Abstract
Widespread and prolonged defoliation by the European winter moth, Operophtera brumata L., has occurred in forests of eastern Massachusetts for more than a decade and populations of winter moth continue to invade new areas of New England. This study characterized the forests of eastern Massachusetts invaded by winter moth and related the duration of winter moth defoliation estimated using dendrochronology to observed levels of tree mortality and understory woody plant density. Quercus basal area mortality in mixed Quercus and mixed Quercus—Pinus strobus forests in eastern Massachusetts ranged from 0–30%; mortality of Quercus in these forests was related to site quality and the number of winter moth defoliation events. In addition, winter moth defoliation events lead to a subsequent increase in understory woody plant density. Our results indicate that winter moth defoliation has been an important disturbance in New England forests that may have lasting impacts.
Highlights
Winter Moth in MassachusettsNumerous invasions by forest pests have occurred in the north-eastern United States [1] and these invasions can have dramatic ecological [2] and economic [3] effects
Total stem density of live and dead Quercus varied between sites and Quercus quadratic mean diameter ranged from 23.5 (± 0.8)
We evaluated 12 models to predict the relationship between the response variable Percentage of Quercus Basal Area in Dead Stems and the explanatory variables Number of WM Defoliation Events, Quercus Site Index, and Stand Relative Density
Summary
Winter Moth in MassachusettsNumerous invasions by forest pests have occurred in the north-eastern United States [1] and these invasions can have dramatic ecological [2] and economic [3] effects. Insect invasions in New England include European gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L. (Lepidoptera: Geometridae), is a recent addition to this suite of exotic pests and little is known about its impacts to invaded forests in New England. Native to Europe, winter moth is an early-season, hardwood defoliator that feeds within expanding buds and on young, newly emerged leaves [7,8,9]. Winter moth was identified in Massachusetts in 2003 but is presumed to be responsible for high levels of defoliation in the region since the 1990s [10]. Populations of winter moth have been detected in Rhode Island, Connecticut, eastern Long Island New
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