News from the world of Trees

American Forests, Autumn, 1999

The bald eagle plummeted from a high in 1782 of 100,000 nesting pairs in the continental U.S., to a rock-bottom 417 pairs in 1963.

EAGLE SOARS TO NEW STATUS

Once near extinction, the American bald eagle is poised to soar off the federal Endangered Species List. President Clinton made the announcement in time for the 4th of July, citing recovery efforts by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in partnership with numerous agencies, governments, universities, nonprofits, and individuals. Named America's national symbol in 1782, the eagle plummeted from a high then of 100,000 nesting pairs in the continental U.S. to a rock-bottom 417 pairs in 1963. The eagles ate DDT-laden fish; the chemicals then interfered with their ability to produce strong eggshells. Eggs often broke during incubation or failed to hatch. Today, the USFWS estimates the number of nesting pairs at 5,748.

AMERICAN FORESTS is planting trees in six Global ReLeaf sites that provide habitat for balds: 140,000 trees at St. Catherine Creek National Wildlife Refuge, Mississippi; 25,750 trees at Little Red Creek burn site, Caspar, Wyoming; 406,490 trees at Pointe Remove Wildlife Management Area, Arkansas; 44,000 trees at Three Sisters Bald Eagle Winter Roost, California; 58,800 trees at Marais des Cygnes National Wildlife Refuge, Kansas; 147,400 trees at Red River County, Texas.

Celebrate the return of this American treasure by planting trees at one of these sites. Call 800/545-TREE, visit www.americanforests.org, or write us; every dollar you donate helps restore habitat for these magnificent birds.

HUMANS MAKE FOREST BLUSH

New England's world-renowned quilted canopy of yellows, oranges, and russets is fast becoming a blanket of red.

Shifts in the ecology of eastern deciduous woodlands are triggering the change, according to a recent report in The New York Times. The aggressive proliferation of red maple (Acer rubrum) is blurring nature's palette.

Prior to the 20th century, red maple was confined to wet lowlands, but reds now are storming the uplands and running out long-dominant oaks. The extensive ecological systems that arose in the East under the oak shade reign are expected to alter to unknown degrees, as are the northeastern pine-hemlock forests.

Why the change? Human impact. The first suspect is sprawl-triggered fire suppression. Fire weeds out thin-barked red maple and forms the canopy gaps needed for oak seedlings to establish themselves. Without fire, red maple's whirligig samara seeds get an early springtime start and spread even fasten

The second culprit is forest disturbance, from fragmentation to clearing to road-building. Red maples are that rare breed of "broad generalists": They thrive under normally poor conditions and hybridize readily with closely related species. Rural and suburban communities also overplant the species as a shade tree, hastening their spread.

Timber industry officials are concerned by both the maples' growing prominence and their industry's role in hastening it. Red maple's low wood strength devalues the species as a timber tree. The industry is trying to adapt quickly to the change, researching new ways to capitalize on red maple.

On the other hand, red maple resilience may prove key to having a growing forest. Studies show red maples are more tolerant of acid rain and resistant to bug-borne diseases. It's unclear whether diminished diversity will contribute to overall higher levels of species loss or changes in ecosystem resilience.

Forest managers are considering controlled burnings to brake the rollover, but some see the red's march to the hilltops as inevitable. - Danielle Denenny

WHY TREES LIKED THE BERLIN WALL

The fall of the Berlin Wall apparently has meant the fall of a number of the capital city's trees, according to a recent story in the Los Angeles Times.

Booming reconstruction efforts and congested traffic are taking their toll on old trees accustomed to the protection afforded by the hated Berlin Wall. Since it came down in 1989, reconstruction efforts have caused fluctuations in the water table, choking exhaust, and parking mishaps that result in bumps and scrapes to tree bark. Many of the city's oldest trees are struggling to survive on land that is either up for auction or being developed.

Now the Society for the Protection of German Forests and other environmental groups are trying to save these arboreal treasures. Armed with a $25,000 donation from the German Foundation for the Environment and the furniture industry, a group called the Beloved Old Trees Committee has begun trying to protect three 200-year-old beeches in Schlesischer Busch Park. The small park contains dozens of old trees that so far have escaped war bombs and firewood gatherers.

NOURISHING THE ENVIRONMENT

The Balance Bar Company in August introduced Balance Outdoor, a line of all-natural energy bars targeted at outdoor enthusiasts. To promote the product's eco-friendly image, the company is partnering with AMERICAN FORESTS to plant Global ReLeaf trees. For more information on Balance Bar products, please visit www.balance.com.