72e9&data=05%7C01%7Cpjs23%40cornell.edu%7C93225363b9d548e8c96a08dbf0d2b242%7C5d7e43661b9b45cf8e79b14b27df46e1%7C0%7C0%7C638368560123797908%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=%2FuOsfxtPnRVqkqWR9gQBtvm7e3%2B1AWa1x1RpIHX9WPc%3D&reserved=0"><strong>HERE</strong></a>. An important note is that ALL the Institute materials and videos are now available for free at that site.<br/> <br/> The Northeast Silviculture Institute for Foresters was original developed in 2017 and held 10 days of graduate level silviculture training for foresters in each of 2017 and 2018, All of that training is still online and can be found <a href="https://nam12.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Finrsllc.us3.list-manage.com%2Ftrack%2Fclick%3Fu%3Df460b21b811f505328e375543%26id%3Dbcd5f310bc%26e%3Dc32fbc72e9&data=05%7C01%7Cpjs23%40cornell.edu%7C93225363b9d548e8c96a08dbf0d2b242%7C5d7e43661b9b45cf8e79b14b27df46e1%7C0%7C0%7C638368560123804913%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C3000%7C%7C%7C&sdata=DozdBfBQtr33OUWz73qU%2FVzs%2BwiFGysIeeKL%2F9W%2B3LQ%3D&reserved=0"><strong>HERE</strong></a>. The original training was also funded by the USDA Forest Service and some private donors and was part of the <strong>USDA Forest Service’s National Advanced Silviculture Program (NASP).</strong> <strong> </strong></p>Stressors of Maple Trees - PSU webinar archivedtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2023-10-27:6448444:BlogPost:1178012023-10-27T12:23:43.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>Have you noticed areas with maples looking not as healthy as others? Maple decline is not due to a disease or pest but can be from various stress factors. During<span> </span><strong>Stressors of Maple: Dieback and Mortality</strong>, learn about some of the causes attributed to poor maple health and canopy dieback.</p>
<p>We will discuss a case study of a northern hardwood landscape in the Upper Great Lakes region, where maple dieback has been associated with impacts from invasive…</p>
<p>Have you noticed areas with maples looking not as healthy as others? Maple decline is not due to a disease or pest but can be from various stress factors. During<span> </span><strong>Stressors of Maple: Dieback and Mortality</strong>, learn about some of the causes attributed to poor maple health and canopy dieback.</p>
<p>We will discuss a case study of a northern hardwood landscape in the Upper Great Lakes region, where maple dieback has been associated with impacts from invasive earthworms. In areas glaciated over 10,000 years ago, earthworms were wiped out, so many species we are familiar with today are non-native and invasive. Learn about several types of earthworm groups and these ecosystem engineers damage tree physiology, forest soils, nutrients, plants, microorganisms, and wildlife communities. Thanks to Penn State Cooperative Extension for this webinar in January 2023.</p>
<p>Start <a href="https://extension.psu.edu/stressors-of-maple-dieback-and-mortality" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a> and click through to watch the archive.<a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12269763283?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12269763283?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="750" class="align-full"/></a></p>Do Trees Talk?tag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2023-10-20:6448444:BlogPost:1175962023-10-20T13:55:43.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>In recent years there have been a couple books that assert, at some level, that trees have attributes typically only associated with rationale sentient beings. I have read neither book, but the descriptions of those shared with me by several people didn't align with my understanding of, roughly, rocks and minerals, soil, microbes, plants, mammals, and humans...a progression towards sentience.</p>
<p>Two recent publications have called into question the validity of asserting that trees talk,…</p>
<p>In recent years there have been a couple books that assert, at some level, that trees have attributes typically only associated with rationale sentient beings. I have read neither book, but the descriptions of those shared with me by several people didn't align with my understanding of, roughly, rocks and minerals, soil, microbes, plants, mammals, and humans...a progression towards sentience.</p>
<p>Two recent publications have called into question the validity of asserting that trees talk, forest are interconnected through channels of communication and collegiality, or that trees can be personified. These authors contend that if they are correct, there are potentially negative consequences for ascribing human attributes to trees and forests.</p>
<p>Read here for yourself</p>
<p><a href="https://phys.org/news/2023-09-anthropomorphize-forest.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Do not anthropomorphize plants,' say plant and forest researchers</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/does-a-vast-network-of-fungi-connect-forests-heres-what-we-know" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Does a Vast Network of Fungi Connect Forests? Here's What We Know.</a></p>
<p>Peter S.</p>Relative Density, Stocking and Tree-Area Ratiotag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2023-06-21:6448444:BlogPost:1162002023-06-21T22:30:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>Dr. Susan Stout (USFS, retired, Research Forester Emerita) presented a ForestConnect webinar on June 21 that explained the history and utility of relative density. Dr. Stout explained relative density in the context of "stand density index", "tree-area ration" and ultimately the stand stocking charts as developed by Gingrich. All these designed to provide a metric to understand competition among trees and improve production per acre.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The link to the webinar archive is…</p>
<p>Dr. Susan Stout (USFS, retired, Research Forester Emerita) presented a ForestConnect webinar on June 21 that explained the history and utility of relative density. Dr. Stout explained relative density in the context of "stand density index", "tree-area ration" and ultimately the stand stocking charts as developed by Gingrich. All these designed to provide a metric to understand competition among trees and improve production per acre.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The link to the webinar archive is <a href="https://youtu.be/mw5l8nBIQHc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p>
<p>A link to the bibliography prepared by Dr. Stout <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/12125162893?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bibliography_relative_density.docx</a></p>
<p>A pdf of the presentation here</p>It Takes a Village to Raise a Foresttag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2023-05-23:6448444:BlogPost:1161122023-05-23T19:06:24.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>It Takes a Village</p>
<p>The decline in children’s mental health during COVID-19 restrictions is a poignant reminder that we’re a social species, hardwired for contact with others. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is spot-on. Whether a literal village or a caring community within a city, we all – children especially – need regular interaction with peers and supportive mentors.</p>
<p>In a different sense, but true nonetheless, it takes a village to raise a forest. In this…</p>
<p>It Takes a Village</p>
<p>The decline in children’s mental health during COVID-19 restrictions is a poignant reminder that we’re a social species, hardwired for contact with others. The saying “It takes a village to raise a child” is spot-on. Whether a literal village or a caring community within a city, we all – children especially – need regular interaction with peers and supportive mentors.</p>
<p>In a different sense, but true nonetheless, it takes a village to raise a forest. In this case, the “village people” include mice, birds, and squirrels. When we think of forests, we naturally picture trees – probably large, mature ones. But even big, old trees rely on some pretty humble villagers. Forests are complex, elegant systems that could not exist without a little help from their friends.</p>
<p>According to the US Department of Agriculture, oaks and hickories play a keystone role in hardwood forests throughout southeastern Canada and the eastern United States. But nuts and acorns aren’t so good at wafting on the breeze to disperse. They need a hand, or more likely, a paw or beak, to spread far from the trees that produced them. Everyone fares better outside the shadow of their parents.</p>
<p>It's no surprise that grey squirrels, including their black melanistic subgroup, are critical to the survival of nut-bearing trees. As humorist Will Cuppy wrote in his 1949 book <em>How to Attract a Wombat</em>, “Squirrels have been criticized for hiding nuts in various places for future use and then forgetting the places. Well, squirrels do not bother with minor details like that. They have other things on their mind, such as hiding more nuts where they can’t find them.”</p>
<p>Before learning stuff like “facts” about squirrels, I assumed they forgot most of their buried nuts. However, in controlled trials done at Princeton University in 1990, it turns out grey squirrels recover about 90% of them after 12 days.</p>
<p>A side-effect of large wooded tracts getting fragmented is that red squirrels, which are better suited to patchwork forests, are driving their grey cousins out of the woods. I assume this explains why grey squirrels have taken to chewing the faces off Halloween pumpkins instead of reforesting the landscape. But red squirrels, native to pine / fir / spruce habitats, cache most acorns and nuts in above-ground in “larders,” and plant very few hardwoods.</p>
<p>Mice also collect tree seeds, and inter some for later use; thus helping to regenerate maples, American beech, pine, and other species. Apparently, the impact of each mouse on forest health depends on its temperament. When I see a mouse indoors, I just want it out – I don’t wonder if it has a nice disposition.</p>
<p>Pioneering studies at the University of Maine have documented a range of personality types among mice and their cousins the meadow voles and pine voles (not to be confused with moles, which are carnivores). In a nutshell – so to speak – timid mice and voles don’t travel far to bury seeds, and they tend to pick sites conducive to seed germination. Brash rodents go farther afield, but often hide their seeds in spots that are less tree-friendly. Each strategy aids the forest in different ways.</p>
<p>While acorns and nuts can’t float on the wind, they sure do fly. According to a November 12, 2022 CBC news report, drones will soon be planting trees in western Canada. But that’s cheating. Blue jays have been doing this for thousands of years. In his 2005 book, <em>Oak: The Frame of Civilization</em>, arborist and nature-writer William Bryant Logan says blue jays forget more of the acorns they stick in the ground than squirrels do. That’s what happens when you have a bird brain, I guess.</p>
<p>Without good regeneration, a forest is doomed. But there are other key elements to a robust and resilient forest, such as natural pest control. In a diverse and vibrant forest “village,” insects that harm trees are usually kept in check through an array of natural controls. Birds, predatory insects, viruses, and fungi are just some of the agents that help keep pest populations in balance.</p>
<p>Quite recently it was shown that bats may be the most crucial pest-control player of all. Bat caves are for hibernating bats, and perhaps a crime-fighting superhero with a bat fetish. But during the summer, bats are happy campers in the woods, hanging out under loose tree bark in the daytime. An October 30, 2022 article in the journal <em>Ecology</em> summarized the first-ever US field study on the specific role bats play in forest health.</p>
<p>Elizabeth Beilke, a researcher at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, and Joy O'Keefe, a wildlife extension specialist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, conducted the 3-year study “in the central hardwood region of the United States,” as they cryptically say in their article. The 20 large, mesh-covered enclosures they made were opened at dawn and closed at dusk so bats could not enter. Each year from 2018 to 2020, insect damage to tree seedlings in the covered plots was compared with damage in 20 same-size control plots open to bats.</p>
<p>Their findings are clear: “Insect density was three times greater on seedlings in bat-excluded versus control plots. Additionally, seedling defoliation was five times greater with bats excluded…” Beilke and O’Keefe believe bats are imperative to North American forest ecosystems, possibly more so than any other animal.</p>
<p>It was bound to happen: every village has its overachiever.</p>
<p>This article first appeared in <em>The Saturday Evening Post</em>.</p>Seeking Paneliststag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2022-09-08:6448444:BlogPost:1125992022-09-08T01:08:17.000ZHaven Colgatehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/HavenColgate
<p>The New York State Association of Conservation Commissions is seeking speakers for its October 6th conference. NYSACC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support municipal environmental committees, boards, and commissions throughout New York.</p>
<p>NYSACC is looking for panelists conversant with existing tree funding available to NYS municipalities and counties, and if possible, someone who can supply application info and due dates. In addition, the conference hopes to help…</p>
<p>The New York State Association of Conservation Commissions is seeking speakers for its October 6th conference. NYSACC is a non-profit organization whose mission is to support municipal environmental committees, boards, and commissions throughout New York.</p>
<p>NYSACC is looking for panelists conversant with existing tree funding available to NYS municipalities and counties, and if possible, someone who can supply application info and due dates. In addition, the conference hopes to help participants learn about what funding may become available for community forestry projects through the 2022 Environmental Bond Act (on which we'll all be voting in November).</p>
<p>It's a great (unpaid, sorry!) opportunity for anyone on the grantor side to reach a select audience / potential pool of applicants. To apply, contact Simon Skolnik: president@nysacc.org. The open space workshop will run for one hour sometime between 1pm and 4pm on Thursday, October 6th.</p>
<p>The conference invites all members of municipal environmental or sustainability groups to attend! Admission is free and it's online. For more info, see: <a href="https://www.nysacc.net/">https://www.nysacc.net/</a></p>
<p></p>
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<div class="yj6qo ajU"></div>Woods and Park Restoration Hastings-on-Hudson_bids_welcomedtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2022-08-02:6448444:BlogPost:1126422022-08-02T18:00:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>(I haven't seen this type of project before, and thought it interesting and worth sharing here. See contacts below if you have questions. Peter)</p>
<p></p>
<p>The Village of Hastings on Hudson herby invites the submission of proposals<br></br> for:</p>
<p>email for information: Aaron Podhurst <apodhurst@hastingsgov.org></p>
<p><br></br> Hillside Woods and Park Restoration Project Management and<br></br> Other Landscaping and Horticultural Services:<br></br> Village of Hastings-on-Hudson…<br></br></p>
<p>(I haven't seen this type of project before, and thought it interesting and worth sharing here. See contacts below if you have questions. Peter)</p>
<p></p>
<p>The Village of Hastings on Hudson herby invites the submission of proposals<br/> for:</p>
<p>email for information: Aaron Podhurst <apodhurst@hastingsgov.org></p>
<p><br/> Hillside Woods and Park Restoration Project Management and<br/> Other Landscaping and Horticultural Services:<br/> Village of Hastings-on-Hudson<br/> Proposals will be received until 10:00 A.M. on:<br/> Date August 26, 2022<br/> By: Anthony Costantini, Village Clerk<br/> 7 Maple Avenue<br/> Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706</p>
