United States Department of Agriculture Proceedings from the Conference Forest Service on the Ecology and Management Northern Research Station of High-Elevation Forests in the General Technical Report NRS-P-64 Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains Abstract Proceedings of the Conference on the Ecology and Management of High-Elevation Forests in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains held May 14-15, 2009, at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, near Slatyfork, WV. The proceedings includes 18 peer-reviewed papers and 40 abstracts pertaining to acid deposition and nutrient cycling, ecological classification, forest dynamics, avifauna, wildlife and fisheries, forests pests, climate change, old-growth forest structure, and regeneration, and restoration. The findings and conclusions of each article in this publication are those of the individual author(s) and do not necessarily represent the views of the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Forest Service. All articles were received in digital format and were edited for uniform type and style. Each author is responsible for the accuracy and content of his or her paper. The use of trade, firm, or corporation names in this publication is for the information and convenience of the reader. Such use does not constitute an official endorsement or approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture or the Forest Service of any product or service to the exclusion of others that may be suitable. Cover photo: An old-growth red spruce-northern hardwood forest as seen from Gaudineer Scenic Area on the Monongahela National Forest. Photo used with permission by David Ede, U.S. Forest Service, Monongahela National Forest. Published by: For additional copies: U.S. FOREST SERVICE U.S. Forest Service 11 CAMPUS BLVD SUITE 200 Publications Distribution NEWTOWN SQUARE PA 19073-3294 359 Main Road Delaware, OH 43015-8640 June 2010 Visit our homepage at: http://www.nrs.fs.fed.us/ Conference on the Ecology and Management of High-Elevation Forests in the Central and Southern Appalachian Mountains Proceedings of a Conference held at Snowshoe Mountain Resort, Slatyfork, WV, May 14-15, 2009 Edited by: James S. Rentch, West Virginia University Thomas M. Schuler, U.S. Forest Service Sponsored by: The Nature Conservancy U.S. Forest Service, Northern Research Station and the Monongahela National Forest West Virginia University, Division of Forestry and Natural Resources U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Snowshoe Mountain Resort West Virginia Highlands Conservancy Foreword The Conference on the Ecology and Management of High Elevation Forests in the Central and Southern Appalachians was conceived to bring together managers, practitioners, and researchers working to better understand the unique issues relevant to high-elevation forests in the central and southern Appalachians. We invited Charles Cogbill (Harvard Forest) to summarize the biogeography of high-elevations forests in the central and southern Appalachians, Carolyn Copenheaver (Virginia Tech) to provide insight into the historical conditions of high-elevation forests in the region, Greg Nowacki (U.S. Forest Service) to summarize the current state of the forest, and Mark Anderson (The Nature Conservancy) to address how climate change may influence these forests in the future. The conference also consisted of 42 offered oral presentations and 14 posters. Concurrent sessions were organized to cover topics relevant to acid deposition and nutrient cycling, ecological classification and forest dynamics, avifauna, wildlife and fisheries, forests pests and climate change, and regeneration and restoration. A plenary session was also devoted to a panel discussion to highlight the efforts of the informally chartered High Elevation Conservation Working Group and to invite new cooperators to this multi-partner initiative. The conference concluded with a field trip to Snowshoe Mountain Resort sites that exemplified conservation issues relevant to high- elevation wetlands, the recently delisted West Virginia northern flying squirrel, the threatened Cheat Mountain salamander, silvicultural options for active restoration of high-elevation forests, and soil characteristics unique to high-elevation spruce forests not impacted by high-intensity wildfires. Interest in continuing this conference on a reoccurring basis was expressed by many in attendance. Steering Committee: W. Mark Ford, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS Shane Jones, Monongahela National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, Bartow, WV Thomas Minney, The Nature Conservancy, Elkins, WV James Rentch, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV Thomas M. Schuler, Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, Parsons, WV Jack Tribble, Monongahela