Historic, archived document Do not assume content reflects current scientific knowledge, policies, or practices. Occasional Paper No, 4 August 1, 1935 NORTHEASTERN FOREST EKPERITvIENT STATION 0. Edv/ard Behre, Director New Haven, Conn. FOREST SERVICE 8oBtbeioFor«st Bxp.StatiQc »9EW08LEAMS,L& -lU ^ ^ 1935 Jgj^ElYED THE EFFECT OF AmOSliKL ?fflATEER CONDITIONS DURING 1934 ON VEGETATION IN THE NORTHEAST By H. F. Morey Assistant Silviculturist The Effect of Abnormal Weather Conditions during 1954 on Vegetation in the Northeast ty H. F. Morey _l/ Assistant Silviculturist Northeastern Forest Experiraent Station It is generally knoivn that the range of a given species is de- termined chiefly by climate. Tourney^/ states that ”the northern limit of a species is in part an isotherm beyond which it can not exist because of v;inter killing and frequent injury from early and late frosts.” The subnormal temperatures which prevailed throughout the region during February and March 1934, offered an opportunity for studying their effect upon vegetation in the Northeast. Accordingly, various individuals and agencies were requested to report any unusual damage to vegetation which might have been caused by adverse weather conditions . January was relatively mild tiiroughout the region. _4/ There was also a marked deficiency of snowfall for the month. February was subnormally cold. It was the coldest month for New England since records have been compiled and was the coldest month recorded in New York since 1890. The average temperatures for February in New England and New York vrere 10.7 and 12.4 degrees below normal respectively. Heavy snow fell over New England and eastern and so uthern New York in February. Rainfall was below normal in May in northern New England and drought conditions prevailed over most of New Engls-nd dnj’ing July and August. The greatest drought conditions occ\ii’red along the coast, be- ing very marked in southern Rhode Island and on Cape Cod, where the precipitation deficit for these months Y;as over 60 percent. Drought conditions in northern and western New York prevailed from May to Sep- tember. At Olean, in southwestern New York, Septemt^er was the only month in which a precipitation deficit did not occur. The deficit at this point for the period of May - August was 49 percent. 3^/ Acknowledgement is due to cooperators in Civilian Conservation Corps, Forest Schools, State Forestry Departments, and others who have supplied observations on which this paper is based. The list of cooperators is too. large for individual acknov/ledgment . Maintained at Nev; Haven, Connecticut, in cooperation "ilth Yale Uni- versity. Tourney, James W. Foundations of silviculture upon an ecological basis. Volume 1, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1928, _4/ Weather data obtained from '^Climatological Data” Annual Summary 1934. Vol. 46:13, New England aiid New York Sections, U. S. Weather Bureau. ( Over ) Both sassafras (Sassafras varjifoliiun) and spice bush ( Benzoin aestivale ) were severely winter damc.ged in several central New York localities ♦ Since the occurrence of both species in those localities is sporadic rather than general, v;inter killing might be an important factor in limiting the northern extension of the ranges of these species. Winter damage to ornamental and fruit plants in some localities v/as estimated to have amounted to thousands of dollars, A thousand acre stand of immature northern hardwoods in the Adirondacks near Cranberry Lake, New York, was so severely damaged that the area ap- pesared to have been burned. Such losses were not general in all dis- tricts, for plants that were injured in a given locality were not harmed^in nearby localities. Vegetation in open or in exposed places, or Y/hich v/as planted within a year v/as damaged more than the vegeta- tion in sheltered places, or Y/hich was planted prior to 1933. Mr, DeForest A Mattes on of the .Allegan^'^ State Park Commission, Rod House, New York, v^Tites, ^During the extrem.e cold weather the following phenomenon was observed several times: After o.n extreme low tem-peraturo , with no wind, sk^^ clear, but air generally hazy, the rising sun striking the east slope would cause a barrage of snapping, cracking, and booming in the timber. This would last for a short tim_e only, I can not say exactly how long, perhaps fifteen minutes to a half hour. Some of the reports v;ere very sharp and loud, I assume this to be frost cracking of the tiiTiber, but can not just e:^plain the part played by the surMs rays. The tempera- t^ore was v/ell belov/ zero,” During July many exotic shrubs in southwestej'n New York con- tinued to die, Wliether this mortality v;as due to y/inter injury, frost, or drought, or their combined effects, is not known. Effects of Individual Weather Inj'ories The observations received at the Northeastern Forest Experi- ment