Researcher Finds Lime, Fertilizer Can Improve Forest Regeneration UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. Applying lime and fertilizer to areas where timber was har vested can dramatically improve the regeneration of trees, ac cording to a researcher in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, who just completed a three-year study of new forest growth in Somerset County. In a paper published March 5 in the journal Forest Ecology and Management, Bill Sharpe, a professor of forest hydrology who has chronicled the effects of acid rain in Pennsylvania for more than two decades, main tains that soils in many places have become too acidic to sup port adequate new growth of some economically important species. “The addition of lime and fer tilizer in combination with her bicide appeared to significantly improve growing conditions and resulted in taller and more di verse regeneration,” he says. The study was conducted in cooperation with the Pennsylva nia Department of Conservation and Natural Resources’ Bureau of Forestry. But in a finding sure to prove an eye-opener for that Woods Introduces New Rotary Cutter For Sub-Compact Tractors OREGON, 111. Woods Equipment Company has intro duced the RCC42 single spindle rotary cutter, the newest addi tion to Woods’ Estate Series, landscape attachments tor trac tors up to 25 horsepower. The RCC42 mows weeds and light brush up to 1-inch in diam eter m pastures, trails, and gar dens. Deep, sturdy side frames and a smooth, sloped deck that sheds water and debris are just two of the quality features that ensure years of worry-free per- formancc. Woods’ Estate Series features Forklifts, Inc. Purchases Ransome Lift HARRISBURG (Dauphin Co.) Forklifts, Inc., with full service operations in William sport and Lancaster, has purchased the assets of Ran some Lift, Bristol. As a result, all manufacturers represented by Ransome Lift have amended their dealer agreements and have authorized Forklifts, Inc. to sell, service, and support their products with genuine factory parts, trained technicians, and rental services. This includes Linde, Cat, along with Lull brand of reach Worksaver’s New Tree Clipper Simplifies Trimming, Cutting LITCHFIELD, 111. The new Tree Clipper from Work saver, Inc. solves the problem of trimming and cutting hard to reach tree branches or unwanted trees. It also eliminates the need to trim limbs with a chainsaw from a loader bucket or ladder. The Tree Clipper can be mounted to either side of the main frame and provides excel lent visibility. Designed for use with a trac tor loader or a skid steer loader, the Tree Clipper features rugged welded steel frame construction while the cutting blades are built agency, Sharpe’s research indi cated that an herbicide com monly sprayed in the state to kill hay-scented ferns to promote tree growth actually made soils more acidic and elevated levels of aluminum, which is toxic to trees and other plants. “Use of the herbicide may ac tually be making things worse,” says Sharpe, who teamed with former graduate student Angela Schreffler on the study. “Chemi cal measurements of soil water revealed that the standard prac tice of herbicide application alone actually made soil water more acidic and increased alu minum concentrations.” The research was done on three sites where timber was re moved in a “shelterwood cut,” which Sharpe describes as “standard Bureau of Forestry practice, leaving quite a few trees behind to provide seeds for regeneration.” The land then was fenced to keep deer out, and each site was divided into several research plots. Some plots received lime and fertilizer only, others re ceived herbicide only, and others got lime, fertilizer and herbicide. Control plots were established tour compact yet powerful at tachments for smaller tractors up to 25 engine horsepower, with category 1 or 0 three-point hitches. The 60-inch rear grad ing blade, 60-inch landscape rake, 48-inch box scraper, and new 42-inch rotary cutter are ideal for general maintenance around the yard, garden, and pasture. All products in the Estate Series carry Woods’ reputation tor safety, perlormance, and du rability, and are tested in rigo rous real-life conditions and in compliance with recommended industry safety standards. trucks and