Snowstorm Impacts Urban and Natural Forests — In Different Ways

Now that power has mostly been restored following October's early Noreaster, residents are taking stock of a longer term casualty of the storm -- thousands of downed and damaged trees. But whether that's all bad or good news.....depends on your ecological perspective.  New England Public Radio's Karen Brown recently provided listeners with some observations of the damage to trees resulting from the October snowstorm which impacted Western New England. The segment can be heard at http://tinyurl.com/cvvd5qa...
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Tornado Micro-climate Effects Featured on WFCR-New England Public Radio

New England Public Radio/WFCR recently featured a segment on the results of a micro-climate study undertaken in the tornado impact zone of Springfield, MA. The study, completed by David Bloniarz, Adjunct Assistant Professor and US Forest Service Research Scientist, along with Robert Brooks, a Forest Service Research Scientist stationed at UMass, examined the effects of the loss of trees in Springfield on temperature and humidity in tornado damaged areas of the city, resulting from the June 1st storm. The segment can be heard at http://tinyurl.com/crp224o. The June 1 tornados destroyed numerous homes and buildings….and also tore out of the ground hundreds of trees. While a typical neighborhood in Springfield has about 40 percent of its streets covered by a tree canopy, the tornado-impacted-zone now has only one percent tree cover. As a result, the micro-climate of some neighborhoods has changed – according to a new study by the US Department of agriculture’s forest service. Researchers found that the temperature in tornado...
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Arboriculture Team Competes at TCI Expo

On 4 November 2011, The UMass Arboriculture Team competed in the16th annual Student Career Days skills competition at TCI Expo in Hartford, CT. Team members Ethan Dangelo, Dave Golon, Alex Julius, Jason Sigman, and Bryan Westlake are all students in the Arboriculture & Community Forestry program.  Dave  took first place in the knowledge exam in the men's division; and Alex, a graduate student, won the overall competition in the women's division, placing first in the throwline, belayed speed climb, and knowledge events. Alex is studying tree worker safety with Dr. Brian Kane, the Massachusetts Arborists Association Professor of Commercial Arboriculture. Her M.S. thesis research has investigated compliance of commercial tree care companies with the industry's safety standard. This was the 16th annual student competition at TCI Expo, a national trade show and educational meeting for arborists and urban foresters. More information about Student Career Days can be found at:  http://www.tciaf.org/StudentCareerDays.aspx....
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