Station on the inj^arious effects of frost, drought, and the v/inter of 1933-34 are summarized as folloy/s: Frost The excessive cracking of the holes of young aspen (Populus treimLloide.s ) in nor thv;e stern Massachusetts may have been due to the low temperatures in the spring. In eastern Massachusetts frost injury in small valley-like depressions retarded vegetative activity to such an extent that the appearance of leaves and catkins, especially of bear oak ( Quercus ilicifolia ) , was from a week to ten days later than on the surround- ing ridges. hfeiny privet (Ligustrum vulgar e ) hedges were killed in northern Massachusetts during a period(hIay 8-12) of exceedingly cold days and nights in y;hich temperatures fell y;ell below freezing. -2- A severe frost on May 16 in scoithwestorn Mew York killed many leaves and ne?/ shoots of beech (Fagus grand if olia) , white ash ( Fraxinus americana) , shagbark hickory (Hicoria ovata.) , mountain laurel (Kalmia latifolia) , and black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia) • Man^r new shoots and leaves of Viburnum (Viburnum sp.) v/ere killed bir a heavy frost on May S4 in northern Mew York. On June 7, a killing frost at Newcomb, Mew York, did considerable damage to yellow birch (Be tula 3.utea), beech, and broken fern (Pteris aquilina) . Drought ^ Summer drought at Thomaston, Conji., is believed to have caused premature ripening, dissemdnat ion, and poor quality of the seed of shag- bark hickory, and butternut ( Juglans cinera) • Premature leaf falling from aspen ( Populus tremuloides ) on southern exposures in sections of the Adirondacks may have been due to drought. In August some aspens lost as much as 60 percent of their foliage which turned yellow and fell as naturally as did the rest later. Yfinter Killing Abies balsar.Ba (Balsom fir): The foliage of trees along roadsides and in low, damp places in south central Veimiont brov/ned in March. Con- siderable winter killing occurred in sections of the Adirondacks (nor- thern New York) and in south central New Hempshire. Acer p alma turn (Japanese maple) suffered considerable injury in nor th77e stern Conne c t i cut . Acer rubrum (Red mLaple ) Y7as Y/inter killed to some extent in north central bfciine Y/here the flOY^ers dropped off before any fruit was formed. Sapling stands on old burns were killed in the Adirondacks. The damage was so severe in one stand near Tupper Lake, Nev; York, that sprouts re- sulting froFi root crowns and stems gave a m.ost striking appearance to the stand. Immature trees were severely domaged at Cranberry Lake, New York. The low temperatiu?es during the spring are believed to have caused an excessive cracking of the boles of young trees in nortlwestern Massa- chusetts . Acer saccharum (Sugar m.aple): Although this phenomenon may not have been due to the weather, it is interesting to note that in north- western Massachusetts a barrel of sap produced one gallon of maple syrup inste-ad of tY/o-thirds of one gallon as is usual ♦ Alnus sp. Many alder clumps in southwestern Noy; York jiere severely injured or killed. -3- Ajiiygdalus persica (Peach) • Many peach trees in central and southern Nev/ England did not bloom at all, and the fruit crop in gen- eral was a failure , Benzoin aestivale (Spice bush) was killed back to the ground in several localities in central New York, This species did not bloom at all at Mount McGregor, New York, in the southeastern Adirondacks, Betula lutea (Yellow birch) was severely damaged at Cranberry , New York. Betula papyrifera (Paper birch): the branches of paper birch were badly damaged by snow and wind on certain areas in northwestern Massa- chusetts. Catalpa bignonioides (Catalpa) v/as occa.sionally killed in north- western Connecticut. C:/pvi.pedium hirsutum (Show lady’s slipper) which had been trans- planted aa Mount McGregor, Nevf York, did not come above the ground. Delphinium sp. (Larkspur) was winterkilled in north central Massa- chusetts. Digitalis purpurea (Eoxglove) v/as occasionally^ winterkilled in north central Bias sac huso t ts . Eagus grand if olia (Beech) Winter killing is believed to have been the reason for the "failure of the lower branches of beech to leaf in certain sections in central New York. Mature beech at edges of clearings were winter killed in some Adirondack localities. At Cran- berry Lake, New York, this species v/as injured more severely than others, some trees as large as 18 inches D.B.H. being damaged, Eersyrthia sp. Although not killed at Mount McGregor, New York, the Eorsythia failed to bloom, Habenarla finbriata (Eringed orchis) was badly daieaged at Mount McGregor, Nev/ York. Ealmia latifolia (Mountain laurel) v/as damaged to a slight extent in northwestern Connecticut and north central Massachusetts. Larix laricina (Tamarack) that were directly exposed to the pre- vailing winds v/ere killed in some localities