Resource Brief

National Park Service U.S. Department of the Interior Northeast Temperate Network

Forest Health
Status and Trends

Coarse Woody Debris & Snags

VAMA*
The Northeast Temperate Network (NETN) began monitoring forest health in 2006. Since then, 260 permanent plots have been established. In 2009, NETN scientists will finish installing plots and collecting baseline data; resampling will begin in 2010, giving NETN scientists an even clearer picture of forest health. Temperate forests are made up of a complex, interconnected web of plant species, wildlife, and abiotic cycles. Because it would be impractical to measure the many components of forest ecosystems, NETN scientists monitor and report on a few key measures of forest health, called metrics. For each metric, NETN scientists have defined a range of conditions that might be present at network parks. Ecological integrity ranks are then assigned by comparing existing conditions to those expected for a healthy forest. Conditions are labeled Good when they fall within an acceptable range of variation, Caution if they warrant concern, and Significant Concern if they require management correction. Coarse woody debris (i.e., dead trees and the remains of branches on the forest floor) and snags (i.e., standing dead trees) are one indicator of forest health. Forests in most NETN parks do not have enough snags or coarse woody debris. The Vanderbilt Mansion NHS was the exception, rating good for both these metrics. Acadia NP also rated good for snag density. The Home of Eleanor Roosevelt NHS and the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt NHS rated good for coarse woody debris, but just missed the good rating for snags because the percent of medium to large snags was too low.

Good: 10% standing trees are snags & 10% med-lrg trees are snags

ACAD ELRO/HOFR MORR SAGA

Caution: < 10% standing trees are snags or < 10% med-lrg trees are snags

Snag Abundance

Ecological Integrity of Northeast Temperate Network Parks

MABI MIMA SARA WEFA

Signicant Concern: < 5 med-lrg snags/ha

The Vanderbilt Mansion NHS was the only park unit with good snag density. This ecological integrity measure is based on the number and size of standing dead trees in monitoring plots. Most NETN park units contain younger forests which often lack snags. Medium-large sized, low vigor trees can be girdled to increase snag densities in young forest stands. *NETN parks and their abbreviations are listed under Monitoring Program.

Signicant Concern: < 5% live tree volume MIMA WEFA

Caution: 5-15% live tree volume MABI SAGA MORR

Good: > 15% live tree volume

SARA ACAD

VAMA

Coarse Woody Debris Volume

ELRO/ HOFR

Ecological Integrity Ranks for Northeast Temperate Network Parks

The three Roosevelt-Vanderbilt park units had a good rating for coarse woody debris volume. This ecological indicator is based on the ratio of live tree volume to coarse woody debris volume measured in forest monitoring plots. Parks interested increasing coarse woody debris could fell or pull over trees, leaving them on the forest floor where they will provide important structure and contribute to a healthy functioning forest ecosystem. Continued

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Density of snags and coarse woody debris is typically higher in older forests because it takes time for trees to age, be damaged by weather or disease, and fall. Forested systems in most NETN parks are relatively young, and may not reach desired density of late-successional coarse woody debris and snags for some time. To create these conditions in younger forest stands, trees can be cut or pulled over and left, and larger trees of low vigor can be girdled and left standing.

Importance
Snags and coarse woody debris are critical components of temperate forest ecosystems. Naturally messy, temperate forest systems are frequently subject to disturbances like weather (e.g., wind and ice storms) and disease that can weaken trees or damage old trees, creating standing and fallen dead wood. Dead wood, in the form of snags and fallen coarse woody debris, provides habitat for many taxa: woodpeckers forage for insects in snags; salamanders, small mammals, and invertebrates hide under fallen trees; and owls nest in snag cavities. As they decompose, snags and coarse woody debris recycle energy and nutrients into forest systems. Finally, dead woodboth standing and fallenhelps to stabilize soil and regulate water flow. Many park management practices, including silviculture and hazard tree removal, can impact the quantity or quality of these features; however, thoughtful land management can maintain or enhance snags and coarse woody debris in park forests.

A downed tree becomes an ecosystem of its own, supporting bright orange Basidiomycete "bracket" fungi and soft mosses. Coarse woody debris provide habitat for wildlife, recycle nutrients and energy back into the forest system, stabilize soil, and regulate water flow.

Monitoring Program
The NETN has developed a long-term forest monitoring protocol to track a representative suite of site and vegetation measures in an extensive network of randomly located permanent plots at ten park units in the northeast. Of these, only Acadia NP is sampled every year; other parks are sampled every other year. At each site, pieces of coarse woody debris (10 cm diameter and 1 m long) were tallied along three line intercept transects per plot. Snags were measured within each tree plot, and will be tracked through time until they are no longer standing. Parks included in this monitoring program are: Acadia National Park (ACAD), Eleanor Roosevelt National Historic Site (ELRO), Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site (HOFR), Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park (MABI), Minute Man National Historical Park (MIMA), Morristown National Historical Park (MORR), Saint-Gaudens National Historic Site (SAGA), Saratoga National Historical Park (SARA), Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Site (VAMA), and Weir Farm National Historic Site (WEFA).

What do we want to understand?

1. What is the density of snags compared to live trees and how do conditions compare to ecological integrity benchmarks? 2. What is the volume of coarse woody debris compared to that of live trees and how do conditions compare to ecological integrity benchmarks?

More Information
Kate Miller Lead Scientist/NETN Plant Ecologist Phone/Email 207-288-8736 kathryn_miller@nps.gov

Coarse woody debris is assessed using line intersect sampling. Three 15m transects are established in each sample plot. Logs and other dead tree parts larger 10 cm in diameter and greater than 1 m long that intersect the tape are counted; the type of tree (conifer or deciduous), species (if identifiable), and degree to which the material has decayed is also recorded (NPS photo).

Links Northeast Temperate Network: www.science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/netn/ Monitoring & Evaluating the Ecological Integrity of Forest Ecosystems: http://science.nature.nps.gov/im/units/NETN/Reports/Reports/Tierney_ etal_2009_Frontiers_Forest_Monitoring.pdf

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