Do Something Wild!
Keystone Wild! Notes
Spring 2012 Edition
Check out
this issue:
A New Enemy in Pennsylvania Forests:
Thousand Cankers Disease
by David Schmit
Cover Story- A New Enemy
in PA Forests . . . . . . . . . . . .1
Forest Health Specialist
Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
The WRCP Board . . . . . . . . 2
From the Editor's Desk. . . . 3
A Word from the Wild!
For the Love of Trees. . . . . 4
Our Changing Climate:
Nature's Carbon
Scavengers . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
WRCPeople:
Marcia Bonta. . . . . . . . . . . . 6
Cover Story continued . . . .7
Playing Peek-a-boo with a
Rare Salamander . . . . . . . .10
WRCP Grants in Action: The
Penn's Woods Project. . . . 12
F
rom the time of the original
westward expansion across
the U.S. through present day,
the American people have moved plants
with them that they valued highly. One
of those highly valued plants is black
walnut. The black walnut is valued for its
beautifully colored and easily worked
wood, the tree's beautiful shape and the
value of its nuts for eating, baking and for
wildlife. Because of these qualities, this
tree was planted throughout the West,
beyond its natural range. In almost any
Friends of the Fund:
Penn Nursery. . . . . . . . . . . 14
area in America you will see beautiful
examples of this native American tree.
This tree has great importance
economically. Not only is it a high quality
landscape tree, but meat from the nuts is
highly prized for baking. The ground-up
hulls have a surprising number of industrial
applications, including use for cleaning
aircraft engines and as filler for dynamite.
Cabinetmakers, furniture makers and
makers of gun stocks are willing to pay
premium prices for good walnut wood.
Black walnut is native to eastern North
America. Its native range extends from
the Florida panhandle north to southern
Minnesota and Wisconsin through central
Michigan and central Pennsylvania. East
to west, the native range extends from
the Atlantic coast across to eastern Texas,
central Oklahoma and Kansas, and
eastern Nebraska.
(Image: USDA Forest Service)
What is TreeVitalize?. . . . .17
Wild! Watch: Counting the
Rings. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19
Color Me Wild! Trees of
Pennsylvania . . . . . . . . . . 23
Wild! Words: Forests
Pests and Diseases . . . . . 24
Weed It and Reap:
White Mulberry. . . . . . . . . . 25
article continues on page 7
Wild! Buys . . . . . . . . . . . . .26
Wild Resource Conservation Program
P.O. Box 8764, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8764
(717)783-1639
Visit us at www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcp
Administered by the
PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
in cooperation with the PA Game Commission and
PA Fish & Boat Commission
Keystone Wild! Notes 1
Pennsylvania
Wild Resource Conservation Program
Do Something Wild!
Tom Corbett, Governor
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
Richard J. Allan, Secretary
Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Greg Czarnecki, Executive Director
Wild Resource Conservation Program
Wild Resource
Conservation Board
Honorable Richard J. Allan
Secretary, Department of Conservation & Natural Resources
Honorable John Arway
Executive Director, Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission
Honorable Carl Roe
Executive Director, Pennsylvania Game Commission
Senator Mary Jo White, Majority Chairman
Pennsylvania
Wild Resource
Conservation
Program
Advisory Committee
J. Merlin Benner
Dr. Cynthia Morton
Wellsboro
Pittsburgh
Dr. Timothy Block
Mark Pennell
Philadelphia
Carlisle
Dr. Roger Latham
Dr. Sarah Sargent
Rose Valley
Meadville
Nate McKelvie
Lebanon
Senate Environmental Resources & Energy Committee
Senator John T. Yudichak, Minority Chairman
Senate Environmental Resources and & Energy Committee
Rep. Scott E. Hutchinson, Majority Chairman
House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee
Rep. Camille George, Minority Chairman
Keystone WILD! Notes
P.O. Box 8764, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8764
717-787-3212
Website: www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcp
Jessica Sprajcar, Editor
Design/Layout, DEP Graphics
House Environmental Resources & Energy Committee
Keystone Wild! Notes is the official online publication of the
Pennsylvania Wild Resource Conservation Program. Its goal is to inform
people about the activities of the program, which supports research and
protection efforts for the state’s natural heritage—its unique collection
of native nongame animals and wild plants. The program is funded by
the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources
and by public contributions: voluntary checkoffs on the state income
tax return form, direct donations or the purchase of the Wild Resource license plate. If you have comments about Keystone
WILD! Notes, please send them to The Editor, Wild Resource Conservation Program, P.O. Box 8764, Harrisburg, PA 171058764, or e-mail to [email protected]. To subscribe, please go to www.dcnr.state.pa.us/wrcp/subscribe.html and enter
your e-mail address.
Do Something Wild!
Keystone
Wild! Notes
Keystone Wild! Notes 2
From the Editor’s Desk
t's amazing the ripple effects that can come from invasive forest pests and
diseases. For instance, David Wagner, professor of ecology and
evolutionary biology at the University of Connecticut, wrote in News of the
Lepidopterists' Society, Vol. 49, No. 1, that as emerald ash borer beetles spread and
kill ash trees, the native moths and butterflies that rely on ash trees for food are in
decline. That's something I never would have thought of—the killing of the ash trees
is bad enough—but just goes to show how many unintended consequences can occur
in nature with the presence of even just one invasive species. Look to David Schmit's
cover article on forest diseases for more bad news.
I
But it's not all bad news when it comes to Pennsylvania's forests. Programs like
TreeVitalize and places like Penn Nursery—both featured in this issue—are working to
ensure a healthy, vibrant tree canopy in communities and public lands statewide.
While over 60 percent of our state is covered by forests, many areas lack a diverse
native tree population. Trees help clean the air we breathe and the water we drink.
Their value cannot be denied.
Editor Jessica Sprajcar
is a Conservation Program
Manager with DCNR’s Office
of Conservation Science.
As the spring season turns to summer, sit under a big tree, enjoy the shade it
provides, and remember why our state is known as “Penn's Woods”. That is a
heritage that we need to honor and protect.
Citizen Science Highlight:
Viburnum Leaf Beetle Citizen
Science Project
The Viburnum Leaf Beetle Citizen Science Project brings
together gardeners, school classes and others with
researchers at Cornell University to learn more about the
spread of this new pest in North America. Citizen
scientists can help researchers by gathering information
that may help stop the spread of this and other pests.
We would like to thank the recent donors to the Wild
Resource Conservation Fund. Our educational
materials, research grants and other projects depend
on generous donations from people like you. Whether
you mail in a check or donate your state income tax
refund to us, you are helping to conserve our natural
resources. Thanks for Doing Something Wild!
$1 to $25
J. McKenna
S. Keane
M. Farina
A. Crelli
E. McLean
Participants in the project will
monitor their gardens, parks or
school yards throughout the
spring and summer, looking for
viburnum leaf beetles, an
invasive beetle that is currently
found in Pennsylvania, other
northeastern states and some
Canadian provinces.
To get involved in this project,
go to:
http://www.hort.cornell.edu/vlb.
Thanks for Your Support!
$51 to $100
T. Breneisen
A. Greenberger
M. Bonta
$101 to $200
N. Kerlin
$26 to $50
$201 to $250
T. Fonda
B. Herring
C. Strelick
J. McKinney
S. Furlong
R. and K. St. John
www.invasive.org)
Keystone Wild! Notes 3
A Word
From the
ild!
For the Love
of Trees
by Greg Czarnecki, WRCP Director
S
everal years ago I gave the Consul General
from the Indian Embassy in New York City a
ride from State College to Harrisburg. As we passed
through Rothrock State Forest he remarked that he had
no idea Pennsylvania had so much jungle and asked if
we had tigers. I told him we don't have any tigers, but
plenty of bears. He seemed impressed.
Even to someone visiting our state for
the first time, it's clear that
Pennsylvania was aptly named.
Forests are a part of our identity, an
important piece of our economy, and
for many of us the place we retreat to
relax and recreate.
Not everyone feels this way about
trees, especially if they've grown up
where trees are few and far between.
During the Camp David peace talks in
1978, Egypt's President Anwar Sadat
found the woods of northern
Maryland gloomy and depressing
because he couldn't see the sky, and
I know some transplanted
Midwesterners that much prefer the
grasslands of Kansas to the forests
of Pennsylvania. I can't say that I
share the feeling. On a trip to central
Texas, where the few trees they have
grow no bigger than tall shrubs, I
felt utterly exposed and couldn't
wait to get back to the tree cover
of Pennsylvania.
