Presentation by Kyle Jones, Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park, at the New England Society of American Forester's 2017 Annual Winter Meeting.

1. 200 YEARS AND STILL
ADAPTING
Forest Management
at
Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller
National Historical
Park

2. The improvement of
forest trees is the work of
centuries. So much more
the reason for beginning
now.
-George Perkins Marsh

7. But though man cannot
at his pleasure
command the rain and
the sunshine, the wind
and frost and snow...it
is certain that climate
itself has in many
instances been
gradually changed and
ameliorated or
deteriorated by human
action.
.
Photo: Library of Congress
George Perkins Marsh,
Address Delivered before the Agricultural
Society of Rutland County, September 30, 1847

8. From Garza, E., P. Hines and D. Porter. 2009. Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller
National Historical Park Energy Audit Results and Recommendations.
University of Vermont, Burlington, VT.

10. Develop an Adaptation Approach
• Conduct a Forest Vulnerability Assessment
• Consider the Potential Impact of Climate
Change on Historically Significant Plantation
Species
• Include Projected Forest Pest Impacts on Park
Forests

11. Forest Vulnerability Assessment

12. Projected changes in
habitat suitability
for paper birch at
Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller NHP.

13. Projected changes in
habitat suitability
for shagbark hickory
at Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller NHP.

14. Projected changes in
habitat suitability
for eastern hemlock
at Marsh-Billings-
Rockefeller NHP.

15. Park-Wide
Potential adaptation actions:
 Prevent the introduction and
establishment of invasive plant
species
Park stewardship. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

16. Park-Wide
Potential adaptation actions:
 Prevent the introduction and
establishment of invasive plant
species
 Maintain or improve the ability of
forests to resist pests and
pathogens, educate
Park stewardship. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

17. Park-Wide
Potential adaptation actions:
 Prevent the introduction and
establishment of invasive plant
species
 Maintain or improve the ability of
forests to resist pests and
pathogens, educate
 Continue the maintenance of
roads, trails, culverts and other
structures
Park stewardship. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

18. Northern Hardwood Forest
Management objectives:
• Promote greater age and
structural diversity using
predominately uneven-aged
management techniques.
• Harvest at silvicultural maturity
with some large diameter trees
retained for wildlife and legacy.
The Mount Tom Forest.

19. Northern Hardwood Forest
Potential challenges from climate change
include:
 Forest is lacking young and small-sized
trees
 Beech thickets are common and may
outcompete regeneration of other tree
species
 Herbivory from deer may reduce
regeneration of climate-adapted or
desirable species
 Increased risk of ash loss from emerald
ash borer
Ash tree. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

20. Northern Hardwood Forest
Potential opportunities from climate change
include:
 Tree species diversity lowers risk
 Mature hardwood stands provide a chance to
transition forests
 Many current species are expected to have
suitable habitat in the future
 Some native species may be adapted to future
conditions, such as black birch, black cherry,
and red oak
 Species from southern Vermont may be
adapted to future conditions, such as
hickories, white oak, and sycamore

21. Northern Hardwood Forest
Potential adaptation actions:
 Increase early-detection and
monitoring for insect pests
Park stewardship. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

22. Northern Hardwood Forest
Potential adaptation actions:
 Increase early-detection and
monitoring for insect pests
 Increase native species that are
expected to be better adapted to
future conditions
Park stewardship. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

23. Northern Hardwood Forest
Potential adaptation actions:
 Increase early-detection and
monitoring for insect pests
 Increase native species that are
expected to be better adapted to
future conditions
 Increase interpretation to help
visitors understand reasons for
larger harvest gap sizes
Park stewardship. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

24. Northern Hardwood Forest
Potential adaptation actions:
 Increase early-detection and
monitoring for insect pests
 Increase native species that are
expected to be better adapted to
future conditions
 Increase interpretation to help
visitors understand reasons for
larger harvest gap sizes
 Work with adjacent landowners to
test out new ideas or practices
Park stewardship. Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

25. Historic Plantations
Management objectives:
• Maintain some plantations as
legacies along the main carriage
road corridors
• Recruit conifer regeneration in
some plantation areas
• Transition some plantations to
native forests after they reach
biological maturity
Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

26. Historic Plantations
Potential challenges include:
 Many plantations are very old
and trees are beginning to
decline—climate change creates
additional stress
 It’s uncertain how the European
species will fare in the future
 Additional effort may be needed
to ensure adequate regeneration

27. Historic Plantations
Potential opportunities include:
 Adaptation actions can be
applied in mature forests
 Stands can be regenerated now
before the climate changes too
dramatically
 Plantations have enough time for
one additional thinning—time to
test new ideas and learn

28. Historic Plantations
Potential adaptation actions:
 Thin stands to improve vigor and reduce
risks from drought
Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

29. Historic Plantations
Potential adaptation actions:
 Thin stands to improve vigor and reduce
risks from drought
 Establish desired plantation species over
the next 20 years
Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

30. Historic Plantations
Potential adaptation actions:
 Thin stands to improve vigor and reduce
risks from drought
 Establish desired plantation species over
the next 20 years
 Consider both local (heritage) planting
stock as well as stock from heat- and
drought-adapted populations
Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

31. Historic Plantations
Potential adaptation actions:
 Thin stands to improve vigor and reduce
risks from drought
 Establish desired plantation species over
the next 20 years
 Consider both local (heritage) planting
stock as well as stock from heat- and
drought-adapted populations
 Continue to ensure planted trees are not
lost due to herbivory
Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

32. Adaptive Management
 An adaptive management plan was
specified in the park’s forest management
plan
 We have started an adaptive management
planning effort with Tony D’Amato at the
University of Vermont
 We will use the adaptive management
planning to evaluate and further guide
our climate adaptation work
Photo courtesy Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller NHP

33. Climate Change Resource Center
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller
https://go.usa.gov/x5MZT