Maynard Forest Volunteer Opportunities

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1 Maynard Forest Volunteer Opportunities Gilsum, New Hampshire Fall 2014 Project Partners:

2 1. Background Maynard Forest is a ~90 acre preserve in Gilsum, NH (off of Rt 10 N, five minutes from Washington Street in Keene) owned by the Monadnock Conservancy. 13 patch-cuts averaging 1.5 acres in size were harvested in the winter of 2010 with the goal of mitigating beech growth and encouraging more "desirable" species such as red oak. The deer density has been so high on the property that regeneration has largely been static, save for the proliferation of American beech - an extremely shade-tolerant species with aggressive reproduction habits. There are two research projects going on simultaneously, but both deal with management of American beech. The first is my thesis work in partnership with the Monadnock Conservancy, and the second is an American chestnut reintroduction effort in partnership with the American Chestnut Foundation. They are referred to as "the beech study" and "the chestnut study" - but they are both a part of the same NRCS Conservation Innovation Grant. The other partner on this project, in addition to the ACF and NRCS, is the UNH Cooperative Extension (specifically, Steve Roberge as a consulting forester).

3 Research Projects "Beech study" Six of the 13 patch cuts have been designated as "beech study" blocks. There are three treatments per block, one 'set' to the north within the patch, and another 'set' due south within the forest canopy - for a total of six transect plots per block (36 total in the study). Each transect plot is 30 meters long and has 10 2x2m sampling plots within them, for a total of 360. All treatments have to do with managing beech's competitive advantage in an attempt to encourage other species' growth. Three of the blocks have been fenced in to keep deer out so that we can understand what influence they have on management techniques. Within each block, one transect plot pair has had all of its beech treated with herbicide (foliar application), one pair has been mechanically cut (loppers and chainsaw), and one will be left alone as a control. The data we are collecting within each sample plot are: - Woody regeneration density (what tree species are regenerating and what is their relative density) - Regeneration height - Browse impact (to what degree has this seedling been browsed) - Extension growth (how much has this seedling grown during the 2014 growing season) This study is long term, and this year is the baseline. The beech study will inform what is the most effective way to manage beech, how much of an impact does beech have on competition among forest regeneration, and what influence (if at all) does the presence of deer play. The audience of this study includes landowners, natural resource/land managers, and foresters. Beech management has become a big issue in forestry since beech bark disease came onto the scene in the previous century.

4 "Chestnut study" Two of the aforementioned patch cuts have been designated for the chestnut study. Both patches have been fenced in to protect the 130 chestnut saplings from deer browse. One patch has been planted at a 20x20ft density while the other has been planted at 8x8ft density in order to mimic the varying densities found in different forest settings. Each seedling has been outfitted with a greenhouse tube and an ID tag. As you might already know, American chestnuts were obliterated from our forests in the early 20th century due to the chestnut blight. The seedlings in this study are a 10thgeneration hybrid of the blight-resistant Chinese chestnut and the American chestnut. Prior to the chestnut's demise, chestnuts were a competitor to American beech and provided hard mast for wildlife in a similar way that beech does. Our goal with this study is to see how well (if) the chestnuts survive, how they compete with each other, and how they compete with other regenerating woody species. All regeneration in these patches was cut back prior to planting the seedlings. Data we are collecting in this study: - Baseline data on each individual chestnut tree (130 total) such as: photograph, height, extension growth, basal diameter, signs of blight, signs of insect damage/browse - 2x2 meter plots will be sampled for a sub-sample of this larger group (number to be determined) for regeneration density and regeneration height.

