[CANUFNET] Sugar Maple Decline Bancroft Ontario near Algonquin park

Wed Jul 8 16:00:57 EDT 2020

Thank you Joel,

I will pass your observation along.

Cheers
Catherine K
MGOI.ca

On Wed, Jul 8, 2020 at 1:18 PM Joel McCracken via CANUFNET <
canufnet at list.web.net> wrote:

> For close to 5 years I worked in bancroft for the forest industry and Mnrf
> and found die back in mature stands of sugar maple common. It is especially
> evident if recently harvested, and as someone pointed out already, in dryer
> sites and dryer years.
>
> Joel McCracken. RPF.
> 416 427 0595
> Sent from my iPhone
>
> On Jul 8, 2020, at 12:08 PM, Stephen Smith via CANUFNET <
> canufnet at list.web.net> wrote:
>
> 
>
> Hello.
>
>
>
> Sugar maples can be attacked by hundreds of pests in any given year.  A
> lot of species feed on them and there doesn’t seem to be a definite pattern
> to the attacks.  Some years almost nothing, some years the leaves look
> ragged.  They usually recover.
>
>
>
> Usually when I see a stand of hardwoods in central Ontario with dieback at
> the tips of most trees it’s a stand that has been cut within the past 10
> years.  You can see how spaced-out the trees are and the stumps and brush
> to confirm.  The trees that are left after partial cutting often decline in
> health and are replaced by new regeneration coming up.  I talked to a
> friend in the business there who said this is typical in stands where there
> has been rutting during the logging process, or there has been drought in
> the years immediately after cutting took place.  The sites I see it most on
> are those that have been diameter-limit cut and most of the good timber has
> been taken out.  In other words, hi-graded.  You can spot these stands even
> driving by on the highway.
>
>
>
> Keep in mind that sugar maple is not especially well suited to the soils
> of the shield.  It prefers alkaline soil and the shield has acidic soils.
> It causes them to have shorten lifespans than in the south where the soils
> are deeper and more alkaline and nearly all of the larger trees in a stand
> will have significant cracks and rot in them by middle age. A typical
> mature sugar maple dominated stand will have trees 125-150 years old and
> they will all have severe defects in the butt logs and many are falling
> over in storms.  In the south a tree of the same age can be in much better
> condition at that age and still have many good years left.
>
>
>
> I worked on the McLaughlin et al study cited below.  MOECP still monitored
> forest health in those plots as recently as 2019.  The contact there (in
> 2019) was Michele.Williamson at ontario.ca. She might have some insights.
>
>
>
> Stephen Smith
>
> Urban Forest Associates
>
> Urban Forestry & Ecological Restoration
>
> www.ufora.ca
>
> Office/fax 416-423-3387
>
> Cell 416-707-2164
>
>
>
> *From:* CANUFNET <canufnet-bounces at list.web.net> *On Behalf Of *C.
> Kavassalis via CANUFNET
> *Sent:* July 8, 2020 10:32 AM
> *To:* Canadian Urban Forest Network <canufnet at list.web.net>
> *Cc:* C. Kavassalis <c.kavassalis at gmail.com>
> *Subject:* Re: [CANUFNET] Sugar Maple Decline Bancroft Ontario near
> Algonquin park
>
>
>
> Oliver,
>
> I appreciate your comments. As a Master Gardener, sugar production is well
> outside my expertise.
>
>
>
> What would you recommend as the best references for tapping guidelines?
> Would these be appropriate to suggest?
>
>    - Chapeskie, D., Richardson, M., Wheeler, A.,  Sajan, B., Neave, P.,
>    2006 .  *A Guide to Improving and Maintaining Sugar Bush Health and
>    Productivity*. Eastern Ontario Model Forest.
>    https://www.eomf.on.ca/media/k2/attachments/A_Guide_to_Improve__Maintain_Sugar_Bush_Health_EOMF.pdf
>    - Richardson, K. (2015). *Sugar Bush Management in Ontario:
>    Identification of Resilient Adaptation Strategies for a Changing Climate*.
>    MRP submitted to the Faculty of Geography, Wilfrid Laurier University.
>    https://scholars.wlu.ca/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?referer=https://www.google.com/&httpsredir=1&article=1002&context=ges_mrp
>    - Northeastern States Research Cooperative. 2010. S*ustainable Tapping
>    Guidelines for Modern Maple Syrup Production. *
>    https://nsrcforest.org/project/sustainable-tapping-guidelines-modern-maple-syrup-production
>
> Thank you,
>
> Catherine Kavassalis
>
> MGOI.ca
>
>
>
> On Wed, Jul 8, 2020 at 9:20 AM ConsultingArborist via CANUFNET <
> canufnet at list.web.net> wrote:
>
> Hi.
>
>
>
> Like Michael said, those trees need to be looked at in the field. You've
> listed a bunch of arthropod pests which are relatively minor (gall mites,
> leaf miners, erineum mites, leaf rollers, etc...) and I highly doubt would
> be the cause of any significant decline or dieback. When I hear of sugar
