Northeast Temperate Network Forest Health Monitoring Report 2006-2009

Miller, Kate; Tierney, Geri; Mitchell, Brian

A specific summary of findings within the park is available in the report (pg. 19). The report was not available online as of 8/28/10. ô...This report summarizes metrics of ecological integrity for ACAD, ELRO/HOFR, MORR, VAMA, and WEFA, and examines forest composition and structure for all NETN parks sampled from 2006-2009...Forest composition and structure summaries are based on density (stems/ha), and compare the composition of the forest canopy to the seedling and sapling data...Of the five parks rated herein, all except ACAD rated ôGoodö for forest structural stage distribution. A ôGoodö rating for this metric indicates that the distribution of forest successional stages is currently within the range of natural variation as we understand it...ACAD rated ôCautionö overall for this metric. Given that the majority of ACADÆs forests are second-growth and just beginning to reach maturity, it will be some time before ACAD can be rated ôGoodö for this metric. ..Balsam wooly adelgid was detected in several plots in ACAD. Beech bark disease ws most severe in ACAD...Invasive species were present in all parks, though few were present in ACAD. All park subunits in ACAD were rated ôGoodö for this metric; indicator invasive species were only detected in one of 169 plots... At the park level, ACAD rated ôCautionö for Course Woody Debris (CWD) ratio and ôGoodö for snag abundance... These results suggest that forest conditions in most NETN park could benefit from management actions such as reduction of white-tailed deer populations (MORR and WEFA), eradication and/or control of invasive species, and early detection of forest pests and exotic plants combined with rapid response control measures (all parks)ö /STUDY LOCATIONS:/ /MOUNT DESERT ISLAND/SCHOODIC PENINSULA/ISLE AU HAUT/ GIS-CATEGORY 2 ; Contains generic maps showing permanent forest plots used in the study.