of northwestern Massachusetts. Ligustrum; vulgare (Privet) v/as v/inter killed in southern and north- western Connecticut, central Massachusetts, and southeastern New York. Ivlalus sylvestris (Cultivated apple). Some old apple trees which v/ero in an exposed spot and v/hich had been pruned, wore v/inter killed in a locality in v/estern Massachusotte . Baldwin apple trees were severely -4- injured in southeastern Nev/ York. Orchards within a radius of fifty miles of Mount McGregor in the southeastern Adirondacks looked as if fire had swept through them. In southwestern New York, where the damage was greatest when exposed to the v/ind, many trees did not leaf out at all. Picea excelsa (Norv/ay spruce). In norttn/e stern Massachusetts one 20 acre plantation established in 1933 on an exposed northwest slope was 85 percent winter killed. In the same locality snow and v/ind also damaged older plantations which 7;ore not sheltered from the prevailing winds. At Sharon in central Vermont, the leaves on the south side and above the snov/ line on many Norway spruce foui* feet high brovmed and fell. Picea pungens (Colorado blue £^ruce) was not damaged in the nursery of the Brov/n Company in western Ivlaine, although native species in the nur- sery were severely injured, Picea rubra (Red spruce) plantations in northwestern Massachusetts were damaged by snow and v/ind. Winter killing of nursery stock was severe in western Maine, Somie winter killing also occurred in south central New Hampshire, in the ^irondacks and in exposed places in central Vermont, Picea sitchensis (Sitka spruce) was killed in southeastern New York. Pinus austriaca (Austrian pine) plantations which were not shel- tered from the prevailing v/inds v/ere damaged by snow and v;ind in north- western Massachusetts, Pinus banksiana (Jack pine). Two spot plantings in northv/estern Massachusetts were damaged by heavy snowfall which bent the trees a foot or so above the snow line , Pinus resinosa (Norway pine) plantations established in 1933 in a section of northwestern Connecticut were v/inter killed. Nursery stock was severely damaged in vrestern Maine, Pinus strobus (Northern T/hite pine) Mas winter killed in north central Massachusetts, some sections of southern New* York and aloiig roads in sections of central Vermont, In some sections of north central Maine the 1933 needles a.nd clusters of terminal buds on the leaders of 5 to 15 year old trees were killed, and growth frequently resulted from adventi- tious buds formed below the dead portions of the leaders. Similar damage occurred to native and plantation trees in sections of northwestern Massa- chusetts, White Pino was the least affected of any species at Nev/comb, New York, in the Adirondacks. Pinus_sylv8stris (Scotch pine) was slightly winter killed in sec- tions of central Vermont. Populus tremuloides (Aspen) branches 'were damaged by snow and wind in northv/estern Massachusetts . -5- Pvseudotsuga taxifolia (Douglas fir). Many troos from 8 to EO foot tall in a ono-half aero plantation in contral Vorinont v/ore killed. Q^iercus borealis (Red oak) on tops of ledges in west central Connecticut were killed. ”Flux run^’ (running of sap from cracks in the hark) occurred in some trees in western Massachusetts. Quorcus ilicifolia (Bear oak or scrub oak) on ledges in v/est cen- tral Cormecticut were killed. Quercus montana (Chestnut oak) on tops of ledges in T;est central Connecticut v/ere winter killed. Rhododendron sp. Rhododendron suffered considerable v/inter damage in northwestern Connecticut. Rhus hirta (Staghorn sumac) ims badly damaged, and in some cases killed by the severe winter in central New York. Rosa sp. (Rose), many of which withstood the rigor of previous winters, were wintey killed in central Massachusetts, southern and northern New York. The sweet briar variety was badly damaged in the southeastern Adirondack district. The semi -naturalized R. cinnamomea (?) suffered less injury than other varieties in southwestern New York. Sassafras varifolium (Sassafras) suffered considerable winter killing in several central New York localities. Tulipa sp. (Tulip) was entirely killed in some localities in central Massachusetts. Tsuga canadensis (Eastern heirL].ock) suf for ’^d needle damage in localities in central and v/estern Massachusetts, southern New York, and central Vermont. Most of the dcjnage occurred to portions of the trees which v/ero exposed to the sun and wind. At Newcomb, Nev; York, in the Adirondacks, hemlock suffered more from this typo of v/inter killing than any other species, Ulmus americana (American elm) was winter killed in north central Maine . Vaccinium sp. (Cranberries), Ice to a thickness of two feet in cranberry bogs caused a total loss of cranberries in some localities in south central Connecticut. (Blueberries) were killed back to the root crowns in some Adirondok communities. -6-