<p>The general scope of work includes implementation of the Hillside Woods and Park Urban Forest<br/> Management Plan. Activities include but are not limited to deer exclosure fencing in Hillside Woods<br/> (60 acres), invasive species management and removal, planting new native species and curating the<br/> park into a healthy native urban forest. Tasks may also include updating tree inventory, data collection<br/> and analysis of measures taken to restore the health of the forest.</p>
<p><br/> Information will be made available beginning on Friday, July 15, 2022 online at<br/> <a href="https://www.hastingsgov.org/village-clerk/pages/legal-public-notices">https://www.hastingsgov.org/village-clerk/pages/legal-public-notices</a> or by sending an email to the<br/> Village Clerk at Acostantini@hastingsgov.org.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.hastingsgov.org/village-clerk/pages/legal-public-notices" target="_blank" rel="noopener">more information</a></p>
<p><br/> In addition to the above, the Village of Hastings-on-Hudson has partnered with BidNet as part of the<br/> Empire State Purchasing Group and will post our bid opportunities and any addendums to this site.<br/> As a vendor, you can register with Empire State Purchasing Group and be sure that you see all of the<br/> Village’s available bids, addendums, and opportunities. Detailed plans and specifications for said bid<br/> may be obtained through the Empire State Purchasing Group at the following link:<br/> <a href="http://www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york/hastings-on-hudson">www.bidnetdirect.com/new-york/hastings-on-hudson</a></p>
<p><br/> Proposals will be opened August 26, 2022, at 10:00 A.M.</p>Extreme Weather Forestry BMPstag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2022-04-21:6448444:BlogPost:1123512022-04-21T01:30:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>Today's (20april2022) ForestConnect <a href="https://youtu.be/ttr--IzFmi8" rel="noopener" target="_blank">webinar</a> was by Steve Roberge of UNH, NH state extension forester. Steve was presenting from work done at UNH about tactics that loggers and foresters use, voluntarily, to stabilize their logging site and ensure they can continue to access and work their job during extreme weather events. Winters are often without snow or freezing and ground conditions might limit production. This…</p>
<p>Today's (20april2022) ForestConnect <a href="https://youtu.be/ttr--IzFmi8" target="_blank" rel="noopener">webinar</a> was by Steve Roberge of UNH, NH state extension forester. Steve was presenting from work done at UNH about tactics that loggers and foresters use, voluntarily, to stabilize their logging site and ensure they can continue to access and work their job during extreme weather events. Winters are often without snow or freezing and ground conditions might limit production. This webinar covers some special BMPs (continue using conventional BMPs) to stabilize soils.</p>
<p>The webinar was based on this <a href="https://extension.unh.edu/sites/default/files/migrated_unmanaged_files/Resource007543_Rep10932.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">publication</a></p>
<p>Here is a <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10404682085?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">link</a> to some comments that were offered by loggers and foresters watching the webinar. Please add additional thoughts, suggestions and tactics in the comments.</p>Maple Sap Runs On Gastag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2022-03-19:6448444:BlogPost:1120102022-03-19T10:54:24.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Some foods give us gas, but gas is what ultimately gives us maple syrup. If not for gas bubbles in the wood, sap wouldn’t flow. Who knew maple trees were CO<sub>2</sub> powered?</p>
<p>A mere two decades ago, arborists were at a loss to explain what caused maple sap run. We'd typically mumble something about transpirational vacuum in the canopy before changing the subject. Everyone knows sap runs when warm days follow freezing nights. But it wasn’t until recently that the mechanism behind…</p>
<p>Some foods give us gas, but gas is what ultimately gives us maple syrup. If not for gas bubbles in the wood, sap wouldn’t flow. Who knew maple trees were CO<sub>2</sub> powered?</p>
<p>A mere two decades ago, arborists were at a loss to explain what caused maple sap run. We'd typically mumble something about transpirational vacuum in the canopy before changing the subject. Everyone knows sap runs when warm days follow freezing nights. But it wasn’t until recently that the mechanism behind sap flow was better – although still not perfectly – understood.</p>
<p>Aside from maples, few species have a spring sap run. Birch and butternut do, but their roots generate pressure that forces sap upward. In contrast, maple sap flow is due to how its wood reacts to freeze-thaw cycles. Wood, or xylem, has vessel cells to carry liquids, and fiber cells for strength. Unlike most trees, maple fiber cells are partially filled with carbon dioxide and other gases, which can dissolve in sap.</p>
<p>At night, gases in fibers shrink as they cool, eventually dissolving into sap in the vessels. This drops the tree’s internal pressure, creating suction that draws sap from the roots. As daytime temperatures rise, gases bubble out of solution and expand, increasing internal pressure and forcing sap out tap holes at between 103 and 276 kPa.</p>
<p>Rather than flowing up from the roots and out the tap as was once thought, sap flows down from the crown (plus some lateral flow) toward a tap. When a warm day follows a sub-freezing night, sap may run from a few hours to several days, depending on the tree and barometric pressure. If it’s warm all night or freezing all day, sap won’t run.</p>
<p>Although sugar and black maples are most commonly tapped, producers also use silver and red maples when available. Even the humble Manitoba maple can be tapped. Maple sap is 2-3% sucrose on average, though this can range from below 1 to over 10%. In addition, sap contains organic acids, amino acids and minerals which contribute to maple’s flavour.</p>
<p>If great taste isn’t enough reason to use syrup, consider its health benefits. A 100-gram serving of maple syrup provides over 100% of the recommended daily amount of manganese and vitamin B-2, and it’s a significant source of magnesium, zinc and calcium. In 2016, Toronto-based researchers announced they’d identified a compound in maple syrup that inhibits clumping of beta-amyloid brain proteins, which may help prevent Alzheimer’s disease.</p>
<p>The freeze-thaw, dissolved-gas, pressure-differential explanation of sap flow has some holes, though. While the mechanism should work with pure water, sap only flows if it has a minimum level of sucrose. Flow should also happen in all xylem tissue, not just the living sapwood, but that’s not the case either. So the mystery of sap flow continues.</p>
<p>Recently, maple producers have been branching out into value-added products like maple candy. Another item is bottled, pasteurized and, of course, carbonated maple sap. What goes around, comes around, it seems.</p>
<p><em>ISA-Certified Arborist Paul Hetzler never shakes pop cans or maple trees before opening.</em></p>Think Spring, Think Tree Plantingtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2022-02-16:6448444:BlogPost:1116832022-02-16T19:21:55.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Looking for a way to enhance property value, save energy costs, boost mental health, and help the planet in one simple, low-cost step? Yeah, me too. Let me know if you think of something.</p>
<p>Seriously, though, a few well-placed trees in one’s yard typically add at least 5% to a property’s value. Having large older specimens (of trees, I mean) around the house can push that figure close to 20%. In terms of energy savings, deciduous trees on the southern and western sides of a house tend…</p>
<p>Looking for a way to enhance property value, save energy costs, boost mental health, and help the planet in one simple, low-cost step? Yeah, me too. Let me know if you think of something.</p>
<p>Seriously, though, a few well-placed trees in one’s yard typically add at least 5% to a property’s value. Having large older specimens (of trees, I mean) around the house can push that figure close to 20%. In terms of energy savings, deciduous trees on the southern and western sides of a house tend to slash cooling costs by roughly one-quarter.</p>
<p>Trees enrich our lives in subtle ways too. We recover from surgeries and illnesses more rapidly if there are trees in view out our window. Crime rates drop when neighborhoods are planted with trees. Plus, lying under trees might cure acne. OK, not sure on that one.</p>
<p>Giving genuine thought to site and species selection is critical to the long-term survival of landscape trees, and right now is an ideal time to plan for success. Any given location will be great for some trees, yet awful for others. Poor drainage, exposure to deicing salt, restricted root area, overhead wires, and shade are but a few possible constraints. Any these attributes alone can lead to the decline and eventual death of certain trees.</p>
<p>On the other hand, that there are species and cultivars able to mature and thrive no matter what limitations a site has. “Right tree, right place” is an arborist mantra. We have others, like “please clean the dog poop before I come look at your tree,” but I digress.</p>
<p>The point is that sometimes you shouldn’t plant that mountain ash, birch clump, or crabapple right where you had in mind. But another location on the property could be perfect. If you only have one available site, there are always plenty of great selections able to live long and prosper there.</p>
<p>One of my favorite resources on landscape tree selection is a free booklet published by Cornell University’s Urban Horticulture Institute. It’s written largely by Dr. Nina Bassuk, whose work is universally esteemed by arborists. You can get the download at <a href="http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/~recurbtrees.pdf">http://www.hort.cornell.edu/uhi/outreach/recurbtree/pdfs/~recurbtrees.pdf</a> (No, I’m not at all biased – why do you ask?) Also, Tree Canada has an excellent resource page at <a href="https://treecanada.ca/resources/canadian-urban-forest-compendium/8-species-selection-and-planting/">https://treecanada.ca/resources/canadian-urban-forest-compendium/8-species-selection-and-planting/</a></p>
<p>Given our long winters, it’s good to have trees with off-season aesthetic interest. Here are just a few ideas:</p>
<ul>
<li>Hawthorns are salt-tolerant native trees maturing at around 20’; good for under utility lines. 'Winter King' has copious persistent fruit that look great in winter and provide bird food.</li>
<li>River birch are medium-large trees with attractive and unusual pinkish-white exfoliating bark. 'Heritage' is resistant to many pests and diseases.</li>
<li>Kentucky coffeetrees are tall and drought-tolerant, with few pests or diseases. Their coarse-textured branches produce a striking winter effect.</li>
<li>For spacious sites, bur oak has twisting branches with corky wings. A bur oak silhouette in winter is breathtaking. Especially if it’s real cold. These massive trees tolerate both drought and intermittent flooding, and can live hundreds of years.</li>
</ul>
<p><em>ISA-Certified Arborist Paul Hetzler is a former Cornell Extension educator. He’s looking for new mantras.</em></p>
<p> </p>More about Beech Controltag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2022-01-17:6448444:BlogPost:1115312022-01-17T16:18:52.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Beech Gone Wild: Raging Hormones</p>
<p>The American beech (<em>Fagus grandifolia</em>) has been slowly dying out for the last 140 years. As a result, beech saplings have overrun many woodlots, making them less diverse, less vigorous, and less valuable.</p>
<p>That’s right – beech decline has led to a beech proliferation so extreme that in some places they are a barrier to forest regeneration. I’d call this an oxymoron, but don’t want to insult the bovine community. Strategies do exist to…</p>
<p>Beech Gone Wild: Raging Hormones</p>
<p>The American beech (<em>Fagus grandifolia</em>) has been slowly dying out for the last 140 years. As a result, beech saplings have overrun many woodlots, making them less diverse, less vigorous, and less valuable.</p>
<p>That’s right – beech decline has led to a beech proliferation so extreme that in some places they are a barrier to forest regeneration. I’d call this an oxymoron, but don’t want to insult the bovine community. Strategies do exist to address this problem, though.</p>
<p>Long-lived and stately, beech grow throughout eastern North America from Wisconsin and Missouri east to the Atlantic, and from northern Florida all the way to northern Ontario and Quebec. Historically, beech was a keystone species in many long-term stable forest communities. From mice to grouse to black bears, a host of wildlife once relied – and still do to an extent – on beech nuts.</p>
<p>In the late 1800s, a European scale insect arrived in Nova Scotia. Simply called the beech scale (<em>Cryptococcus fagisuga</em>), this soft-bodied pest ranges from 0.5 to 1 mm long, or in non-metric terms, wicked-small to crazy-small. The frail, flightless pest can’t even crawl, except for briefly upon hatching; it passively disperses on wind or birds’ feet. Once on a beech trunk, it inserts a thin stylet into the phloem and takes a wee sip of tree juice, which doesn’t sound too menacing.</p>
<p>We’re living through a nasty demonstration of what microbes a bazillion times (well, at least a quadrillion, but I forget what comes after) smaller than us can do. Similarly, the minute beech scale can slay trees millions of times their size through a scheme of rather permissive family planning.</p>
<p>Beech trees could probably handle throngs of insects each robbing a taste of sap. But every time a scale’s micro-straw jabs through the bark, a native fungus in the genus <em>Nectria</em> comes with it and engages in rotten behaviour. This unhurried decimation is termed beech bark disease.</p>
<p>Beech-scale insects exude white filamentous wax, and large infestations look like fuzz or white mold. Rough, puckered areas of bark indicate <em>Nectria</em> has killed the phloem beneath and is busy turning wood to sponge. Dead patches eventually merge, cutting off water to the crown.</p>
<p>But all that’s beside the point. This is really about why hormone imbalance is a threat to forests.</p>
<p>A beech tree’s post-mortem baby boom is related to how it procreates. Like poplars, beech can spread by root sprouts, clones of the mother tree, in addition to seed production. Overstory beech crank out growth-inhibitor hormones to stifle the mass-emergence of root sprouts. They don’t want competition while they’re in charge.</p>
<p>When a mature beech dies, hormone constraints go, too. With no mother tree keeping things in check, it’s “bring in the clones.” Given that a tree’s root zone is three times its branch length, every sizeable beech that expires creates a broad, dense monoculture of saplings. Curiously, beech scale rarely attacks trees under 8” in diameter, so root-sprout saplings are free from the threat of beech bark disease for some time.</p>
<p>Never mind that they’re the bane of maple producers trying to run tubing, and mess things up for hunters by retaining leaves all winter; beech thickets inhibit forest regeneration. Anything that interferes with the natural regrowth of a diverse woodland will lead to a less productive and less resilient future forest. Competition for water and nutrients is minor compared to the battle for sunlight. A mini-forest of sprouts will one day succumb to beech scale, but not before they shade out everything else.</p>
<p>In terms of mechanical control, it’s a lot more effectual to cut in early summer just after leaf-out is complete. This puts the maximum strain on the organism. By late summer, a season’s worth of photosynthate has been tucked away for next year.</p>
<p>Even in small woodlots, severing countless beech stems at the base is daunting. Chainsaws are a poor option, as working bent-over strains the back and quickly fatigues operators, increasing the chance of mishap (plus in my experience, saw chains are magnets for hidden rocks). A pro-model string trimmer with a circular blade is easier on the back, but there remain issues of fatigue and potential injury.</p>
<p>Canadian Institute of Forestry research concluded that “high stumping” at about 3 feet was as effective as basal cutting. With a two-handled lopper, there’s no bending, and less risk of injury. Cutting stems with a brush head on a small tracked vehicle is likely the best method for large tracts.</p>
<p>Don’t laugh if you haven’t heard of flame-weeders, but they’re used to burn the basal cambium of small trees. With such fire potential, early winter with a veneer of snow may be the only safe window to work. Bark should be heated until well-done, as I’ve seen “undercooked” trees live through flame treatment. Mechanical controls are typically repeated for several years.</p>
<p>Admittedly, chemical control is effective, but organic certification or environmental / health concerns might nix it. Concentrated (25% to 50%) glyphosate is dabbed or painted on beech stumps within 72 hours of being cut. Timing is crucial: cut-stump treatment is far more successful in early fall when woody plants move sugars and nutrients into the roots. When done properly, around 90% of beech saplings are usually killed by one application.</p>
<p>I suggest hiring a professional forester to help with beech-thicket control, especially if chemical use is on the table (figuratively, of course). Readers probably know that Peter Smallidge, Cornell Extension Forester for NY State and curator of this site, has great articles on this blog, as well as YouTube demonstrations. Find links at <a href="https://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/forum/topics/beech-management-1">https://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/forum/topics/beech-management-1</a></p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler is an ISA Certified Arborist, and a former Cornell Extension Educator.</em></p>Wood Heat: Up In Smoke?tag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-12-18:6448444:BlogPost:1116272021-12-18T17:20:52.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Where There’s Smoke</p>
<p>An upswing in woodstove use might sound yawn-worthy, but recent findings about the dire health effects of wood smoke might mean the long-term future of wood as a heating fuel is in question.</p>
<p>As someone who grew up with wood heat, I assumed it was hands-down one of the most sustainable, eco-positive fuels for home heating. Like many other widely shared conventions, it turns out the veracity of that assumption depends on a lot of things.</p>
<p>How many…</p>
<p>Where There’s Smoke</p>
<p>An upswing in woodstove use might sound yawn-worthy, but recent findings about the dire health effects of wood smoke might mean the long-term future of wood as a heating fuel is in question.</p>
<p>As someone who grew up with wood heat, I assumed it was hands-down one of the most sustainable, eco-positive fuels for home heating. Like many other widely shared conventions, it turns out the veracity of that assumption depends on a lot of things.</p>
<p>How many people burn wood in a given locale is an obvious factor. The number of homes using wood heat rose sharply in the years following the 1998 ice storm which left residents without power for weeks on end. Also no surprise, the COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of wood heat.</p>
<p>My neighbor, who is a longtime chimney sweep, told me he’s noted an increase in the use of wood heat in the past eighteen months. The much-publicized exodus of urban dwellers to the country has meant additional work for him, and he said “I don’t need any more business right now.”</p>
<p>This frenzy of wood burning is ill-timed, however. As reported in <em>The Guardian</em> on 1 January 2021, health-care professionals now say wood smoke “…may be damaging every organ in the body, with effects including heart and lung disease, diabetes, dementia, reduced intelligence and increased depression. Children and the unborn may suffer the most.”</p>
<p>The referenced article notes that “Dr. Nick Hopkinson, medical director at Asthma UK and British Lung Foundation, said both indoor and outdoor pollution caused by wood burning stoves caused serious health issues, from breathing problems to an increased risk of heart attacks, strokes and lung cancer.” The story also states that “…wood-burners triple the level of harmful particulates inside the home as well as creating dangerous levels of pollution in the surrounding neighbourhood.”</p>
<p>The fact is that these fine particulates, smoke elements less than 2.5 microns in diameter that remain suspended in air almost indefinitely, are the real concern. They are tiny enough to lodge in the alveoli, the deep lung tissue, and accumulate there. This can reduce lung function permanently in adults, and arrest the full development of children’s lungs. Other harmful pollutants in smoke include volatile aromatic compounds (VOCs) and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), both of which are known carcinogens.</p>
<p>Again, having grown up around wood smoke and being mostly not dead yet, I could brush off such reports as hyperbole. But I had lived in a remote area with only one neighbor within a mile. Population density matters a lot.</p>
<p>In terms of places where wood-smoke pollution can be significant due to population, let’s look at Montréal. The public health department estimated that on the island of Montréal, wood smoke causes nearly 1,000 premature deaths, over 6,000 childhood bronchitis cases, and at least 40,000 asthma attacks annually. In addition, a city-wide wood-smoke study released in 2000 found that in winter, levels of fine particulates and other dangerous air pollutants were higher in Montréal’s residential neighborhoods than in its urban core. Considering that children are at higher risk of smoke-induced health complications, the grim warnings sound less like exaggerations.</p>
<p>Going back to my friend the chimney sweep, he has a few thoughts on the future of wood burning. Given his profession, he’s not against it, yet he contends “There are greener ways to heat your home than with wood.” First of all, he urges everyone to get a thermal audit of their home. In addition, he’s a big proponent of thermal pumps, which he feels are an underutilized yet readily available technology. He also brought up the issue of forest management, saying that imprudent harvesting is neither sustainable nor “green.”</p>
<p>Today’s catalytic-combustion woodstoves emit little to no smoke when run properly. They also deliver more heat per wood volume burned, so they will save you big on firewood costs. One catch is that burning firewood of less than 20% moisture content is a requisite for the modern breed of stoves to work right. Typically that means at least twelve months of wood being cut, split, stacked and sheltered from rain in a well-ventilated space. I asked my neighbor if he thought the recently arrived ex-urbanites had a decent grasp on woodstove operation. He laughed. “Most haven’t got a clue.”</p>
<p>This is where education comes in. He told me that although cleaning soot and creosote pays the bills, his real passion is educating folks about the importance of burning wood right. Yes, fire is an amazing tool that has been with us since the Stone Age, and back when there were six people on the planet, all that mattered was keeping it lit. Today we have a ton more neighbors, and we just found out that we’ve grossly underestimated the health effects of wood smoke.</p>
<p>It’s imperative to burn clean, burn less, and explore ways to conserve energy and make our homes more efficient. It will keep children healthier, save firefighters from risking their lives at house fires caused by improper wood burning, and save tax dollars. This doesn’t mean entirely giving up on wood-burners – they’re here to stay. As this veteran chimney cleaner told me, “It gives people a sense of empowerment. Plus there’s nothing quite like the warmth from a wood fire.” Amen to that, sir.</p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler has been an ISA-Certified Arborist since 1996 and is a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator.</em></p>
<p> </p>how trunk decay works (and doesn't)tag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-11-19:6448444:BlogPost:1111292021-11-19T13:47:03.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Lips and Walls: Digging into Tree Decay</p>
<p>When clients call about decay in large older trees, every so often it’s necessary to respond that I’m not interested in hearing any lip from them. I do this respectfully of course.</p>
<p>It’s a frequent misconception that the roll of callus tissue or “lip” that trees produce at the margins of a wound will cause, or at least accelerate, trunk rot by catching and holding a small amount of rainwater. It makes perfect sense to us that if an open…</p>
<p>Lips and Walls: Digging into Tree Decay</p>
<p>When clients call about decay in large older trees, every so often it’s necessary to respond that I’m not interested in hearing any lip from them. I do this respectfully of course.</p>
<p>It’s a frequent misconception that the roll of callus tissue or “lip” that trees produce at the margins of a wound will cause, or at least accelerate, trunk rot by catching and holding a small amount of rainwater. It makes perfect sense to us that if an open tree wound is allowed to stay wet for longer, it will decay faster. We all know that a stack of wood exposed to the elements will turn punky in a few years, whereas if it’s kept in a dry shed it can last indefinitely.</p>
<p>Strange though it may seem, tree decay is not a function of whether or not an open wound is protected from the weather. No matter how fastidiously one covers a large trunk injury, wood at the center of a tree gets more than enough moisture from the surrounding live tissues (cambium and sapwood) for decay organisms to thrive. In fact, letting a wound get soaked by the rain may actually halt the progress of rot, as those agents can’t grow in saturated, anoxic conditions.</p>
<p>Unlike a pile of inert lumber, trees actively defend themselves against decay with protective structures and processes which are analogous in some ways to our immune systems. Since trees don’t always succeed in these endeavors, let’s look at how “treemunity” works and why it sometimes fails.</p>
<p>Thanks in large part to the late Dr. Alex Shigo of the US Forest Service, we know a lot more about the way trees protect themselves than we did before about 1970. When an injury occurs, a tree converts a portion of its stored sugars to make defensive compounds. These chemicals are then deposited in very precise patterns internally around a wound. Shigo was the first to document this response, which he called the compartmentalization of decay in trees, or CODIT.</p>
<p>The four different types of chemical walls are readily visible, though they can only be seen after death (of the tree, I mean) when its wood is sliced open. The first wall cements shut the water-conductive xylem tubes above and below an injury in a roughly horizontal plane. The next is a semicircular arc which follows a portion of an annual ring just inside the wound. The third kind of wall is radial, isolating damage on either side in two planes which converge at the center of the trunk. The fourth and strongest wall is chemically superior new tissues that are laid down after an injury. This includes subsequent years’ growth as well as callus tissue.</p>
<p>I highly recommend a fabulously illustrated booklet that shows how these four biological walls develop. The stunning color plates border on psychedelic, so if you’re not into tree biology, you can still kick back some evening with a relaxing product of your choice and enjoy a trip through the pages. You can find Dr. Shigo’s inspired booklet at <a href="https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/ne_aib405.pdf">https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/ne_aib405.pdf</a></p>
<p>Wound closure, sometimes called “healing over,” is unrelated to the extent of internal decay that will occur – this depends on how effectively a tree can wall-off infections. Closure is good because the vascular system no longer has to detour around a wound, but it doesn’t protect against fungi if the tree is too weak to chemically protect itself.</p>
<p>The success of walling-off depends a lot on species. Slow-growing hard maple and white oak, for example, typically generate some of the strongest CODIT responses. Poplar and willow, on the other hand, barely manage any walls, figuring (I assume) they can outgrow the decay agents.</p>
<p>Overall tree vitality is another important factor. We know that when we are run-down, we’re a lot more vulnerable to illness. Even a hard maple won’t be able to form strong chemical barriers if it has suffered past root injuries, soil compaction, repeated defoliations or drought stress. By definition, a landscape tree surrounded by grass (its arch-enemy) is stressed compared to a forest-dwelling cousin. Street trees have it worse yet, faced with reflected heat, limited root space, and road salt.</p>
<p>The size of a wound is also critical. Happy, healthy trees can have their defenses overwhelmed by large wounds. We know that many times, trees lose their battle against decay.</p>
<p>In addition to fighting the forces of rot, a tree also uses its internal chemistry set to fight insect pests, making compounds known to scientists as “Bad Tasting Stuff” to repel them (insects, not scientists). But these designer chemicals aren’t perfect – just look at what tent caterpillars and LDD (formerly gypsy) moth caterpillars can do.</p>
<p>It has recently come to light that trees have an early-warning system. Apparently they can signal one another about what type of pest has arrived on the scene, communicating by way of underground root grafts as well as through beneficial symbiotic soil fungi called mycorrhizae. Some biologists think airborne chemicals also carry messages related to pests and diseases.</p>
<p>You can help maximize your tree’s “immune system” by watering during dry spells, mulching out to the branch length or dripline (best not to have grass under your trees!), and by keeping vehicles away from the root zone. In return, your tree will help keep you in optimal health by offering shade, beauty and companionship.</p>
<p><em>ISA-Certified Arborist and former Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator Paul Hetzler tries to stay on the good side of trees.</em></p>GPS and GIS - for the rest of ustag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-09-15:6448444:BlogPost:1098422021-09-15T16:00:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>- check back for details on the webinars 15 sept 2021 and 17 nov 2021</p>
<p></p>
<p>Garmin GLO 2 <a href="https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/645104%C2%A0">https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/645104 </a>;</p>
<p>- check back for details on the webinars 15 sept 2021 and 17 nov 2021</p>
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<p>Garmin GLO 2 <a href="https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/645104%C2%A0">https://buy.garmin.com/en-US/US/p/645104 </a>;</p>HELP PREVENT OAK WILTtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-08-10:6448444:BlogPost:1097062021-08-10T01:57:15.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Painting Our Way Out of a Corner</p>
<p>It’s normal to tune out all the Chicken Littles (such as yours truly) who run around squawking about this or that invasive forest pest or disease that pose a threat to trees. I mean, how many times can the sky fall, anyway? But the real danger is when we feel so overwhelmed that we throw up our hands. Thinking we can’t make a difference could result in more harm to forests than the pests themselves.</p>
<p>There’s a pithy fable about a child who…</p>
<p>Painting Our Way Out of a Corner</p>
<p>It’s normal to tune out all the Chicken Littles (such as yours truly) who run around squawking about this or that invasive forest pest or disease that pose a threat to trees. I mean, how many times can the sky fall, anyway? But the real danger is when we feel so overwhelmed that we throw up our hands. Thinking we can’t make a difference could result in more harm to forests than the pests themselves.</p>