When my wife and I bought our house 10 years ago the
yard had only two small trees—a birch and a maple that
had been planted by the builder. We envisioned our yard
in 20 years as a shaded sanctuary full of birds, squirrels
and other wildlife. So we began a tree planting
campaign, adding more and more trees each year.
Spruce, red maple, pear, dogwood, tulip poplar, sweet
gum and our favorite of all, a redbud, planted outside
our family room window.
There's nothing more beautiful than a redbud in
springtime: its stunning, blossom-lined limbs yielding
to large heart-shaped leaves in the summer. Each year
the tree grew taller, fuller and more beautiful. It was
especially full last year, at times seeming to bend under
the weight of its own leaves. It's where the birds land
before visiting our feeders and where they retreat
when they feel threatened.
On August 28 of last year we awoke
to the roar of Hurricane Irene. As
the day broke I could see that
something was wrong with our
redbud; it was beginning to split. I
rushed out with a saw hoping that
by trimming the already broken
branches I could relieve some of the
stress on the trunk, but the wind
was too strong. I could barely stand
up and the tree was thrashing so
violently that using the saw was
impossible. By the time the wind
subsided later in the day more than
half of the tree had broken apart.
We felt awful. Like many people, we
become attached to our trees to the
point that they seem like members
of the family. When we lose a tree,
we mourn its loss. It no longer
shades us from the sun, shelters us
from the wind, or provides that
comfortable spot to sit beneath.
The yard no longer feels quite right; it's not quite
home anymore.
Thankfully, our redbud still stands. It's scarred, terribly
misshapen and probably much more susceptible to
future storms and insect pests. But that's no reason to
get rid of an old friend. This spring the remaining
branches bloomed, the birds are still sitting in it, and
it's even sprouting new branches from the portion of
the trunk that split. Our family is still whole.
Keystone Wild! Notes 4
ike giant vacuum
cleaners, they suck
carbon from the
atmosphere, lock it away where it
will do no harm, and in the same
breath exhale the oxygen we
inhale. They are forests.
L
Trees capture (sequester) carbon
through the process of
photosynthesis. They draw air in
through microscopic holes
(stomata) in their leaves, and
using the power of sunlight,
break carbon dioxide and water
molecules into their component
atoms and recombine them into
oxygen and glucose. The latter
provides energy and the building
blocks of plant tissue, which in
the case of trees is about 50
percent carbon by dry weight!
Carbon sequestration rates vary
with the types of trees, soils,
regional climate and topography
found in a forest. According to
the Intergovernmental Panel on
Climate Change (IPPC), tropical
forests sequester an average of
109 tons of carbon per acre,
while temperate forests like those
in Pennsylvania sequester an
average of 68 tons per acre. But
not all of the carbon sequestered
by a forest is found in the trees.
Much of it is sequestered below
ground in the soil as decomposed
plant material. Since tropical
forests grow much more quickly
because of the higher
temperatures near the equator,
they rapidly move the carbon
from the soil to the tree. In a
tropical forest about half of the
carbon is above ground, while in
temperate forests only about a
third is.
U.S. forests, according to the U.S.
Forest Service, absorb about 750
million metric tons of carbon
dioxide every year. That's equal
Our
Changing
Climate:
Nature's
Carbon Scavengers
by Greg Czarnecki
Director of the Wild Resource Conservation Program
Trees breathe through microscopic
holes in their leaves. Here is one
stoma shown through a scanning
electron microscope.
(Photo: Wikipedia.com)
Pennsylvania's temperate forests
absorb a portion of the carbon
emissions created from the burning
of fossil fuels.
(Photo: Jessica Sprajcar, DCNR)
to 10 percent of our annual
emissions. Closer to home, the
carbon sequestered by
Pennsylvania's forests each year
equals one twentieth of the
carbon emissions from burning
fossil fuels in the state. As trees
and forests reach maturity,
carbon sequestration declines.
Eventually, if trees grow old
enough and soils become
saturated with organic material,
overall carbon sequestration
stops because the amount of
carbon absorbed through
photosynthesis is balanced by the
amount released to the
atmosphere through
decomposition.
Clearly, forests play a key role in
mitigating climate change, so
forest cover should be expanded.
Unfortunately, in many parts of
the world just the opposite
is occurring.
Deforestation is the second
largest source of carbon
emissions to the atmosphere,
after burning fossil fuels, with
tropical deforestation alone
accounting for 20 percent of
global emissions, according to the
IPPC's 2007 report.
Deforestation is a double
whammy, because the carbon
contained in the forest is
returned to the atmosphere since much of the wood is burned
- and decades of future carbon
sequestration are lost as those
living carbon vacuums come
crashing to the forest floor.
To learn more about how much
carbon an individual tree can
sequester and how that relates to
the amount of carbon you
produce, check out The Nature
Conservancy video Forest Carbon
101.
Keystone Wild! Notes 5
eople
'm a freelance nature writer, inspired by a Pennsylvania mountaintop
property I moved to 40 years ago. Through my writing on the state's
natural areas and my Appalachian Seasons' books, I encourage
people to appreciate what natural Pennsylvania has to offer. I've always been
about education, hoping that the more folks knew and understood about the
natural world, the more they would want to protect it.
I
I was born in Camden, New Jersey and raised in Woodbury. We had a series of
lakes and woods near our home, and I led the local neighborhood children in
nature walks along the trails. I joined the Girl Scouts for their annual camping
experience, and I managed to obtain all the badges that pertained to nature,
including wildflowers and birds. Most of our family vacations were spent at my
grandparents' home in Pottstown, Pennsylvania, and dad took us to the places
where he had explored and camped during his boyhood. But neither dad nor I
could go home again, because as soon as I went off to Bucknell University, the
woods were sold, and I returned to a place I didn't recognize. Dad, similarly,
had the same experience when he tried to show us some of his favorite
boyhood haunts. Incidentally, I chose Bucknell solely because of the view of
the mountains from the hill and its proximity to wild places. My husband-to-be
owned an “illegal on campus” motor scooter, which he hid downtown, and we
spent many happy hours exploring the beautiful, wild areas where Interstate 80
was later built.
For many years, my work has been my hobby. When not in my office writing, I
was out on our trails observing nature. Lately, I've reverted to my love of
classical music, especially opera, and am reading books that don't have to do
with nature and the environment. But I'm still on my trails most days, I still
keep a nature journal, and I still write my “Naturalist's Eye” column for Game
News, a publication of the Pennsylvania Game Commission.
My favorite place in the state has always been Rickett's Glen State Park. In
fact, it was because of that park that I started my two books—Outbound
Journeys in Pennsylvania and More Outbound Journeys in Pennsylvania.
When we moved here after five years in rural Maine, everyone felt sorry for us.
When I asked them why, they said that there was nothing in Pennsylvania but
big cities and coal mines. At that time I subscribed to many nature and
environmental magazines and never once had there been an article on
Pennsylvania. I wanted to change that. Now that our state is being further
fragmented by various energy extraction and generation projects, especially in
my favorite part of Pennsylvania, I fear we will once again be known as a
highly-industrialized state.
I've always believed in the Wild Resource Conservation Program's mission to
finance the study of nongame species in Pennsylvania and have been
fascinated by the many wonderful research projects that were made possible
by those grants. I've used the information biologists have obtained through
WRCP grants from the very beginning in my writing. When I was asked to be
on the Advisory Committee in 2005, I eagerly accepted. It was great to look at
all the proposals and realize how far research has progressed since the WRCP
was started. I only wish the program was better funded and better appreciated
by more citizens. I make donations to WRCP every year; I wish more people
would do the same.
Marcia Bonta
Freelance Nature Writer
Editor's Note: Marcia
ended her term on the
WRCP Advisory Board in
early 2012. We would like
to thank her for her tireless
efforts at educating the
public about the important
natural places throughout
Pennsylvania and for her
continued support of
WRCP.
“Like” us on Facebook
WRCP has revamped our
Facebook page and we hope that
you “like” it. When you click on
the “like” button, you will become
a member of our online presence
and be the first to know about
upcoming events, publication
debuts and important news in the
world of WRCP and conservation.
So please find us on Facebook by
searching for “PA Wild Resource
Conservation Program”
and join our group.
Keystone Wild! Notes 6
New Enemy in PA Forests continued...