Eagle Pitcher lift trucks. In addition, Forklifts, Inc. has retained all of the critical techni cians, parts, rental sales and ser vice personnel that operated out of the Ransome Lift Lemoyne, Bristol, Allentown, and West Chester locations. The 180 employees of Fork lifts, Inc. have combined with the 90 employees of Ransome Lift to create one of the most dominant material handling dealers in the region. from T-l steel. The cutting head rotates 113 degrees. The head rotator cylinder is 3” x 10” and the cutting head cylinder is 5” x 8”. The Tree Clipper is available in two models, the Model TCB - and TCB-SS. The Model TCB-FL is designed for use with a tractor loader and includes standard pin-type brackets. Op tional quick attach brackets are available. The TCB-FL requires a mini mum of 45 PTO HP. The TCB - Tree Cutter is designed for skid steer loaders that use the “universal” attachment system. where no materials were ap plied. “Study data revealed that the benefits of liming were reduced by the relatively large amounts of sulfur deposited in forest soils as a result of many decades of acid rain,” says Sharpe. “When herbicides were com bined with lime and fertilizer treatments, woody seedling numbers, diversity and height growth improved significantly. Results were not as good for limed plots without herbicide treatment due to competition for growing space. But where ferns were damaged and partially eliminated by logging equip ment, woody seedling growth was very good.” An increase of red maple trees in Pennsylvania forests has been noted in the last decade, occur ring at the same time that north ern red oaks have been decreasing in prominence, a trend that concerns many forest ers. CONSTRUCTION Uam equipment Diesel Engine Service 13 Pleasant Valley Road • Ephrata, PA 17522 PHONE: 717-733-3890 • FAX: 717-738-3146 JOHN DEERE & DETROIT DIESEL - i • Engines • Power Units • mm i -e Generator Sets •Complete A a Rebuilding • Parts & Service B * Boclrfor(l & Twin Disc • 23 KW 1 or 3 Phase John Deere, Gen Set • 35 KW 1 or 3 Phase, John Deere, Gen Set •50 KW 1 or 3 Phase, John Deere, Gen Set • 110 KW 1 or 3 Phase Detroit Diesel, Gen Set • 225 KW 3 Phase Detroit Diesel, Gen Set • 350 KW 3 Phase Cummins Diesel, Gen Set • 500 KW 3 Phase Detroit Diesel, Gen Set Sharpe believes his research has shown one reason why. “The red maple is a more acid tolerant species,” he says. “Re sidual red maple tended to grow better on the more acidic herbicide-only plots. In fact, it could be argued that the stan dard red oak shelterwood cut with herbicide treatment fa vored red maple growth.” Pennsylvania is downwind from the greatest industrial complex in the world the Ohio Valley and the state’s forest soils have been polluted by acid precipitation originating from there for many decades. The acid comes primarily from sulfur dioxide in the emissions from coal-fired power plants in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, West Virginia, and western Pennsyl vania. “Pennsylvania long has been the victim of the most acidic pre cipitation in North America,” Sharpe says. “Acid deposition increases soil water aluminum, BUY. SELL. TRADE OB WENT THROUGH THE .. PHONE: 717-626-1164 or 717-394-3047 FA* 717-733-6058 Mon., Tufcs., Wed., Fri. 8 AM to 5 PM; Thurs. 7 AM to 5 PM New JD Powertech Engines 20-500 HP $8,250 $6,850 $8,750 $12,000 $15,000 $16,000 $32,000 which is toxic to plants and also lowers the availability of cal cium and magnesium, which are essential elements for plant growth. We have a forest regen eration problem and a forest health problem in Pennsylvania. “Our research group has been studying the relationships be tween these problems and acid deposition for the past dozen or so years. If you argue that the problem is poor growth due to acid rain caused soil acidity and loss of calcium and magnesium, put ting these nutrients back into the soil should fix the problem and indicate that your argument is correct. In this case, it ap peared as though soil acidity was indeed a large part of the problem. “The good news is that this study showed that with appro priate use of herbicide, lime and fertilizer, forests can regenerate very nicely in as little as two or three growing seasons.”
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers