STAND PROTECTION & HEALTH

Transcription

1 STAND PROTECTION & HEALTH Ralph D. Nyland Department of Forest and Natural Resources Management SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry Syracuse, NY Nyland All rights reserved Use of all or parts of this document prohibited without express consent of Ralph D. Nyland Background reading: Chapter 1, in Nyland, R.D Silviculture: Concepts and Applications. Waveland Press. Long Grove, IL. 2ed. Sources cited: Manion, PD Tree Disease Concepts. Prentice-Hall. Englewood Cliffs. 2ed. Masnion, P.D Forest Decline Concepts. APS Press. St. Paul, MN. Yoo, R Forest Health Independent Study. Fac. For. and Nat. Resoruc. Manage., SUNY Coll. Environ. Sci. and For. Syracuse, NY. Unpubl. Rpt. 1

2 Remember the functions of silviculture... - to control - to facilitate - to protect - to salvage... now focus in detail on PROTECTION with wisdom 2

3 Site protection means... - Continuous vegetation... trees after trees... ones to serve the objectives... not lost prematurely -Stable soils... preventing erosion... maintaining basic productivity - Safeguarded landforms... protected natural drainages... preserved general topography Keep things off the slope... CONCEPT DRIVEN INPUTS SILVICULTURE MERE CUTTING ECOLOGICALLY IRREVERSIBLE After Nowak, Briggs, Germain, and Nyland and as high as economically possible 3

4 But really two forms of protection... -Site protection... for ecologic integrity - Biologic resource (tree) protection... mostly for economic reasons Tree protection means... - From pests / destructive agents... safe species... healthy stands... free from damage - From deterioration... vigorous trees... regenerated on time... under adequate hygiene 4

5 Tim Davis by an appropriate strategy Protection against what? -insects -disease -fire - some environmental elements - poor nutrition & other growth/health limitations -animals (invertebrates, mammals, and birds) -people... but only ECONOMICALLY harmful threats! 5

6 and don t forget the damage by people Forest health judged by what criteria PERSPECTIVE 1 - ECOLOGIC Suitable in biodiversity Resilient enough to sustain ecologic functions Tree mortality not more than the replacement capacity Regeneration maintains stable populations Habitats appropriate to local plants and animals Soils remain productive Streams and ponds support diverse plants and animals After Yoo

7 Forest health PERSPECTIVE 2 FINANCIAL Management objectives satisfied within financial constraints Yields / benefits maintained at acceptable levels Minimal economically important losses to mortality Production and other benefits exceed losses After Yoo 2002 Forest health PERSPECTIVE 3 SOCIAL Management objectives satisfied Aesthetic* values maintained Conditions judged politically and socially acceptable *More than just visual qualities After Yoo

8 We take action usually when landowners anticipate some recognizable FINANCIAL OR SOCIAL loss... normally to SAFEGUARD AN INVESTMENT in something of value... but only to the degree that we can control events 8

9 If the damaging agent would do LITTLE financial or social harm we normally decide to live with it... if minor... if not extensive if ecologically beneficial 9

10 WHAT BIOLOGIC AGENTS (not inter-tree competition) INSECT FEEDING... defoliation... inner bark boring... feeding on other plant parts DISEASE... leaf diseases... root diseases... wood rotting organisms... vascular diseases... viruses ANIMAL ACTIVITY... browsing... feeding on bark... breaking the stem or branches ALLELOPATHY... preventing germination... inhibiting growth bark beetles 10

11 currently a major issue among over-mature and stressed trees in unmanaged forests And this in eastern hardwood forests June 2006 Cortland County, NY 11

12 WHAT BIOLOGIC AGENTS (not inter-tree competition) INSECT FEEDING... defoliation... inner bark boring... feeding on other plant parts DISEASE... leaf diseases... root diseases... wood rotting organisms... vascular diseases... viruses ANIMAL ACTIVITY... browsing... feeding on bark... breaking the stem or branches ALLELOPATHY... preventing germination... inhibiting growth Nissen 2001 like beech bark disease 12

13 and the loss of large trees of that species Also loss of usable volume from wood-rotting fungi D. Powell, USFS Fomes igniarius L. ex Fries now called Phellinus igniarius USFS archives 13