<p>There’s a pithy fable about a child who rescues starfish from the beach after storms, and some busybody informs the kid that they can’t save all the starfish. The child responds by hurling another starfish into the sea and quips “yeah but I saved that one.” Right now we have the chance to help save oaks from a devastating new disease, not by tossing them in the ocean, but by adopting some painless and cost-free practices when pruning or harvesting oaks.</p>
<p>Oak wilt (<em>Bretziella fagacearum</em>), a virulent pathogen first identified in 1944 in Wisconsin, has moved into New York State with a vengeance, mainly in the past decade. This disease, which is of unknown origin, will turn a lush, healthy red oak to a crispy critter in just two weeks. Tree pathogens don’t get much nastier than that – I suppose if it also caused oaks to burst into flames, that would be worse.</p>
<p>Oak wilt spreads through root grafts as well as spore transfer. Underground tree-to-tree spread, while an important pathway near active outbreaks, is less important than airborne transmission. This latter route is where we come in.</p>
<p>Healthy red, black, pin, scarlet, and other “red-type” oaks succumb in a matter of weeks, while “white-type” oaks such as bur and swamp-white oaks don’t bite the dust so spectacularly, taking a year or two to die. After a red-type oak is killed, the pathogen makes mycelial spore pads under the bark, causing small bark splits. A spore-laden ooze, reported to smell like Juicy Fruit gum, is secreted, which attracts insects, the most significant of which are sap beetles in the family Nitidulidae.</p>
<p>Nitidulid beetles feed on sugars from the sapwood of newly cut or wounded hardwoods. Normally, not a problem, unless the beetles have recently wallowed in disease spores at an oak-wilt spore pad. Though spore pads develop only on red-type oaks, all oaks can be infected by a spore-covered beetle if it finds a fresh wound during the beetles’ flight season.</p>
<p>So here’s the big news: Paint is your friend.</p>
<p>From April 1 - July 1, the risk of spreading oak wilt is extreme, and from July - September 30 it’s moderate. Any exposed fresh wound on an oak, whether a stump after a tree removal or a pruning wound, puts them at risk. Rule One is never to cut oaks, or allow them to be accidentally wounded, from March through September. OK, now stop laughing – that’s not a rule.</p>
<p>Although it would be ideal not to prune or harvest oaks all spring and summer, it’s impossible. The work-around is to paint each wound or stump immediately after cutting. Spray paint is easiest, but it can be any cheap, leftover exterior product – whatever you have. But use it right away, as nitidulid beetles can find fresh oak sap in under an hour. On pruning wounds, paint the whole thing (Having spent years trying to convince people not to paint wounds, this is hard for me as an arborist). With stumps, only the sapwood needs to be covered.</p>
<p>It would be fair to ask why a stump should be painted. It’s because depending on how many root grafts are interconnected with that stump, spores deposited on a cut stump could infect many nearby oaks through grafts – roots extend three times the branch length. </p>
<p>Painting oak stumps and pruning wounds between March 1 and September 30 must become standard practice in the forestry, utility-clearing, and tree-care industries, But Jane Q. and John Q. Public have a role to play as well. Demand this practice from any arborist you hire, and put it in the contract if you have a woodlot harvested. If there are oaks in your landscape that you prune yourself, follow the same guidelines.</p>
<p>Oak wilt is not hundreds of miles away from us. It’s as close as the first idiot who brings firewood home from visiting his buddy whose dead tree he helped cut up. (History shows that most such idiots are guys; hence the gender exclusion.) Don’t move firewood long distances!! Here is our chance to hold a very important line. Implementing these strategies will vastly reduce the risk of seeing oaks go the way of the American chestnut. Let’s do our part to prove Chicken Little wrong.</p>
<p>If you suspect oak wilt, please report it to your nearest NYS Department of Environmental Conservation office. See: <a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/owfactsheet2.pdf">https://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/owfactsheet2.pdf</a> for more information.</p>
<p><strong>Paul Hetzler, an ISA Certified Arborist and former Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator, is presenting a free program on oak wilt this Thursday, August 12 at 6 PM at the Indian River Lakes Conservancy in Redwood. For details, see</strong> <a href="https://indianriverlakes.org/upcomingevents/"><strong>https://indianriverlakes.org/upcomingevents/</strong></a></p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler has been an ISA-Certified Arborist since 1996 and is a member of NYS Arborists and the Society of American Foresters.</em></p>Firewood 4 Charity Work Scheduletag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-06-15:6448444:BlogPost:1086672021-06-15T13:47:05.000ZDave Keeblerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/DaveKeebler
The NYFOA WFL Chapter Firewood4Charity (F4C) imitative held the second work session of this year on Saturday, June 12. Four face cords were readied for participating Rotary Clubs to pick up and deliver in the Fall. Twenty five face cords were donated to the Rotary last year. The wood is sold and the proceeds are donated to Rotary Camp Onseyawa on the shore of Seneca Lake. The next sessions will be Saturday, July 17 and Wednesday, July 28. At this time we restrict volunteers to only those that…
The NYFOA WFL Chapter Firewood4Charity (F4C) imitative held the second work session of this year on Saturday, June 12. Four face cords were readied for participating Rotary Clubs to pick up and deliver in the Fall. Twenty five face cords were donated to the Rotary last year. The wood is sold and the proceeds are donated to Rotary Camp Onseyawa on the shore of Seneca Lake. The next sessions will be Saturday, July 17 and Wednesday, July 28. At this time we restrict volunteers to only those that have been fully vaccinated. But wait there is more! David Deuel, the host and Yard Boss of F4C has scheduled a bonus workday on WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23d. The bonus is that after the cutting is finished workers can pick their own juneberries. The only requirement, other than splitting some wood, is to bring your own containers. Contact David at dsdeuel@gmail.com for more details and to volunteer.Gypsy Mothstag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-05-17:6448444:BlogPost:1085722021-05-17T23:54:00.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p></p>
<p>Like a B-grade horror film sequel, the aliens have awakened once again. Perhaps we felt a glimmer of hope at the end of the 2020 version when an entire generation of ruthless monsters died off in droves and left us in peace. But remember that closing shot of their disgusting, furry egg-mass blobs cleverly hidden out of sight? Well they’re hatching now.</p>
<p>If you missed last year’s gypsy moth performance, you have a better chance of catching it this season. Unfortunately. Based on…</p>
<p></p>
<p>Like a B-grade horror film sequel, the aliens have awakened once again. Perhaps we felt a glimmer of hope at the end of the 2020 version when an entire generation of ruthless monsters died off in droves and left us in peace. But remember that closing shot of their disgusting, furry egg-mass blobs cleverly hidden out of sight? Well they’re hatching now.</p>
<p>If you missed last year’s gypsy moth performance, you have a better chance of catching it this season. Unfortunately. Based on egg-mass sampling, the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation predicts that areas which saw moderate to severe gypsy moth outbreaks last year can expect heavy damage this year. NYSDEC’s gypsy moth page can be found <a href="https://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/83118.html">here</a>.</p>
<p>Native to Europe, the gypsy moth’s range now extends throughout Africa, Asia, and North America. Its genus, <em>Lymantria,</em> means “destroyer,” an apt designation, and its species name, <em>dispar dispar</em>, reflects the disparate color of males vs. females. It might as well stand for “despair, despair,” since that’s how many of us feel as we watch tree leaves vanish into the maws of gypsy moth caterpillars.</p>
<p>Their introduction in 1868 was especially tragic, as it was deliberate. Étienne Léopold Trouvelot, a French artist, astronomer and so-called scientist, imported gypsy moth egg masses to his Massachusetts home. He thought they could be used to make silk, despite good evidence to the contrary, and without a thought to their potential impact on New World ecosystems. Glass herbariums were safe but pricey, so he raised these fearsome defoliators the woods behind his house. What could possibly go wrong?</p>
<p>Today, gypsy moths are one of the most destructive forest pests in eastern North America, stripping the foliage off at least 300 species of native woody plants. They prefer oaks, but will feed on apple, pine, basswood, spruce, willow, and when population densities are high enough, almost any tree species. In an ironic twist now that EAB is here, gypsy moth caterpillars generally avoid ash. Butternut, walnut and balsam are typically off the menu, too.</p>
<p>Hatchling larvae are black with long hairs, or setae. As the larvae grow, they molt, shedding skins every time they advance to another phase (instar). Later-instar caterpillars develop pairs of raised blue (nearer the head) and dark red (toward the rear) spots along their backs, reaching maturity in early July. After a 14-17-day pupal phase, the adult moths emerge. The mostly-white females can’t fly from where they emerged, and just call out to the boy-moths, which are mottled brown, using pheromone come-on signals. Mated females lay on average around 500 eggs in a “blob” or mass, which they protect with buff-colored hairs taken from their underside.</p>
<p>These oval-shaped egg masses, tan to cream in color and about 0.75 x 1.5 inches (19 x 38 mm), can be found tucked away near whatever hiding spot the female pupated in. Very often laid on tree trunks and notably under flaps of loose bark, egg masses are usually in sheltered spots, but may be just about anywhere. Right now in early May, tiny hatchlings can be found clustered on these masses – it’s a great time to seek and destroy.</p>
<p>Natural predators include blue jays, robins and catbirds, but these have no measurable effect on gypsy moth numbers. The white-footed mouse, the primary reservoir of the three species of <em>Borrelia</em> spirochete bacteria that cause Lyme disease, has redeemed its reputation: it’s the most important vertebrate gypsy moth control, as it loves eating their egg masses. Shrews and other small mammals enjoy hearty breakfasts of gypsy moth eggs, too.</p>
<p>More significant agents are weather, viruses and fungi. As with the tent caterpillar species, prolonged wet, cool weather can lead to hatchling starvation, and a sudden cold snap in late fall or early winter can kill eggs before the embryos inside can winterize their cells. Cool temps also favor infection by fungal pathogens, as explained below.</p>
<p>An endemic soil fungus, nicknamed <em>Entomophaga maimaiga</em> for short, kills gypsy moth caterpillars as their populations rise. But NPV (nucleopolyhedrosis virus) is our MVP when it comes to knocking defoliator numbers down. The catch is that this naturally-occurring virus usually takes two years to precipitate a gypsy moth population crash.</p>
<p>In addition to egg-mass mashing, we can smother eggs that we can’t reach with a shot of dormant-oil spray. This is a very light, highly refined horticultural oil. Some people use aerosol non-stick cooking oil such as Pam, although strictly speaking this might not be legal. (I promise not to tell.)</p>
<p>Applications of <em>Bacillus thuringiensis kurstaki</em>, or Btk to its pals, will protect foliage. Found at any garden center, preparations of Btk contain a natural toxin produced by these bacteria. It is highly specific to caterpillars, and considered safe for other terrestrial and aquatic life. It must be ingested to have an effect. It does wash off, so re-apply after it rains.</p>
<p>Wrapping trunks with a 6” fabric strip, and then smearing it with a sticky compound made for the purpose of trapping insects (Tanglefoot and other brands) will trap larvae, which tend to commute down to the ground at night and back to the treetops in the morning. A “skirt” of burlap tied around trunks will draw caterpillars to take shelter under the fabric, and they can be squished or knocked into soapy water daily. (Caution: the hairs can cause skin rashes and sometimes upper-respiratory irritation.)</p>
<p>Also, never move firewood! Unless it’s from the woodpile to the house – that’s OK. Bringing firewood from home to cottage (or vice-versa) is the best way to spread infestations of all sorts of pests.</p>
<p>Healthy deciduous trees re-foliate after being stripped of leaves, but at great cost to their energy stores. Pines and spruces, though, aren’t endowed with re-foliation powers, and are left with a smattering of green razor stubble with which to photosynthesize; thus gypsy moths can cause such conifer species grave harm. When defoliation occurs in successive years, tree mortality becomes a concern.</p>
<p>Don’t be shy about scouring the back yard in the coming days for egg masses to squish, and it’s probably a good idea to stock up on Btk before the June rush when everyone begins to notice the caterpillars. Let’s hope there’s no remake next year. For more information, see NYSIPM’s gypsy moth resource <a href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/nysipm/2020/07/30/people-are-talking-about-gypsy-moths/">page</a>.</p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler is an ISA-Certified Arborist and a former Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator.</em></p>Information about Gypsy Moth Outbreaks and Management Options for Woodland and Residential Propertiestag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-04-20:6448444:BlogPost:1084432021-04-20T17:38:36.000ZLaura Baileyhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/LauraBailey
<p>Over the past 2 years, many counties across NYS have experienced gypsy moth outbreaks and based on the density of egg masses recorded in some areas of the state, it might very well be another high population year. Calls and emails have already started coming in from concerned individuals who experienced tree defoliation last year or have noticed egg masses lining the branches of their trees. Over the weekend, I was weeding along the side of my house and thought I saw ants crawling along the…</p>
<p>Over the past 2 years, many counties across NYS have experienced gypsy moth outbreaks and based on the density of egg masses recorded in some areas of the state, it might very well be another high population year. Calls and emails have already started coming in from concerned individuals who experienced tree defoliation last year or have noticed egg masses lining the branches of their trees. Over the weekend, I was weeding along the side of my house and thought I saw ants crawling along the foundation. Upon closer inspection, much to my disappointment, they were tiny little gypsy moth caterpillars emerging from an egg mass hidden just under the lip of the siding. I ran into the house and filled a container with soapy water and knocked the caterpillars into the water -- I took care of them! But, what about all the egg masses plastered on the branches of my neighbors trees and so many of the trees in my neighborhood? Unfortunately, I think I will be seeing more caterpillars soon. So, what can I do? What can you do if you are facing this scenario as well or have the egg masses on your tree branches? Or maybe you have a woodlot or sugarbush that you are concerned about. I can't offer any magical solutions, but here is some information about gypsy moth outbreaks, their impact on trees, and some management options.</p>
