Evaluating Replacement Tree Species in Black Ash Forests Threatened by EAB and Climate Change The Context: millions of acres and billions of trees The Concern: threatened by EAB and climate change The Need: adaptive strategies, including replacement trees species Brian Palik USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station Tony D’Amato School of Environment and Nat. Res., Univ. of Vermont Robert Slesak Minnesota Forest Resources Council Christopher Looney Dept. of Nat. Res., Univ. of Minnesota Mitch Slater USDA Forest Service Northern Research Station
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Evaluating Replacement Tree Species in Black Ash Forests ......Survival by species • Survival highest for non-native, pathologically-limited, or out-of-range species • Species
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Evaluating Replacement Tree Species in Black Ash Forests
Threatened by EAB and Climate Change
The Context: millions of acres and billions of trees
The Concern: threatened by EAB and climate change
The Need: adaptive strategies, including replacement trees species
Brian Palik
USDA Forest Service
Northern Research
Station
Tony D’Amato
School of Environment
and Nat. Res., Univ. of
Vermont
Robert Slesak
Minnesota Forest
Resources
Council
Christopher
Looney Dept. of Nat. Res.,
Univ. of Minnesota
Mitch Slater
USDA Forest Service
Northern Research
Station
• Black ash forests are a large
proportion of Lake States
landbase
• 440,000 ha ( 1.1 million ac) & 1
billion trees in Minnesota
• Glacial lake and outwash plains,
muck soils, impeded drainage
Black Ash in Minnesota
Why black ash forests matter:
-Timber (Forest Industry)
-Habitat (Biodiversity)
-Carbon storage (Climate Change)
-Cultural resource (Basket Making)
NMS 1
-1.5 -1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
NM
S 3
-1.5
-1.0
-0.5
0.0
0.5
1.0
Mountain
MapleWhite
Cedar
Balsam
Poplar
Willow
Speckled
Alder
Red MapleQuaking
Aspen
Paper
Birch
Balsam
Fir
Choke
CherryYellow
Birch
Green Ash
American
Elm
Black
Ash
Species
Bla
ck a
sh
Bal
sam
fir
Bal
sam
popla
r
Pap
er b
irch
Am
eric
an e
lm
Gre
en a
sh
Quak
ing a
spen
Red
map
le
White
ced
ar
Yello
w b
irch
No
. p
er
ha
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700 Overstory Species
Black ash can be the dominant species in wetland forests in the north
What do we know about black ash in Minnesota
Palik, Ostry, Venette, et al FEM 2011
What do we know about black ash stand structure?
-Long-lived trees (300+ years)
-Strongly uneven-aged; recruitment peaks reflective of drought and canopy disturbance
-Overstory present during regeneration events; gap-based dynamics
But Black Ash Forests have Issues…
Including…
Emerald Ash Borer
Emerald Ash Borer is on the
doorstep of the largest
concentration of ash in the
North America
More bad news… Climate projections for northern MN
Projected habitat changes for co-occurring
tree species in Fraxinus nigra wetlands:
-Reduced habitat suitability 50% of spp.
-Neutral: 25%
-Increased: 25%
Future adapted species occur
only in low abundance in these
forests
Species
Bla
ck ash
Bals
am fi
r
Bals
am p
oplar
Paper
birch
Am
erican e
lm
Gre
en ash
Quakin
g aspen
Red m
aple
White
cedar
Yello
w b
irch
No
. p
er
ha
0
100
200
300
400
500
600
700
EAB is cold sensitive; warmer
winters > EAB survival
Species
Bla
ck a
sh
Am
eric
an e
lm
Bal
sam
fir
Bal
sam
popla
r
Mounta
in m
aple
Quak
ing a
spen
Speckl
ed a
lder
Sugar m
aple
Will
ow
No
. p
er
ha
0
200
400
600
800
1000
Wetland
Upland
Sapling layer is
mostly black
ash and alder..
Also, few trees in
the regeneration
layer:
-speckled alder
-hazel
-mountain maple
-dogwood
Sapling Species
No tree species
poised to replace
black ash….should
something bad
happen!
Even more bad news… Not a lot of advance regeneration of other species
Palik, Ostry, Venette, et al FEM 2012
Without Trees…
-Black ash wetlands get even wetter
-Sedge/shrubs dominate
-Tree establishment becomes difficult
-Loss of ecosystem function, habitat
The Concern:
There is a growing sense of
urgency among regional
organizations to find adaptation
strategies to maintain trees in
these ecosystems
The Need:
Adaptive strategies, that keep
forests on the landscape
Including evaluation of replacement tree species
0 6030 Kilometers
Large-scale manipulative experiment on Chippewa National Forest
Evaluating the Ecological Impacts of
Emerald Ash Borer in Black Ash Forests
-What are potential impacts of EAB and
associated management actions on structure
and function of black ash forests?
-Are there adaptive strategies to build site-level