Healthy trees in open locations seldom fall even in the most extreme wind storms. Open-grown trees do not have to compete for resources, and their constant exposure to weather causes them to develop resistance to storm conditions. Among other factors, they have spreading crowns, bushier branching structure, wider bases and a more tapered trunk shape.
Conversely, trees growing in a closed-canopy situation have to compete for space, light, water and nutrients. In the unmanaged roadside forests of southern New England the are also stressed by pollutants, introduced pets and pathogens, and extreme leaning out over a road or open space. These crowded trees lack the resources or the exposure to develop resistance to wind, and are very susceptible to failure.
UConn forest researchers are monitoring tree sway to better understand the dynamic properties of trees, to quantfy how fast and how far they move, and what factors influence that. They will also investigate the potential for forest management to initiate change in those properties. Forest management will give selected trees access to more resources as well as expose them more to weather and could drive the tree to develop more wind-firm features. This development will first be detectable in the dynamic properties of a tree. The extent to which this development can occur in a mature forest stand, and how long it takes, is of great interest to researchers.
41 trees in 3 Connecticut roadside sites are equipped with sensors tracking their movement in all wind conditions. They were monitored for a year before a forest thinning was initiated, and as of summer 2017 each of the three sites has been thinned and trees continue to be monitored. This research will be a valuable factor in mapping tree risk, and in honing the best practices and forestry prescriptions that are recommended to communities for treatment of roadside forests.
The purpose of this research is to provide guidance to forest management activities that are intended to improve the stability of forests near utility infrastructure. The goals for this project are to:
As of Spring 2018:
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Dr. John C. Volin, Vice Provost for Academic Affairs & Professor in the Natural Resources and the Environment department, University of Connecticut. |
Jason Parent, Assistant Research Professor, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut. |
David Miller, Professor Emeritus, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut. |
Amanda Bunce, Graduate Student, Department of Natural Resources and the Environment, University of Connecticut |
Thomas Worthley, Associate Extension Professor, Department of Extension, University of Connecticut. |
Mark Rudnicki, Department of Forest Resources, Michigan Technological University |
For more information, please contact Jason Parent (jason.parent@uconn.edu) Members of the media, please contact Center Manager Malaquias Pena (mpena@uconn.edu) directly. |
Eversource Energy Center | Innovation Partnership Building: 159 Discovery Drive, Unit 5276, Storrs, CT 06269-5276 | E-Mail: eversourceenergycenter@uconn.edu