National Forest, U.S. Forest Service, Elkins, WV Concurrent Session Leaders: W. Mark Ford, U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center, Vicksburg, MS Mary Beth Adams, Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, Parsons, WV Thomas M. Schuler, Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, Parsons, WV Brian Smith, American Bird Conservancy, Appalachian Mountains Joint Venture, Frankfort, KY Craig Stihler, West Virginia Department of Natural Resources, Elkins, WV Mary Ann Fajvan, Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service, Morgantown, WV James Rentch, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV The Steering Committee wishes to thank Ed Galford, Steve Drumheller, and Linda Byrd of Snowshoe Mountain Resort for help with planning, field trip logistics, and overall meeting support; Sue Dimmick of West Virginia University for planning the meeting logistics; Jason Teets of the Natural Resource Conservation Service for help with the field trip; and Susan Wright and other members of the U.S. Forest Service Northern Research Station Communications and Science Delivery group for technical editing and publishing of these proceedings. The Steering Committee also thanks Nathan Beane, Elizabeth Tinchner, and Brittany Johnson for their contributions during the conference. Review Procedures Manuscripts for oral presentations were assigned to one of the editors and peer-reviewed by at least two reviewers assigned by the editors. Reviews were returned to editors, summarized, and sent to the authors with recommendations. Authors revised their manuscripts and returned them to the editors. Revised manuscripts were then reviewed again by the editors and once finalized, were submitted to the Northern Research Station, U.S. Forest Service for final editing and publishing. The Steering Committee wishes to thank the following people for reviewing manuscripts within these proceedings: Steve Adams Amy Hessel Frank Ammer Ray Hicks Nathan Beane Brett Huggett Richard Bowden Glen Juergens Gwen Brewer Byrnne Lazarus Walter Brown Rachael McManamay Elizabeth Byers Rakesh Minocha Beverly Collins Randall Morin Shelli Dubay Howard Neufeld Jeff Dugay Bradley Onken Katherine Elliot Scott Pearson Jonathan Evans Adam Rollins Mary Ann Fajvan Richard Thomas J. Edward Gates Melissa Thomas-Van Gundy Kyle Hartman Chris Ulrey Eric Heitzman James Vanderhorst CONTENTS The Isolated Red Spruce Communities of Virginia and West Virginia .........................................................................1 Harold S. Adams, Steven L. Stephenson, Adam W. Rollins, and Mary Beth Adams Changes in Canopy Cover Alter Surface Air and Forest Floor Temperature in a High-Elevation Red Spruce (Picea Rubens Sarg.) Forest...........................................................................................................................................13 Johnny L. Boggs and Steven G. McNulty Stand Dynamics of Relict Red Spruce in the Alarka Creek Headwaters, North Carolina .......................................22 Beverly Collins, Thomas M. Schuler, W. Mark Ford, and Danielle Hawkins Historical Reconstructions of High-Elevation Spruce Forests in the Appalachian Mountains .............................28 Carolyn A. Copenheaver Maintenance of Eastern Hemlock Forests: Factors Associated with Hemlock Vulnerability to Hemlock Woolly Adelgid.............................................................................................................................................31 Mary Ann Fajvan and Petra Bohall Wood Area Occupancy and Detection Probabilities of the Virginia Northern Flying Squirrel (Glaucomys Sabrinus Fuscus) Using Nest-Box Surveys..................................................................................................................................39 W. Mark Ford, Kurtis R. Moseley, Craig W. Stihler, and John W. Edwards Pennsylvania Boreal Conifer Forests and their Bird Communities: Past, Present, and Potential .........................48 Douglas A. Gross Brook Trout Movement within a High-Elevation Watershed: Consequences for Watershed Restoration .............74 Jeff L. Hansbarger, J. Todd Petty, and Patricia M. Mazik Does Nitrogen and Sulfur Deposition Affect Forest Productivity?............................................................................85 Brittany A. Johnson, Kathryn B. Piatek, Mary Beth Adams, and John R. Brooks Factors Influencing Avian Communities in High-Elevation Southern Allegheny Mountain Forests .....................94 Harry A. Kahler and James T. Anderson Forest Change in High-Elevation Forests of Mt. Mitchell, North Carolina: Re-Census and Analysis of Data Collected Over 40 Years ................................................................................................................................................104 Laura Lusk, Matt