Forest health monitoring in New York, 1996-1999

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

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Northeastern
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Forest Health Monitoring
in New York

1996-1999

NEW YORK

The National Forest Health Monitoring (FHM) program monitors the long-term
status, changes and trends in the health of forest ecosystems and is conducted
in cooperation with individual states.

In New York, 193 FHM plots were established in 1999 (Fig. 1). Each point in
Figure 1 represents the status and approximate location of one FHM plot. Each
plot is a set of four fixed-area circular plots. Most tree measurements are made
on four 1/24-acre subplots. Seedling and sapling measurements are made on
four 1/300-acre microplots, located within the subplots.

This report summarizes the conditions on the plots at the time of establishment.

Figure 1. - Current status and approximate locations of Forest
Health Monitoring (FHM) plots in New York.

Plot Characteristics

O 1 07 of the 1 93 plots were at least partially forested.

O 52 percent of the 1 93-plot area was forested and accessible.

O 55 percent of the forested areas were in maple-beech-birch forest types; the
second most common group was the white- red-jack pine forest type,
accounting for about 1 3 percent of the forested areas. Spruce-fir
forest types accounted for 1 0 percent of the forested areas and oak-hickory
types accounted for 9 percent.

O 50 percent of the forested areas were in sawtimber-size stands; 43 percent of
the forested areas were in poletimber-size stands.

O 56 percent of the forested areas were in stands that were more than 60 years
old; 33 percent were 41 to 60 years old.

Plot Structure (Table 1)

Seedlings

O Sugar maple seedlings (12 inches tall, less than 1 inch diameter) were most
abundant, accounting for about 15 percent of the 3,621 seedlings counted.

,0 The five most abundant species groups collectively accounted for 57 percent of
the seedlings. They were sugar maple, white and green ash, American
beech, red maple, and other maple.

O Balsam fir, yellow and other birch, black cherry, and slippery elm collectively
accounted for 21 percent of the seedlings.

> Saplings

JO American beech saplings (1 to 4.9 inches d.b.h.) were the most abundant,
accounting for 13 percent of the 591 saplings counted.

)0 The five most abundant species groups collectively accounted for 53 percent of
the saplings. They were American beech, red maple, sugar maple, white
and green ash, and other maple.

)0 Red spruce, balsam fir, eastern white pine, and willow collectively accounted for
17 percent of the saplings.

Trees

O Red maple trees (5 inches d.b.h. or greater) were the most abundant,
accounting for 21 percent of the 2,933 trees counted.

O The five most common species groups collectively accounted for 54 percent of
the trees. They were red maple, sugar maple, eastern white pine, American
beech, and eastern hemlock.

O White and green ash, red spruce, select red oak, yellow birch, and quaking
aspen collectively accounted for 21 percent of the trees.

Table 1 . ~ Number of trees by size class, and species groups, New
York, 1999. Rankings of species quantity appear as superscripts beside
numbers.

Species

Size Class

Seedlings

Saplings

Trees

Eastern hemlock

A T

47

10

172 5

Eastern white pme

A

43

26

286

White/green ash

A 2

482

58

161

American beech

407 3

79 i

202 4

Sugar maple

C A 1 l

541

71

331

Red maple

335 4

73 2

607 1

Other maple

286 5

34 5

23

All softwoods

387

110

818

All hardwoods

3,234

481

2,115

All trees

3,621

591

2,933

Table 2. - Mean plot values and percentage of trees with ratings
of specified values, by crown variable, New York, 1999. (plot
means based on 106 forested plots; percentage of trees based on

2,933 live trees 5 in. or more in d.b.h.)

Value

Crown Dieback

Plot Mean 3.2%
Trees with <5% dieback 95

Foliage Transparency

Plot Mean 16.1%
Trees with <30% transparency 99

Crown Density

Plot Mean 48.0%
Trees with >30% density 93

Tree Condition

Crown Dieback (Table 2; Fig. 2)

Crown dieback refers to recent mortality of branches with fine twigs and is
measured as a percentage of the tree crown. Low dieback ratings (5 percent
or less) are considered to be an indicator of good health. High dieback ratings
indicate poor health.

