Brynna Bolger
Intro to GIS
Assignment 1
9/11/12
Project Idea 1
One of the biggest threats to Massachusetts’ trees in both urban and forested areas is the
destruction by invasive pests. The Hemlock Woolly Adelgid (HWA) has already decimated
Massachusetts’ hemlocks. Our ash, maple, birch, elm, willow and many others will be next if
pests like the Emerald Ash Borer (EAB) and the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB) are allowed to
spread into the state. Massachusetts has already had 2 close encounters with the Asian
Longhorned Beetle – a large infestation in Worchester identified in 2008 (currently in the
process of eradication) and a very small infestation in Boston identified in 2010. The EAB was
just this year found in Connecticut, making it the 17th state where the EAB has been found.
While there are some options for control of HWA (both chemical and biological) the only real
options for the EAB and ALB are cutting down and destroying the infested trees. Unfortunately,
this is not a viable solution in large forests, but only in urban and residential areas. Therefore,
prevention or early detection is the best hope.
One of the most common ways invasive pests spread to new areas is through firewood or
other wood material. For example, both ALB and EAB initially spread to North America from
Asia where they are native insects in wooden shipping materials. Despite campaigns promoting
“burn it where you buy it” many people either do not realize the level of threat or are not
exposed to the message. In addition, the areas where the largest number of out of state firewood
is coming in is to campgrounds, state parks, etc. which are commonly surrounded by large stands
of trees, and so the job of controlling an infestation would be extremely difficult. Therefore,
making sure that the message of limiting the movement of firewood is a high priority, but
especially in areas where the presence of host trees coincides with a large influx of out of state
wood.
Questions:
1. What areas are most vulnerable to spread of invasive pests through firewood due to
proximity to campgrounds, state parks, etc?
2. Where do these areas of vulnerability overlap with areas of high concentration of host
trees for either EAB or ALB?
These questions are important in order for Massachusetts to focus its energies as far as areas to
perform outreach to the public and areas to monitor closely for infestations.
References:
Orth, J.F. (2012). Asian Longhorned Beetle Information. Retrieved from
http://www.mass.gov/agr/alb.htm.
This is the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources website, which includes
recent information about ALB and other invasive pests in Massachusetts as well as what is being
done to identify and eradicate infestations.
Hu, J., Angeli, S., Schuetz, S., Luo, Y., & Haicks, A.E. (2009). Ecology and management
of exotic and endemic Asian longhorned beetle Anoplophora glabripennis.
Agriculture and Forest Entomology, 11, 359-375.
This article summarizes information about the ecology and distribution of the Asian Long
Horned Beetle. It is useful because it discusses the ways in which the beetle spreads and the
distances the beetle will spread given the type of environment it is in. This will be useful in
deciding areas of risk in Massachusetts.
(2012). Emerald Ash Borer. Retrieved from http://www.emeraldashborer.info/.
This website is run by the USDA Forest Service, Michigan State University, Purdue
University and Ohio State University in order to spread awareness of the emerald ash borer. It
has a lot of useful and up to date information about the spread of the pest.
Other sources:
Michigan State University. Emerald Ash Borer Viewer. Retrieved from
http://eabviewer92.rsgis.msu.edu/
Online GIS map of the location of EAB.
USDA Forest Service. (2006). Maryland and Massachusetts Street Tree Monitoring Pilot
Projects. (Na-FR-01-06). Newtown Square, PA. Retrieved from
http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/fhm/street_trees/md_ma_street_tree_proj_hr.pdf
Information on tree cover in Massachusetts.
Project Idea 2
Although not at the same grand scale as the western states, winter in the northeast means
one thing for a lot of people – winter sports. The culture that has developed over centuries in the
United States revolving around skiing, and more recently, snowboarding, includes more than just
the individual ski mountains. There are the hotels, restaurants, winter sports and apparel stores,
purposefully picturesque shopping centers, and many more business that rely on the tourism that
skiing and boarding bring in to nearby communities (Downhill Slide). Unfortunately, despite the
advances in snowmaking, without cold weather and some natural snow, it is difficult for a
mountain to have a successful season. This past winter the northeast was unusually warm and
snowfall was incredibly lacking. For example, in Concord, New Hampshire this was the lowest
snowfall year in 46 years. This contributed to the 21% decrease in skier visits in the state – 1.9
million down from 2.35 million in 2010/11 (saminfor.com).
In the Washington Valley of New Hampshire there are 4 ski resorts – Attitash, Cranmore,
Black, and Wildcat. Each has its own set of condos, hotels, restaurants and shops associated
with it, but then there are the nearby towns like Jackson and North Conway that are impacted by
the success of the mountains. This can be because of the employment opportunities directly
from the mountain or from all the businesses that exist because of their proximity to the ski
resorts (Downhill Slide). In the Adirondaks of New York where many ski resorts rely on natural
snow, several shut down after this season (Saminfo.com). There are many things that influence
the success of a ski resort (real estate being one of the biggest), but the fact remains that without
the right weather there is no skiing.
Questions:
1. What were the average snowfall levels and temperatures across the northeast for the
winter of 2011/12?
2. How many businesses are directly or indirectly connected to the ski industry in the
northeast? In which areas did these businesses or ski resorts themselves close down
recently (during or after the 2011/12 season)?
3. Are there areas where low snowfall/high temperatures coincide with resorts shutting
down or businesses related to the industry closing?
The answers to these questions would hopefully show the extent of the reliance on the ski
industry in the northeast as well as if there is a correlation between the suitability of the weather
and the success of the businesses involved in the ski industry. Regardless of the cause of the
warm weather this past winter; the interaction of weather and large industries like the ski
industry demonstrates another potential area of impact of climate change.
References:
Clifford, H. (2003). Downhill Slide: Why the Corporate Ski Industry is Bad for Skiing, Ski
Towns, and the Environment. San Francisco: Sierra Club Books.
This book offers a lot of insight on the interconnectedness of ski resorts and the community –
showing the impact the mountain has on the different businesses.
(2012). Ski Area Management: the Voice of the Ski Mountain Industry. Retrieved from
saminfo.com
The Ski Area Management website is a collection of all the latest information on ski
resorts across the country. They report the numbers of each state after the season as well as the
success of individual mountains. It is a good source of information as far as which mountains
have closed or are suffering.
(2012). Skinh.com. Retrieved from skinh.com.
This website has a lot of the same information as the Ski Area Management website but
is focused on New Hampshire.