Other Diminished Species

1. Other Diminished Species

2. Atlantic White Cedar Atlantic white cedar is a wetland species occupying swamps along the Atlantic coast from central Maine south to Florida and westward along the Gulf coast to the southeastern corner of Mississippi in the Mobile Bay area. The largest natural areas containing cedar swamps are in eastern North Carolina, southeastern New Jersey, and northwestern Florida. The Atlantic white cedar is a tall, straight-growing tree. The settlers soon learned that its wood was resistant to rot and insects, light in weight, and easy to tool. They used Atlantic white cedar lumber for many purposes -- shingles, flooring, furniture, buckets, barrels, shipbuilding, docks, and more.As time went by, the swamps were cleared of larger trees, then of smaller ones. The trees grew so closely together in dense clumps that it was often hard to cut them one at a time.Some swamps and former swamps were mined for fallen trees from earlier times that were covered over by earth, peat, silt or muck. The wood of these fallen, buried trees was still sound, though it had been buried for many years.One of the largest caches of or buried Atlantic white cedar was discovered in the vicinity of Dennisville, New Jersey, in 1812. Some of the trunks pulled out of the Dennisville swamps were as large as 6 feet in diameter, and it was common to find trunks 4 feet in diameter.The mining of the swamps provided employment to Dennisville residents through the late 1880's. Many of the mined trees were used as shingles; well over half a million shingles were produced in some years. Some of the larger logs were cut into boards.In Joseph S. Illick's 1926 book, Common Trees of New Jersey, he mentions that Atlantic white cedars were being used as a substitute for chestnut telephone poles because chestnut was becoming hard to find (due to the blight, no doubt.)Today, Atlantic white cedar swamps have been reduced to about 20% of their original area. Much of the swampland has been cleared and drained for agricultural purposes and various sorts of development. In recent years, interest has grown in restoration of white cedar swamps where possible, and preservation of white cedar swamps that still exist. Atlantic white cedar is a wetland species occupying swamps along the Atlantic coast from central Maine south to Florida and westward along the Gulf coast to the southeastern corner of Mississippi in the Mobile Bay area. The largest natural areas containing cedar swamps are in eastern North Carolina, southeastern New Jersey, and northwestern Florida. The Atlantic white cedar is a tall, straight-growing tree. The settlers soon learned that its wood was resistant to rot and insects, light in weight, and easy to tool. They used Atlantic white cedar lumber for many purposes -- shingles, flooring, furniture, buckets, barrels, shipbuilding, docks, and more.

3. Currently, the area occupied by cedar swamps or wetlands (5% - 95% cedar) is about 115,000 acres according to foresters and conservationists surveyed in the spring of 1995. At the time of European settlement, there were an estimated 500,000 acres. Most of the loss was due to draining and clearing land for agriculture in the late 18th century in places such as the Great Dismal Swamp and lands along the Alligator River, which probably had more than half of the original cedar.Currently, the area occupied by cedar swamps or wetlands (5% - 95% cedar) is about 115,000 acres according to foresters and conservationists surveyed in the spring of 1995. At the time of European settlement, there were an estimated 500,000 acres. Most of the loss was due to draining and clearing land for agriculture in the late 18th century in places such as the Great Dismal Swamp and lands along the Alligator River, which probably had more than half of the original cedar.

4. Today much of the Great Dismal Swamp and the low-lying lands along the Alligator River have become national wildlife refuges, and active white-cedar revegetation programs are underway in both areas. The primary purpose of refuge resource management programs is to restore and maintain the natural biological diversity that existed prior to the human-caused alterations. Recently, there has been growing interest in protecting and restoring white-cedar swamps along the Atlantic coast of the United States. This interest has been fueled largely from increased awareness of the important ecological role of wetlands and an increased demand for cedar products. The Great Dismal Swamp NWR is the largest intact remnant, located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Formal protection of this resource began in 1973, when the Union Camp Corporation (a local forest products company) donated 49,097 acres to the Nature Conservancy. Today the refuge includes over 111,000-acres of forested wetlands, with Lake Drummond, a 3,100-acre lake, at its heart. The refuge had one of the largest remaining Atlantic white cedar forest in the world until Hurricane Isabel devastated the stands in September 2003. The hurricane inflicted considerable damage to the refuge’s cedar stands and increased the probability of a catastrophic wildfire. A major salvage and restoration project is underway to restore this rare resource and reduce wildfire fuel on the forest floors. Today much of the Great Dismal Swamp and the low-lying lands along the Alligator River have become national wildlife refuges, and active white-cedar revegetation programs are underway in both areas. The primary purpose of refuge resource management programs is to restore and maintain the natural biological diversity that existed prior to the human-caused alterations. Recently, there has been growing interest in protecting and restoring white-cedar swamps along the Atlantic coast of the United States. This interest has been fueled largely from increased awareness of the important ecological role of wetlands and an increased demand for cedar products. The Great Dismal Swamp NWR is the largest intact remnant, located in southeastern Virginia and northeastern North Carolina. Formal protection of this resource began in 1973, when the Union Camp Corporation (a local forest products company) donated 49,097 acres to the Nature Conservancy. Today the refuge includes over 111,000-acres of forested wetlands, with Lake Drummond, a 3,100-acre lake, at its heart. The refuge had one of the largest remaining Atlantic white cedar forest in the world until Hurricane Isabel devastated the stands in September 2003. The hurricane inflicted considerable damage to the refuge’s cedar stands and increased the probability of a catastrophic wildfire. A major salvage and restoration project is underway to restore this rare resource and reduce wildfire fuel on the forest floors.

