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Harvard Forest REU Symposium Abstract 2022

• Title: How much mortality is observed in the Quabbin Forest after a Lymantria dispar outbreak?
• Author: Grace M Shiffrin (Willamette University)
• Abstract:

  The 2016-2018 spongy moth, Lymantria dispar, outbreak in southern New England was the most severe outbreak in the region since 1980-1981. Due to the moth's preference for oaks, Quercus; these oaks are more heavily defoliated than other species, causing a significant ecological impact on the system as oaks are the dominant species in many New England forests. I analyzed oak mortality data that was collected at Quabbin Forest in Massachusetts from: 1) 204 plots sampled in 2017 and 2022; 2) Continuous Forest Inventory plot data from 1980-2020. The two most recent outbreaks had different forest species compositions and community structures; the 1980 outbreak was more widespread than the 2016 outbreak; however, both outbreaks had similar levels of severity. I predict that in the 2022 Quabbin survey, there will be higher mortality in sites that were more severely defoliated during the 2016-2018 outbreak. I found that Quabbin Forest had a higher mortality loss in the 2016-2018 outbreak compared to the 1980-1981 outbreak. As understanding past spongy moth outbreak damage is key to future outbreak analysis, these results will create a better understanding for future research.

• Research Category: Conservation and Management; Group Projects