Applying a Spruce Budworm Decision Support System to Maine: Projecting Spruce-Fir Volume Impacts under Alternative Management and Outbreak Scenarios
- Hennigar, Chris R.
University of New Brunswick
chris.hennigar@unb.ca - Wilson, Jeremy S.
University of Maine
jeremy.wilson@maine.edu - MacLean, David A.
University of New Brunswick
macleand@unb.ca - Wagner, Robert G.
University of Maine
robert.wagner@maine.edu
Spruce budworm (SBW) infestations and defoliation in forests of eastern North America (e.g., 1910s, 1940s, and 1970 –1980s) have had significant negative impacts on growth and survival of spruce and fir. The Spruce Budworm Decision Support System (SBWDSS), originally developed by the Canadian Forest Service, can assist with SBW management planning by estimating the marginal timber supply (in cubic meters per hectare) benefits of protecting stands against budworm defoliation. We applied the SBWDSS to Maine and for two private forests (around 10,000-ha townships) to assess potential spruce-fir losses. Application of the approach across diverse forest types and data sets revealed dramatic differences in potential volume impacts between the two townships. The statewide analysis suggested that over 4 million ha of Maine’s forest are vulnerable to the budworm. Projections of moderate and severe intensity outbreaks reduced statewide spruce-fir inventories by 20 –30% over the next 10 years.
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