Pennsylvania Academic Standards
that apply to this article:
4.1.12.C. – Research how humans affect energy
flow within an ecosystem.
4.5.10.D. – Research practices that impact
biodiversity in specific ecosystems.
4.1.3.E. through 12.E. – Discuss changes to
ecosystems over time.
4.3.3.A through 12.A. – Discuss how natural
resources are used by humans.
4.3.12.B. – Analyze factors that influence
availability of natural resources.
4.5.3.B. through 12.B. – Discuss pests and pest
management.
The walnut twig beetle is
only as wide as 0.5 mm
pencil lead and 3 mm long.
(Photo: Richard Hoebeke,
Cornell University)
When compared to
a penny, the beetle
would fit on one or two
letters on the coin.
(Photo: Whitney Cranshaw,
Colorado State University)
As early as the early 1990s, seemingly isolated
occurrences of walnut mortality began to crop up in the
western states. Throughout the 2000s, walnut decline
became more widespread across areas of the West. The
walnut twig beetle, Pityiphthorus juglandis, was first
associated with these strange occurrences of walnut
mortality in 2003 in Idaho.
The walnut twig beetle is native to Chihuahua,
Mexico, Arizona and New Mexico. Its range
coincides with the native range of Arizona
walnut, a species that is unaffected by the
current walnut mortality problem.
(Image: USDA Forest Service)
The walnut twig beetle was originally confined to small
twigs on its native host, Arizona walnut. Yet somewhere
between its original identification in 1928 and its
connection with the black walnut die offs in the west as
early as 2002, this species picked up a traveling partner,
a fungus named Geosmithia morbida. This duo has
become the Bonnie and Clyde of the American black
walnut world ever since. The association was first
noted, and the identification of the fungus made, by
Colorado State University researchers in 2008. Prior to
this, Geosmithia morbida was unknown to science.
Cambium is the layer of soft, growing wood tissue that
lies between the bark and the wood. This cambium
layer is the layer through which the food manufactured
in the leaves travels on its way to the roots to be stored
for next year's leaf out. When the twig beetle larvae
hatch, they bore their own tunnels through the fungal
infected areas. When a new twig beetle bores through
these dead infected areas, they take on spores and
move with them when they emerge as adults and bore
into a new area on this or another tree. The disease
cycle starts all over again.
article continues on next page
Keystone Wild! Notes 7
New Enemy in PA Forests continued...
When the tree is first
attacked by the twig
beetle it bores a tunnel
into and across the
grain of the bark of the
walnut tree, wherein it
lays its eggs.
(Photo: Whitney Cranshaw,
When the CSU researchers identified the association
between the insect and the fungus, the potential far
reaching effects of this association began to be realized.
Colorado is a long way from the native range of black
walnut and the feeling was that there was time to find
out all we could about this disease association and to
devise controls to prevent its spread from the west to
the native range east of the Great Plains.
Colorado State University)
As the beetle digs its
tunnel, it sheds fungal
spores (that are carried
either on or in its body –
no one knows which) in
the tunnel. The spores
Unfortunately, forest health professionals didn't have the
time that they thought that they had. In July of 2010,
the disease was discovered in Knoxville, Tennessee.
Following that shock, thousand cankers disease was
discovered in Virginia and Pennsylvania in 2011. The
Pennsylvania infestation was brought here when an artist
purchased a piece of a special species of walnut from a
source in California. The wood was shipped with the
bark intact and the bark contained the insects and the
fungus.
begin to grow and the
fungus kills a small area
of the cambium layer.
This area of dead tissue is
called a canker.
(Photo: Ned Tisserat,
Colorado State University)
When enough of these
cankers occur in the
cambium, the flow of
nutrients in the tree is
completely cut off and
the tree dies. The dead
spots are small but they
occur in the thousands
No one really knows yet how fast this disease complex
travels on its own, but it is apparent that the thousand
cankers disease is fatal to all black walnut trees. Right
now the only way that we have to delay the spread of
this insect is to restrict the movement of all untreated
walnut that still has bark attached. Firewood is a classic
way for insects and diseases to move.
Imagine that your neighbor's tree dies. He takes his
chain saw and cuts down the tree and cuts it into
firewood. Then he takes it up to his camp in Potter
County. Whatever it was that killed the tree, he just
moved it to Potter County. Most of time there isn't any
earthshaking killer in the firewood, but people don't
know what kills their trees and when there is something
bad in the firewood, you can't go back in time to correct
the mistake.
when a tree is under
heavy attack, hence the
name thousand cankers
So no matter what you do:
Don't Move Firewood – Buy it Where you Burn it!
disease.
(Photo: Ned Tisserat,
Colorado State University)
Keystone Wild! Notes 8
Sugar Maple Decline Phenomenon
Sugar maple decline or dieback is a phenomenon that has become
apparent in the last 60 years. This decline is a result of a combination
of severe stresses of the sugar maple such as insect defoliation,
drought, extremes in temperature and acid deposition. These
stressors weaken the trees, predisposing them to attack from
secondary pathogens such as Armillaria fungus on the root systems
and Stegonosporium ovatum fungus on the twigs and small branches.
According to the article, “History of Sugar Maple Decline” by David
Houston, in the Sugar Maple Ecology and Health Proceedings of an
International Symposium, symptoms of sugar maple decline include
leaf mortality, twig and branch dieback, and resultant canopy thinning.
(Photo: Jason Sharman, Vitalitree)
Cosmo's World 2
Videos are
Now Online!
Cosmo the flying squirrel and Terra the river otter
are back with some new and old friends to learn
more about Pennsylvania's biodiversity. In these
four short videos geared toward middle school
students, viewers will learn all about energy,
water, sustainable agriculture and of course,
biodiversity. Woven throughout the videos are
ways that young people can help be good
stewards of the environment. Teacher lesson
plans and fun activities accompany each video.
These are being developed by Natural
Biodiversity and will be available online this
spring. So stop by Cosmo's
World and see what's new! All
eight Cosmo's World videos
can be viewed at:
http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/c
onservationscience/wrcp/educ
ationalresources/cosmosworld/
index.htm.
New Video, Science Afield:
Nature on the Move,
Ready to View
As changes take place in
the earth's climate, what
happens to the planet's
species? For some mobile
species that can shift their
ranges to warmer or cooler
climes, this may not be as much
of a problem. But some species could face a
harsher future. Join host Jessica Sprajcar as she
travels throughout Pennsylvania to examine how
adaptable nature could be in the second video
installment of Science Afield, which encourages
all citizens to become citizen scientists. This
video was produced by the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resource's iConserve
program, in conjunction with WRCP. Both this
video, and the first one – “Citizens Count” – can
be viewed at: http://www.iconservepa.com/csi/
scienceafield/index.htm.
Keystone Wild! Notes 9
Playing Peek-a-boo with a
Rare Salamander
by Ryan Miller, Ecologist for The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy
T
he green salamander (Aneides aeneus) is
one of the most unique salamanders in
North America. Everything from their
brilliant green markings, to their little square rockgripping toes, to their habitat use, makes them
different from most salamanders. The Pennsylvania
Natural Heritage Program and The Western
Pennsylvania Conservancy became involved with the
state threatened green salamander when it was
rediscovered in Pennsylvania by Charles Bier in 1983.
Since then, Bier has mapped what is known of the
green salamander's current range in Pennsylvania and
learned their habits and habitat. Ryan Miller has been
studying the salamander with Bier since 2007 and has
learned much about this amazing creature.
The green salamander has green mottling on a grey
or black background on the top of its head and back.
The average size is three to five inches in length.
They have a flat body that aids their movement within
the crevices of rock formations, and square-shaped
toes that help them grip the rocks. They have brilliant
yellow irises that show up well when using a flashlight
to look into the rock crevices.
Pennsylvania Academic Standards
that apply to this article:
4.1.10.A. – Examine the effects of limiting factors
in population dynamics.
4.1.12.A. – Analyze the significance of biological
diversity in an ecosystem.
4.1.10.E. – Analyze how humans influence the
patterns of natural changes in ecosystems over
time.
4.5.3.D. – Identify organisms that are dependent
on one another in a given ecosystem.
4.5.10.D. – Research practices that impact
biodiversity in specific ecosystems.
