10/11/2011
There is something special about eastern white pine (Pinus strobus). It is some combination of its rich history in making America, the beauty of the tree growing among other white pine or mixed with hardwoods, the softness of the foliage, and its ability to colonize disturbed sites and grow, in some cases, to awesome size and produce hundreds of feet of useful timber. In NY, the volume of eastern white pine growing stock has increased from 1823.8 M.cu.ft in 1993 to more than 2000 M.cu.ft in 2004 (http://www.fs.fed.us/ne/fia/states/ny/index.html). There has been a sizable shift in the distribution of that volume with increased volume in the larger diameter classes from 1993 to 2004.
For those interested in learning more about the growth and survival of eastern white pine, see the recent story from the Univ. of MN and "My Minnesota Woods" via this link http://www.myminnesotawoods.umn.edu/2011/10/a-landowners-guide-to-improving-growth-and-survival-of-eastern-white-pine/ Although the story and information come from Minnesota, the concepts should apply nicely to many of the white pine stands in New York.
The Forest Service goal for global change research is to establish a sound scientific basis for making regional, national, and international resource management and policy decisions in the context of global change issues. Here you will find information including an overview of the program, current ...