Forest Health

In this issue: Read about the how new and old can make a positive mix, and the importance of conserving existing forest buffers. Our two popular online courses return for the fall. Our "Native Trees of Maryland" looks at the red maple, and "Invasives in Your Woodlands" looks at Japanese hop. And don't forget the events calendar and the Brain Tickler challenge.

Since its debut as a regular Branching Out feature in 2016, "Invasives in Your Woodland" has profiled a wide variety of invasive plant species that threated the health of Maryland's ecosystems.

In the News and Notes roundup for this issue: Maryland's state forests are recognized as sustainable; a new program aims to help Virginians plant riparian buffers; a new theory hopes to explain "seed masting;" new research suggests wooden surfaces may have antivirial properties; and Maryland's Chesapeake and Atlantic Coastal Bays Trust Fund allocates $35 million for state ecological projects.

Learn to be a steward of the land this fall with the University of Maryland Extension General Forestry Course. This online course will be offered beginning Sept.1 through Dec. 15, 2022.

Japanese hop is a native of Asia and was imported to North America as an ornamental plant and for Oriental medicinal purposes in the late 1800s. It is an annual vine that can climb or twine around trees, fences, and more. It also spreads rapidly across open spaces and can overgrow and shade out native species in the understory.

Forest buffers are critical to the health of the Chesapeake Bay and its wildlife. But while forest buffer planting may be gaining momentum, the Chesapeake Bay watershed has lost more forest buffers than it’s gained.

Red Maple is one of the most commonly occurring trees in eastern North America. The tree is well adapted to many different site conditions, from lowlands to uplands, and shady to sunny. Its suitable habitat can be found across the entirety of Maryland.

Are you a small-acreage property owner who wants to learn how to care for or how to expand existing woodlands, or how to convert lawn space to woodlands? The join us for our self-directed, non-credit online course. It runs for ten weeks, from September 6 to November 15.

Occasionally, the two roles I have with UME intersect, and I find I can use a mix of old and new skills to move projects forward, just as forest managers have learned it's good to have a mix of new and old growth to keep woodlands and wildlife healthy.

Sawtooth oak (Quercus acutissima) is native to Asia, from northeast India to Korea, and was introduced to the eastern U.S. in 1920. However, sawtooth oaks have adapted to a wide area of the nation and now are escaping from plantings into natural areas, particularly in the eastern states, where they can outcompete native species.