At our annual meeting back in November we announced that
RIFCO was the recipient of a donation of a new educational resource, in the form of a ten acre woodlot in Foster. RIFCO has granted the Foster Land Trust a conservation easement on that land, with
an express purpose for our use as a demonstration woodlot.A Land Management Committee has been formed, with Tom Angell of Scituate as its
chair, to develop a plan for the use of this new resource. The initial plan is to make improvements to the access and trails so that we can hold workshops on the woodlot.
A series of workshops is being planned that will take us through the initial stages of woodlot management. Future options include the application of certain forestry
practices to allow observation of the forest's response.
The property, located at the intersection of Howard Hill Road and Briggs Road, has a
stand of mixed hardwoods (oak, ash, birch, and red maple), and is fairly level. It has access along an unimproved section of Howard Hill Road, and a small clearing that was
established as a log landing for a recent thinning. Skidder trails are present, which can be improved for year-round access by foot or machine.
There are other properties available around the state that could be incorporated into a network of demonstration woodlots, including this RIFCO lot. The RI Chapter of the
Society of American Foresters has formed a committee to investigate the development of this network. Tom Dupree, Chief of the RI Division of Forest Environment, will be leading this effort.
FOREST HEALTH NOTES
Attack of the Oakworms and Your Tree's Health
by Catherine Sparks, RI Division of Forest Environment
401-647-3367
In central Rhode Island, the towns of Scituate, Coventry, and West Greenwich had areas of 100% defoliation that covered a combined area of about 3,500 acres. The
defoliation was spotty, however, and while some areas were hit very hard other areas only a short distance away seemed relatively free of caterpillars. I am anticipating
another outbreak in 2002 and it may be expanded somewhat in area until the natural predators of the oakworm reach a level that will knock the population down. In case
you're wondering, all those fat caterpillars from this year are now burrowed into the soil between 2 and 5 inches deep where they will pupate and pass the winter. We will
know next August from observations of abundance and locations of the adult moths how many survived and where the problems will be.
Orange-striped oakworms are members of a family known as royal moths. They are a
relatively large and heavy moth with a soft look about them. The body is very hairy and characterized by rich colors of rose, light purple, yellow, and light brown. There is
a white dot on the forewings. Homeowners will find the moths to be a nuisance because of their attraction to artificial light at night. Anyone who leaves their garage
open with the light on at night in an area of high population will be loaded with moths in the morning. This year homeowners complained of the moths flying at their windows
at night and leaving marks that required window washing. If there are lots of moths there will be lots of caterpillars to follow.
The damage to oak trees from a fall defoliator is considered to be a lesser stress than earlier defoliators because the trees have had the benefit of most of the growing
season and would be losing their leaves soon anyway. However, repeated defoliations in spring or fall combined with other events can push trees into a decline that leads to
tree death. This is a normal and expected event in our forests and usually affects a small percentage of the trees.
In a landscape situation homeowners may choose to take preventative measures in
terms of pesticide application to not only to prevent defoliation, but to minimize the nuisance around their homes. The orange-striped oakworm is a gluttonous feeder,
completely stripping oaks of their leaves consuming all but a network of veins. In large numbers, as experienced this fall,they are terribly messy around a home. Any pesticide
application should take place when the caterpillars have just hatched to be most effective. Regular watering and light fertilization twice a year can be helpful in mitigating the damage to high value trees around homes.
NEW RIFCO SIGN UNVEILED