5 2. Volunteer Opportunities and Descriptions a. Beech study i. Research Assistant Responsibilities This volunteer position is for data collection assistants who will work closely with me throughout the season. Assistants will first be trained to use the data collection software ForestMetrix, operated on an ipad. Once you get comfortable with entering the data you will have the opportunity to learn to collect data yourself. Data collection will be of regenerating woody species within 2x2m plots and includes species ID, height, extension growth, and browse impact. You will be trained in identification of early regeneration of woody species such as red oak, black birch, paper birch, black cherry, red maple, striped maple, American beech, etc. You will also be trained in my protocol for evaluating impact of deer browse. The data collection process is slow, but I believe in frequent mental breaks and sticking to work hours (9-12, lunch, 1-4). We do not collect data during inclement weather. Estimated Time Commitment This position requires a semi-consistent weekly commitment through the fall (mid- September through November) options are half-days (mornings 9-noon, or 1-4) or full days (9-3) once (or more) a week. I am flexible regarding cancellations due to unforeseen school workloads during heavy weeks. Available times are: Monday: AM, PM, or full day Tuesday: AM, PM, or full day Wednesday: Intermittent AMs Thursday: AM, PM, or full day Friday: AM, PM or full day Option of partnering up? No the logistical nature of this position enables me to work with only one other person at a time. More than one person can be an assistant but they will not be scheduled at the same time.

6 b. Chestnut study i. Chestnut Baseline Photography Responsibilities As a part of our obligations to the American Chestnut Foundation, individual photographs of each chestnut seedling are required. Each seedling is equipped with an ID number and is enclosed within a greenhouse tube. You will need to take off the greenhouse tube, photograph the seedling ideally with the ID tag in the photo, resecure the greenhouse tube, and keep track of which seedlings are pictured in the photograph. A digital camera will be provided. Estimated Time Commitment As there are 130 seedlings, how long this takes is up to the volunteer. If there is more than one person who wants to work on this it will take less time. It could be accomplished in one day, or broken up over a series of days. Photographs will need to be taken before the leaves fall, preferably before the end of September. Available times are: Monday: AM, PM, or full day Tuesday: AM, PM, or full day Wednesday: AM, PM or full day Thursday: AM, PM, or full day Friday: AM, PM or full day Option of partnering up? This position is perfect for partnering up with a friend or group of people. Two digital cameras can be provided if necessary. ii. Data Collection: Chestnut individuals Responsibilities Data needs to be collected on each individual chestnut so that their progress and blight resistance can be monitored over time. The 2014 season will serve as a baseline. Volunteers will need to collect data on each seedling s height, extension growth from the

7 2014 growing season, basal diameter, and signs of blight/insect damage. Data will be recorded on a paper sheet. Estimated Time Commitment Data must be collected once the growing season has finished this should be around mid-september. It should take only a few full days to collect the data, and it can be spread over several weeks if desired. Available times are: Monday: AM, PM, or full day Tuesday: AM, PM, or full day Wednesday: AM, PM or full day Thursday: AM, PM, or full day Friday: AM, PM or full day Option of partnering up? Yes, this opportunity is ideal for working with a partner. iii. Data Collection: 2x2m regeneration subsample plots Responsibilities A sub-sample of chestnuts (exact number to be determined) needs to be sampled for surrounding woody regeneration to establish which species the chestnuts are competing against. The plots are 2x2m. Data will be collected on the species ID and height. Estimated Time Commitment The time commitment for this task is similar to the chestnut baseline data collection. It can be done in pairs, which will greatly speed it up. It will need to be started once the growing season ends about mid-september. For an individual it will probably require about a full week s worth of full-day work or several weeks worth of half-day work. Available times are: Monday: AM, PM, or full day Tuesday: AM, PM, or full day Wednesday: AM, PM or full day Thursday: AM, PM, or full day

8 Friday: AM, PM or full day Option of partnering up? This is a perfect opportunity for partnering up with another volunteer. c. General i. Winterization of research plots Responsibilities Volunteers will be working as a group to secure deer exclosure fencing for the winter. We will be hammering in rebar pipes, dragging logs and branches to plug up holes that cannot be secured with rebar, and clearing any fallen branches from the top of the fence. Estimated Time Commitment This will be a one-day volunteer event, date TBD.

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