5. Butternut The most serious disease of Juglans cinerea is butternut decline or butternut canker. In the past the causal organism of this disease was thought to be a fungus, Melanconis juglandis; but now this fungus has been associated with secondary infections and the primary causal organism of the disease has been identified as another species of fungus, Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum. Symptoms of the disease include dying branches and stems.The most serious disease of Juglans cinerea is butternut decline or butternut canker. In the past the causal organism of this disease was thought to be a fungus, Melanconis juglandis; but now this fungus has been associated with secondary infections and the primary causal organism of the disease has been identified as another species of fungus, Sirococcus clavigignenti-juglandacearum. Symptoms of the disease include dying branches and stems.

6. Butternut Canker Butternut relatively uncommon (0.02% in VA) Native range of butternut is Blue Ridge and West NC, VA – 7.5 mill trees in 1966; 2.5 million in 1986 Black walnuts affected but resistant to serious disease Before butternut canker disease virtually ended the harvesting of butternut trees, the moderately hard wood that saws and carves easily and has a natural golden luster, was popular for furniture, cabinetry, instrument cases, interior woodwork, including hand-carved wall panels and trim. Butternut trees began to decline rapidly in the 1960s due to the mysterious fungal canker disease of unknown origin. Branches would die giving the crown an untidy appearance. Spread of the sticky fungal spores is accomplished in a variety of ways, such as insect movement, birds, mammals, and rain splash. Most butternut trees grow well when young or on rich, well-drained soils. However, as time passes the tree growth slows allowing the disease to get a foothold. By the time a butternut is greater than 10 inches in diameter, it’s already in a state of decline.Before butternut canker disease virtually ended the harvesting of butternut trees, the moderately hard wood that saws and carves easily and has a natural golden luster, was popular for furniture, cabinetry, instrument cases, interior woodwork, including hand-carved wall panels and trim. Butternut trees began to decline rapidly in the 1960s due to the mysterious fungal canker disease of unknown origin. Branches would die giving the crown an untidy appearance. Spread of the sticky fungal spores is accomplished in a variety of ways, such as insect movement, birds, mammals, and rain splash. Most butternut trees grow well when young or on rich, well-drained soils. However, as time passes the tree growth slows allowing the disease to get a foothold. By the time a butternut is greater than 10 inches in diameter, it’s already in a state of decline.

7. The disease appears to cover practically the entire range of butternut. In 1990, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) group of the USDA Forest Service was requested to provide information on the change in the number of butternut 5 inches and larger in diameter in North Carolina and Virginia. The data from FIA show a 77 percent reduction in the number of butternut in these two states over the past 30 years. These changes may be attributable in part to causes other than butternut canker. Although the complete field picture is unclear because of limited data, it appears that butternut canker has spread throughout the range of the tree in the South, except for some isolated pockets. In southern states with confirmed cases, the mortality in the last 30 years is estimated at 77 percent. These data have a large error potential becauseof the limited sample size. Butternut, including regeneration, will be devastated by this disease in the years to come. Consequently, the species will be replaced by other hardwoods. Some hope lies in promising studies of genetic resistance. If and when resistant trees are found, they will be deployed in the forest. A butternut coalition is being formed, in part to look for and confirm resistant trees. The disease appears to cover practically the entire range of butternut. In 1990, the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) group of the USDA Forest Service was requested to provide information on the change in the number of butternut 5 inches and larger in diameter in North Carolina and Virginia. The data from FIA show a 77 percent reduction in the number of butternut in these two states over the past 30 years. These changes may be attributable in part to causes other than butternut canker. Although the complete field picture is unclear because of limited data, it appears that butternut canker has spread throughout the range of the tree in the South, except for some isolated pockets. In southern states with confirmed cases, the mortality in the last 30 years is estimated at 77 percent. These data have a large error potential becauseof the limited sample size. Butternut, including regeneration, will be devastated by this disease in the years to come. Consequently, the species will be replaced by other hardwoods. Some hope lies in promising studies of genetic resistance. If and when resistant trees are found, they will be deployed in the forest. A butternut coalition is being formed, in part to look for and confirm resistant trees.

8. Looking AHEAD Other Species of Concern

9. Eastern hemlock Ash species Maples Walnut Woolly adelgid Emerald ash borer Asian longhorned beetle Thousand cankers disease

11. Emerald Ash Borer Impacts Michigan Costs: >30 million trees killed since 2002. Losses could exceed $10 billion Ohio Costs: > 50,000 trees killed > $3 billion over next 10 yrs MD: $ 6 million since 2004 Potential Virginia Costs: Perhaps $1 billion, mostly due to urban tree removal and replacement costs, chemical control efforts Nationally, could cost hundreds of billions of dollars

12. Asian Longhorned Beetle: Impacts Cost of Chicago, NY, NJ eradication efforts: $300 million during last 10 yrs Potential cost to US urban forests if ALB established across the US: Loss of 34.9% of total canopy cover Loss of 30.3% of urban trees (1.2 billion) $669 billion (Nowak et al. 2001, USDA Forest Service)

13. ALB Host Species Most Susceptible Norway Maple Red Maple Silver Maple Sugar Maple American Elm Siberian Elm Boxelder Horse chestnut Moderately Susceptible Black Alder Gray Birch River Birch Paper Birch Pussy Willow Weeping Willow European Mountain Ash Poplars Least Susceptible Green Ash White Ash Sycamore Rose of Sharon Hackberry

14. Thousand Cankers Disease of Black Walnut