<p>Gypsy moths are known as an outbreak pest, as populations can quickly increase every 5 to 10 years (possibly due to weather patterns) after an extended period of low, nearly undetectable levels. Multiple factors affect the size of the gypsy moth population each year, such as available food sources, parasites, predators, and disease. At low gypsy moth population densities, small mammal predators are the primary source of mortality, but they do not actually serve as a means of population control, especially during an outbreak. At higher population densities or during an outbreak, disease (a fungus and a virus) tends to be the greatest source of gypsy moth mortality. Both the fungus and virus require moisture, so control of gypsy moth populations by these diseases is better during wet springs.</p>
<p>Fortunately, healthy deciduous trees can generally regrow leaves after defoliation from gypsy moth caterpillars and can usually withstand 2-3 years of successive defoliation. During outbreaks, when populations are high and food becomes scare, gypsy moth caterpillars will feed on almost any vegetation including pines and spruce. Conifers do not regrow needles as easily as deciduous trees regrow leaves, and are more likely to die as a result of defoliation. Unhealthy trees are also less likely to withstand defoliation and might die after one defoliation episode. In many cases, the actual cause of death in trees attacked by gypsy moths is not the defoliation itself, but instead a secondary organism that invades the weakened tree, such as a fungus or borer. Even though gypsy moths can cause significant stress to a tree or forest during an outbreak, overall they do not pose a major threat to NY’s forests.</p>
<p><strong>Management Strategies</strong>:</p>
<ul>
<li>When populations are low, caterpillars and adults can be removed by hand and killed. Scraping egg masses off and dropping them on the ground will not kill them, so make sure to place them in soapy water or thoroughly crush them. Some people are allergic to gypsy moth hairs, which are present during all life stages, so wear gloves, protective clothing and a dusk mask.</li>
<li>Wrapping burlap around the trunk of the tree, tying a string around the center, and folding the burlap in half to trap caterpillars as they move up and down the tree and then crushing or knocking them into soapy water.</li>
<li>There are also some cultural practices that can help reduce the damage caused by gypsy moths. These include maintaining tree and/or forest health, and watering landscape trees during droughts and placing mulch around the base of the tree to retain moisture.</li>
<li>During outbreaks, manual removal may become tedious and does little to reduce the overall population of gypsy moths, so spraying may be a practical and effective option. Various insecticides are available for gypsy moths, including microbial/biological and chemical sprays. The most commonly used microbial/biological insecticide used for gypsy moths is <em>Bacillus thuringiensis</em> (kurstaki), commonly known as Bt or Btk, which is naturally occurring on plants and in soil. It is harmless to people, animals and plants but does affect other young moth and butterfly larvae. Btk is most effective on young caterpillars. Younger gypsy moth caterpillars have an all-black head capsule, while older caterpillars will develop yellow markings on the head – these caterpillars are less susceptible to Btk. In certain cases, such as in a sugarbush, aerial spraying of Btk may be economically feasible since severe defoliation can reduce maple syrup production. Several chemical insecticides are labeled for use on gypsy moths but keep in mind that these can have an impact on a wide variety of beneficial, native insects, birds, and other animals, so they should be used wisely. Spraying of Btk or chemicals is not at all effective during the pupae or egg mass stages.</li>
</ul>
<p>These management options all have their pros and cons and vary in degree of effectiveness, especially in high population years. I encourage you to implement the management practices that you are able to do, but it is also really important to focus on overall tree and forest health so that your trees can better withstand future gypsy moth outbreaks. </p>
<p>Some more educational information on gypsy moths is available at these links [compiled by Peter Smallidge]:</p>
<p><a href="https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Gypsy_Moth/Gypsy-Moth-Fact-Sheet-Update-2019.pdf?la=en">https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/CAES/DOCUMENTS/Gypsy_Moth/Gypsy-Moth-Fact-Sheet-Update-2019.pdf?la=en</a></p>
<p><a href="https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource002833_Rep4188.pdf">https://extension.unh.edu/resources/files/Resource002833_Rep4188.pdf</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/ForestsAndTrees/InsectsAndDiseases/GypsyMoth/Pages/default.aspx">https://www.dcnr.pa.gov/Conservation/ForestsAndTrees/InsectsAndDiseases/GypsyMoth/Pages/default.aspx</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eVC-blMAk0">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eVC-blMAk0</a></p>
<p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk2M_koHDzA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wk2M_koHDzA</a></p>Garlic Mustard Managementtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-04-16:6448444:BlogPost:1085372021-04-16T12:13:02.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Do Nothing about Invasive Plants</p>
<p>Paul Hetzler, ISA Ceritfied Arborist</p>
<p>Until recently, ignoring problems in hopes they’ll go away hasn’t served me well. However, a decade-long study done by Cornell University researchers has clearly shown that avoidance is the best way to manage garlic mustard (<em>Allaria petiolata</em>), a pernicious exotic plant. Evidently I’ve been doing a great job in the fight against this aggressive and troublesome invader.</p>
<p>Native to most of Europe…</p>
<p>Do Nothing about Invasive Plants</p>
<p>Paul Hetzler, ISA Ceritfied Arborist</p>
<p>Until recently, ignoring problems in hopes they’ll go away hasn’t served me well. However, a decade-long study done by Cornell University researchers has clearly shown that avoidance is the best way to manage garlic mustard (<em>Allaria petiolata</em>), a pernicious exotic plant. Evidently I’ve been doing a great job in the fight against this aggressive and troublesome invader.</p>
<p>Native to most of Europe and parts of western Asia and northwestern Africa, garlic mustard is in the cabbage and broccoli family (<em>Brassicaceae</em>), and indeed was imported to North America as a culinary herb in the early 1800s. It’s not entirely evil, as it has the spicy tang of mustard with a hint of garlic, and can be used as a base for pesto and sauces, and to flavor salads, soups and other dishes. Unfortunately, eating it has not worked well as a control strategy.</p>
<p>Garlic mustard is a biennial that begins as an inconspicuous first-year plant (rosette). At a glance, its rosettes look similar to wild violets, having triangular, somewhat heart-shaped leaves that have coarsely toothed margins and wrinkled leaf surfaces. In the second year it sends up a tall flower spike, the four-petal white flowers developing into slender pods (siliques) bursting with tiny round seeds. This is one of garlic mustard’s unpleasant features, as it loads the soil with seeds that remain viable for ten or more years.</p>
<p>Like most invasive plants, garlic mustard is not browsed by herbivores (if you don’t count vegetarian humans), and has no effective insect pests or diseases to keep it in check. As mentioned, it gets high marks for reproduction, and can form thick monocultures in forest environments. Its roots exude compounds that alter the soil chemistry to favor its survival at the expense of other species. Known as allelopathy, this mechanism also harms mycorrhizae, symbiotic root fungi which contribute greatly to tree health. When dense armies of these plants compete for water, nutrients and sunlight, natural forest regeneration is curtailed and native ground cover is stressed.</p>
<p>Sounds like we should gather a posse and rise up against this intruder; pitchforks, torches, and pikes at the ready. Well, yes and no. If garlic mustard has just appeared at a location in the past one or two years and their numbers are low, yes – yanking them out by the roots is the thing to do.</p>
<p>But according to Dr. Berndt Blossey, a Cornell University conservation biologist who specializes in invasive plants, pulling up large swaths of garlic mustard is not only futile, it is worse than leaving it alone. It bears echoing: When well-intentioned people rip out this stuff, it actually prolongs the infestation period because the plant self-limits (more on that below) if undisturbed. Also, these mass garlic mustard-ectomy events do more damage to the ecosystem than the target species itself does.</p>
<p>There are cases where research seems pointless because cause and effect are so obvious: maple sap flows up from the roots during the day; goldenrod causes allergy symptoms; and garlic mustard wipes out native wildflowers and adversely affects salamanders. These assumptions make sense, given the “evidence,” but upon close examination, all of the above statements are false.</p>
<p>Dr. Blossey has long contended that deer abundance and non-native earthworms are the drivers of garlic mustard infestation. Garlic mustard only establishes after earthworms have invaded a site for some years, he says, and although how deer spread earthworms is not yet known, they apparently do, as exclusion plots show. I first heard Berndt’s idea that well-established garlic mustard should be left alone in 2014 at a talk he gave at Cornell. I was surprised, and admittedly rather skeptical. But he and his team have now done enough controlled trials and amassed enough evidence to back up his assertions.</p>
<p>It turns out that while garlic mustard competes with native species, it does not displace them where deer are excluded or drastically reduced in number. And it is earthworms, not our maligned invasive plant, which make a neighborhood less attractive to salamanders. Furthermore, garlic mustard dwindles in biomass, plant vigor, and site prevalence over time. Within ten to 12 years it becomes scarce as a species, the remaining plants greatly stunted.</p>
<p>Side-by-side controlled trials showed that where garlic mustard is “managed,” the plants are considerably larger and cover a higher percentage of a site (at times by an order of magnitude) than the sections where nothing has been done. Not only that, but biomass on the managed sites tended to be roughly stable over the ten-year time frame studied, whereas it declined year after year in the unmanaged plots.</p>
<p>Pulling garlic mustard where it is abundant prolongs its run. It also robs a great deal of nitrogen, macro- and micronutrients, and organic matter from the ecosystem. Mass-removal also results in the site being trampled, and runs the risk that soil and native plants might be inadvertently removed.</p>
<p>A much better use of our time and energy, Dr. Blossey advises, is to scout sites that aren’t known to have garlic mustard yet, and also to kill as many deer as possible. Especially the latter.</p>
<p>An interesting side note is that if deer were managed to 5-7 per square mile, not only would it drastically reduce the rate of garlic mustard spread, Lyme disease would cease to be a human-health threat (this from Dr. Paul Curtis, the NY State Extension Wildlife Specialist at Cornell University). I say amen to that!</p>
<p>Professor Blossey’s February 26, 2021 talk “When Doing Nothing is the Best Invasive Plant Management Tool” can be found at <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRQal0Hq5nM">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vRQal0Hq5nM</a></p>
<p><em>A former Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator, Paul Hetzler is often in a recliner, helping to fight garlic mustard.</em></p>Tips for Winter Tree IDtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-03-09:6448444:BlogPost:1085022021-03-09T22:57:26.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Tree Buds: Honest Friends</p>
<p>How to distinguish one leaf-bereft hardwood from another in winter is more of a challenge than summer tree ID, but there are practical reasons – and a few offbeat incentives – to tell one species from another in the dormant season. Hikers and skiers can benefit from such a skill, and in survival situations, hydration and warmth may depend on it. And if you’re among those who adore wintertime camping, you can have more fun when you know common woody…</p>
<p>Tree Buds: Honest Friends</p>
<p>How to distinguish one leaf-bereft hardwood from another in winter is more of a challenge than summer tree ID, but there are practical reasons – and a few offbeat incentives – to tell one species from another in the dormant season. Hikers and skiers can benefit from such a skill, and in survival situations, hydration and warmth may depend on it. And if you’re among those who adore wintertime camping, you can have more fun when you know common woody species.</p>
<p>In late winter/ early spring, a pathogen-free beverage flows from sugar, silver, and red maples when temperatures rise above freezing in the day. A bit later in the spring yet prior to leaf-out, our native white (paper), yellow, black, grey, and river birches yield copious, healthful sap as well. The same can be said for wild grape stems, although it’s crucial that one can recognize other vines out there like Virginia creeper and poison ivy.</p>
<p>Being able to tell native shrub dogwood and <em>Viburnum</em> from invasive honeysuckle, <em>Euonymus</em>, and buckthorn may score you some tasty dried berries, and save you from the nasty effects of consuming the wrong ones. If you need fuel wood in a hurry, basswood won’t help, but ash, which has similar bark, definitely will. Black and pin cherry also burn respectably when green.</p>
<p>Foliage is front and center when you crack open a typical field guide. Without such a luxury, we have to look more closely. Bark comes to mind, and while sometimes helpful, it’s not always reliable: bark characteristics change as trees age. Not all hickories have shaggy bark, and the majority of birch species aren’t white-barked. Cherry and ironwood have lenticels on young wood only. Even the characteristic diamond-shaped furrows of ash bark may look different in some conditions.</p>
<p>A better diagnostic tool is arrangement: whether or not twigs grow opposite one another on the branch. Most trees have alternate twig growth, so we’ll focus on opposites: maple, ash and dogwood, or “MAD.” Shrubs and small trees in the family <em>Caprifolaceae</em>, such as viburnums, are opposite, too. The prompt “MAD Cap” may help keep track of who’s opposed and who’s in favor.</p>
<p>All our native dogwoods are shrubs, so maple and ash are the sole members of the opposite-tree club. You’d think that would simplify things, but twigs on any given ash or maple branch are frequently missing some (or at times many) “partner twigs” which are supposed to be opposite them. Wind, ice, pathogens, and other things are apt do that, so don’t trust branch arrangement entirely.</p>
<p>Fortunately for us, buds, like Vulcans, cannot lie. Look closely at a twig to see if the buds are opposite or alternate. Bud size, shape and placement will give further clues. Beech have long, lance-like buds, while those of balsam-poplars are sticky and aromatic. Red and silver maples have puffy, reddish buds. Sugar maple buds are brown and conical, like a sugar cone. Oaks have clusters of buds at the end of each twig. Black locust buds are “submerged” under the bark.</p>
<p>Location gives us some clue about tree ID, too. Riparian zones and other low-lying wooded habitats which are seasonally flooded are not likely to produce healthy sugar maple, white ash, red oak and white pine. On the other hand, red & silver maple, green & black ash, bur oak, white cedar, eastern hemlock, and elm will thrive in those types of places. Invasive and non-regional species like buckthorn, Norway maple and boxelder may show up on sites with a history of disturbance.</p>
<p>Shade-tolerance is of trifling use, as “intolerant” species can hang on a long while as they are shaded out by competitors. Size helps, but in one direction: If faced with a specimen of unusual girth or height, it rules out short-maturing species like American hornbeam (musclewood, ironwood) and hawthorn.</p>