O 95 percent of the trees had low dieback ratings; average dieback was 3
percent.

O Less than 1 percent of the trees had high dieback ratings (more than 20
percent affected crown).

O 3 percent of American beech had high dieback, as did a little more than 1
percent of red maple.

Eastern hemlock
American beech
Eastern white pine
Sugar maple
Red maple

All hardwoods
All softwoods

All trees

20 40 60 80
Percentage of trees

100

□ 0-5% dieback

□ 6-20% dieback
■ 21-50% dieback

□ 51-100% dieback

Figure 2. - Distribution of crown dieback
ratings for trees in New York, 1999.

Foliage Transparency (Table 2; Fig. 3)

Foliage transparency is the amount of skylight visible through the live,
normally foliated portion of the crown. Foliage transparency estimates the
crown condition in relation to a typical tree for the site where it is found. Low
transparency ratings (little visible skylight) indicate a full and generally healthy
crown; high transparency ratings indicate a sparse crown. Transparency
ratings of 30 percent or less are considered normal for most trees.

O Virtually all trees had normal transparency ratings; average transparency
was 1 6 percent.

O All common species and species groups showed similar transparency
distributions with normal transparency ratings on nearly all (more than 99
percent) trees.

Eastern hemlock
American beech
Eastern white pine
Sugar maple
Red maple

All hardwoods
All softwoods

All trees

20 40 60 80 100
Percentage of trees

□ 0-30% transparency
■ 3 1 -50% transparency

□ 5 1 - 1 00% transparency

Figure 3. - Distribution of foliage transparency
ratings for trees in New York, 1999.

Crown Density (Table 2; Fig. 4)

Crown density is the percentage of crown area where sunlight is blocked
by crown branches, foliage, and reproductive structures. Crown density
estimates crown condition relative to a typical tree for the site. Density also
serves as an indicator of future growth. High density ratings (greater than 30
percent) indicate a full, healthy crown.

O 93 percent of trees had high density ratings; average crown density was
48 percent.

O 7 percent of all trees had low crown density (30 percent or less).
O 14 percent of American beech had low crown density.

Eastern hemlock
American beech
Eastern white pine
Sugar maple
Red maple

All hardwoods
All softwoods

All trees

□ 51-100% density
■ 31-50% density

□ 0-30% density

20

40

60

80

100

Figure 4. - Distribution of crown density
ratings for trees in New York, 1999.

Tree Damage

[Signs and symptoms of damage were recorded if the damage could kill the tree
(or affect its long-term survival. The 1 1 categories of damage used in this report
vwere: cankers and galls, decay, open wounds, resinosis and gummosis, cracks
sand seams, vines, dead or broken tops, broken branches, other bole and root
[damage, other crown damage, and other damage (not otherwise defined).

O 76 percent of trees had no significant damage, 1 9 percent had one damage,
and 5 percent of the trees had two or more damages.

O 90 percent of softwoods were undamaged compared to 70 percent of
hardwoods.

O 49 percent of damages were decay; 1 6 percent were dead or broken tops;
and 14 percent were dead or broken branches.

O 56 percent of American beech had no significant damages. 48 percent of
the damages were decay; 22 percent were dead and broken branches;
and 14 percent were dead and broken tops.

O 67 percent of red maple had no significant damages. 64 percent of the
damages were decay; and 1 0 percent were dead and broken branches.

Summary

New York has mature forests dominated by hardwood species, but with a
significant and varied softwood resource. Most of the trees are healthy, with
full crowns (low transparency, high density), little dieback and little damage.
American beech tends to be in poorer condition, with thin crowns, higher
dieback, and more damage, especially broken and dead branches.

For more information regarding the FHM program, contact: Chuck Barnett,
Northeastern Research Station, USDA Forest Serviced 1 Campus Blvd, Suite
200, Newtown Square, PA 19073, 610-557-4031, cjbarnett@fs.fed. us
or visit the National FHM website: www.na.fs.fed. us/spfo/fhm

Acknowledgments

The FHM program thanks the landowners of New York and the New York
Department of Environmental Conservation for their cooperation and assistance.

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