Vermont's forests are valuable ecologically, economically, and socially. Covering 76 percent of the state, forests provide jobs, stability to the landscape, wildlife habitats, biological diversity, clear water, scenic vistas, and diverse recreational opportunities. With growing concerns about climate change and greenhouse gas reductions, Vermont forests are recognized as playing a major role in reducing carbon dioxide and in mitigating changes in our climate.
Initiated by the US Forest Service, a carbon calculator specific to Vermont will be available online in January 2009. Individuals and businesses can calculate their carbon footprint, estimate their contribution to carbon reductions from existing or planted trees or forests, and provide donations to benefit Vermont forests. The calculator will appear as part of the new Forestry Division web site released in 2009 as part of its centennial celebration: www.vtforest.com.
A Forest Resource Plan was developed to sustain the many values and meet the various demands on the forest resource. The vision states that:
In the future, the forests of Vermont will consist of healthy and sustainable ecosystems, with a prosperous and sustainable forest products industry, abundant recreational opportunities, and a combination of ownership patterns supporting a working forest landscape and undeveloped forest land. An updated forest resource plan is underway to set priorities for the next decade.
Special Issues
Current tree health was remarkably good in 2008, following a year of plentiful moisture and low pest activity. Most of our common defoliating insects: gypsy moth, pear thrips, saddled prominent, maple leaf cutter, forest tent caterpillar, spruce budworm, eastern tent caterpillar and birch defoliators, were all at low population levels this year.
Sugar maple trees in particular had dense, lush foliage this year. Trees on plots monitored for over 20 years as part of the North American Maple Project (NAMP) showed the best tree condition ever observed. Scattered patches of tree decline following defoliation in 2003-2006 from the forest tent caterpillar were mapped on 3,000 acres in southern Vermont during aerial surveys.
Areas of hardwood tree yellowing were recorded on over 15,000 acres, mostly late in the summer. The cause is unknown, but may be related to excessive soil moisture following heavy summer rains.
Birch Decline from previous stress events was mapped on 1,700 acres. Most of the damage was at high elevations, in areas where mortality has been observed over the past few years. This wave of paper birch decline followed recent drought years (1999-2001), successive years of birch defoliation, and in some locations, damage from the 1998 ice storm.
Intense winds in the Champlain Valley, central and northern Vermont reached 100 mph during a July 18th storm. A localized tornado touched down in Cambridge and Waterville, and leveled trees in its path. Storm damage was mapped from the air on 108 acres.
Small or localized areas were affected by various pests of interest. Red oak defoliation was noted in seven counties, believed to be caused by an oak leaf tier/leaf roller complex. More surveys in these areas will be conducted next year. The elm leaf beetle caused heavy damage to scattered trees; this insect was last observed causing damage in 1977. Brown spot needle blight caused heavy and widespread damage on white pine, red pine and Scots pine. The fall webworm caused heavy but scattered damage on hardwoods. Damage from the maple trumpet skeletonizer, whose defoliation was widespread last year, decreased in most locations.
Exotic Pests
A major thrust of maintaining forest health in Vermont is detecting, eliminating or managing newly introduced pests. The introduction of non-native insects, diseases, and forest plants can lead to significant changes in Vermont forests. The natural controls that keep species in balance are not present, so these organisms may out-compete native species for resources and space. Some potentially damaging exotics have not reached Vermont and are the subject of detection surveys. Other species already in Vermont are monitored for population changes and tree damage.
Hemlock woolly adelgid was found in 4 towns in Windham County on native hemlock trees. Bird transport of this fuzzy insect from infested trees in neighboring states seems to be involved in moving the insect up the West River corridor in Vermont. Citizen volunteers are being trained to assist with detection surveys. Small areas with hemlock woolly adelgid found in 2007 were successfully treated to reduce or eliminate populations. The Vermont quarantine is being updated, and a 3-state cooperative plan has been proposed to slow the spread of this pest.
Vermont Towns with Hemlock Woolly Adelgid Detections as of December, 2008
Towns where hemlock woolly adelgid has been found on native hemlock trees.
Vermont is actively surveying high-risk forest areas for several new U.S. or North American introductions of serious forest pests. No evidence was found of the Asian longhorned beetle or the emerald ash borer. More information on exotic pests of interest to Vermont can be found at: http://www.vermontagriculture.com/ARMES/plantindustry/caps/forestPests/index.htmll
The emerald ash borer is considered a serious exotic pest threat, as it is killing millions of ash trees in the Midwest and continues to be found further east from the original infestation in Michigan. This year a localized infestation was found in Quebec, just 30 miles from the Vermont border. Canadian officials are working to eradicate this infestation. A federal quarantine on the movement of firewood across the U.S. border is now in affect.
