American Chestnut Trees for the Wayne NF

Gary Willison assists Jamie Grinch, a Boy Scout from Troop 73 from Grandview, Ohio to plant a chestnut seedling. (photo from USFS)

excerpted from National Forest Success Stories "American Chestnut Trees Planted on National Forest Reclaimed Mine Lands," by Gary Chancey, April 4, 2009, used with permission

Special American chestnut seedlings developed by US Forest Service Research are planted on the Wayne National Forest, in SE Ohio, with hopes for better survival, growth and development of seedlings.

Almost one-thousand blight resistant American chestnut trees and 200 disease resistant American elm trees were planted in early April by Boy Scouts from Columbus, Ohio, as well as Forest employees from the Watershed Restoration Group and local volunteers.

The seedlings were planted on a piece of reclaimed mine land that was restored last year in Athens County. The Forest planted 600 American chestnut trees on the Ironton and Athens Ranger District in 2008. This year, the Forest estimates 3000 of the trees will be planted by the end of April on both districts. The project is in partnership with researchers from the U.S. Forest Service Research Lab in Delaware, Ohio.

The American chestnut tree was nearly wiped out by a blight that killed an estimated four billion trees in the eastern United States in the early 20th century. The naturally surviving trees remain vulnerable to the fungus, however through years of cross breeding with its disease-resistant counterpart, the Chinese chestnut; researchers are seeking to develop a blight-resistant American chestnut.

The American Chestnut Foundation's backcross breeding program produces seed that combines the disease-resistant traits of the Chinese chestnut with the superior size and timber traits of the American chestnut. In order for the seedlings to grow in the poor soil conditions of the reclaimed mines, Forest Service Researchers inoculate the chestnut seedlings with mycorrhizal fungi that will aid in the survival, growth and development of the seedlings.

Mycorrhizal fungi play a vital role in reforestation by providing the plant several benefits that are critical for its survival and growth in a nutrient poor and hostile environment such as in reclaimed mined sites.

The re-establishment of native vegetation like the American Chestnut & American Elm has been made a priority for the Wayne National Forest. In the Forest's 2006 Land and Resource Management Plan, it lists the Forest's initiative to promote the planting of disease-resistant species on the Wayne as varieties become available.

Editors note: there are a number of places along the NCT in New York where resistant chestnut trees are growing

Native Plants Promoted in the Manistee

Pollinator and Native Plant Interpretive Display Sign (photo from US Forest Service)

excerpted from National Forest Success Stories "Native Plant Pollinator Gardens on the Baldwin Ranger District,"by Catherine Salm, used with permission

Four native plant pollinator gardens/displays have been established by the Baldwin Ranger District on the Huron-Manistee NF to provide habitat for pollinator insects and provide an educational experience for the public. Unfortunately, pollinator decline has been making big headlines in the past several years. Pollinators are critical to the health of our ecosystem and our human food supply.

In 2008, the Baldwin Ranger District developed two large, colorful signs explaining the importance of native plants for pollinating insects and how to construct pollinator friendly habitats. These signs were placed at two of the four gardens. The first of these gardens is located at the Loda Lake National Wildflower Sanctuary. Loda Lake is now accessible from the NCT via a connector trail. The second of these gardens is located at the entrance to a parking area for the North Country Trail.

Efforts in 2009 will focus on expanded educational efforts at these sites, including the addition of informational brochures and guided wildflower walks at the Loda Lake National Wildflower Sanctuary. In addition, seed collection efforts will be increased to provide additional nectar species seed for planting at restoration sites throughout the District.

See Newaygo Birch Grove Loop Trail Dedicated

Solon Springs Pine Barrens Bird Sanctuary

Solon Springs Bird Sanctuary, Wisconsin (photo by JHY)

based on a news article in the Superior Telegram

“While forests are valuable, pine barrens have a unique beauty all their own,” said Fred Strand, wildlife biologist with the Wisconsin DNR. “For me, it’s a sense of place.” The North Country Trail’s Bill Menke would be sure to agree with him.

In the 1930's the Douglas County Bird Sanctuary was established as a WPA project. The sanctuary is located just west of Solon Springs, Wisconsin. The precise name of the protected land is the Douglas County Wildlife Management Area, and it was first set aside as an area to train bird dogs in 1925. The first U.S. Chicken Championship dog trial was held there in 1937. Since that time, canine competitions have been held at the sanctuary annually.

Meanwhile, Douglas County approved a route for the North Country Trail through county forest lands. This will allow for the passage of many miles of trail, not just through the bird sanctuary.

Menke, currently serving as the Wisconsin/ Upper Michigan Regional Trail Coordinator for the North Country Trail Association, also leads a volunteer trail building group. Each year this dedicated bunch has spent several weeks of time building trail in western Wisconsin, and that has included the several miles across the sanctuary lands.

Pine barrens are more open than many of the more heavily forested areas along the NCT. The original extent of Wisconsin’s barrens was a swath 12-15 miles wide and 125 miles long. Pine barrens are characterized by sandy soil and plants that are dependent upon fire to be sustained. Human efforts to control fire coupled with forestation projects have all but halted the natural succession of barrens. Less than one percent of the original barrens remain. The Bird Sanctuary barrens are maintained by the Wisconsin DNR with prescribed burns.

Thanks to the efforts of Menke and his Rovers work crew, hikers can now cross the 4,000 acre sanctuary on a well-constructed pathway. On my own hike through the area, in September 2005, I was treated to the sight of a beaver lumbering down the trail ahead of me. It retreated to one of the small ponds.

One special springtime treat visitors can experience is to reserve a blind from which they can view the mating dance of the sharp-tailed grouse. The Bird Sanctuary is one of the best habitats for the sharp-tailed grouse in the state of Wisconsin.

Although the word “barrens” sounds desolate, Strand explained that they are actually part forest, part prairie. With components of both ecosystems, they actually support a very diverse community of plants and wildlife. Ten percent of the remaining Wisconsin barrens are protected in the Solon Springs Bird Sanctuary.

Plants Take A Hike

by Joan H. Young

Even Plants Use Wildlife Corridors (Trails)

It’s been known for quite some time that natural corridors, trails being an example, can help wildlife move safely from one area to another. Even seed dispersal of some types is aided by corridors.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis wanted to know more about how plant movement in corridors happens. They got some predicted results, and one big surprise.

Three common means of seed dispersal include ingestion and defecation by birds, wind dispersal, and unassisted dispersal. In unassisted dispersal the seeds fall near the parent plant. The unassisted seeds are not encased in appetizing fruit or possessing fine hairs or wings which allow the wind to move them.

The study accurately predicted the movement of seeds by the birds along the corridors. Researches did not fare so well with their notions of what would happen to the wind-dispersed seeds. The corridors enhanced the effects of the wind much more than what they expected. "In hindsight, this makes a lot of sense,” said researcher Ellen Damschen. “Wind can be channeled between physical structures. For example, think of when wind speeds up as you walk between tall buildings in a city. Corridors may similarly funnel wind and carry seeds down them.”

But the big surprise was that plants with unassisted seeds also moved along the corridors. The prediction was that the corridors would have no effect at all on certain kinds of plants.

However, "we found a really strong response to corridors, contrary to what we expected," Damschen said. ""We think these plants must be being assisted in some way, and we think it's possibly from mammals. Unassisted plants exceeded our expectations by a long shot."

Their next theory is that mammals are inadvertently eating some of the seeds while foraging. To check this out students are now planting various kinds of mammal scat to see if they sprout.

(Do I dare suggest that higher education sometimes takes some strange turns?)

See the original news release fromWashington University in St. Louis