The green salamander is not common throughout its
range. It is found in pockets along the Appalachian
Mountains from as far south as Alabama to the northern
end of its range in Fayette County, Pennsylvania. Its
preferred habitat in Pennsylvania is Pottsville sandstone
outcrops and formations within heavily forested areas. In
other states, it has been found in other types of rock and
sometimes wanders into the forest and even resides in
trees.
In Pennsylvania, the green salamanders spend their
summers in small crevices in the rocks. They are truly
habitat specialists, preferring “not too wet but not too
dry” and “not too wide but not too narrow” crevices.
They prefer clean crevices with no debris, dirt, spider
webs or other occupants like invertebrates. Yes, they are
picky about where they reside on the rocks! They move
from crevice to crevice foraging on invertebrates and
during the winter they hibernate in deep crevices within
the sandstone to avoid the freezing temperatures.
The green salamander is unlike most other
salamanders in Pennsylvania. It makes its
home in rock crevices. (Photo: Ryan Miller, WPC)
The salamanders breed in late spring, and the females
lay their eggs and attach them to the roof of isolated
“nest crevices.” The female will vigorously defend the
crevice from intruders like other salamanders and
Keystone Wild! Notes 10
Playing Peek-a-boo with a Rare Salamander continued...
invertebrates. A clutch usually consists of 10 to 20
eggs that develop throughout the late summer and
hatch in late September. The hatchlings are miniature
replicas of the full-sized adults and can fit on a penny.
Field surveys for the green salamander are quite in
depth. They start in the office with desktop GIS map
analysis with topographic maps and geology overlays.
PNHP scientists select areas that stand out as steep
rock outcrops within the boundaries of the Pottsville
sandstone formation for field assessment. Sometimes
these areas are not easily accessed and require hours
of hiking in steep terrain through green briar,
rhododendron and mountain laurel. Once at the site,
they begin carefully examining cracks and crevices on
the faces of the cliffs, outcrops and boulders. They
use a small flashlight to illuminate the crevice to
locate the salamanders, which blend in quite well with
their dark bodies and lichen-like patterns. Sometimes
the scientists carry in ladders to survey tall cliffs and
boulders, and also have been known to hold each
other up to quickly check crevices that are over their
heads. Once they find a green salamander, they take
detailed notes on its location, habitat and
morphology, and take photographs of the habitat and
the animal itself. All of this is done without removing
them from the crevices so they remain undisturbed.
Not all surveys turn up salamanders. Rock habitats
can be relatively easy to find by looking at maps.
However, once at the site, all of the habitat pieces
may not add up because it's either too dry, too
wet, too hot, too cold, too sunny, too much moss, or
not the correct rock composition.
After five years of looking at the salamanders in their
habitat, Ryan Miller has developed a habitat and
search image. On some surveys he has found himself
stepping back to look at a huge rock formation and
calling the shot, seeing a decent crevice from a
distance and walking up to find a green salamander
staring back at him with bright yellow eyes.
Salamander surveys can also be humbling, however.
Miller has been caught (by Bier and others) scouring
The bright yellow
eyes of the green
salamander seem to
stare at the camera.
(Photo: Ryan Miller, PNHP)
crevices inch by inch across huge rock formations only to
be followed up and told “you missed one.”
Most of the work with the green salamander over the
years has been environmental review projects.
However, this past field season Miller was lucky enough
to be able to survey for the salamanders in Forbes State
Forest for a Department of Conservation and Natural
Resources Bureau of Forestry rare species update
project. During these surveys the scientists spent time
hiking along rock formations where they discovered or
updated three green salamander occurrences. To add to
the excitement, Miller discovered some timber
rattlesnake and copperhead basking sites as well.
Nothing makes your hair stand up quicker than walking
along the rocks and hearing the tell-tale buzz of a timber
rattlesnake nearby!
Pennsylvania is lucky to have this unique fauna reside
within its borders. However, it does face threats.
Logging near the rock formations can expose the rocks
to sun and wind, essentially drying them out and making
them unsuitable for salamander habitat. Rock quarries
and mines can eat up huge areas of habitat. Energy
development from wind and fossil fuels can fragment
habitat with roads, well pads and pipelines. To protect
remaining colonies from development, forested buffers
around the habitat can be established. The green
salamander is certainly a rare animal worth protecting.
“Reprinted with permission from the October-December 2011
PNHP Newsletter:
http://www.waterlandlife.org/assets/2011_Q4_PNHP_n
ewsletter_final.pdf”
Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program
The Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program (PNHP) is a member of NatureServe, an international network
of natural heritage programs that gather and provide information on the location and status of important
ecological resources (plants, vertebrates, invertebrates, natural communities and geologic features). Its
purpose is to provide current, reliable, objective information to help inform environmental decisions. PNHP
information can be used to guide conservation work and land-use planning, ensuring the maximum
“Information for the
conservation benefit with the minimum cost. To learn more about what we do, and about species of special
Conservation of Biodiversity” concern, visit us on the web at Pennsylvania Natural Heritage Program.
PNHP
Keystone Wild! Notes 11
WRCP Grants in Action:
The Penn's Woods Project
by Jessica Sprajcar
Conservation Program Manager at DCNR
s any grade school student will tell you,
Pennsylvania means “Penn's Woods”. King
Charles II of England gave Penn this tract of
land in 1681 and Penn's first impressions were shaped
by the dense forests that he saw upon arrival. The
extent and species composition of Pennsylvania's forests
have changed a lot since 1681, but forests remain a
dominant sight on the landscape. According to
PATrees.org, forests cover 17 million acres of the state
(nearly 60 percent of the land cover), three quarters of
which is divided among millions of individual owners.
Because of the significance of forests in Pennsylvania,
Allegheny College environmental science professors
Richard Bowden, Ph.D. and Terry Bensel, Ph.D., created
the Penn's Woods Project in 2006 to educate future
generations about our forests.
A
Module Kit Components
Each kit contains all the supplies needed to
complete the activites within a module.
Supplies are modeled on equipment used by
foresters and forest researchers.
(Photo: Allegheny College)
The Penn's Woods Project is a forest education
program that:
·
Illustrates the research sophistication employed
by modern forest professionals
·
Is tailored directly to high school students
·
Promotes teacher-student collaborations
·
Supplies background information on critical
forest issues
·
Fosters hands-on investigations of critical issues
facing Pennsylvania forests
·
Provides field and lab equipment to high school
teachers
The program is made up of nine hands-on educational
modules developed by Allegheny College students that
cover the topics of forest harvest, wildlife and forests,
invasive species, air pollution, and climate change. Each
exercise within the modules follows guidelines
established by the National Science Education Standards
and is related directly to the Pennsylvania Department of
Education's environment and ecology academic
standards. Some of the topics that are covered in the
modules include: simulated deer browse, soil
invertebrates, acid deposition and wildlife cavities.
Soil Invertebrate Kit
Contains field gear, invertebrate keys, and
Tullgren Funnels for extracting
invertebrates
Estimating Economic Potential Kit
Enables estimation of tree growth for
calculation of current and future wood
value
Keystone Wild! Notes 12
WRCP Grants in Action: The Penn's Woods Project continued...
Students can go to one of five sites scattered across the
state to study forests firsthand. Staff at each of the
sites – Crawford County Conservation District in
Meadville, Titusville High School, Asbury Woods Nature
Center in Erie, Juniata College in Huntingdon and John
James Audubon Center in Audubon, PA – was trained to
be able to use the equipment and lead the lessons. The
program's website
(http://pennswoodsproject.allegheny.edu/home)
provides support for the instructors through background
information and factsheets, research articles, field
guides, forest research methods, activities and
instructional videos.
Students, both from rural and urban school districts,
who have gone through the program, show a
considerable increase in forestry knowledge, and they
have enjoyed the experience. Allegheny College will
continue to update and modify the modules as needed,
with input from the site instructors and teachers.
Pre and post testing scores for rural school students that participated in the
program show a considerable increase in forestry knowledge.
(Chart: Allegheny College)
Pre- and Post-Test Scores for Modules in Rural Schools
This project was funded in part ($40,375) by a Wild Resource Conservation Program grant in 2008.
th
30 Anniversary
of the Wild Resource Conservation Program is Approaching
Soon WRCP will be celebrating a major milestone—our 30th birthday! To
celebrate, Keystone Wild!Notes will devote our summer issue to the
occasion. We're going to bring you some highlights from past issues of
Wild!Notes and compare them to where WRCP stands today. There are
over 100 issues of Wild!Notes to sift through, so this is no small task!