<p>Even the health profile of a species can be an aid. The presence of black-knot lesions indicates a cherry tree, for instance. A towering hardwood with a crop of dark “tennis balls” throughout its canopy is a hickory that is infested with <em>Phomopsis</em> gall disease. A deep, slanting scar on the lower trunk of a hardwood is likely the calling-card of a sugar-maple borer.</p>
<p>Smell is an honest indicator, but it only works for a few species. Yellow & black birch twigs smell and taste like wintergreen. Peel a cherry twig and you’ll get a whiff of bitter (cyanic) almond. Most features of red and silver maple twigs are very similar, but those of silver maple smell rank when broken.</p>
<p>Inside each bud is an embryonic leaf (and/or flower). To protect their tender charges, most tree buds have overlapping scales that open in spring. Basswood buds have two or three scales, which vary greatly in size. Sugar maple buds have many, uniform scales. Butternut and hickory buds have no scales, but depend on a bit of fuzz to guard leaf embryos. All in all, the best winter tree ID tools are buds. It would be a sad world if we couldn’t count on our buds to tell the truth.</p>
<p>For more details on winter tree ID, the booklet <em>Winter Tree Finder</em> is nice, and Cornell’s book <em>Know Your Trees</em> is a free download: (<a href="http://www.uvstorm.org/Downloads/Know_Your_Trees_Booklet.pdf">http://www.uvstorm.org/Downloads/Know_Your_Trees_Booklet.pdf</a>).</p>
<p><em>An ISA-Certified Arborist since 1996, <strong>Paul Hetzler</strong> wanted to be a bear when he grew up, but failed the audition. Having gotten over some of his self-pity concerning that unfortunate event, he now writes about</em><em> nature .</em></p>
<p><strong> </strong></p>SWCD 2021 Ecological Function, Production & Restorationtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-03-02:6448444:BlogPost:1077832021-03-02T20:30:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>On March 11, 2021 we had the pleasure of working with colleagues from Yale School of Forestry (Dr. Joe Orefice) and a private consultant (Jeff Jourdain) to zoom with natural resource professional of the NY Soil and Water Conservation District Annual meeting. The session we offered was titled "Restoring Ecological Function and Production to Woodlands." This blog is our way to share documents mentioned during that training or otherwise of interest to participants and practitioners in…</p>
<p>On March 11, 2021 we had the pleasure of working with colleagues from Yale School of Forestry (Dr. Joe Orefice) and a private consultant (Jeff Jourdain) to zoom with natural resource professional of the NY Soil and Water Conservation District Annual meeting. The session we offered was titled "Restoring Ecological Function and Production to Woodlands." This blog is our way to share documents mentioned during that training or otherwise of interest to participants and practitioners in general.</p>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Links to presentations - Restoring Ecological Function and Production of Woodlands</strong></p>
<p>The agenda <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8622112496?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">agenda-woodland-restoration</a></p>
<ol>
<li>Introduction (Smallidge) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8656722268?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Terminology and overview (Orefice) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8656724872?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Role of management (Smallidge) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8656725687?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Planning for restoration (Chedzoy) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8659293482?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Putting a plan into action (Jourdain) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8659270893?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Using silviculture (Smallidge) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8656785077?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Forest Vegetation Management (Chedzoy) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8659293874?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Woodland regeneration strategies (Smallidge) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8657183472?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">pdf</a></li>
<li>Case examples (Chedzoy)</li>
</ol>
<p></p>
<p><strong>Related Resources</strong></p>
<p>ForestConnect <a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/ForestConnect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">webinar archives</a> (monthly, 2007-present)</p>
<p>Newsletter content and fact sheets <a href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/cceforestconnect/newsletter-content-for-educators/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a></p>
<p><a href="https://sustainability.yale.edu/explainers/yale-experts-explain-healthy-forests" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Understanding Healthy Forests</a> (Yale)</p>
<p><a href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/cceforestconnect/files/2020/07/FVM-matrix.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forest Vegetation Management matrix</a>, guidance for solution to controlling interfering vegetation.</p>
<p><a href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/cceforestconnect/files/2020/06/Assessing-the-success-of-hardwood-regeneration.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Assessing forest regeneration</a>, knowing if you are poised for success.</p>
<p>How <a href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/cceforestconnect/files/2021/03/Tree-Vigor-11232020.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tree vigor</a> influences growth and output, and responds to thinning.</p>
<p>Management in the <a href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/cceforestconnect/files/2020/03/EAB-aftermath.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">aftermath</a> of emerald ash borer</p>
<p>NYS <a href="https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/61445" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Forest Statistics</a> 2017</p>
<p></p>
<p></p>Sapsucker Damage Indicates Stressed Treestag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-02-05:6448444:BlogPost:966012021-02-05T16:10:24.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Sapsuckers and Other Insults</p>
<p>Icebreaker exercises are apparently meant to help awkward group events like staff development days feel even less comfortable. I recall a workplace training where we had to inform the group what animal best represented our personality. I was going to say “squirrel” but got distracted by something out the window, and forgot. In retrospect I should have chosen the yellow-bellied sapsucker (<em>Sphyrapicus varius</em>), since I spent much of that same event…</p>
<p>Sapsuckers and Other Insults</p>
<p>Icebreaker exercises are apparently meant to help awkward group events like staff development days feel even less comfortable. I recall a workplace training where we had to inform the group what animal best represented our personality. I was going to say “squirrel” but got distracted by something out the window, and forgot. In retrospect I should have chosen the yellow-bellied sapsucker (<em>Sphyrapicus varius</em>), since I spent much of that same event straightening business cards and brochures at the conference center. This should make sense in a moment.</p>
<p>Some may raise an eyebrow when they learn that “yellow-bellied sapsucker” is not just an epithet hurled by children across school playgrounds. Indeed it is a woodpecker whose nesting grounds encompass parts of the Great Lakes and New England states, as well as a broad swath of southern Canada. The real surprise is that this creature displays a behavior I would call compulsive.</p>
<p>To be clear, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder is a challenge for some folks, myself included, so I’m not equating it to the sapsucker’s habits. But when I see the way this bird pecks perfectly straight rows of uniform-sized, evenly spaced shallow holes called sap wells, it reminds me a lot of squaring-off stacks of stationery. Unfortunately, this bird’s obsession sometimes injures or kills trees.</p>
<p>For all the harm it can cause, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is rather small, weighing a mere two ounces. On average it measures about eight inches long, with a wingspan around fourteen inches. It resembles two of our resident native woodpeckers, the downy and hairy, and is a bit larger than the downy, and a tad smaller than the hairy.</p>
<p>Ironically, the yellow-belly is only yellow – and a very pale hue at that – at the center of its abdomen; otherwise its front is mottled (or barred) dark brown and white. It sports a black bib, and has a white stripe down its side, with black above. The male has a red head, and the female generally has at least a red crown.</p>
<p>Sapsuckers feed on many trees: pine, hemlock, maple, and poplar are all on their menu, but they’re especially fond of thin-barked species like birch, mountain-ash and alder. Apple trees also seem quite attractive to them.</p>
<p>Although this bird’s existence may not hinge on having a laser-straight, regimented drilling pattern, sapsuckers don’t make sap wells for fun. The name suggests they have a means of vacuuming out tree sap but really, sapsuckers return to feed on sugar-rich dried (or concentrated) sap which collects in the wells it made earlier. In addition, they snap up insects which are attracted to the fresh wounds. Fruits and nuts round out their diet.</p>
<p>Much of the time, sapsuckers aren’t a problem for trees, as they frequently shop around, pecking a short line or two into one, maybe hammering out a paragraph on another trunk or branch. But occasionally the sapsucker will finish a row around the entire circumference of a particular tree, and then drop down a fraction of an inch (truthfully I don’t know what units they use) to begin the next, and on and on.</p>
<p>This ring-around-the-rosy performance chips out most of the cambium layer in that particular row of sap wells, disrupting the vascular system. It’s akin to girdling perhaps 70 or 80 percent of the trunk in that narrow band. Obviously this stresses the tree, and may eventually kill it. Why sapsuckers peck mercilessly on certain trees yet barely touch others of the same kind is not fully known, but I’ve noticed that very often it is a tree already struggling with stress – which includes any tree surrounded by lawn – that gets the bulk of their attention.</p>
<p>My current (untested) hypothesis has to do with the way trees protect themselves from things intent on eating them. A vigorous, vital tree is able to produce noxious compounds at feeding sites in an effort to repel insects, and presumably anything else dining upon it. A tree in a weakened state, however, cannot mount such a defense and is thus “tastier.” We know that in general, insect pests go for stressed and dying trees first. I’m going out on a limb to suggest this is why sapsuckers peck the life out of a landscape tree while ignoring the same species in a nearby wooded setting.</p>
<p>Sadly, the yellow-bellied sapsucker is considered a species of “high climate vulnerability.” The Audubon Society projects that if current warming trends continue, it could lose up to 88% of its current range. The breadth of its nesting habitat will shrink considerably in the south, without being able to expand nearly as much to the north. So let’s be nice to sapsuckers even if they do cause a problem for one of your trees. If that’s the case, wrap the section of trunk under “attack” with burlap, or aluminum window screen. And then make sure it’s getting enough water, and that nobody drives on, or adds soil to, its root zone (twice the branch length). A little bird is telling you the poor tree is stressed-out.</p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler is an ISA-Certified Arborist and a member of the Canadian Institute of Forestry,and the Society of American Foresters. His OCD issue is under control, but he’s still working on his Attention-Defic</em></p>New Wood Markets for Novel Forest Productstag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-01-09:6448444:BlogPost:838862021-01-09T17:23:34.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Wooden You Know</p>
<p>As a card-carrying, registered tree hugger, I have long touted the benefits of trees such as carbon storage, energy savings and improved mental health. And beyond the familiar tree-related blessings such as maple syrup, lumber and firewood, I’ve written about some obscure things like birch-based candy that fights tooth decay, and health-promoting chaga tea derived from a birch fungus. Then there’s basswood bark for fiber, elm bark for baskets, and pine bark for lunch.…</p>
<p>Wooden You Know</p>
<p>As a card-carrying, registered tree hugger, I have long touted the benefits of trees such as carbon storage, energy savings and improved mental health. And beyond the familiar tree-related blessings such as maple syrup, lumber and firewood, I’ve written about some obscure things like birch-based candy that fights tooth decay, and health-promoting chaga tea derived from a birch fungus. Then there’s basswood bark for fiber, elm bark for baskets, and pine bark for lunch. That stuff is all pretty straightforward.</p>
<p>More highly processed wood products, though, are a mystery to me. Even a fairly mundane example like how a pile of dirty logs becomes a decidedly coveted treasure – I’m speaking of toilet paper, of course – seems like rocket science. But recent developments are truly mind-blowing. Without a doubt, tree-derived stuff has risen to a whole new level: the Japanese will soon rocket a wooden satellite into space. </p>
<p>A joint venture between Kyoto University and Japanese logging company Sumitomo Forestry aims to have the world's first wooden satellites orbiting the Earth by 2023. Really. There are an estimated 6,000 satellites now orbiting the Earth, and most of them are non-functional. Apparently, each time a dead satellite re-enters our atmosphere, it produces alumina particles as it burns up, and these micro-bits remain in the stratosphere for years, eating away at the protective ozone layer. Of course, when wood burns it does not produce alumina. Toasted marshmallows, perhaps, but not any dangerous pollution. Plus, if one of these satellites should break up in space, wood chips are way less dangerous to the International Space Station than the myriad nuts, bolts and metal shards floating around up there.</p>
<p>The engineers at Kyoto University aren’t using plywood or oriented-strand chip board, obviously. Researchers from the University of Maryland, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and other institutions have found various ways to make wood super-strong and amazingly light and thin.</p>
<p>The University of Maryland’s “super wood,” as they call it, is equal to steel in strength, yet is lighter than aluminum. Dr. Liangbing Hu, leader of the UM research team, says their low-cost innovation will rival steel and titanium alloys in construction uses, and is much cheaper. Dr. Hu expects it to be used in cars and planes in the future (which makes sense, since using it in the past would be tricky).</p>
<p>Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have combined wood fiber with, of all things, a marine worm to create a product which is comparable to super wood, but is more flexible. Similar work is being done in many other countries, including France and Sweden, where engineers have focused on transparent wood for shatter-proof windows.</p>
<p>The recent news (see the BBC’s December 2020 report at <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55463366">https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55463366</a>) about Japanese engineers branching out into wood satellites is pretty amazing, but wood has been moving into unexpected areas for some time now. A very cool example is San Francisco-based Allbird, which since 2014 has been making soft, comfortable wood-fiber running shoes. Made from sustainably grown eucalyptus trees, the sneakers are said to be unusually light, cool and comfortable, especially good for hot climates. </p>
