Fall is a Beautiful Time to Enjoy the Forest! |
|
|
Fall is upon us! The lush green of summer begins to give way to the reds, oranges and yellows of autumn as trees prepare for winter. Many factors influence the intensity and duration of fall color including temperature, light, and water supply. Low temperatures above freezing favor bright reds in maples, while early frost may weaken color. Rainy and/or overcast days interspersed with sun tend to increase color intensity. Enjoy the color! It only lasts for a brief period each year! Pictured is a sugar maple leaf. |
|
|
First Report of Beech Leaf Disease in Virginia |
|
|
Beech leaf disease, caused by the invasive foliar nematode Litylenchus crenatae subsp. mccannii, has been causing decline in mature American and European beeches, and death of young beech saplings, since symptoms were first observed in Ohio in 2012. Since that time, the disease has been found in a number of northern US states as well as Ontario, Canada. Recently, the disease was confirmed in Prince William County, Virginia – the first detection in the state. The characteristic
symptoms of this disease are dark “stripes” on the leaves that are bounded by leaf veins – this symptom is best observed by viewing the leaves from below with light passing through the leaf tissue. |
|
|
Results of Annual Wild Turkey Observation Survey Available |
|
|
Poult production was good to excellent in much of the state, and turkey broods in some regions appeared to greatly benefit from the Brood X cicada emergence! Check out the report for more details. The public is welcome participate in the survey next summer as the Department continues to monitor Maryland's wild turkeys. If you have any questions about the survey, contact Bob Long, Wild Turkey and Upland Game Bird Project Manager, at bob.long@maryland.gov. | | |
|
|
Passing of Rebecca Harvey "The Lady in the Tower" |
|
|
We are saddened to share the news of the passing of Rebecca Harvey. Miss Harvey served as a fire lookout in the Thayerville fire tower for the Maryland Forest Service for over two decades. The article below appeared in Mountain Discoveries magazine in 2008. | | |
|
|
Future Wildland Fire: Land Management & Climate Change |
|
|
Webinar presented by Dr. Mark Cochrane, UMCES Appalachian Laboratory
October 5th from 7pm-8pm
Every year we seem to hear of more and more catastrophic wildfires burning here and abroad. The trend is real but the predicament that we face with future wildland fires is the result of both earlier land management actions and the growing influence of climate change. To adapt to changing conditions and mitigate the threats posed by future wildfires, a paradigm shift is needed in how societies view and manage wildfire. Registration is free and this webinar is open to the general public. No scientific background needed; everyone is welcome! | | |
|
|
The "Darling 58" American Chestnut - SUNY-ESF |
|
|
From Erik Carlson, SUNY-ESF
All chestnuts can be infected with chestnut blight fungus, including transgenic American chestnut. The oxalate oxidase enzyme in ‘Darling’ American chestnuts slows the progress of infection enough to enable the natural immune mechanisms of the tree to respond. These mechanisms include the production of callus tissue that surrounds the infection site and contains the fungus. This containment response is also used by Asian chestnut species to resist blight infections, however, they use different genes to slow the initial growth of the fungus.
Here are a couple pictures of naturally occurring infections on one of the oldest ‘Darling 58’ T1s in the orchard. You can see the cankers have raised callus tissue surrounding the sites, but lack the rapidly expanding orange stained borders of a susceptible American chestnut that |
|
rapidly girdle the tree. This particular T1 tree grown from seed (ortet) may be the first of the ‘Darling 58’ line to produce flowers in the field under normal conditions.
Before blight-tolerant Darling 58 chestnuts can be distributed in the US, reviews must be completed by three different regulatory agencies. A "Petition for nonregulated Status" has been submitted to the USDA-APHIS (read the Executive Summary or the full Petition). Next, the EPA will be reviewing environmental safety and interactions with the blight fungus. And finally, because both people and animals use chestnuts as food, the FDA will review Darling 58 for nutritional safety. A series of articles summarizing various safety tests relevant to the regulatory process were published by The American Chestnut Foundation. A recent notice from the USDA states they tentatively intend to publish a final decision by August 2023. |
|
|
|
|