Look for this issue to debut sometime in July.
Do Something Wild!
Pennsylvania
Wild Resource
Conservation
Program
Keystone Wild! Notes 13
Friends of
the Fund
Friends of the Fund:
Penn Nursery and
Wood Shop
By Tina Alban
Forest Nursery Operations Manager for Penn Nursery
T
he Department of Forest and Waters
established its first small nursery in 1902 in
Mont Alto, Pennsylvania with the intention of
providing seedlings for local planting projects on state
forest lands. Sometime between 1908 and 1912, a
smaller nursery was established in a potato patch behind
the house of Ranger William McKinney at the base of the
seven mountains. This nursery was called “Seven
Mountains Nursery,” now known as Penn Nursery.
During this time period, there were as many as 56
“ranger” nurseries in operation to produce seedlings
locally for planting on state forest lands. These nurseries
served another role; that of interesting the public in their
forests.
The place that is now
known as Penn
Nursery was
established on a
potato patch behind
ranger William
McKinney's home back
in the early 1900s.
With the onset of World War I and the subsequent loss
of personnel, most of these ranger nurseries were closed
and only four main nurseries remained: Mont Alto,
Clearfield, Greenwood Furnace and Penn Nursery, which
became a transplant nursery providing ornamental
planting stock for beautification of state highways and
areas within state forest lands. The Highway
Department (now the Pennsylvania Department of
Transportation) opened their own nursery in Milton, and
in the early 1930s the decision was made to change the
focus of Penn Nursery from ornamentals to bare-root
seedlings for reforestation.
Legal Statute P.L. 817, enacted on May 5, 1927 and
amended June 21, 1947, authorized the nurseries to
grow forest tree seedlings, transplants, shrubs and vines
to meet the demands for planting on state forest land
with excess numbers for planting on private lands, and
to support the forest districts and state parks by
providing forest signs, outdoor tables, award plaques
and warehouse facilities for official publications as
required.
Today, Penn Nursery is the last remaining State Forest
Tree Nursery operated by the Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources' (DCNR) Bureau of
Forestry, and although there have been many changes
along the way, the nursery continues to focus on
producing high quality native seedlings for reforesting
state forest lands as well as state park reforestation
projects. The facility also continues to provide high
quality forest and park signs, outdoor tables and
warehouse facilities for state forests.
One key project of Penn Nursery is local seed collection.
Each year, DCNR resource specialists from across the
state provide the nursery with their requirements for
how many seedlings of each species they anticipate
needing for future reforestation projects. These
requirements are compiled and the nursery determines
how many bushels of each species of tree or shrub seed
needs to be collected. The nursery manages eight
Keystone Wild! Notes 14
Friends of the Fund continued...
different tree seed orchards across the Commonwealth,
many containing mature trees produced from tree
improvement programs over the past 50 years. Seed is
regularly collected from these orchards for use in the
nursery. A seed request is sent to each forest district
showing how much seed of each species needs to be
collected. When the seed is ripe, foresters and
technicians select the tree or shrub to collect from,
carefully harvest and label each container of seed with
information regarding the species, county, township, GPS
(global positioning system) location, date of the
collection and other vital information. Seed from each
species is kept separate and receives its own label. Seed
is then quickly transported to the nursery where it will
receive a unique seed lot number assignment that will
stay with that seed until it becomes a seedling and is
shipped to its final planting site. In this way, seed
collected in one area can produce seedlings that will go
back to that same area for planting. In the event local
seed is not available due to a poor crop year, seed is
purchased from suppliers as long as it is from
Pennsylvania ecotypes (i.e. native Pennsylvania trees).
Service for processing and cryogenic storage at a special
facility in Colorado. In the future, when there is an
integrated management plan for this exotic pest, the
preserved seed sources can be retrieved from long-term
storage and used to produce seedlings for restoration
plantings where the seeds originally came from. A
similar approach is being made for other endangered
native tree species that are vulnerable to exotic diseases
and insect pests. Butternut (Juglans cinerea) is in
decline due to butternut canker, and several competing
canker diseases are affecting black walnut (Juglans
nigra), including the invasive thousand cankers disease
(Geosmithia morbida) – see cover story for more
information. These diseases are of great concern
because the loss of genetic diversity among families of
vulnerable species reduces the opportunity to identify
ones that are disease-resistant.
Penn Nursery grows
species like this
butternut in order to
collect seed for future
restoration projects.
Dave Kopchik, a Penn
(Photo: Tina Alban)
Nursery staff member,
collects seed from these
pitch pine cones.
(Photo: Tina Alban)
Seed is collected for reasons other than sowing too.
After seeing the devastation caused by the invasive
emerald ash borer in Pennsylvania and many other
states, Pennsylvania joined with the U.S. Forest Service
to support the Ash Conservation Initiative. Specific seed
collection protocols are followed to collect and handle
seed from native species of ash throughout the
Commonwealth. These materials are sent to the Forest
Penn Nursery is working on collections of families of
each species throughout their range to support the
selection of disease resistant specimens and establish
seed orchards for conservation plantings and restoration
programs. Plant material for these orchards is secured
through the DCNR Division of Forest Pest Management,
working with geneticists from the U.S. Forest Service
and several universities. Trees that display some
potential resistance to a disease are grafted onto
Pennsylvania nursery stock, nurtured and when ready,
they are established in an orchard managed by Penn
Nursery where they will be maintained for the future.
Penn Nursery also collects seed from tree species
associated with improving wildlife habitat, such as the
Keystone Wild! Notes 15
Friends of the Fund continued...
native red spruce (Picea rubens), which is so important
to the survival of Northern flying squirrels. In
cooperation with the Pennsylvania Game Commission,
seed is collected and an orchard established to provide
for the future needs for this species.
Invasive insects and
diseases can have a
devastating impact on
forest health. Penn
Nursery collects seed of
affected species as
insurance for the future.
(Photos: Sven Spichiger, PDA and Mike Ostry, U.S. Forest
Service, www.forestryimages.org)
Invasive insects are not the only threat to the health
and diversity of our forests. Invasive plants are also a
major concern. There are increasing efforts to remove
invasives from state forest lands and replace them with
native plants appropriate to the site. This includes not
only trees and shrubs, but also herbaceous plants.
Seed from several species of herbaceous plants, which
botanists have listed as “species of special concern,” are
collected and propagated under controlled conditions.
These “mother” plants will produce seed, which can
then be used to produce offspring and re-establish
public-owned state forest lands where they once
flourished, but have since declined due to competition
from invasive plants or disturbance. In this way, we
hope to preserve local genetics for these species as
well.
Penn Nursery is also involved with educational programs
such as plant propagation, sustainable native
landscaping and wildlife habitat. To obtain information
about available programs or to schedule a tour call
814-364-5150.
Answer key for Wild! Words crossword puzzle on page 24.
Answers for Color Me Wild! page 23.
2. Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
1. Tulip Tree (Linriodendron tulipfera)
4. Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
3. Redbud (Cercis canadensis)
5. Common Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Keystone Wild! Notes 16
Spring Tree Planting
with TreeVitalize®
by Christine Ticehurst, TreeVitalize® Program Administrator
A
s I walk through my neighborhood and take
in all the sights and sounds of Pennsylvania's
early spring, I stop and let my young
daughter smell magnolia blossoms. I listen to her say
one of her first words, “tree”! I beam with delight that
“tree” is in her early vocabulary and that she can enjoy a
tree-lined neighborhood street.
There is a saying that the best time to plant a tree was
20 years ago. The second best is today. The benefits
of planting a tree and increasing tree canopy are
tree-mendous! Not only do trees offer shade and
beautify communities, more importantly they are a real
part of our communities green infrastructure. Some of
the green benefits of trees include the absorption of
stormwater, the offset of some energy use when they
are sited properly, and an increase in property values.
The Davey Tree Expert Company and Casey Trees have
created the National Tree Benefit Calculator. This
calculator will give you a breakdown of your tree's
overall benefits. All you need is a little information
about the type of tree, its diameter and location.
Included in the breakdown will be a photo of the tree,
the number of gallons of stormwater intercepted, the
kilowatt hours saved, the amount of carbon absorbed
and the dollar amount your tree is contributing to your
property value each year. Give it a try. It's really neat!