<p>But that’s a pedestrian use compared to what French tire maker Michelin has been doing since 2018. It’s hard to believe that a giant manufacturer like that would take a page from Fred Flintstone. While Fred’s tires were puncture-proof, Michelin’s wood-based tires will look and perform like conventional ones, which on average are 80% petroleum-derived. Michelin engineers have found a way to produce elastomers – which are stretchy compounds, as you might have guessed – from paper-mill waste. These tires are expected to be rolled out within the next two years. Wood-based pneumatic tires can still be pierced by a nail, but are way more comfortable than solid logs. I only hope that companies that produce braking systems aren’t inspired by the Flintstones as well.</p>
<p>And finally, a research team at the University of Delaware has developed a way to make adhesive polymers from tree lignin. By volume, the vast majority of a tree is cellulose. Trees produce lignin for strength on an as-needed basis because it takes a lot of energy to make; on a windy site a tree will produce more, and the same tree in a protected location will produce less. It’s analogous to a normal parking garage, which needs some reinforcing steel in the cement. If that garage is intended for tanks and trucks, a lot more steel had better go in the ‘crete.</p>
<p>Anyway, the University of Delaware group, led by professor of Materials Science and Engineering Dr. Thomas Epps, has created a low-cost adhesive from these lignin polymers. They reportedly made a transparent tape that they say performs as well as commercial Scotch tape. Dr. Epps is now experimenting with a wide variety of tree species to see if the respective lignins, which differ slightly from one kind of tree to another, could have unique applications.</p>
<p>Considering the miracles that trees are, think about planting a few this spring. You never know – you might be growing an actual cure for the common cold.</p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler has been an ISA-certified arborist since 1996. He claims not to have made any of this up.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>New Wood Markets for Novel Forest Productstag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2021-01-09:6448444:BlogPost:838882021-01-09T17:23:23.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Wooden You Know</p>
<p>As a card-carrying, registered tree hugger, I have long touted the benefits of trees such as carbon storage, energy savings and improved mental health. And beyond the familiar tree-related blessings such as maple syrup, lumber and firewood, I’ve written about some obscure things like birch-based candy that fights tooth decay, and health-promoting chaga tea derived from a birch fungus. Then there’s basswood bark for fiber, elm bark for baskets, and pine bark for lunch.…</p>
<p>Wooden You Know</p>
<p>As a card-carrying, registered tree hugger, I have long touted the benefits of trees such as carbon storage, energy savings and improved mental health. And beyond the familiar tree-related blessings such as maple syrup, lumber and firewood, I’ve written about some obscure things like birch-based candy that fights tooth decay, and health-promoting chaga tea derived from a birch fungus. Then there’s basswood bark for fiber, elm bark for baskets, and pine bark for lunch. That stuff is all pretty straightforward.</p>
<p>More highly processed wood products, though, are a mystery to me. Even a fairly mundane example like how a pile of dirty logs becomes a decidedly coveted treasure – I’m speaking of toilet paper, of course – seems like rocket science. But recent developments are truly mind-blowing. Without a doubt, tree-derived stuff has risen to a whole new level: the Japanese will soon rocket a wooden satellite into space. </p>
<p>A joint venture between Kyoto University and Japanese logging company Sumitomo Forestry aims to have the world's first wooden satellites orbiting the Earth by 2023. Really. There are an estimated 6,000 satellites now orbiting the Earth, and most of them are non-functional. Apparently, each time a dead satellite re-enters our atmosphere, it produces alumina particles as it burns up, and these micro-bits remain in the stratosphere for years, eating away at the protective ozone layer. Of course, when wood burns it does not produce alumina. Toasted marshmallows, perhaps, but not any dangerous pollution. Plus, if one of these satellites should break up in space, wood chips are way less dangerous to the International Space Station than the myriad nuts, bolts and metal shards floating around up there.</p>
<p>The engineers at Kyoto University aren’t using plywood or oriented-strand chip board, obviously. Researchers from the University of Maryland, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and other institutions have found various ways to make wood super-strong and amazingly light and thin.</p>
<p>The University of Maryland’s “super wood,” as they call it, is equal to steel in strength, yet is lighter than aluminum. Dr. Liangbing Hu, leader of the UM research team, says their low-cost innovation will rival steel and titanium alloys in construction uses, and is much cheaper. Dr. Hu expects it to be used in cars and planes in the future (which makes sense, since using it in the past would be tricky).</p>
<p>Scientists at the National Institute of Standards and Technology have combined wood fiber with, of all things, a marine worm to create a product which is comparable to super wood, but is more flexible. Similar work is being done in many other countries, including France and Sweden, where engineers have focused on transparent wood for shatter-proof windows.</p>
<p>The recent news (see the BBC’s December 2020 report at <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55463366">https://www.bbc.com/news/business-55463366</a>) about Japanese engineers branching out into wood satellites is pretty amazing, but wood has been moving into unexpected areas for some time now. A very cool example is San Francisco-based Allbird, which since 2014 has been making soft, comfortable wood-fiber running shoes. Made from sustainably grown eucalyptus trees, the sneakers are said to be unusually light, cool and comfortable, especially good for hot climates. </p>
<p>But that’s a pedestrian use compared to what French tire maker Michelin has been doing since 2018. It’s hard to believe that a giant manufacturer like that would take a page from Fred Flintstone. While Fred’s tires were puncture-proof, Michelin’s wood-based tires will look and perform like conventional ones, which on average are 80% petroleum-derived. Michelin engineers have found a way to produce elastomers – which are stretchy compounds, as you might have guessed – from paper-mill waste. These tires are expected to be rolled out within the next two years. Wood-based pneumatic tires can still be pierced by a nail, but are way more comfortable than solid logs. I only hope that companies that produce braking systems aren’t inspired by the Flintstones as well.</p>
<p>And finally, a research team at the University of Delaware has developed a way to make adhesive polymers from tree lignin. By volume, the vast majority of a tree is cellulose. Trees produce lignin for strength on an as-needed basis because it takes a lot of energy to make; on a windy site a tree will produce more, and the same tree in a protected location will produce less. It’s analogous to a normal parking garage, which needs some reinforcing steel in the cement. If that garage is intended for tanks and trucks, a lot more steel had better go in the ‘crete.</p>
<p>Anyway, the University of Delaware group, led by professor of Materials Science and Engineering Dr. Thomas Epps, has created a low-cost adhesive from these lignin polymers. They reportedly made a transparent tape that they say performs as well as commercial Scotch tape. Dr. Epps is now experimenting with a wide variety of tree species to see if the respective lignins, which differ slightly from one kind of tree to another, could have unique applications.</p>
<p>Considering the miracles that trees are, think about planting a few this spring. You never know – you might be growing an actual cure for the common cold.</p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler has been an ISA-certified arborist since 1996. He claims not to have made any of this up.</em></p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> </p>Woodland Pollinatorstag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2020-12-16:6448444:BlogPost:731292020-12-16T18:00:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>The 2020 webinar season started and ended with presentations about pollinators. </p>
<p>I'll add to this blog over the next few days. Check back as I gather more information to share.</p>
<p>The <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>February webinar</strong></span> was by Dr. Sheldon Owen of West Virginia University. The archive is linked <a href="https://youtu.be/Gh4ruKv5KyQ" rel="noopener" target="_blank">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Habitat needs and management for the Monarch…</strong></p>
<p>The 2020 webinar season started and ended with presentations about pollinators. </p>
<p>I'll add to this blog over the next few days. Check back as I gather more information to share.</p>
<p>The <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>February webinar</strong></span> was by Dr. Sheldon Owen of West Virginia University. The archive is linked <a href="https://youtu.be/Gh4ruKv5KyQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>.</p>
<p><strong>Habitat needs and management for the Monarch Butterfly</strong></p>
<p>The monarch butterfly is one of the most iconic species in North America, and its annual migration cycle is one of the most remarkable natural phenomena in the world. However, during the past 20 years, the monarch butterfly population has declined by nearly 90% throughout much of its range. The primary factors in this decline are the losses of critical breeding habitat in North America and overwintering habitat in Mexico. Monarch conservation success will only be achieved with an “all hands on deck” approach. During this webinar we will discuss monarch biology, current population trends, and natural resource management actions that everyone can take to save this iconic species.</p>
<p></p>
<p>The <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>December webinar</strong></span> was by Kristi Sullivan of Cornell University. The archive is linked <a href="https://youtu.be/uu2KgNei8zA" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. Webinar chat box is linked <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8304859462?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chat.woodland-pollinators.pdf</a>, and that includes several suggestions from other participants. Kristi's fact sheet on woodland pollinators is <a href="https://blogs.cornell.edu/nymasternaturalist/files/2021/01/pollinator-in-woods-fact-sheet-final-edits-1-2021.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">here</a>. </p>
<p><strong>Pollinators in the Woods: </strong><strong>Understanding and Creating Forest Pollinator Habitat</strong></p>
<p>Native bees, butterflies, flies, and other insects pollinate many of our forest plants and make sure that species like red maple, tulip poplar, willows, hawthorns, and many of our spring and summer wildflowers, can produce fruits and successfully reproduce. Pollinators are also an important food resource for many forest organisms, like birds, amphibians, other insects, and some mammals. Healthy populations of pollinators in our forests also benefit plants in adjacent agriculture lands, and may increase crop yields. Join us to learn what you can do to enhance habitat for pollinators in your woods.</p>Limiting Deer Impacts to Forest Regenerationtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2020-12-08:6448444:BlogPost:693342020-12-08T14:30:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>There is no shortage of evidence to document that deer negatively impact the forest </p>
<p><img class="align-right" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8262586254?profile=RESIZE_710x" style="padding: 10px;" width="350"></img></p>
<p>regeneration process. A presentation on 12/8/2020 for Penn State University Cooperative Extension addressed the basic strategies to limit deer impacts and some tactics within the deer exclusion strategy.</p>
<p>Slides 2 and 3 include several resources that relate to the topic, include links to scientific papers that are publicly accessible. </p>
<p>The presentation here as a pdf. …</p>
<p>There is no shortage of evidence to document that deer negatively impact the forest </p>
<p><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8262586254?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="350" class="align-right" style="padding: 10px;"/></p>
<p>regeneration process. A presentation on 12/8/2020 for Penn State University Cooperative Extension addressed the basic strategies to limit deer impacts and some tactics within the deer exclusion strategy.</p>
<p>Slides 2 and 3 include several resources that relate to the topic, include links to scientific papers that are publicly accessible. </p>
<p>The presentation here as a pdf. <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8262612099?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Woodlot%20regeneration%20-%20deer%20impacts%20and%20regeneration%20strategies.PSU.pdf</a></p>Promoting Natural Christmas Treestag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2020-12-07:6448444:BlogPost:690542020-12-07T19:04:17.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Pining for the Good Old Days</p>
<p>Children around the globe will be disappointed on Christmas if the World Health Organization doesn’t exempt Santa from COVID-19 restrictions. But I’m sure they will. Due to the pandemic, many authorities advise that we celebrate in our respective households this year; no visitors. Yikes! Looks like we’ll have to rely on past memories for the holidays in 2020, which is bad news for those of us who can’t keep track of our car keys for two…</p>
<p>Pining for the Good Old Days</p>
<p>Children around the globe will be disappointed on Christmas if the World Health Organization doesn’t exempt Santa from COVID-19 restrictions. But I’m sure they will. Due to the pandemic, many authorities advise that we celebrate in our respective households this year; no visitors. Yikes! Looks like we’ll have to rely on past memories for the holidays in 2020, which is bad news for those of us who can’t keep track of our car keys for two minutes.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the most enduring memories are those associated with smell. For Santa, a whiff of reindeer dung probably brings the spirit of the season into focus, but the winter holidays have plenty of sweeter scents – maybe a fresh-baked pie, or a roast turkey – to remind us of Christmases past. For me, though, nothing evokes the holiday spirit like the smell of fresh-cut pine, spruce or fir. Those fragrant evergreen wreaths, trees and garlands help us remember.</p>
<p>Though most American households which observe Christmas now use artificial trees, last time I checked, around eleven million families still bring home a real tree. Every conifer species has a unique combination of terpenols and esters that account for its “piney woods” perfume. A natural Christmas tree is, among other things, a giant holiday potpourri. No chemistry lab can make a plastic-and-wire tree smell like a fresh evergreen.</p>
<p>Evergreen trees and boughs were used by many ancient peoples to symbolize eternal life. Martin Luther apparently helped kindle (so to speak) the custom of indoor home Christmas trees in sixteenth-century Germany by bringing an evergreen into his house and decorating it with candles. For centuries, Christmas trees were brought inside on December 24<sup>th</sup> and were not removed until after the Christian feast of Epiphany on January 6<sup>th</sup>.</p>
