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Cankers Caused by the Climate
by Todd McLeish | Spring 2018
A native fungal pathogen that was once considered relatively harmless has become increasingly damaging to eastern white pines since the late 1990s, and stressed, weakened… -
Rotten Luck
by Todd McLeish | Spring 2018
Most microorganisms that digest and recycle woody material do so by producing enzymes that accelerate chemical reactions to break down molecular compounds in the wood.… -
Seeing the Light
by Todd McLeish | Spring 2018
The recent decline in the population of bees and other pollinators because of pesticides, climate change, diseases, and other causes has raised alarms among those… -
Serving Up Seeds
by Todd McLeish | Winter 2017
Small mammals like squirrels, chipmunks, mice, and voles play a surprisingly significant role in determining the tree composition of most forests. That role is based… -
Go Easy on the Salt
by Todd McLeish | Winter 2017
Applying salt to snowy roadways is an effective way of melting snow and ice and making driving safer. But what happens when that salty snowmelt… -
Old Growth Quickly
by Todd McLeish | Winter 2017
Landowners seeking to make money selling carbon credits while also continuing to sell timber have a new forestry technique to consider. A University of Vermont… -
Hydrophonics
by Todd McLeish | Autumn 2017
Plants and trees are seldom considered to have acute senses – at least, not like those of many mammals. But scientists at the University of… -
Birds of the Forest
by Todd McLeish | Autumn 2017
In one of the longest-running studies of its kind in North America, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies has documented a 14.2-percent decrease in Vermont forest… -
Hemlock Hydrology
by Todd McLeish | Autumn 2017
Hemlock wooly adelgid, the invasive insect from Japan that is wiping out most of the hemlock forests in the eastern United States, is also having… -
Living on the Edge
by Todd McLeish | Summer 2017
As human population grows, forests often become more and more fragmented as trees are cut down to make way for roads, housing developments, office parks,… -
Ups and Downs
by Todd McLeish | Summer 2017
Many scientists have predicted that as the climate warms, most bird species in the Northern Hemisphere will shift their ranges northward or up the slopes… -
Backyard Bee Bonanza
by Todd McLeish | Summer 2017
Lawns cover 63,000 square miles of the United States, making turf the largest irrigated crop in the country. As much as some ecologists consider lawns… -
All Cleared Up
by Todd McLeish | Spring 2017
A team of engineers at the University of Maryland has created transparent wood windows that are waterproof and less breakable than glass. What’s more, the… -
Changes in Ranges
by Todd McLeish | Spring 2017
Researchers have long believed that the changing climate will force most species of birds to shift their ranges to follow their preferred climate niches. Rather… -
A Secret Sensor
by Todd McLeish | Spring 2017
Anyone who has paid even a little attention to plants and trees in late winter and early spring knows how responsive they are to temperature.… -
Market Building for Norway Spruce
by Todd McLeish | Winter 2016
It has been more than 80 years since a tree species in the Northeast has been added to the list of those meeting construction industry… -
Removing Those Dam Things
by Todd McLeish | Winter 2016
Most of the 14,000-plus dams that dot New England’s rivers and streams – almost all built more than a century ago – once provided power… -
Cause and - Wait for It - Effect
by Todd McLeish | Winter 2016
Twenty years ago, scientists experimented with adding calcium to forest soils and found that it boosted tree growth. Today, they’re seeing an unexpected spike in… -
Monarch Migration Mystery
by Todd McLeish | Autumn 2016
The long, instinctive migration of monarch butterflies from the northern United States and Canada to their wintering grounds in central Mexico is considered one of… -
Fewer Fires in the Forest
by Todd McLeish | Autumn 2016
As the composition of tree species in forests in southern New England has evolved in recent decades, many of those forests have become more vulnerable…
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