This spring thousands of trees will be planted across the
state through the TreeVitalize program and its many
partnerships. TreeVitalize is a Department of
Conservation and Natural Resources-led program
designed to enhance tree canopy cover within the
state's more densely populated areas with a goal of
planting 1 million trees. Over 316,000 trees have been
planted through the TreeVitalize program to date.
The program was launched in Philadelphia in 2004, after
an analysis of satellite imagery showed a significant loss
in tree canopy coverage over a 15 year span. In 2007,
TreeVitalize expanded to Pittsburgh. Since then, 12
additional metro areas across the Commonwealth have
joined the initiative. TreeVitalize metro areas were
determined by using census data, percent population
and percent tree canopy. There are 14 TreeVitalize
metro areas across the state, which include 23 counties:
Allegheny, Berks, Blair, Bucks, Cambria, Centre, Chester,
Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Erie, Lackawanna,
Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming,
Montgomery, Northampton, Perry, Philadelphia,
Wyoming and York.
Here several
volunteers dig out
tree trenches in
Philadelphia to plant
new street trees.
There are three goals of the TreeVitalize program. First,
plant 1 million new trees in areas with low tree canopy.
These trees include large caliper street and park trees,
seedlings in riparian buffer plantings, and trees that
homeowners purchase using discounted tree coupons.
Second, train 10,000 volunteers through Tree Tenders®
educational workshops. These workshops teach
community volunteers the basics of tree biology and
tree care so that they can assist their communities in
establishing and maintaining tree plantings. Third,
establish strong urban forestry partnerships in all 14
metro areas and build lasting capacity for sustaining our
community urban forest resources.
In 12 of the 14 metro areas, DCNR has paired with
a metro partner - a regional entity that promotes
the availability of the TreeVitalize grant application
rounds. The metro partner accepts and reviews
applications, then awards sub-grants of up to
Keystone Wild! Notes 17
"Spring Tree Planting with TreeVitalize® " continued...
$15,000 to municipalities to purchase and plant trees.
Trees may be planted along residential and commercial
public rights-of-way and parks. The applications are
accepted twice per year and are reviewed by a regional
review team. In the Philadelphia and Pittsburgh region,
the metro partners are the Pennsylvania Horticultural
Society, the City of Pittsburgh and the Western
Pennsylvania Conservancy.
Communities awarded either a sub-grant or trees
through the TreeVitalize program are required to
attend the Tree Tenders training. These hands-on
workshops are held statewide and are offered as either
one full day or multiple evening sessions. Tree Tenders
trainings cover the basics of tree care and maintenance,
how to select the right tree for the right place, and
more. Municipal staff members, shade tree commission
members, community groups and others who are
responsible for the care of their new trees are required
to attend. Right now there are over 4,000 trained Tree
Tenders across the state.
Tree Tenders
volunteers help
prepare a
neighborhood
site for new
street trees.
Riparian forest buffer opportunities also are available
through TreeVitalize. A riparian forest buffer is a
vegetated area along a stream that helps take up excess
nutrients that would otherwise flow into a stream, and
filters out the pollutants before they reach the waterway.
In Philadelphia and the four surrounding counties, the
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, the Department of
Environmental Protection, the local conservation
districts, and Aqua America offer grant funding to
purchase, install and maintain riparian forest buffers
through the TreeVitalize Watersheds program. On
average, 8,000 tree seedlings are planted each year
through this partnership. In the remaining counties
outside the Philadelphia area, conservation groups,
watershed groups and county conservation districts may
apply for a $1 per tree reimbursement through the
TreeVitalize Streams program.
One of the most exciting partnerships established has
been with the public radio stations WITF, WDIY and
WQED. Each year during one of their membership
drives, the radio stations offer to plant a tree in honor
of the donor or someone else. TreeVitalize will then
match the total number of tree seedlings and hold a
planting. Volunteers from the radio station and donors
are invited to help plant trees selected for the location.
Over 3,160 trees have been planted through these
partnerships. This April, WITF and TreeVitalize joined
the National Park Service at the Flight 93 Memorial site
near Somerset to plant 200 native tree seedlings.
All of the trees
shown here (in
tree tubes to
protect them
from deer and
other hazards)
were planted
through the
partnership
between WITF
listeners and
TreeVitalize.
In central Pennsylvania, TreeVitalize offers homeowners
the Trees Count, PA! coupon program. By using the
coupon, people can save $15 off a tree that costs $50 or
more. This program is available each spring and fall at
participating nurseries in Cumberland, Dauphin,
Lancaster, Perry and York counties. Coupons may be
used for the purchase of deciduous and evergreen trees.
Coupons are available online and at participating
nurseries. The TreeVitalize Trees Count, PA! coupon
program has helped to plant over 8,500 trees statewide.
Stop in at one of the participating locations and help us
plant more trees this spring!
There are many opportunities for you get involved with
the TreeVitalize program, whether you are looking for
funding to plant trees in your community, want to attend
Tree Tender training, hope to save some cash with tree
coupons, want to have your trees counted on the online
tree registry or just like to peruse a great website full of
technical assistance and links to our many state and
national partners. TreeVitalize offers many opportunities
to help get you involved and achieve your urban forestry
goal. Be sure to register your trees on the TreeVitalize
online registry and upload some photos from your
planting. Have fun and dig in this spring!
*TreeVitalize is a registered trademark of the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Tree Tenders is a registered
trademark of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society.
Keystone Wild! Notes 18
ild!Watch
by
Heidi Mullendore
Environmental
Education Specialist at
Canoe Creek State Park
Counting the Rings in Penn's Woods
W
ith a magnifier in hand, I began counting. As
my fingers inched their way across the smooth
wood, I tallied decade after decade. There
were several of us lying on our bellies around a thick
cross-section of a hemlock tree. This dusty relic had
come from Trough Creek State Park in south central
Pennsylvania. The giant “tree cookie” was large: around
four feet in diameter with bark inches thick. We were
attempting to count the growth rings to get an idea of its
age, but the rings were so dark and closely packed
together it was a daunting task. With the help of our
magnifiers, we slowly tabulated the years this giant had
lived in the steep gorge above the great Trough Creek.
Trough Creek runs through steep gorges
covered in long-lived Eastern hemlock trees.
(Photo: Heidi Mullendore, DCNR)
As I counted, I slid my fingers over the cool wood,
passing 50 years, then 100, 200... By the time we had
finished and compared numbers, it was estimated that
the tree had stood sentinel to Pennsylvania's history for
350 years.
When this tree was a seedling, transforming the
elements into its first rings of growth, European
settlement had reached what is now Pennsylvania.
William Penn had secured 30 million acres of rich forest
Pennsylvania Academic Standards that
apply to this article:
4.1.3.A – Differentiate between living and nonliving components in an environment.
4.1.4.A – Explain how living things are dependent
upon other living and nonliving things for survival.
4.1.10.B – Explain the consequences of
interrupting natural cycles.
4.1.12.C. – Research how humans affect energy
flow within an ecosystem.
4.5.3.D. – Identify organisms that are dependent
on one another in a given ecosystem.
4.5.10.D. Research practices that impact
biodiversity in specific ecosystems.
4.1.3., 4., 7. and 10.E. – Identify and explain
changes to ecosystems over time.
4.3.3, 4., 7. and 10.A. – Identify and explain
natural resources and how they are used.
4.3.10.B. – Analyze how humans manage and
distribute natural resources.
4.5.3., 4. and 6.A. – Identify how people use
natural resources.
4.5.4., 6. and 7.C. – Describe and explain how
human actions affect the environment.
8.2.3. and 6.A – Identify the political and cultural
contributions of individuals in PA history.
8.2.3., 6, 9. and 12.C – Identify how continuity
and change have influenced PA history.
land in lieu of payment for a debt. As he set his seal
to parchment for King Charles II, William Penn
became the owner of Pennsylvania. This vast tract of
land represented a choice opportunity at a time when
Europe's industrialization was desperate for new
resources and its citizens sought reprieve from
religious conflict. While the deed was being signed,
the small hemlock seedling was part of a vast
unbroken tract of dense forest, so thick that it was
said a squirrel could cross the state and never have to
touch the forest floor.
Keystone Wild! Notes 19
Wild Watch “Counting the Rings in Penn's Woods” continued...
The Eastern hemlock, Tsuga canadensis, is
Pennsylvania's state tree. The species thrives in cool,
moist woodlands, in ravines and along banks of streams
and creeks. Penn's Woods lies in the middle of the
range of the hemlock, a range that spreads from Nova
Scotia and the eastern U.S. to Minnesota and south
through the Appalachians as far as Alabama.
