Hardwood crown injuries and rebuilding following ice storms: a literature review

Kraemer, Martin J.; Nyland, Ralph D.

doi:10.2737/nrs-gtr-60

Cited by 11 publications

(15 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Ice storms can have variable effects on forest structure and dynamics, resulting largely from differences in storm intensity (i.e., ice thickness and duration), as the directionality of the disturbance is largely fixed (Duguay et al 2001;Rhoads et al 2002;Arii and Lechowicz 2007). Ice storm intensity is associated with total ice accretion and the interactive effects of topography, microclimate, and weather conditions (e.g., wind and temperatures) during and immediately after the storm (Irland 2000;Millward and Kraft 2004;Kraemer and Nyland 2010;Nagel et al 2016). However, the ultimate severity and structural impact of the ice disturbance can also be affected by characteristics of the predisturbance trees and forest (Jones et al 2001;Turcotte et al 2012;Nock et al 2016).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, the ultimate severity and structural impact of the ice disturbance can also be affected by characteristics of the predisturbance trees and forest (Jones et al 2001;Turcotte et al 2012;Nock et al 2016). For example, successional stage or age of the forest has been shown to strongly affect damage from equivalent ice loading (Rhoads et al 2002), and species composition is also likely to affect impacts (Jones et al 2001;Kraemer and Nyland 2010). There have been many assessments of forest structure and canopy conditions after ice storms (Duguay et al 2001;Rhoads et al 2002;Takahashi et al 2007;Weeks et al 2009), including a few studies that opportunistically collected data after ice storms from existing plots with predisturbance canopy structure data (Arii and Lechowicz 2007;Beaudet et al 2007).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effects of an experimental ice storm on forest canopy structure

et al. 2020

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Intermediate disturbances are an important component of many forest disturbance regimes, with effects on canopy structure and related functions that are highly dependent on the nature and intensity of the perturbation. Ice storms are an important disturbance mechanism in temperate forests that often result in moderate-severity, diffuse canopy damage. However, it has not previously been possible to distinguish the specific effect of ice storm intensity (as ice accretion) from predisturbance stand characteristics and physiographic factors. In this study, we utilized a novel experimental ice storm treatment to evaluate the effects of variable ice accretion levels on forest canopy structure. Our results verified significant impacts of ice storm disturbance on near-term canopy structural reorganization. Canopy openness, light transmission, and complexity increased significantly relative to predisturbance baselines and undisturbed controls. We documented variable impacts with disturbance intensity, as significant canopy changes largely occurred with ice accretion levels of ≥12.7 mm. Repeated ice storm disturbance (two consecutive years) had marginal, rather than compounding, effects on forest canopy structure. Our findings are relevant to understanding how ice storms can affect near-term forest canopy structural reorganization and ecosystem processes and add to a growing base of knowledge on the effects of intermediate disturbances on canopy structure.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of an experimental ice storm on forest canopy structure

et al. 2020

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“…Stem failures due to the accumulation of snow occur mainly in coniferous trees in cold climates associated with longer presence of snow cover (Nykänen et al 1997 ). In addition to heavy snow loading, ice loading also induces tree failure (Van Dyke 1999 ; Irland 2000 ; Smith 2000 ; Bragg et al 2003 ; Kraemer and Nyland 2010 ). The accumulation of ice or snow on branches is mainly controlled by meteorological conditions such as temperature, precipitation and wind speed, and less by branch morphology (Jones 1998 ; Satterlund and Haupt 1970 ; Nykänen et al 1997 ; Schmidt and Gluns 1991 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Factors affecting branch failures in open-grown trees during a snowstorm in Massachusetts, USA

Kane

Finn

2014

SpringerPlus

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In October 2011, a snowstorm in the northeastern USA caused many branch failures of many tree species commonly planted in urbanized settings. Immediately following the storm, we assessed 1,764 trees for possible snow-induced damage and factors affecting it on the campus of the University of Massachusetts in Amherst, MA, USA. Nearly all failures were of branches, most of which were not defective. We used logistic regression to assess whether the probability of branch failure differed among species, diameter at breast height (DBH) and the presence of a defect or leaves increased for different species. We also measured branch morphology of (i) branches that did and did not fail for one angiosperm species and (ii) all branches on a sub-sample (stratified by DBH) of three individuals of seven other angiosperm species. Probability of branch failure differed among species. It also increased with greater DBH in eight of ten species studied, decreased when defects were present in four of ten species, and increased in one species when leaves were present. The relationship between branch failure and DBH appeared to be due to the correlation between DBH and branch morphology, which was mostly similar among species. As DBH increased, so did the mean diameter and length of primary branches, and the cumulative diameter of secondary branches. In contrast, branch slenderness decreased with increasing DBH. Combined, these factors presumably expedited the accumulation of snow on branches due to greater surface area and less flexibility. This explained why most failed branches were not defective. Since the frequency of intense storms is predicted to increase with global climate change, urban foresters should consider the timing of leaf senescence when selecting deciduous trees, to reduce the likelihood of failure of open-grown, deciduous trees in urbanized areas.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/2193-1801-3-720) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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“…Severely damaged trees may have a high incidence of rotten wood due to pathogens that entered broken branches. This is partly supported by the N. America literature ((Hopkin et al 2001;Kraemer and Nyland 2010;Nyland et al 2016;Shortle et al 2003), but few studies have followed the long term effects of ice storm damage on wood decay. Indeed, both the high density of epicormic sprouts on the main bole of some species and the potential for wood decay will likely affect tree grade and quality of boles.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…For example, many broadleaved trees develop epicormic branches after crown injury, but few conifers have this capacity. Furthermore, the number of shoots that develop, their growth, and their persistence depend on many additional factors, such as crown class, tree height, damage severity, and light conditions (Kraemer and Nyland 2010;Nyland et al 2016). Studies of crown rebuilding following ice storm damage in North America indicate notable differences among species (Duguay et al 2001;Nyland et al 2016;Shortle et al 2003;Turcotte et al 2012).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short-term survival and crown rebuilding of European broadleaf tree species following a severe ice storm

2020

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Ice storms cause widespread damage to forests in many temperate regions, leaving behind many live trees with severe crown damage. Following a severe ice storm in 2014 that damaged forests across Slovenia, we examined how tree-level attributes influenced survival and crown rebuilding three growing seasons after the storm. Field sampling was carried out in four mature stands dominated by native broadleaf species. Of the 763 sampled trees, the annual mortality rate following the storm was 2.2%, and nearly all of the trees that died experienced > 75% crown removal. Oak (Quercus petraea) and chestnut (Castanea sativa) had higher rates of mortality than beech (Fagus sylvatica) and maple (Acer pseudoplatanus). Mixed models found that survival significantly increased with tree diameter and decreased with increasing crown damage. Although we observed sprouting across all the dominant species, maple, oak, and chestnut showed a more vigorous response compared to beech, and maple had the fastest sprout growth. Model results showed that sprout density and length increased with level of crown damage. The results indicate that these broadleaf forests are resilient to severe ice damage. Consequently, hasty salvage cutting of trees with canopy damage should be avoided, as many individuals with over 75% crown damage are likely to survive and recover.

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Hardwood crown injuries and rebuilding following ice storms: a literature review

Cited by 11 publications

References 64 publications

Effects of an experimental ice storm on forest canopy structure

Effects of an experimental ice storm on forest canopy structure

Factors affecting branch failures in open-grown trees during a snowstorm in Massachusetts, USA

Short-term survival and crown rebuilding of European broadleaf tree species following a severe ice storm

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