A new infestation of the Asian longhorned beetle was found this year in Worcester, Massachusetts, and surveys are being conducted to determine just how far from this infestation the insect has traveled. Vermont has an active program to alert the public about transporting this and other wood boring insects into Vermont when moving firewood: firewood.vt.gov.
The European wood wasp, Sirex noctilio, was detected for the first time in Vermont by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture at one location in 2007. This insect can fly great distances and is detrimental to certain pine species, including Scots and red pines. Additional surveys were conducted in 2008 to determine if this insect is established in forests at the detected location, but no additional insects were found. Trapping elsewhere in the state did not capture any new insects.
Beech bark disease continues to cause tree decline on severely infested trees. In aerial surveys, 2,500 acres of damage were mapped. Damage depends on attack by the beech scale, with subsequent infection with the nectria disease. While disease incidence was lower this year, signs of a rising beech scale population in southern Vermont may indicate future disease increases.
Balsam woolly adelgid damage symptoms were visible in central and southern Vermont, with heavy mortality in some areas which have had high insect populations.
The common pine shoot beetle was
first detected in Vermont in 1999 in northern Vermont. Since then surveys have
found the beetles in many counties. Tree damage in Vermont is difficult to
find and is limited to new shoot injury. A federal quarantine is in place to
limit the spread of this exotic insect into non-affected states, but pine material
is free to move inside Vermont. Quarantine details can be found at: http://www.vtfpr.org/protection/quarantine.cfm
The Viburnum leaf beetle caused scattered heavy damage on native high bush cranberries in the spring. The imported willow leaf beetle was very common, causing light to moderate defoliation on willows.
Invasive non-native plants are becoming a more serious problem to regeneration, especially in southern and central Vermont. While well established plants can be difficult to control, efforts to eradicate new sightings of plants can be very effective in reducing the likelihood of establishment. The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation increased efforts in 2008 to educate staff in plant identification, develop survey and management procedures, and establish demonstration areas where public and private individuals can learn techniques for addressing new or well established invasive plant populations.
Monitoring of Forest Health
Forest health is much more than tree health, but trees are a major component of forests, and tree health will ultimately affect all the other forest ecosystem components. In Vermont, forest surveys assist the State in assessing trends in aspects of forest sustainability such as: biodiversity, forest ecosystem health and vitality, climate change and carbon cycles, and soil and water conservation.
The Vermont Department of Forests, Parks & Recreation conducts ground and aerial surveys annually to evaluate tree health and identify stress problems. In 2008, 4.7 million acres of forestland were evaluated during aerial surveys to map forest health conditions. In addition, long-term monitoring plots were visited to provide data on trends in forest health.
North American Maple Project (NAMP) plots across Vermont showed that 97% of sugar maple trees were healthy in 2008. This represents unprecedented good tree health, following major stress events during this decade: the 1999-2001 droughts and the 2003-2006 forest tent caterpillar defoliation. Recovery is shown in the crown condition index (CCI) chart, where positive values show percent improvement in branch and foliage health above the long-term average.
Sugar Maple Tree Health Improved in 2008
Trend in sugar maple tree health on 30 monitoring plots shown as the percent change in the Crown Condition Index from the long-term average. In 2008, trees recovered from stress caused by the forest tent caterpillar in 2003-2006.
Vermont cooperates with the US Forest Service to inventory and assess trends in our forest resource through the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA)
program. The current inventory of Vermont was completed in 2008. Updated
results are available at: http://fia.fs.fed.us/, and a comprehensive report will be completed in 2009. Additional measurements are collected on a subset of these plots to provide a more holistic assessment of forest ecosystem health. Descriptions and updates on these forest health monitoring measurements (P3 plots) are available at: http://www.fia.fs.fed.us/program-features/indicators/
The Vermont Monitoring Cooperative, Vermont’s intensive forest ecosystem monitoring and research program, has initiated work on a “State of Forest Health” report that will be compiled from 18 years of ecosystem monitoring in Vermont. In addition, archives of hundreds of new documents and data sets were posted in 2008 at: http://sal.snr.uvm.edu/vmc/
VT Dept. Forests, Parks & Recreation, December 2008.
![Vermont Division of Forestry [photo]](../img/banner_protection.jpg)
