FNR 225 Exam 2

not too wet and not too dry; Northern Hardwood

What does it mean to have a mesic forest? What forest type is considered mesic?

S.E. and S.C. Canda, N. New England and Lake States, higher elevation Appalachian mountains

Where are Northern Hardwood forests located?

cold, snowy winters and warm, humid summers

What is the climate like in the Northern Hardwood forests?

most has been glaciated, resulting in a variety of soil types

What is the topography of the Northern Hardwood forests?

not common, but can occur in droughty locations

What is the fire risk of the Northern Hardwood forests?

centuries of commercial timber harvest and clearing for agriculture

What is the land use history of the Northern Hardwood forests?

1600s and 1700s; forests were subsequently abandoned in 1800s when farming interests migrated to Midwest USA and Central Canada

During what time period were forests in New England, New York, and Canada cleared for agriculture? What happened in the 1800s?

deciduous species (with a few key conifers)

What species dominate the Northern Hardwood forests?

False

True or false: The Northern Hardwood forests are not a diverse mix of species.

very shade tolerant

As a mesic regions, climax species are _____.

quaking aspen and red pine

What the key pioneer species of the Northern Hardwood forests?

quaking aspen (Populas tremuloides Michx.)

What species is this?

red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.)

What species is this?

most widely distributed native tree species of North America (Northern Hardwood and Boreal Mountains; western mountains)

What is unique about quaking aspen?

upland, especially fire prone sites

quaking aspen prefers what types of sites?

reproduces by seed (Boreal or eastern forests) or root suckers

How does quaking aspen reproduce?

False. quaking aspen is shade intolerant, fast growing, and short-lived (60 yrs east or 150 yrs west)

True or False: quaking aspen is shade tolerant, slow growing, and long-lived.

thin bark; re-sprouts vigorously following cutting or burn

Why is quaking aspen easily killed by fire? How do they respond to this?

pulpwood species

quaking aspen is an ______ in Lake States

favorite browse for deer, moose, elk, and beaver (also preferred species for beaver dams)

What is the wildlife value of quaking aspen?

red pine

What tree species is unique to Northern Hardwood forests?

Sandy or gravelly soils

What types of soils does the red pine grow in?

True

True or False: red pine is a shade intolerant, early successional species

3-7 years

How often does red pine produce good seed crops?

short-lived (less than 150yrs); 70 ft

red pine is ___ lived and can reach ___ in height

they have excellent tree form

What factor of red pine makes them favorable for telephone poles, log homes, and timber/pulp?

seeds eaten by squirrels, chipmunks, and birds

What is the wildlife value of red pine?

True

True or false: red pine is the most planted and commercially important species of tree in the Northern Hardwood forests.

eastern white pine

What serial species is important for the Northern Hardwood Forests?

mesic sites

What sites does eastern white pine grow best on?

mid-successional; intermediate

eastern white pine is a ____ species and ____ in shade tolerance.

moderately fast; great longevity (greater than 500 years)

eastern white pine is ____ growing and _____ for eastern species.

among the largest trees; 200+ ft in height and 10 ft diameter

At the time of European settlement, eastern white pine as the _____ in North America

eastern white pine; crucial for ship masts and lumber (trees marked with an arrow to avoid illegal harvest)

Which tree was the most important to the early settlement of the NE area. Why?

natural regeneration

What helps maintain eastern white pine species composition?

white pine blister rust from Asia and white pine weevil

What threatens the eastern white pine?

eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.)

What species is this?

sugar maple, American beech, yellow birch, eastern hemlock, and American basswood

What are the most important climax species in the Northern Hardwood forests?

very shade tolerant; well to release; following long periods of suppression

sugar maple are _____ and responds _____ following _____.

prolific seeders; stratification; red/silver maples

sugar maples are _____ with good seed in the fall every 2-5 years that require _____ unlike ____

False; growth is slow but they reach 100+ ft height and 5ft dbh

True or false: sugar maples grow extremely fast and can reach only 50 feet in height

increasing; furniture and bowley alleys

Timber for sugar maples is valuable and ____ for what things?

twigs browsed by deer and seeds and food source for smaller mammals

What is the wildlife value for sugar maple?

sugar maple

What species is this?

xylem; 40 gallons

Which structure is tapped for maple syrup? How many gallons of sap produce 1 gallon of syrup?

American beech

Which climax species is common throughout all eastern deciduous forests?

well-drained mesic sites

What sites do American beech require?

very shade tolerant; dense shade; keeping lower limbs

American beech are ____ tolerant and produce _____ due to ____.

seed; root suckers

During mast years, American beech reproduce by ____ and also ____.

slow; long-lived reaching 100ft height and 4 ft dbh

American beech is growth is ____ but the species is _____.

heart rot; not commonly used for lumber

Most large American beech trees have ____. How does this effect its commercial value?

beech bark disease

What disease has become a large issue for American beech in the N.E.?

beechnuts favored by wildlife

What is the wildlife value for American beech?

American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.)

What species is this?

intermediate

yellow birch is _____ in shade tolerance.

prolific seeds; wind

Yellow birch are ____ and dispersal occurs via ____.

very sensitive mineral soil and rotting logs/stumps

What types of soil do yellow birch seeds germinate on?

slow but faster than maple/beech; 400+ yrs old and 100ft height/6ft dbh

Growth in yellow birch is ____ and they can reach ___.

Largest and longest-lived; produces finest wood

yellow birch is the ______ birch species worldwide.

seed important for overwintering birds

What is the wildlife value for yellow birch?

yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton)

What species is this?

cool, moist valleys, coves, and slopes

eastern hemlock occurs in the ______ of the Northern hardwood and mixed mesophytic regions

eastern hemlock

Which eastern species is the ultimate climax tree and extremely shade tolerant?

slow; respond to release

eastern hemlock growth is ____ but remarkable ability to ____.

very long lived (900+ yrs) and 160ft x 7ft

How long lived is eastern hemlock? How big do they get?

False

True or false: eastern hemlock wood is extremely valuable.

important wildlife cover and winter shelter

What is the wildlife value of eastern hemlock?

hemlock wooly adelgid

What seriously threatens eastern hemlock?

eastern hemlock

What species is this?

Northern Hardwood and Mesophytic regions; mesic, deep loamy soils

What regions and sites does American basswood prefer?

seeds, but prolific stump sprouter (common to have multiple stems)

American basswood reproduces how?

fast growing and short lived (200 yrs)

American basswood is ____ growing and ____ lived for a climax/shade tolerant.

one of the first; softer of the hardwoods so its more easily worked with

American basswood was the ____ to be cut commercially. Why?

deer browse shoots; birds and small animals eat fruit

What is the wildlife value of American basswood?

American basswood (Tilia americana L.)

What species is this?