Black Rock Forest News Winter 2004 The Black Rock Forest Consortium Volume XIV, No. 1 Conifers, Hardwoods Can Reforest Education Areas of Hemlock Mortality Fall in the Forest for City Public Schools ative conifers, as well as some duced ecosystem productivity, N hardwoods, show a high likeli- greater climate extremes, and stream oundless excitement and hood of successful use in reforesting warming, and it can potentially also “B joy.” That’s how Michele areas suffering from mortality of lead to loss of soil nutrients and soil, Kahn, the principal of New York Eastern hemlocks (Tsuga canadensis) water quality diminution, and stream City’s Public School 220 in the Mott caused by the hemlock wooly adelgid sedimentation. Quick reforestation Haven section of the Bronx, de- (Adelges tsugae), according to a 2.5- could minimize or avert these conse- scribed the reaction of the school’s year study in Black Rock Forest. quences, but there is insufficient in- fourth and fifth graders to their Oc- Funded with a grant from the Arthur formation about how best to protect tober visit to Black Rock Forest. Ross Foundation, the study involved and reforest such areas, especially in This fall, PS 220 joined PS/IS 176 planting seedlings of a variety of spe- light of heavy deer browsing.” from northern Manhattan’s Inwood cies in test plots in two sites im- neighborhood as a participant in pacted by heavy The Nursery the School in the Forest program hemlock mortality, In 2000, prior to the and a member of the Black Forest and analyzing how start of the refores- Consortium. Five classes from each the results of ac- tation trials, the school spent a day at Black Rock tive tree planting Forest established a this fall, engaging in compass work, compared with the new native tree hiking, collecting and identifying natural reclama- nursery and leaves, finding evidence of the pres- tion of these sites, stocked it with ence of animals, and exploring the both with and nearly 5000 seed- scientific process. without fencing to lings of promising Started with a generous grant exclude deer. native conifer and from the New York Community Black Rock is char- hardwood trees, Trust, the School in the Forest pro- acteristic of the 2- concentrating on ject is designed to give public million-acre High- white pine (Pinus schools from New York City the land Physiographic strobus), because it same opportunities to participate in Province that is fast-growing, in- the Forest’s science education pro- stretches from expensive, widely grams that independent schools in Pennsylvania to available, and suc- the city and public schools in Or- Connecticut and is cessful in planta- ange County have enjoyed for four- similar in many tions throughout teen years. ways to other oak- the region, but also dominated forests including tamarack School in the Forest throughout the (Larix decidua), The program currently involves two eastern deciduous white cedar one-day trips to the Forest for each forest. Vigorous growth of white pine seed- ( Chamaecyparis class, but will expand to include an “The ongoing lings at Black Rock Brook site. thyoides), red overnight stay once the Forest destruction of east- spruce (Picea ru- Lodge is completed this spring. ern hemlock by the wooly adelgid, a bra), sycamore (Platanus occiden- Additionally, teachers attend an tiny imported insect, is one of the talis), dogwood (Cornus florida), orientation session at the Forest most serious current threats to the which is persisting despite a blight, and return to their classrooms with forests of New York state,” explains and white birch (Betula papyrifera). the lesson plans and materials they Forest Director Dr. William Schuster, Over the next two years, Forest need to prepare their students for who conducted the research. “It not staff cleared a 1400-square-meter the field trips to the Forest. During only leads to the death of individual (0.34-acre) site in the Black Rock this preparation period, staff from trees and entire stands, but it also Brook watershed and an 1860- the Forest, including the project’s has major impacts on forest health, including increased fire danger, re- (continued on page 5) (continued on page 4) 2 Black Rock Forest News Winter 2004 Black Rock Forest Report from the Forest Director Consortium arth’s climate has been getting nocturnal warming. Thus, predicted E warmer, and it is now predicted increases in nighttime minimum that global temperatures will rise by temperatures may have a more sig- Black Rock Forest News is published three times a year by the Black Rock 1 to 6°C in this century. Even small nificant influence on net plant car- Forest Consortium. changes in temperature can have big bon uptake than increases in day- effects on ecosystems, including for- time maximum temperatures. En- The Black Rock Forest Consortium is an ests. Direct effects of temperature on hanced night warming also reduces alliance of public and private schools, plants include changes in primary the daily temperature range, which colleges, universities, and scientific and