Forest Health

The use of new mobile apps make exploring your woods fun and educational. HealthyWoods, a collaborative effort between forest specialists from Kentucky and other hardwood-producing states in the Appalachian region, including Maryland, provides woodland owners with a convenient tool to scout the health of their woods.

Registration is now open for two online courses offered by University of Maryland Extension's Woodland Stewardship Education program! Also, learn about that returning pest, the gypsy moth, and how you can use handheld GPS in your woodlands. Our regular features include the "Woodland Wildlife Spotlight," "Invasives in Your Woodland," plus the events calendar, the Brain Tickler challenge, and the News and Notes section.

News and Notes items for the Spring 2021 issue of Branching Out

Disturbances such as fire, wind events, landslides, tree falls and pests allow forests to remain dynamic and provide habitat for many woodland flora and fauna. Native species have adapted to these disturbances, including the Southern Pine Beetle (SPB), which is native to Maryland and the southeastern United States. 

The News and Notes roundup for this issue features more kudos for Maryland Forest Service Project Manager Mike Kay, a study about the importance of community forests, news about bats, and an invitation to list your green industry business in a new Extension directory.

Sometimes it's easier to have the sawmill come to your woodlands, especially for smaller jobs. Providers of portable sawmilling are listed here.

What methods can be used to control gypsy moths? The key is understanding the life cycle. As stewards of the land, it’s up to us to keep the gypsy moth in check by walking our woods often, keeping an eye open for their presence, and taking the steps necessary to minimize their impact.

Forest landowners were surveyed about their willingness to use poultry litter as a forest fertilizer under a variety of financial incentives. Landowners with more acres, in certain counties, and who were younger were most likely to be willing. 

This report summarizes five years of experimentation at a site where hybrid poplar trees were planted over deep-row application of biosolids.

The purpose of this study was to test a variety of hybrid poplar clones to see which perform best after five years of growth in a planting with deep-row biosolids.