The Eastern hemlock tree
is Pennsylvania's state
tree. It is an evergreen
that prefers cool, moist
habitats.
(Photo: Steven Katovich,
USDA Forest Service,
www.forestryimages.org)
This seedling took root in southern Pennsylvania in the
Ridge and Valley Province, in a cool gorge along the
creek. While its tender young roots were expanding into
the moist soil, ships bearing Europeans were setting a
bearing for the new land almost on a daily basis. In the
late 1600s, a trickle of Europeans had arrived as the
young sapling was strengthening in the untainted soil of
our still-intact woodlands.
By the time William Penn died in 1718, the trickle of
immigrants had become a flood. Over 30,000 Europeans
were calling Pennsylvania home, pushing across the
land, cutting back the forest in order to establish farms.
Our hemlock began to mature, developing the distinctive
reddish gray furrowed bark of the species. As the young
hemlock's bark toughened against fire, insects and
browsers, south central Pennsylvania had developed into
a prosperous farming area. Forest fires were common
as settlers cleared more land for farming.
By the time Pennsylvania was passing from the
ownership of the Penn family into statehood in 1787, this
hemlock was adding its centennial ring. The population
of the new state was nearing a half million.
Industrialization had reached Pennsylvania and our first
turnpike was open between Philadelphia and Lancaster;
the access to new resources and wider distribution
feeding the pace of a swelling population.
By this time, anthracite coal was being mined and used
to fuel a growing iron industry. It took 10,000 acres of
land to provide the materials necessary for one iron
furnace (iron ore, limestone and timber). The great
Trough Creek soon had its first iron bloomery (the
earliest form of an iron ore smelter) and grist mill. The
once-quiet forest where our hemlock grew was now a
part of the far-reaching industrial movement that was
pervading even this quiet corner of Penn's Woods.
Although many trees gave way under the blade of a saw
to satisfy the growing demand for charcoal, our hemlock
had set its roots in steep terrain which discouraged
logging efforts: a stroke of good fortune that ensured it
would remain undisturbed.
Iron furnaces,
like this one
in Forbes
State Forest,
dotted the
Pennsylvania
landscape and
required large
amounts of
timber to stoke
the fires.
(Photo: DCNR)
By 1794, the first forestry law passed to provide fines
ranging from $20 to $50 for willfully setting fire to
woodlands - a practice all too common in our state's
early history.
Another 20 years of growth rings saw the establishment
of almost 150 turnpike companies, 50 bridge companies
and 18 canal companies across the Commonwealth.
Movement of goods would soon speed up with improved
transportation, and the transformation of Penn's Woods
was unrelenting. Great stands of the stately hemlocks,
their bark rich in tannic acid, were felled by loggers.
Their bark was peeled and sold by cartload to leather
tanning companies. The bare trunks, called peelers,
were left to rot. The maturing conifer along the creek
escaped the fate of many nearby trees on gentler
slopes. Our hemlock was fortunate to be in one of the
few stands scattered around the state that was exempt
from the sawyer's blade.
By 1850 our hemlock had now survived more than 160
years; no mean feat as Pennsylvania was now leading
the nation in timber production. Penn's Woods had
indeed turned out to be the successful investment rich
in natural resources that Penn had foreseen. The
Keystone Wild! Notes 20
Wild Watch “Counting the Rings in Penn's Woods” continued...
lumber industry was burgeoning: providing timber to
build ships, lumber for an ever-increasing number of
homes, charcoal for fuel and pulp for paper. By the
beginning of the Civil War, much of our forested
landscape was cut back to ridge tops and ravines.
A world of opportunity was now at the feet of almost
every citizen in Pennsylvania. People were now
connected by roads, canals and the ever expanding
railroad. Yet by the date of Pennsylvania's first
centennial celebration, the price of our “land of
opportunity” was becoming all too clear. The air
pollution in Pittsburgh and Philadelphia was bad enough
to cause health problems. Railroads were being
denounced as a threat to public safety. The first invasive
species were impacting farm crops and forests. Many
Pennsylvanian rivers had been dammed, preventing
valuable species such as shad from migrating. Abusive
agricultural practices were forcing farmers to investigate
“radical” methods such as crop rotation and fertilization.
As our hemlock was surpassing its second centennial,
the Pennsylvania Forestry Association was established as
the first organization of its kind in the United States to
promote conservation practices in the forest industry.
Within a decade, the first state law was passed
authorizing state purchase of woodlands for forest
preserves.
At the dawn of the 1900s, our hemlock was emerging
into the sunlight of the forest canopy, its thick bluish
green foliage vying for light among other hemlocks,
together forming a dense stand. It was in turn shading
smaller seedlings getting their start on the forest floor,
and was providing food and cover for squirrels, bats,
birds, grouse, turkey and deer.
By the time the state Department of Forestry was
established in 1901 to look out for the interests of our
state forests, there were more than six million
Pennsylvanians. The battle for resources was impacting
the air, water and soil across the Commonwealth. Right
after the Eastern hemlock was adopted as the state tree
in 1930, a plain brown and white moth began to ravage
stands of oak in the state. Gypsy moths, imported for
the silk trade but with little success, escaped and began
chewing their way across the east, soon impacting every
state in the northeast.
Soon after the Great Depression, when our mature
hemlock was setting thick growth rings, came the
sounds of sledges and pickaxes. The Civilian
Conservation Corps men of Company 1331 were working
nearby setting up camp S-37, work they repeated across
the Commonwealth, to improve the state's woodlands,
waters, roads, trails and recreation areas. At the same
time, a quiet man named Maurice K. Goddard began his
career as a forester in northwestern Pennsylvania. He
had grown up seeing the abuses wrought upon the land
and sought to make a difference. A new era of
conservation initiatives was being launched in order to
preserve the state's ravaged resources.
The Civilian
Conservation
Corps worked
across the state
to improve roads,
trails and camps,
while putting
young men to
work.
Our mature hemlock was one of the giants that formed
the thick stand that shaded anglers as they came to fish
in what was now the newly established Trough Creek
State Park, just one of many parks being established
across the state. In 1955, the young Maurice Goddard
traded in his forester uniform and was sworn in as
Secretary of Forests and Waters. His goal was to
establish a state park within 25 miles of every one of
Pennsylvania's 10 million residents.
Maurice Goddard directed the
Penn State University Forestry
School before being appointed
Secretary of Forests and Waters.
(Photo: DCNR)
Through the decades, this hemlock was witness to the
incredible pace and fury of Pennsylvania's
industrialization. Yet in its secluded stand, the young
hemlock had escaped the fate of many millions of acres
of trees across the state that fell to support the
burgeoning population and its needs. As the next
generation of seedlings and saplings grew in its shade,
our old hemlock reached the year 1971. This was the
year that Goddard witnessed the signing of our
Environmental Bill of Rights (the Constitution of the
Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Article I, Section 27).
Keystone Wild! Notes 21
Wild Watch “Counting the Rings in Penn's Woods” continued...
The people have a right to clean air, pure water,
and to the preservation of the natural, scenic,
historic and esthetic values of the environment.
Pennsylvania's public natural resources are the
common property of all the people, including
generations yet to come. As trustee of these
resources, the Commonwealth shall conserve and
maintain them for the benefit of all the people.
Soon after, our stately hemlock gave way to new
saplings seeking to fill its place. Lying on our bellies
over a slice of our old growth hemlock, we recounted a
rich history scribed in its rings. The life of this
magnificent hemlock had spanned the building of a
country, from the early years of untainted wilderness,
through the first encroachment of settlers, the ravages
of forest fires and farming, war, industry, rebuilding, and
finally, conservation.
“The oaks and the pines, and their brethren of
the wood, have seen so many suns rise and set, so
many seasons come and go, and so many
generations pass into silence, that we may well
wonder what 'the story of the trees' would be to
us if they had tongues to tell it, or we ears fine
enough to understand.”
-Author Unknown, from Quotations for
Special Occasions by Maud van Buren, 1938
Keystone Wild! Notes 22
Pennsylvania Trees
Color
Me
ild!
Pennsylvania is home to 108 species of native trees and many
others introduced from overseas. Trees provide shelter and
food for wildlife, clean the air we breathe and the water we
drink, and beautify our landscapes.
4
2
1
5
3
Name that Tree
Indicate which number corresponds with the correct tree name.