metabolism, development, and has its own impacts on seed germi- cultural institutions engaged in research, education, and conservation in the 3785- growth of organs. Indirect effects can nation and the growth of several im- acre Black Rock Forest in New York’s include altered competitive interac- portant forest tree species. Hudson Highlands. tions, herbivory patterns, changes in More research should probably range distribution, and increased be focused on potential ecological The Black Rock Forest Consortium is a growing season length. This warm- and physiological responses to night not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization sup- ported by membership dues, grants, and ing may over time result in much warming. Drs. Griffin and Turnbull gifts. different forests with serious implica- are currently proposing research at tions for critical parameters such as Black Rock Forest to assess the ef- Consortium Institutions forest productivity, supply of timber fects of predicted increases in noc- American Museum of Natural History and water, and biological diversity. turnal temperature on the regen- Barnard College Shifts in forest composition and pro- eration of important tree species in Brooklyn Botanic Garden ductivity will certainly impact habitat northeastern forests, a major con- Browning School and suitability for animals, with po- cern in an area where most forests The Calhoun School tentially traumatic impacts on some are aging and often little regeneration Columbia University species. A recent paper in the jour- exists in the understory. They seek Cornwall Central School District The Dalton School nal Nature suggests that massive to determine if nocturnal warming Friends Seminary extinctions may occur just due to the will have unexpected impacts on Marine Biological Laboratory at Woods warming expected to occur by 2050. seedling performance under field Hole—The Ecosystems Center Most research has focused on conditions, and how it will vary Newburgh Enlarged City School District mean increases in temperature ap- among key species. New York City Public School 176 plied uniformly both day and night, It has been shown that atmos- New York City Public School 220 but nighttime temperatures have pheric CO2 concentrations will con- New York – New Jersey Trail Conference been increasing, and are predicted to tinue to increase around the globe New York University continue to increase, at twice the rate even if we start reducing fossil fuel The School at Columbia University Storm King School of daytime temperatures. The effects emissions now, and there have been may be more marked in the forests of few concerted efforts to reduce emis- Consortium Staff northeastern North America where sions. The increased CO2 will have William Schuster, Ph.D., Forest Director maximum daytime temperatures its own direct impacts, but there will John Brady, Forest Manager have remained relatively constant also be associated impacts, and Joyce M. Baron, Education Coordinator over the last 50 years. warming, especially night warming, Barbara Brady, Administrative Assistant Warmer nights will have impacts seems a likely part of our future. Matthew Munson, Data/Network Manager independent of daytime temperatures What will be the outcomes? First, Consortium Officers as photosynthesis and respiration we need to determine if the responses respond independently to tempera- in growth chambers and greenhouses William T. Golden, Chairman ture. Plants appear quiescent at will also occur in nature. Warmer Frank Moretti, Ph.D., President Sibyl R. Golden, Vice-Chair night, but continue to respire, based nights will not happen in isolation William M. Kelly, Treasurer in part on how much they photosyn- and will likely interact with other Christie Van Kehrberg, Secretary thesized that day. Research by in- changing factors such as storm fre- vestigators Kevin Griffin and Matthew quency, fire regimes, precipitation, Consortium Address Turnbull has identified an important and humidity. We already know that 129 Continental Road mechanism with the potential to af- the ecosystem response to rising lev- Cornwall NY 12518-2119 fect patterns of photosynthesis and els of CO2 will vary depending on Phone: (845) 534-4517 growth in seedlings under predicted temperature. The results for things Fax: (845) 534-6975 future environments. Nocturnal we care about such as forest health Web: www.blackrockforest.org warming can significantly impact and environmental quality are not Black Rock Forest News dark respiration, reducing carbohy- clear, but it is not too early to bring Sibyl R. Golden, Editor drate reserves and leading to in- the focus of science to bear on this Terry Murray, Photo Editor creased photosynthesis on the follow- issue. We hope to be able to contrib- ing day. Their research in growth ute to better understanding of future chambers has shown important conditions through research and changes in biomass and seed pro- education at Black Rock Forest. © 2004 Black Rock Forest Consortium duction in many species due to — Dr.