14 entering through wounds from logging and natural causes US Forest Service WHAT BIOLOGIC AGENTS (not inter-tree competition) INSECT FEEDING... defoliation... inner bark boring... feeding on other plant parts DISEASE... leaf diseases... root diseases... wood rotting organisms... vascular diseases... viruses ANIMAL ACTIVITY... browsing... feeding on bark... breaking the stem or branches ALLELOPATHY... preventing germination... inhibiting growth 14

15 ... damage... and sometimes mortality these, too 15

16 WHAT BIOLOGIC AGENTS (not inter-tree competition) INSECT FEEDING... defoliation... inner bark boring... feeding on other plant parts DISEASE... leaf diseases... root diseases... wood rotting organisms... vascular diseases... viruses ANIMAL ACTIVITY... browsing... feeding on bark... breaking the stem or branches ALLELOPATHY... preventing germination... inhibiting growth... but sometimes due to shading rather than allelopathy 16

17 MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL AGENTS MECHANICAL BREAKAGE ice and snow damage blowdown wind damage machine use damage trampling landslides / avalanches FIRE partial / entire defoliation kill cambium or buds wound main stem consume entire plants FLOODING inundate saturate soil uproot break off / bend over CHEMICAL pollution other toxic agents such as an ice storm 17

18 by July 2000 After January 1989 and in hardwoods and blowdown 18

19 MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL AGENTS MECHANICAL BREAKAGE ice and snow damage blowdown wind damage machine use damage trampling landslides / avalanches FIRE partial / entire defoliation kill cambium or buds wound main stem consume entire plants FLOODING inundate saturate soil uproot break off / bend over CHEMICAL pollution other toxic agents such as a destructive wildfire 19

20 often as a stand-replacing event over large areas US Forest Service even having a major ecologic impact if severe 20

21 MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL AGENTS MECHANICAL BREAKAGE ice and snow damage blowdown wind damage machine use damage trampling landslides / avalanches FIRE partial / entire defoliation kill cambium or buds wound main stem consume entire plants FLOODING inundate saturate soil uproot break off / bend over CHEMICAL pollution other toxic agents Often with major effects on roads and bridges in the forest 21

22 and with soil saturation often leading to blowdown MECHANICAL/PHYSICAL AGENTS MECHANICAL BREAKAGE ice and snow damage blowdown wind damage machine use damage trampling landslides / avalanches FIRE partial / entire defoliation kill cambium or buds wound main stem consume entire plants FLOODING inundate saturate soil uproot break off / bend over CHEMICAL pollution other toxic agents 22

23 ... like that from smog and road salt or side effects of inappropriately used herbicides 23

24 Consider this important concept Trees decline and die as a result of multiple factors in a spiral of cumulative effects from three classes of factors Pathway to tree decline and mortality begins with... - Predisposing... the starters Like Manion

25 Pathway to tree decline and mortality also involves... - Predisposing factors - Inciting factors... the promoters Like Manion

26 Pathway to tree decline and mortality also involves... - Predisposing factors - Inciting factors - Contributing agents the finishers D. Powell, USFS Like Manion

27 Combining to cause a downward spiral Manion 1991 with cumulative effects Leading to poor health or even death + + After Manion

28 ... requiring protection throughout the life of a stand But how to deal with these Beech bark disease late 1960 s Piseco Lake, NY... particularly at large scales 28

29 Integrated forest health management... IFHM Involves timely action to - keep trees healthy, more resilient, and more likely to recover from damage - control important damaging agents before they reach outbreak levels and cause unacceptable losses And experience shows that A COMBINATION OF MEASURES usually proves more satisfactory than a single action What might this include... 29

30 DIRECT ACTIONS (protective steps) - Direct attack of a predator or disease by... chemical control... hunting and trapping... sanitation to reduce inoculum - DESTROY OR REDUCE HABITAT OF A PEST BY... site preparation to alter habitat... eliminating critical food sources... limiting other essential habitat features... removing hosts and alternate hosts - PROTECT THE TREES FROM DIRECT ATTACK BY... surrounding them with special structures... discouraging attach with repellants... creating diversions to attract pests away... using resistant genotypes and species e.g., shoot the deer 30

31 DIRECT ACTIONS (protective steps) - Direct attack of a predator or disease by... chemical control... hunting and trapping... sanitation to reduce inoculum - Destroy or reduce habitat of a pest by... site preparation to alter habitat... eliminating critical food sources... limiting other essential habitat features... removing hosts and alternate hosts - PROTECT THE TREES FROM DIRECT ATTACK BY... surrounding them with special structures... discouraging attach with repellants... creating diversions to attract pests away... using resistant genotypes and species Like reducing slash for insects that breed there and lessening the cover for harmful small mammals 31