___Eastern Hemlock (Tsuga canadensis)
___Tulip Tree (Linriodendron tulipfera) ___Sugar Maple (Acer saccharum)
___Redbud (Cercis canadensis) ___Common Sassafras (Sassafras albidum)
Answers found on page 16.
Keystone Wild! Notes 23
Forest Pests and Diseases
ild!
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
12
11
14
13
15
17
16
18
19
ACROSS
4. An exotic insect that lays its eggs in pine trees,
eventually killing the tree. (3 words)
5. A healthy forest has a ______ of tree species.
8. A device used to capture or monitor for forest pests.
9. A tree disease not yet found in PA, but one that has
caused major devastation to trees in California and
Oregon. (3 words)
10. White female and brown male Lepidoptera that
cause a lot of defoliation. (2 words)
11. A barely visible insect that creates a white fluffy
“home” on our state tree. (3 words)
15. A small shiny green beetle that has killed millions of
trees in the Midwest and beyond. (3 words)
16. A species of tree that is frequently attacked by the
answer to 10 across.
17. An exotic tree disease caused by a fungus. May
work in conjunction with a scale insect to inflict
damage. (3 words)
19. A disease of black walnut trees caused by a fungus.
Recently found in southeastern PA. (3 words)
20
21
DOWN
1. A large black and white insect with very long
antenna. (3 words)
2. General term for any insect that attacks trees.
3. The act of looking for, and finding, a forest health
issue.
6. Term for a non-native species that causes harm to
the environment, to the economy or to human
health.
7. A structured search for a forest pest or disease.
10. A swelling or lump on bark or leaves caused by an
insect or disease.
12. Gradual death of a tree, starting at the tips of the
twigs, crown, branches or roots.
13. Excrement of insects, especially their larvae.
14. Term for an agent that causes disease.
18. The bacterium that is used to control and kill
number 10 across.
20. Term for when a tree starts to decompose.
21. Acronym for tree health management using
environmentally-sensitive approaches.
Answer key located on page 16.
Keystone Wild! Notes 24
Weed It & Reap
Weed It & Reap
Have You Seen This Weed?
White Mulberry
Aliases:
Morus alba, common mulberry
Last Seen: In almost every state in the continental U.S.
and Hawaii, growing in the sun and shade along roads, rivers,
forests and fields.
White Mulberry
Text and illustration by
Jessica Sprajcar
Conservation Program Manager,
Department of Conservation &
Natural Resources
Office of Conservation Science
Description:
Growing up to 50 feet tall, this tree has
grayish bark and green glossy leaves that vary in size and shape.
The blackberry-like fruits go from green to white to purplishblack as they ripen, May to August.
Don't raise the white flag to this species:
White mulberry poses a threat to our native red mulberry in two
ways: it can hybridize with it and it is a carrier of a harmful root
disease that affects red mulberry. If you know for sure that
what you have in your yard is white mulberry (or another
invasive—paper mulberry), control it before it grows out of
control. For information on control methods, go to:
http://www.invasive.org/weedcd/pdfs/wow/white_mulberry.pdf.
WRCP Videos Available Online
The leaves of white mulberry can
differ in size and shape, but are
www.pacast.com.
glossy green, turning yellow in
the fall.
(Photo: John Randall, The Nature
Conservancy, www.invasive.org)
00:00 l 00:00
Keystone Wild! Notes 25
Use Order Form on Page 29
ild! Buys
Show Your
Wild Side!
SALE!—Many Items Limited—SALE!
COSMO'S WORLD T-SHIRTS
The WRCP logo is on the front (see above) and
Cosmo and Terra are on the back (at right). The
T-shirt is 100% cotton, pre-shrunk and available
in both Tangerine and Natural.
Children's sizes: M, L -- $15
X $10
Adult sizes: S, M, L -- $17
X $10
WRCP Logo Long-sleeved Faded Blue
Denim Shirt
Men's sizes: 3XL -- $25
X $20
Ladies' sizes: S, M, L, XL, 2XL, 3XL -- $25
X $20
This 100% cotton shirt features double-needle
stitching and a button-down collar. WRCP logo
is embroidered above the patch pocket (no
pockets on ladies' shirt).
WRCP Logo T-shirt (Youth)
The WRCP logo is embroidered
on a 100% cotton T-shirt
available in Sand.
Youth sizes: S, M, L -- $10
X $5
Quantities of these
shirts are limited.
Quantities of these apparel
items are limited. Before
ordering, please call
Deb at 717-787-3212 or email
at [email protected] to make
sure that we have your size.
Keystone Wild! Notes 26
Use Order Form on Page 29
ild! Buys
Show Your
Wild Side!
Colorful Embroidered
Patches to Wear
or Collect
2009 Massasauga Rattlesnake --$6 (+ .36 tax)
2009 Cosmo's World Patch - $6 (+.36 tax)
2008 Presque Isle Festival -- $10 (+ .60 tax)
2008 Serpentine Barrens -- $6 (+ .36 tax)
2007 Northern Flying Squirrel Festival -- $10 (+.60 tax)
2007 Rachel Carson Centennial -- $6 (+.36 tax)
2006 Wine-capped Stropharia Festival -- $10 (+.60 tax)
2006 Yellow Morel -- $6 (+.36 tax)
2005 American Kestrel Festival -- $10 (+.60 tax)
2005 American Kestrel -- $6 (+.36 tax)
2004 Allegheny Crayfish -- $6 (+.36 tax)
2003 Spreading Globeflower -- $4 (.24 tax)*
2002 Red Eft -- $5 (+.30 tax)
2001 Luna Moth -- $5 (+.30 tax)
1999 Wood Thrush -- $5 (+.30 tax)
1998 Dogwood -- $4 (+.24 tax)*
1997 Bog Turtle -- $4 (+.24 tax)*
* Limited quantities
Keystone Wild! Notes 27
Use Order Form on Page 29
ild! Buys
Show Your
Wild Side!
Read All About It—In Wild! Books
WILDFLOWERS OF
PENNSYLVANIA
This book is for all who enjoy
nature and would like to
become more acquainted with
wildflowers. It will help the
observer to identify the plants
seen on a spring, summer or
fall hike in a natural area. The
book uses photographs of the
plants, as photos reveal much
more detail than can be found
in drawings.
Price: $20 (+ $1.20 tax)
OUTSTANDING MOSSES
AND LIVERWORTS OF
PENNSYLVANIA
Botanist Susan Munch brings
us the first full-color field
guide for mosses in the MidAtlantic region. The guide's 89
pages contain detailed color
photographs allowing for easy
ID of many of the most
common, yet striking, mosses
and liverworts. No microscope
is necessary. The guide is
suitable for both professionals
and non-botanists.
Price: $20 (+ $1.20 tax)
POCKET GUIDE TO
PENNSYLVANIA SNAKES
and POCKET GUIDE TO
PENNSYLVANIA FROGS
AND TOADS
WRCP teamed up with the
State Museum to produce
these affordable and
informative little books that
provide photos and natural
history information about all
of the state's serpents, frogs
and toads.
Price: $4.72 (+ $.28 tax) each
THE RETURN OF MAGIC
A delightful children's book for
ages 4 and up, the Return of
Magic tells the story of a
young kestrel through poetry
and beautiful watercolor
illustrations. The book is
packed with information on
the life cycles of these colorful
raptors and even includes a
design for building a kestrel
nesting box. The Return of
Magic was written and
illustrated by Wendy
Plowman, for the Hawk
Mountain Sanctuary.
Price: $5 (+ $.30 tax)
Keystone Wild! Notes 28
Use Order Form Below for All Orders
Show Your
Wild Side!
ild! Buys
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DON ATI ON to WRCP:
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and up,
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both! Add
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SHIP TO: Name
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ail form
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Info:
(717)
Harrisburg, PA 17105
787-3212
or 787-3212
Info: (717)
[email protected]
or email:
[email protected]
To Order Merchandise:
PA State Sales Tax
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Print out and fill in the form
above. Mail with check payable to
Wild Resource Conservation Program.
and add Pa. sales tax and appropriate
shipping fees. For more information,
call (717) 787-3212 or e-mail
[email protected].
WRCP is responsible for collecting
6% Pennsylvania sales tax on most
items we sell, excluding apparel.
The amount owed on each item is
noted next to the item price.
Total amount of order
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Keystone Wild! Notes 29