Th e Forests of Maine: 2003 Resource Bulletin NE-164 September 2005 United States Forest Northeastern D E E P R A U Department of Agriculture RTMENTOFAGRICUL T Service Research Station Abstract In 1999, the Maine Forest Service (MFS) and USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program implemented a new system for inventorying and monitoring Maine’s forests. A salient feature of the new inventory process is a nearly threefold improvement in timeliness as full inventories are completed every 5 years. The 2003 results represent the first full set of annual inventory and growth data since the end of the extreme spruce-budworm epidemic (SBE) of the 1970’s and 1980’s. The effects of the SBE continue to affect the composition, structure, and distribution of Maine’s forested ecosystems. Insight into current forest dynamics will help stakeholders plan for potential future disturbances like SBE. The area of forest land in Maine has remained stable since the 1970’s. Although relatively small acreages of forest are converted to other land uses these conversions often remove highly valued forests such as white pine. The total inventory volume of live trees increased slightly, indicating the beginning of a response of Maine’s forest to the tremendous devastation from SBE. The spatial distribution of sapling-size spruce and fir across the State reveals a general abundance of regeneration, foretelling waves of merchantable wood in coming years. The Authors WILLIAM H. MCWILLIAMS, BRETT J. BUTLER, DOUGLAS M. GRIFFITH, MICHAEL L. HOPPUS, ANDREW J. LISTER, TONYA W. LISTER, RANDALL S. MORIN, LUCRETIA B. STEWART, and JAMES A. WESTFALL are foresters with the Northeastern Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis unit in Newtown Square, PA. JAMES STEINMAN is a forester with Northeastern Area State and Private Forestry. CHRISTOPHER W. WOODALL is a research forester with the North Central Research Station’s Forest Inventory and Analysis unit in St. Paul, MN. LAURENCE E. CALDWELL is a private forestry consultant, Turner, ME. KENNETH M. LAUSTSEN is biometrician with the Maine Forest Service, Augusta, ME. STEVEN A. SADER is a professor of forest resources and JACOB W. METZLER is a geospatial specialist with the Forest Society of Maine at Bangor. DAVID W. WILLIAMS is an entomologist with the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, Otis ANGB, MA. ANDREW WHITMAN is research scientist with Manomet Center for Conservation Sciences, Brunswick, ME. Acknowledgments We thank members of the field staff for their hard work and dedication in collecting the sample data used in this report: Scott Barnes Everett Cram Allison Kanoti Scott Peterson Chad Barton Ronna Coleman Keith Kanoti Brian Reader Liza Batchelor Mike Devine Catherine Kropp Mike Skinner Sacha Begg Jamie Dow Jeff Martin Grayln Smith Jay Benner Kristen Dubord Brian McAuthur Christina Stacey Aaron Bishop Melanie Duffy Jason Morrison Eric Therriault Joe Bither Dan Edgecomb Kathy Murray Jonathan Tyler Greg Bjork Matthew Gallucci Stephen Pawlowski Jeff Wazenegger Joshua Brown Jeff Harriman Alexander Peacock Charles Willette Bob Chandler John Hoyt Dan Peers Manuscript received for publication 6 December 2004 TThehe FForestsorests ooff MMaine:aine: 22003003 WWilliamilliam HH.. MMcWilliamscWilliams RRandallandall SS.. MMorinorin BBrettrett JJ.. BButlerutler SSteventeven AA.. SaderSader LLawrenceawrence EE.. CCaldwellaldwell LLucretiaucretia BB.. SStewarttewart DDouglasouglas MM.. GGrifriffi tthh JJamesames R.R. SSteinmanteinman MMichaelichael LL.. HHoppusoppus JJamesames AA.. WWestfallestfall KKennethenneth MM.. LLaustsenaustsen DDavidavid AA.. WWilliamsilliams AAndrewndrew JJ.. LListerister AAndrewndrew WWhitmanhitman TTonyaonya WW.. LListerister CChristopherhristopher WW.. WWoodalloodall JJacobacob WW.. MMetzleretzler Contents Brief .....................................................................................................................1 Resource Conditions ....................................................................................1 Outlook ...........................................................................................................6 Policy Implications ........................................................................................7 Introduction ........................................................................................................ 9 Spruce Budworm .........................................................................................10 The Annual Inventory: Results from the First 5 Years ........................... 11 Forest Land ..................................................................................................11 Location and Trends ................................................................................... 11 Urbanization ............................................................................................... 14 Forest-Land Ownership .............................................................................. 16 Forest Type, Habitat Type, Stand-Diameter Class,and Stocking .................. 20 Stand Structure .......................................................................................... 31 Low Basal-Area Conditions ........................................................................ 32 Harvest Disturbance ....................................................................................35 Numbers of Trees ........................................................................................ 36 Standing Dead Trees .................................................................................. 39 Down Woody Material ................................................................................. 40 Distribution of Tree Species .......................................................................42 Shrubs and Vines ........................................................................................ 45 Biomass ........................................................................................................47 Inventory Volume .........................................................................................48 Sawtimber Volume .......................................................................................52 Wood Availability .........................................................................................56 Components of Inventory Volume Change ...............................................57 Growing Stock ............................................................................................ 57 Live Tree..................................................................................................... 58 SawTimber ................................................................................................. 60 Mortality ..................................................................................................... 64 Timber Products Output ............................................................................. 66 Forest Health Parameters ...........................................................................68 Tree Damage .............................................................................................. 68 Crown Condition ........................................................................................ 70 Ground-Level Ozone Injury ......................................................................... 70 Lichens ...................................................................................................... 72 Soil Erosion ................................................................................................ 74 Vegetation Diversity and Structure ............................................................. 75 Literature Cited................................................................................................ 76 Appendix ........................................................................................................... 80 Annual Inventory Design ............................................................................ 80 Phase 1 ...................................................................................................... 80 Phase 2 ...................................................................................................... 80 Phase 3 ...................................................................................................... 81 Ensuring Consistency with Previous Inventories ....................................81 Statistical Signifi cance ............................................................................... 82 Benefi ts: More Rapid and Complete Resource Analyses ........................82 Defi nition of Terms ......................................................................................84 2003 Tables................................................................................................... 91 1995 Tables................................................................................................. 145 1982 Tables................................................................................................. 167 20 16 12 Brief 8 In 1999, the Maine Forest Service (MFS) and the USDA Forest Service’s Forest Inventory and Million Acres 4 Analysis (FIA) program implemented a new 0 system for inventorying and monitoring Maine’s 1600 1650 1700 1750 1800 1850 1900 1950 2000 forest resources. The most obvious benefi t of the Year new system is a nearly threefold improvement in Figure 1.--Area