> maples declining in a "managed maple forest", my first question would be if
> there is any tapping history and, if so, whether or not the guidelines for
> # of taps per tree have been adhered to (i.e., is there a history of
> overtapping?).
>
>
>
> Oliver K. Reichl, B.E.S.(Hons)
> Principal / Consulting Arborist-Ecologist*
>
> Arborsphere Arboriculture & Urban Forestry Consulting
>
> 18 Larue Mills Road
>
> Mallorytown, ON, K0E 1R0
>
> Tel: 613-213-6840 <613-923-8833>
>
> Web: www.oliverkilian.com/treecare, Facebook
> <https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oliver-K-Reichl-BESHons-Consulting-Arborist/192125024193992>
>
> * ASCA Registered Consulting Arborist #553
>
>   ISA Certified Arborist #ON-1178A
>
>   Ontario Butternut Health Assessor #039
>
>   ISA Tree Risk Assessor Qualified
>
>   OUFC Heritage Tree Inspector
>
>
>
>
>
> On Mon, Jul 6, 2020 at 11:00 AM Michael Richardson via CANUFNET <
> canufnet at list.web.net> wrote:
>
> This gentleman needs some in the field help.  There are any number of
> Foresters and Arborists who should be able to help.
>
> The problem needs to be identified before any treatment.
>
> He needs to check for Cryptostroma corticale (sooty bark disease) as one
> of the less obvious issues.
>
>
>
> > I am a volunteer with  the Master Gardeners of Ontario and field
> > questions from across Ontario. I received a desperate request from an
> > individual in the Bancroft area regarding managed maple forest in
> > decline. Canopy dieback, heavy insect damage including caterpillars,
> > weevils, and aphids, along with mites and disease pressures seem to be
> > occurring.
> >
> > In the one photo provided, I can observe two species of weevils (one
> > appears to be Phyllobius oblongus - European Snout Beetle), a green
> > aphid issue (with associated honeydew), some minor leaf miner
> > activity, eriophyid mites with what may be erineum galls, minor leaf
> > spots, a leaf roller, and webbing from unknown source (possibly mite).
> > He reports additional caterpillar activity, which I presume are gypsy
> > moths as they are widely reported in the region this year.
> >
> > He is unable to find anyone in the area to provide him support and
> advice.
> >
> > Based on my reading, I have advised soil testing with particular
> > attention given to phosphorus levels and potential  imbalances in Ca,
> > Al, Mg and Mn. If consistent with soil tests, I have recommended
> > liming based on recent article by Moore (2020).
> >
> > If open land is adjacent to the maple stand, I have also recommended
> > creating a meadow buffer to support natural predators like lacewings
> > and parasitic wasps to help control the aphids and insect pest
> > populations.
> >
> > Please let me know if this advice is sound and what other measures
> > this individual might take. Could you recommend advisors or
> > consultants in the Bancroft area that might assist this landowner?
> >
> > Thank you for your attention to this inquiry.
> >
> > Best Regards,
> > Catherine Kavassalis
> > Master Gardeners of Ontario
> > MGOI.ca
> > Admin. https://www.facebook.com/groups/MasterGardenersofOntario/
> >
> >
> >
> > A few of the articles I have reviewed:
> >
> > Bal, T. L., Storer, A.J., Jurgensen, M.F. et al. (2015). Nutrient
> > stress predisoses and contributes to sugar maple dieback across its
> > northern range: a review. Forestry 88: 64-83
> >
> > McLaughlin D.L., Linzon S.N., Dimma D.E., McIlveen W.D. (1987) Sugar
> > Maple Decline in Ontario. In: Hutchinson T.C., Meema K.M. (eds)
> > Effects of Atmospheric Pollutants on Forests, Wetlands and
> > Agricultural Ecosystems. NATO ASI Series (Series G: Ecological
> > Sciences), vol 16. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
> > https://link.springer.com/cha.../10.1007/978-3-642-70874-9_7
> >
> > Moore, Jean-David & Duchesne, Louis & Ouimet, Rock & Deschênes,
> > Marie-Lou. (2020). Liming improves sap characteristics of sugar maple
> > over the long term. Forest Ecology and Management. 464. 118044.
> > 10.1016/j.foreco.2020.118044.
> >
> > McKenney, Daniel & PEDLAR, JOHN & LAWRENCE, KEVIN & CAMPBELL, KATHY &
> > Hutchinson, M.F.. (2007). Potential Impacts of Climate Change on the
> > Distribution of North American Trees. BioScience. 57. 939-948.
> > 10.1641/B571106.
> >
> > OMAFRA. Beneficial Insects in Tree Fruit Orchards in Southern Ontario
> > www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/96-029.htm
> >
> > Tara L. Bal, Andrew J. Storer, Martin F. Jurgensen. Evidence of damage
> > from exotic invasive earthworm activity was highly correlated to sugar
> > maple dieback in the Upper Great Lakes region. Biological Invasions,
> > 2017; DOI: 10.1007/s10530-017-1523-0
> >
> >
>
>
>
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