32 DIRECT ACTIONS (protective steps) - Direct attack of a predator or disease by... chemical control... hunting and trapping... sanitation to reduce inoculum - Destroy or reduce habitat of a pest by... site preparation to alter habitat... eliminating critical food sources... limiting other essential habitat features... removing hosts and alternate hosts - Protect the trees from direct attack by... surrounding them with special structures... discouraging attach with repellants... creating diversions to attract pests away... using resistant genotypes and species And though effective... these measures require large investments 32

33 With monitoring as an essential part After Nissen always looking for unusual things Monitoring allows timely and prompt action before problems become major KEEPING ON GUARD! 33

34 ... even to salvage threatened and affected trees What to monitor - Population levels (the threats) asking when have too many or too much 34

35 What to monitor - Population levels (the threats) - Forest conditions (the susceptibility) - Degree of control (the effectiveness of treatment) - Potential for recovery (the long-term outlook)... weak trees considered more susceptible to damaging agents 35

36 What to monitor - Population levels (the threats) - Forest conditions (the susceptibility) - Degree of control (the effectiveness of treatment) - Potential for recovery (the long-term outlook) Vermont DNR UGA G.J. Lemhard,, USFS if it worked D. McComb,, USFS 36

37 What to monitor - Population levels (the threats) - Forest conditions (the susceptibility) - Degree of control (the effectiveness of treatment) - Potential for recovery (the long-term outlook) June 2006 like potential for releafing after forest tent caterpillar defoliation Summer

38 to watch for new problems, or if a recovery seems likely How - aerial surveillance - ground plots and reconnaissance - foliage / tree sampling 38

39 ... including watching for problems as you drive around the forest And watching for pest presence June 2009 like following the current spread of emerald ash borer 39

40 in planted ash trees along the highway now detected across NY s Southern Tier and approaching New England??????? Summer

41 Confirmed locations * In 1 year across NY approximately along the Route 17 and Thruway corridors and in NYS (2008) and hemlock woolly adelgid 41

42 and Asian longhorned beetle Why so you adequately ANTICIPATE developing problems before a crisis 42

43 When things start react before they spread One common premise appropriate silviculture creates sub-optimal conditions for harmful pests and other damaging agents appropriate silviculture makes trees and stands more resistant and more resilient 43

44 e.g., - careful control of the species composition and the age class distribution provide ecological diversity of species that remain healthy under the intended management regime... diversity for protection 44

45 e.g., - intermediate treatments maintain tree vigor and species diversity and reduce the habitat for harmful insects and diseases as with well-planned thinning 45

46 e.g., - regenerating an age class before senescence reduces susceptibility to many pests and diseases timely regeneration to diverse species 46

47 Note this vigorous trees USUALLY better withstand the attack by a damaging agent though some agents KILL trees of all conditions and vigor and one agent may trigger a series of events that promote or facilitate greater devastation by SECONDARY agents like this combination of wind damage and beetle attack 47

48 Further To the degree that appropriate silviculture results in a stand of vigorous trees those practices enhance resistance or recovery following the attack by a damaging agent good vigor means better resistance and a greater potential for recovery 48

49 HOWEVER During a WIDESPREAD EPIDEMIC nothing may help unless direct control can reduce the pest / disease to safe levels at large spatial scales before real harm occurs but direct control a LAST RESORT! Vermont DNR G.J. Lemhard,, USFS D. McComb,, USFS Hoping that silviculture and other measures will suffice... but taking direct action when necessary 49

50 And watch the ecologic balances... What might disrupt those balances - NOT appropriately matching the species and site, and converting to species with less natural resistance to a pest or disease - SIMPLIFYING tree species and stand structural diversity in ways that increase pest-host interactions at large scales - PRECLUDING fire as a natural mechanism for controlling understory vegetation and weak trees - KEEPING stands at high densities where trees become weakened and more susceptible to contributing agents anything that stops essential natural processes 50

51 The SILVICULTURE SYSTEM deals with these issues Due to careful deliberation in planning All together giving us anticipation planning action... maintaining healthy forests to provide more economic value 51

52 The very function of silviculture... - control - facilitate - protect - salvage healthy forests through carefully contemplated action 52