<p>In terms of regional favorites, Douglas, balsam, and Fraser firs are popular aromatic evergreens with superior needle retention. Pines also hang onto their needles well. Scots (not Scotch; that’s for Santa) pine outsells our native white pine, possibly because the sturdy Scots can bear lots of decorations without its branches drooping. But white pine has a deeper fragrance, so take your pick. Not only do spruces have stout branches, they have a strongly pyramidal shape, and their short needles make them easy to decorate.</p>
<p>The annual pilgrimage to choose a tree is for many families a cherished holiday tradition, a time to bond. I look back fondly on our customary thermos of hot chocolate, the ritual of the kids losing at least one mitten each, and the time-honored squabble – I mean discussion – regarding which tree is best. Good smells and good memories.</p>
<p>One of the pandemic’s side effects seems to be more interest in natural Christmas trees, and I’m told that in some places they can be in short supply. Nonetheless, I encourage everyone to consider a natural tree. They are a renewable resource, and boost the regional economy as well. Tree farmers as well as local vendors are happy to help you select the best kind of tree for your family’s preferences. </p>
<p>For maximum fragrance and needle retention, cut a one- to two-inch “cookie” from the base of the trunk before placing your tree in the stand, and fill the reservoir every two days. Research shows that products claiming to extend needle life really don’t work, so save your money. LED tree lights don’t dry out the needles like the old style did, and are easier on your electric bill too. Find more information on how to select and care for your Christmas tree <a href="https://ctfany.org/finding-the-perfect-new-york-grown-christmas-tree-about-new-york-grown-christmas-trees/">here</a>.</p>
<p>Even if you can’t get together as in years past, I hope your family, friends, and evergreens are all well-hydrated, sweet-scented and a source of good memories this holiday season.</p>Woodpeckers Are Beneficialtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2020-12-07:6448444:BlogPost:689622020-12-07T18:58:49.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Messengers, Not Miscreants</p>
<p>If you get bad news about one of your trees, kindly don’t blame the messenger. Even if – especially if – they vandalize that very tree. It could save a lot of trouble, and possibly your life, to heed their memo.</p>
<p>Although it’s captivating to watch a big prehistoric-looking woodpecker chisel away at a rotten snag in the forest, the same performance loses its charm when it jack-hammers a hole in your perfectly good tree. The thing is, no matter how…</p>
<p>Messengers, Not Miscreants</p>
<p>If you get bad news about one of your trees, kindly don’t blame the messenger. Even if – especially if – they vandalize that very tree. It could save a lot of trouble, and possibly your life, to heed their memo.</p>
<p>Although it’s captivating to watch a big prehistoric-looking woodpecker chisel away at a rotten snag in the forest, the same performance loses its charm when it jack-hammers a hole in your perfectly good tree. The thing is, no matter how healthy that tree may appear, it is definitely not sound, and may in fact be dangerous. Your “vandal” is alerting you to this truth by installing windows in the tree trunk.</p>
<p>Native to the eastern United States, southeastern Canada and a belt of Canadian boreal forest stretching to the Pacific coast, the pileated woodpecker (<em>Dryocopus pileatus</em>) is easy to recognize. Its prominent red crest is an attention-getter, but its size sets it apart as well. Assuming the ivory-billed woodpecker is extinct, our pileated is the largest in North America, at 40-49 cm long, with a 66-75 cm wingspan. Its body is mostly black, with a strip of white down the throat. Males and females are both red-crested, but the male has an additional red stripe on the sides of its head. Patches of white are also visible as it flies in its distinctive undulating pattern.</p>
<p>Pileated woodpeckers excavate large cavities in dead trees in which to nest – so large that the tree sometimes collapses at the nest site. They also “mine” dead trees for larvae and pupae of wood-boring beetles. But these birds have a special appetite for carpenter ants living in the decayed heartwood of live trees, which is what sometimes irks when it seems that they’re attacking a healthy tree in our woodlot, sugar bush, or backyard. As unsettling as it is to see wood chips raining down from your tree, that is the least of its problems.</p>
<p>It’s tough work for woodpeckers to chop holes in wood using only their lips, so there’s always a compelling reason, such as a tasty carpenter-ant core ensconced within that hard wooden shell. It’s sort of the bird equivalent of a lollipop with a chewy center. Once we realize these professional hackers only break into a live tree if its trunk is packed with ants, it’s logical to think we should kill those critters. The trouble is, that won’t help – ants aren’t the issue either.</p>
<p>In spite of their name, carpenter ants are unable to saw, router, drill, or otherwise excavate solid wood. Turns out these guys only have the chops for damp, rotted wood. They’re so named (I’m pretty sure) because when they appear at home it means you need a carpenter, as opposed to an exterminator, to replace that crumbling sill plate, joist, or other hidden piece of decayed lumber. In houses, rot may be due to faulty window flashing or leaking roofs. Heartwood rot in trees, however, begins with an injury.</p>
<p>Ice storms, lightning strikes, porcupines and other natural injuries are unavoidable, but we cause loads of unnecessary harm. Root damage is a frequent but lesser-known conduit for decay to enter, which is why it’s essential that land managers keep heavy equipment out of the woods in wet conditions. Flush-cut pruning is another type of careless and avoidable injury that can lead to internal decay.</p>
<p>As Peter Smallidge and others have written over the years, trees wall-off (compartmentalize) wounds, making barriers to exclude decay organisms. A fascinating and superbly illustrated USFS bulletin by Dr. Alex Shigo, who extensively studied this “treemunity” process, can be found at: <a href="https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/ne_aib405.pdf">https://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/ne_aib405.pdf</a></p>
<p>Whether or not a tree successfully compartmentalizes decay after an injury depends on its species and vitality, as well as the wound size. Bur oak, sugar maple, and honeylocust are among the species which compartmentalize robustly, while poplar, birch, and willow appear to have skipped the class on how it’s done. Obviously, poor soil, drought, defoliation and root damage curb a tree’s ability to self-protect. But even the defenses of a top-notch (so to speak) tree can be overwhelmed by a large wound.</p>
<p>When a tree’s defensive walls are breached, heart rot often ensues. It’s a slight misnomer, as trees without heartwood (birch, beech, basswood) get it too. Also, depending on the fungal agent, sapwood can sometimes be fair game. In general terms, heart rot affects the non-living center section of trees, while the outer layers of water-conductive sapwood are exempt (if a tree is subject to a further large injury, sapwood can be jeopardized as well).</p>
<p>Broadly speaking there are two kinds of heart rot, white and brown. Brown rot, which decays cellulose only, is sometimes called dry-rot because that’s how it looks by the time we see it, long after it’s done its dirty work. While it’s active, though, it has ample moisture. It’s associated more with conifers, and you may recognize its blocky, brown, crumbly signature inside a windthrown tree. Eighty percent of wood-rot fungi are in the white-rot club, a thorough bunch able to eat lignin, the resilient “rebar” of wood, as well as carbohydrates. White rots are more common on hardwoods.</p>
<p>Over time, the biomass of these organisms will increase to the point that they send out fruiting bodies, spore-bearing conks that we’ve undoubtedly seen in the woods. <em>Fomitopsis pinicola</em> is a brown-rot fungus which produces a shiny red-belted conk, while <em>phellinus tremulae</em>, a white-rot, results in the hoof-shaped conk sometimes found on poplars.</p>
<p>Pileated woodpeckers aren’t after your tree; they’re pursuing ant colonies. In turn, ants don’t ruin your tree, but signal the presence of advanced decay within. Using insecticide on the ants will put all sorts of wildlife at risk, and is unlikely to eradicate the colony. Most importantly, it will do nothing to slow the inexorable march of internal decay.</p>
<p>Years ago I helped extricate a massive white pine from the attic of a house. It had snapped at about 30 feet and crushed the roof, harpooning good-size branches into the bedrooms below. It failed because of decay which had begun at an old wound and advanced. The ants present were but a symptom; if only a woodpecker had alerted the homeowner to the situation, disaster might have been averted.</p>
<p>If you see woodpeckers “vandalizing” your tree, be aware that decay lurks inside. You may want an arborist to evaluate it for mechanical integrity and overall health. Heartwood decay doesn’t always mean a tree is doomed, but if it’s destined to fall, best that it happens in a controlled fashion.</p>
<p>Regionally, around 40 bird species depend in some way on tree cavities. Primary excavators like flickers, woodpeckers, and chickadees significantly reduce forest-pest populations during winter as they feed on insect larvae, pupae, and adults. Feeding sites and abandoned nest cavities are used by tree swallows, wrens, kestrels, owls, and many other resident and migratory birds.</p>
<p>Because snags are critical to such species, it’s highly beneficial to leave dead forest trees standing when possible. Lower trunks of residential trees can be left when safety concerns allow. Not only does this provide key habitat, you may get a chance to observe bird species you otherwise wouldn’t see.</p>
<p><em>Paul Hetzler is an ISA-Certified Arborist. He avoids trees and lollipops that have soft centers.</em></p>sugarbush thinningtag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2020-12-07:6448444:BlogPost:691142020-12-07T15:00:00.000ZPeter Smallidgehttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/3pcwpqc3r9bgy
<p>With the close of 2020, and the 4th year of the sugarbush thinning project at </p>
<p><img class="align-right" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8258018297?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="250"></img></p>
<p>Cornell's Arnot Forest, I preparing for a variety of "maple schools" that will happen. With the pressures of covid, most of these will be online. </p>
<p>Some people will benefit from a printed copy of my presentation, which I share here. I'll make updates as necessary.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Link to the most current version of the sugarbush thinning presentation.</p>
<p>(full slides) …</p>
<p>With the close of 2020, and the 4th year of the sugarbush thinning project at </p>
<p><img src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8258018297?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="250" class="align-right"/></p>
<p>Cornell's Arnot Forest, I preparing for a variety of "maple schools" that will happen. With the pressures of covid, most of these will be online. </p>
<p>Some people will benefit from a printed copy of my presentation, which I share here. I'll make updates as necessary.</p>
<p></p>
<p>Link to the most current version of the sugarbush thinning presentation.</p>
<p>(full slides) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8258024260?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sugarbush-thinning-Smallidge.v02-UVM.pdf</a></p>
<p></p>
<p>(3 slides per page) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/8258026880?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sugarbush-thinning-Smallidge.v02-UVM.3per-page.pdf</a></p>
<p>(3 slides per page, updated with 2021 data) <a href="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/10000895488?profile=original" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sugarbush_thinning_maple-winter-classic.2022.pdf</a></p>Conspiracy of Leaf Color-Changetag:cornellforestconnect.ning.com,2020-09-12:6448444:BlogPost:372042020-09-12T10:49:43.000ZPaul J Hetzlerhttp://cornellforestconnect.ning.com/profile/PaulJHetzler429
<p>Fall Color Conspiracy</p>
<p>Conspiracy hypotheses (or theories, as we like to call them, since “hypotheses” cannot be uttered without a lisp) seem to multiply unfettered these days, so I feel awkward birthing yet another. But you may be intrigued to learn that the wide spectrum of color in the region’s fall foliage is largely the result of a Depression-era project implemented by the Hoover Administration.</p>
<p>We live in one of the few places on Earth where trees produce such a…</p>
<p>Fall Color Conspiracy</p>
<p>Conspiracy hypotheses (or theories, as we like to call them, since “hypotheses” cannot be uttered without a lisp) seem to multiply unfettered these days, so I feel awkward birthing yet another. But you may be intrigued to learn that the wide spectrum of color in the region’s fall foliage is largely the result of a Depression-era project implemented by the Hoover Administration.</p>
<p>We live in one of the few places on Earth where trees produce such a phantasmagoria of color. If you’ve been to Europe in autumn, or even out West, you know that the range of color is much more limited than here. Most green plants have varying amounts of yellow (xanthophylls) and orange (carotenoids) molecules, but you’d have to visit northern China to see anything close to the mélange of anthocyanins – that is to say, the burgundy, coral, crimson, raspberry, ruby, salmon, and scarlet hues – that the Northeast offers.</p>
<p>We’re taught in school that green chlorophyll masks pigments already within leaves. In fall, trees deposit wax between twigs and leaves to seal the vascular links. This kills chlorophyll, exposing underlying colors. But reds and purples are definitely not hiding beneath green chlorophyll.</p>
<p>Here’s my theory or hypotenuse or whatever:</p>
<p>For millennia, fall leaves were mainly orange, with little red or yellow. During the Depression, President Herbert Hoover tried to attract wealthy European tourists here, tasking the National Science Foundation with augmenting the leaf-color palette of New England. This partly successful initiative was called the Hoover Omnibus Anthocyanin and Xanthophyll project, or HOAX.</p>
<p>OK, to my knowledge, governments haven’t manipulated leaf color. But anthocyanins – reds and purples –don’t lurk inside green leaves, waiting for the big reveal when chlorophyll croaks.</p>
<p>Anthocyanins are large, complex organic molecules which take a lot of energy for a plant to synthesize. While relatively few tree species produce red fall colors, sugar and soft maples are renowned for their ruddy foliage. Some oaks produce deep scarlets, and dogwood and white ash can make intense red-purple hues.</p>
<p>Plants often invest in these compounds to protect emerging leaves in spring, as chlorophyll is vulnerable to UV-light damage in cool conditions. It’s chlorophyll suntan lotion. As foliage matures, plants quit making these expensive molecules. Early-season outlays make sense. But why do some trees spend energy now when they should be hoarding it for springtime?</p>
<p>Notorious for being frugal and pragmatic, trees don’t dip into their savings without good cause. Few hypotheses (theories are evidence-based, e.g. the theory of gravity; hypotheses are what jam the Internet) exist on why trees use precious reserves to shield dying chlorophyll while they’re hard at work making abscission layers to kill said chlorophyll. “Fall suntan lotion” seems an absurd explanation.</p>
<p>Another idea is that a maple’s (for instance) red leaves change soil conditions to favor its species. Certain plant-made chemicals can inhibit growth rates or seed germination of competitors, something known as allelopathy. Problem is, anthocyanins aren’t very good at this. A truly convincing rationale has yet to be found.</p>
<p>I don’t know why trees make red in the fall, and an honest biologist will admit they’re not quite sure either. Conspiracy or mystery, I’m just grateful for our autumn display.</p>
<p><em>An ISA-Certified Arborist since 1996, Paul Hetzler cooks up wild hypotheses in his spare time.</em></p>