[LTER-sbc_help] Forest Science News - July 2018

[Hubbard Brook Research Foundation]

A monthly roundup of research headlines Forest Science News is brought to you by the Hubbard Brook Research Foundation. July 2018 INVASIVE SPECIES As hemlocks disappear, so do the birds that depend on them  The hemlock woolly adelgid, an invasive insect first introduced to the U.S. from East Asia in the 1950s, is decimating eastern hemlock trees across their range. The impact of this mass die-off isn’t confined to trees; birds associated with hemlocks are also disappearing. Researchers in Pennsylvania found that as the health of hemlock stands declines, the composition of the bird communities that rely on them becomes less diverse.  Press Release: American Ornithological Society Publications Office Abstract: The Condor The southern pine beetle is moving north, where forests may be vulnerable to more intense outbreaks As the climate warms, experts estimate that the voracious southern pine beetle—which has wiped out millions of acres of pines in the South could spread to Nova Scotia by 2020 and make it to Maine and the Upper Midwest by 2080. In the South, the insects mature at various times throughout the year. But researchers from Dartmouth College, including Hubbard Brook Principal Investigator Matthew Ayres, say the cooler temperatures up north could halt the larvae’s development in the fall, causing them all to reach maturity at the same time in the spring. Habitats with pitch pine barrens are the most at risk of such mass outbreaks, making early detection and removal of infested trees crucial.  Article: Associated Press Abstract: Oecologia Canada’s colder climes aren’t enough to stop the emerald ash borer University of Waterloo researchers modeled regions where the emerald ash borer, an invasive beetle that has already killed millions of ash trees, can survive low underbark temperatures long enough to kill trees. Their results show that in most of North America, cold events don’t hit frequently enough to prevent emerald ash borers from taking their toll, putting many Canadian cities—such as Calgary and Winnipeg—at risk of severe ash losses. A handful of cities have a lower risk, the researchers say, but overall, many more places than previously thought should prepare for the invaders.  Press Release: ScienceDaily Abstract: Biological Invasions CLIMATE CHANGE Warming streams may pump more carbon dioxide into the air An international team of researchers analyzed carbon flows from streams across six major climatic zones, looking at the balance between carbon intake through photosynthesis and carbon release through respiration. Their findings show that this balance is dependent on stream temperature, and that globally a 1-degree Celsius increase corresponds to a 24 percent shift away from stream carbon fixation and towards respiration and carbon emissions.   Press Release: Phys.org Abstract: Nature Geoscience Deforestation on the West Coast can affect trees on the East Coast The National Ecological Observatory Network (NEON) divides the lower 48 states into 18 different regions. A team led by University of Washington researchers used these regions to analyze how removing forest cover from the 13 most heavily forested regions might affect growing conditions across the country. Their climate model finds that even though the Pacific Southwest region has the smallest total area of tree cover, it has the most significant impact on national growing conditions—causing devegetation in the East. The mechanisms aren’t yet understood, but the results have implications for how climate change may impact growing conditions in disparate locations as forests fall prey to drought, fires, and disease.   Press Release: University of Washington Abstract: Environmental Research Letters FORESTS AND COMMUNITIES Minorities aren’t using national forests  A study led by San Francisco State University and U.S. Forest Service researchers finds that although 35.5 percent of the people who live within 50 miles of a national forest are racial and ethnic minorities, just 11.7 of annual visitors belong to those groups. Forest Service public lands are open to all, but the research indicates that the agency has a long way to go in engaging diverse communities.  Press Release: San Francisco State University Abstract: Journal of Forestry Patches of old-growth forest persist in cities across the U.S. Stands of old-growth trees have survived in some unexpectedly urban places in the U.S., such as Manhattan's Inwood Park; San Francisco's Golden Gate Park; and Philadelphia's Fairmount Park. These undisturbed patches offer many benefits—from sequestering carbon to providing habitat for birds, fungi, and wildflowers. Although they're proximate to development, old-growth stands provide services to their human neighbors that often inspire people to advocate for their protection. Article: CityLab FOREST STRUCTURE NASA is launching a new tool to map the world’s forests in 3D The Global Ecosystem Dynamics Investigation—or GEDI, pronounced “Jedi”—is “the first space-borne laser instrument to measure the structure of Earth's tropical and temperate forests in high resolution and three dimensions.” The scientists working on the instrument hope that GEDI, from its vantage point of the International Space Station, will improve our understanding of how forest structure affects carbon storage and biodiversity on a global scale. And they’ll find out sooner than expected—the instrument recently had its launch date pushed up to late 2018, instead of mid-2019. The project’s motto? “May the forest be with you.”  Article: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Big trees play an outsized role in their ecosystems A Utah State University analysis of forest plots from 21 countries and territories finds that the largest 1 percent of trees in mature and older forests make up half of all forest biomass globally. The researchers also conclude that the amount of carbon sequestration a forest is capable of depends on the presence of big trees. The results suggest that protecting and promoting large trees will be crucial for maintaining forest carbon stocks and that structural diversity in forests may be just as important as species diversity.  Press Release: ScienceDaily Abstract: Global Ecology and Biogeography HUBBARD BROOK HIGHLIGHT Cleaner, warmer air is helping red spruce recover from acid rain Red spruce, Picea rubens, is highly sensitive to damage by acid rain. Between the 1960s and 1980s, when this type of pollution was at its worst, some forests in the Northeast lost as many as 50 percent of their red spruce. But two new studies show that the species is making a comeback, thanks in part to clean air legislation adopted in response to the discovery of acid rain. The first study, led by researchers from Vermont including Hubbard Brook Principal Investigator Paul Schaberg, analyzed 658 trees from 52 plots in the Northern Appalachian Mountains of Maine, Massachusetts, Vermont, New Hampshire (including from the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest), and New York. Their findings show that since 2001, 75 percent of trees and 90 percent of plots have seen increasing growth of spruce. The trees’ improved health is linked to a decline in acid deposition and an increase in temperatures outside the growing season. The second study, led by West Virginia University researchers, came to similar conclusions about red spruce in the Central Appalachian Mountains. In that region, red spruce has recovered in recent years in conjunction with reduced acid rain pollution, increased atmospheric CO2, and warmer temperatures in early spring. These two studies offer compelling evidence that strong environmental regulations like the Clean Air Act can have a positive effect on forest health.  Article: Associated Press Abstract: Science of the Total Environment/Global Change Biology The above links were curated from news articles and press releases published during May/June 2018. The Hubbard Brook Research Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting the Hubbard Brook Ecosystem Study Forest Science News is a science communication tool designed to improve communication between ecosystem scientists and public audiences in the northeastern U.S. and eastern Canada. 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