Objectives: To more fully understand the potential causes of birch decline, we assessed crown health, radial growth, and available soil cations at 12 paper birch (Betula papyrifera and B. papyrifera var. cordifolia) sites located in the north-central Green Mountains, VT.
Principal Investigator: Joshua Halman, Paul Schaberg, and Gary Hawley
Laboratory: Schaberg/Hawley Lab
Recommended Citation: Halman JM, Schaberg PG, Hawley GJ, and Hansen CF. 2006. Paper birch tree cores from the Green Mountains, Vermont.
Project Contents: Data for 12 Plots, 175 Trees, 350 Cores
Project Period: 2006-10-01 to 2011-11-16
Species:
Betula papyrifera var. cordifolia
Betula papyrifera
Data License: 
What's this?Description: In 2006, we assessed crown health, radial growth, and available soil cations at 12 paper birch (Betula papyrifera and B. papyrifera var. cordifolia) sites located in the north-central Green Mountains, Vermont, as a preliminary assessment of factors that may be influencing paper birch decline. Selected plot locations overlapped with previous aerial mapping of paper birch decline, and we avoided areas known to have been affected by insect outbreaks in 2004 and 2005. Nine of the sites were located at three different elevations on each of three different mountain-slopes in order to assess tree health and soil nutrition across an elevational gradient. Three plots per site were established within areas known to have experienced moderate ice storm damage in 1998 and 3-4 dominant or co-dominant birch trees closest to plot center were sampled for tree and soil assessments. At higher elevations, sample trees included heart-leafed paper birch. All sites contained dominant and co-dominant paper birch with sugar maple and/or red spruce as companion species. Understory vegetation was highly variable depending on both aspect and elevation, though hobblebush (Viburnum alnifolium) and striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum) were present on most plots. Soils were usually Spodosols with generally well defined Oa, E, and B horizons, except at some upper elevations where soils were either Histosols or Entisols (i.e., no B horizon present).
Related Publications:
- Halman, J.M., Schaberg, P.G., Hawley, G.J. and Hansen, C.F. 2011. Potential role of soil calcium in recovery of paper birch following ice storm injury in Vermont, USA. Forest Ecology and Management, 2 View
Project Metadata
Taxonomic standard used: USDA Plants Database
How plots were selected: Twelve sites containing 7–20 dominant or co-dominant mature paper birch each were selected in the north-central region of the Green Mountains in Vermont. Within each site, selected plot locations overlapped with previous aerial mapping of paper birch decline, and we avoided areas known to have been affected by insect outbreaks in 2004 and 2005. Nine of the sites were located at three different elevations on each of three different mountain-slopes in order to assess tree health and soil nutrition across an elevational gradient. Three plots per site were established within areas known to have experienced moderate ice storm damage in 1998.
How trees were selected: At each plot, we sampled 3-4 birch closest to plot center.
Exclusion of trees (if any): Not provided
How cores were collected: For the 172 trees assessed, two increment cores per tree were taken at 180° from one another at 1.3 m above ground level, perpendicular to the slope.
How cores were processed: Cores were mounted, dried, and sanded. All cores were measured to the nearest 0.01 mm, visually crossdated and aged per standard dendrochronological methods (Stokes and Smiley, 1968). The computer program COFECHA was used to crossdate and identify areas of cores that may contain false or locally absent rings (Holmes, 1983). Locally absent rings were identified by subsequent visual inspection of the cores.
Exclusion of cores (if any): No cores were excluded.
Added to the database: 02/20/2018
Last modified: 03/03/2022