Project Area
The project area is comprised of 90 acres within Winooski Valley, in the northern area of Camel’s Hump State Park (the largest state park in Vermont). The State Park straddles the Northern Green Mountains and is bounded by Vermont Route 17 to the South and the Winooski River to the North. The stand consists of predominantly even-aged Northern hardwoods, and is adjacent to several trails and a residential area.
Management Goals
The primary goal for this site is to effectively regenerate and diversify the northern hardwood community, while reducing the prevalence of American beech. The various harvesting and planting treatments developed for this study are intended to increase age class diversity, structural complexity, and diversify species composition.
Other related goals include: producing quality hardwood timber, maintaining the softwood component, enhancing wildlife habitat (especially in young forest areas), maintaining water quality, and improve the resiliency of the forest road system.
Climate Change Impacts
Climate change is expected to impact forest ecosystems in Vermont into the future. These include warming of 5.3 to 9.1 °F by late century (2071-2100), with fewer days below freezing and an increase in the growing season by three weeks. On average, the climate is projected to get wetter with more frequent and damaging extreme storms, including intense rainfall that may cause soil erosion. Timing of precipitation is expected to change, with longer periods between rain events increasing the risk of moisture deficits and drought during the growing season. These changes may affect invasive plant and pest and disease pressure on forests in addition to limiting opportunities for winter harvesting. Northern species such as sugar maple, yellow birch, and white birch that comprise much of the canopy on the site are predicted to decline in the region. Northward migration of future-adapted species may be slower than the expected changes in climate that would create suitable habitat for these species, resulting in declining forest health and productivity over time.
Challenges and Opportunities
Climate change will present challenges and opportunities for accomplishing the management objectives of this project, including:
Challenges
Changes in soil-moisture patterns, specifically the impacts of more intense and prolonged drought on the regeneration of certain northern hardwood species.
More frequent intense precipitation events and the potential for erosion on the slopes negatively affecting the network of streams.
Unreliable periods of winter weather that are suitable for harvesting.
The introduction of invasive species such as buckthorn, honeysuckle and garlic mustard, which are currently not present or only present in low numbers.
The increasing threat of forest pests, such as Emerald Ash Borer, especially given that there are many heavily used trail systems nearby.
Opportunities
Because the site primarily features North and Northeast facing slopes, the negative effects of future temperature increases are likely to be buffered.
The fact that invasive species are currently present only at a low-level on the site means that managers can more effectively respond as the threat of invasive species grows under climate change conditions.
Adaptation Actions
Project participants used the Adaptation Workbook to develop several adaptation actions for this project. Adaptation actions will be tested across 6 research treatment units and 3 control units, each 10 acres in size. The treatments are laid out as follows:
- 3 treatment units: Group and patch selection with live tree retention
- 3 treatment units: Group and patch selection without live tree retention
- 3 control units: Untreated no-harvest area
Specific adaptation actions in each unit include:
Area/Topic
Approach
Tactics
Research treatment units - Group and patch selection with and without live tree retention
30% of the area will be regenerated using groups up to 1/2 an acre and patches up to 2.5 acres in areas of desirable advance regeneration or where little regeneration exists beneath groups of economically mature trees.
1.4. Reduce competition for moisture, nutrients, and light.
5.2. Maintain and restore diversity of native species.
5.2. Maintain and restore diversity of native species.
All existing beech > 4.5' in height within the groups and patches will be cut in order to encourage the regeneration of non-beech northern hardwood species.
Retain softwood component as much as possible (i.e., hemlock, red spruce).
In half the patches, retain 3-5 legacy trees per patch.
Increase standing dead and down wood where opportunities exist. Retain and recruit large snags and contour-fell 5-8 whole trees per acre for downed dead wood depending on the level Large Organic Debris (LOD) already present.
9.4. Protect future-adapted seedlings and saplings.
9.7. Introduce species that are expected to be adapted to future conditions.
9.7. Introduce species that are expected to be adapted to future conditions.
Conduct a supplemental planting with future-adapted seedlings in a subset of treatments (red oak, hybrid chestnut, bitternut hickory).
Use tree tubes for moose/deer/hare protection on a subset of seedlings.
Untreated control units
These areas will not be harvested and will serve as a control for the 6 treatment units.
Entire project (all treatments)
3.5: Prioritize and maintain unique habitats
3.7: Identify, maintain, and enhance important habitats for fish and wildlife
3.7: Identify, maintain, and enhance important habitats for fish and wildlife
Allow for a large buffer without treatments or operations around unique hydrological characteristics such as vernal pools.
Watershed Strategy 6: Design and modify infrastructure to accommodate future conditions
6.2: Reroute or relocate infrastructure, or use temporary structures
6.2: Reroute or relocate infrastructure, or use temporary structures
Enhance or potentially modify access roads, skid trails and landing infrastructure in order to ensure future operability under increased precipitation conditions.
Relocate existing skid trails farther away from seeps and brooks.
Communicate the goals and details of the harvest and the research with visitors using signage.
Monitoring
Project participants identified several monitoring items that could help inform future management, including:
Tracking the success of natural regeneration and planted seedlings
Evaluating overstory and understory structure and species diversity in response to the silvicultural treatments
Density of downed woody debris with treatment areas
Public perception within surrounding residential area