Related Highlights

Ten Harvard students with concentrations ranging from Linguistics to Biology participated in the immersive Harvard Forest Winter Break Week, "Reading the New England Landscape," from January 15 to 20. Harvard researchers in Paleoecology, Atmospheric Sciences, Natural History, Conservation, and Landscape Design led daily field walks and hands-on activities; renowned artists including former Bullard fellow Debby Kaspari led art and illustration

A new paleoecology study by Emerson College/HF scientist Wyatt Oswald and HF director David Foster describes multiple episodes of eastern hemlock population decline ~6,000 years ago in New England. These events precede a major and more often-studied hemlock population decline 5,500 years ago. All of the decline events coincide with indicators of abrupt climate change. The sensitivity of hemlock populations,

New results by Forest Ecologist Dave Orwig and others show that hemlock stands invaded by the hemlock woolly adelgid (HWA) experience dramatic reductions in regeneration of new hemlock seedlings, making the insect's destruction difficult to reverse. In extensive surveys of 141 hemlock stands in southern New England, hemlock seedling density declined 71% between 2007 and 2009, while HWA infestation continued

A new article in Ecological Economics, co-authored by UMass professor and HF researcher David Kittredge, identifies "barriers to Massachusetts forest landowner participation in carbon markets". Data from 930 landowner surveys show that price is not the most important factor in landowner decisions about carbon markets. Questions about early withdrawal penalties, additionality requirements, and contract length, as well as the