• Kasson, Matthew T.
  University of Maine
  

Increases in statewide beech mortality (>30%) first observed in Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data in 2003 was indication that something had changed in Maine's beech forests compared to previous inventories (McWilliams et al. 2005). The overall purpose of this project was to investigate possible factors that may have contributed to the abrupt increase in beech mortality after 2003. These investigations have been summarized in two separate chapters: 2. Dendropathological investigation of beech mortality in relation to climate, disease, and site factors; and 2. Spatial evaluation of fungal pathogens presently associated with beech bark disease in the forests of Maine.