Objectives: Tree cores were collected 17 years after the 1998 ice storm to evaluate long-term effects on growth.
Principal Investigator: John L. Campbell, Paul G. Schaberg, Lindsey E. Rustad, Christopher F. Hansen, Charles T. Driscoll.
Laboratory: Unknown
Recommended Citation: Campbell, J.L., Schaberg, P.G., Rustad, L.E., Hansen, C.F., Driscoll, C.T. 2022. 17-year resurvey of 1998 Ice Storm Forest Response Study in Vermont and New Hampshire.
Project Contents: Data for 39 Plots, 244 Trees, 483 Cores
Project Period: 2015-06-03 to 2015-08-19
Species:
Acer rubrum
Quercus rubra
Acer saccharum
Betula alleghaniensis
Fagus grandifolia
Fraxinus americana
Data License: 
What's this?Description: After the 1998 ice storm, the USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station initiated the Ice Storm Forest Response Study to address shortcomings in our understanding of ice storm effects on forest ecosystems. In the first summer after the storm (1998), forest damage was mapped using aerial photographs and ground surveys. In the following summer (1999), forest plots were established, and forest inventory data were collected to quantify damage and track recovery in areas of Vermont and New Hampshire, USA that were affected by the ice storm. Forest inventory data were collected again 17 years after the storm (2015) along with tree cores to evaluate long-term forest responses.
Related Publications: No related publications
Project Metadata
Taxonomic standard used: USDA Plants Database
How plots were selected: Forest sampling sites were selected to cover a range of ice storm damage, along with other considerations such as accessibility, property ownership, and site conditions. The initial forest inventories (1999, 2000, 2002) included 54 plots distributed across 12 sites; however, the tree core sampling in 2015 was only possible at 42 plots across 9 sites (7 in New Hampshire and 2 in Vermont) due to several factors, including plots being harvested, road closures, and time constraints.
How trees were selected: At each site in 2015, tree increment cores were extracted from 15-28 trees in the dominant or co-dominant crown class and 5-11 trees in the intermediate crown class. We prioritized Acer saccharum (sugar maple) and Fagus grandifolia (American beech), which were the two most common tree species. If those species were not available, then other common tree species were used as substitutes (i.e., Fraxinus americana (white ash), Acer rubrum (red maple), Quercus rubra (northern red oak), and Betula alleghaniensis (yellow birch))
Exclusion of trees (if any): Not provided
How cores were collected: Trees were cored with a 5-mm diameter hand-held auger at breast height, targeting the pith. Two cores were taken from opposite sides of each tree, and perpendicular to the dominant direction of the land surface slope. Cores were placed in paper straws in the field and air-dried immediately after returning to the laboratory.
How cores were processed: The dried cores were mounted with glue on grooved wooden blocks, sanded with progressively finer-grit sandpaper (80 to 1000 grit), and buffed with a linen polishing wheel.
Exclusion of cores (if any): Not provided
Added to the database: 11/28/2022
Last modified: 11/28/2022