Radial growth of hardwoods following the 1998 ice storm in New Hampshire and Maine

Abstract

Ice storms and resulting injury to tree crowns occur frequently En North America, Reaction of land managers to injury caused by the regional ice storm of January 1998 had the potential to accelerate the harvesting of northern hardwoods due to concern about [he future loss of wood production by injured trees. To assess the effect of oh~s stom on radial stem growth, increment cores were collected from northern hardwood trees categorized by crown injury classes. For a total of 347 surviving canopy dominant and subdominant trees, a radial growth index was calculated (mean annual increment for 199&2000 divided by the mean annual increment for [1995][1996][1997]. Sugar maple (Acer sacchrum Marsh.), yellow birch (Betula alleghniertsi~ Britt.), white ash (Fmxinus aomericana L.), and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) categorized in injury class A (mown loss of less than one-halo had mean growth index values of approximately 1.0, indicating no loss of mean radial growth after 3 years* For injury class B (crown loss of one-half to three-quarters) and class C (crown loss greater than three-quarters), growth index values significantly decreased for sugar maple, yellow birch, and red maple. For whlte ash, growth index values of classes B and C were not significantly different from those of class A trees. Growth index values of A, sacckarm and A. rubrum in injufy class C were the lowest of those measured. These results indicated that the severity of growth toss due to crown injury depends on tree species and crown replacement as well as the extent of crown loss.Resum4 : Les tempEtes de verglas et les blessures qui en dsultent dans la cime des arbres surviennent frQuemment en Arntrique du Nord. La &action des amenagistes aux dommages causes par la temp&te de verglas survenue dans la region en janvier I998 risquait d"acctl&r la rLcoIte des feuillus nordiques B cause des penes futures appehendks de matiere ligneuse chez les arbres endommagts. Pour evaluer l'effet de cette tempre sur la croissance radiaIe de la tige, des carottes ont 6t-4 @levees sur des feu~llus nordiques r e p u p t s par classes de dommages dans la cime.

Response of ice-damaged northern hardwood stands in northern New York

“…Kraemer (2003) had observed a 22% reduction of diameter growth for a 2-year period after the 1998 ice storm. Similarly, Smith and Shortle (2003) and Noland et al (2005) also reported a post-storm decrease in radial increment, but a subsequent recovery after three years. Likewise, working with sample trees from the Taylor Creek plots, noted an initial growth reduction, and then a recovery by the third year.…”

“…In fact, Noland et al (2005) found that while crown loss initially reduced diameter growth, the rates had increased and did not differ by damage level after three growing seasons. Smith and Shortle (2003) measured increment cores from sugar maple and red maple (Acer rubrum L.), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton), and white ash (Fraxinus Americana L.). They observed no reduction of mean radial increment after three years among trees where ice loading reduced the crown by less than one-half.…”

Potential role of soil calcium in recovery of paper birch following ice storm injury in Vermont, USA

“…Aerial overflight data of icestorm damage in Vermont confirm that the paper birch stands we assessed for vigor and growth were moderately damaged by the 1998 ice-storm (Dupigny-Giroux et al, 2003), although estimates of relative damage for individual trees or plots were not avail- 1997 1994 1991 1988 1985 1982 1979 1976 1973 1970 1967 1964 1961 1958 1955 1952 1949 1946 1943 1940 1937 1934 1931 Year able. Direct reductions in radial growth were associated with crown damage from the ice storm in other species as well (sugar maple, yellow birch, white ash (Fraxinus americana L.), and red maple (Acer rubrum L.); Smith and Shortle, 2003). By 2000, BAI of vigorous and declining trees was 49% and 56% lower, respectively, than BAI from the year prior to the ice storm.…”

A novel ice storm manipulation experiment in a northern hardwood forest

“…All trees greater than 3.0 cm diameter at breast height were identified and assigned an injury class value based on a visual inspection of the branches. The following crown injury classes were used, following Smith and Shortle (2003): 1, no visible damage; 2, 1%-49%; 3, 50%-75%; 4, >75%; 5, dead.…”