Interesting Research News and Tools for Landowners – December 2018

Understanding Climate Change in Pennsylvania

Although climate change may be more evident in some places, such as the Arctic, no place is considered immune to its effects. Over the past 110 years, Pennsylvania has undergone a long-term warming trend of almost 2 degrees Fahrenheit and an overall increased trend in precipitation. Models show this pattern will continue into the future at an accelerated rate. Given these projected effects, it is likely that the plants, animals, and landscape in Pennsylvania will be impacted by climate change. The challenge for conservation managers is how to adapt and mitigate.

Warbler Habitat to Hardwood Floors

We wanted to share a "neat" story about one of our local Pennsylvania landowners, Mark Ott. Mark is one of our Pennsylvania Forest Stewards and well as a certified Tree Farmer. He has been involved with many forestry activities over the years, including the Woodland Owners of Centre County and the Sustainable Forestry Initiative of Pennsylvania. Dave Jackson, Forest Resources Extension Educator, recently had a chance to visit Mark's property where he was getting ready to have a section harvested to create habitat for golden-winged warblers. Golden-winged populations have been declining in numbers for quite some time now and have one of the smallest populations of any bird NOT on the endangered species list.

Mark was able to add an interesting twist to his story, he was able to find a wood products company to make flooring from the trees harvested from his property. To create golden-winged warbler habitat a specific kind of forest condition needs to be created, one with a few mature trees in the overstory and young tree regeneration in the understory. By using the harvested trees to make hardwood flooring Mark was able to take a little piece of his woodland and incorporate it into his home at the same time he was creating habitat for a declining songbird species, great story.

Disclaimer: Information presented here is provided as a general information resource. Any mention of commercial products is for information only; it does not imply recommendation or endorsement.