Fire may be key to reviving dogwood trees

Friday, June 11, 2010

Not only do we have to worry about the Woolly Adelgids decimating the Eastern Hemlocks, but we now also have to worry about Discula destructiva, a fungus that is causing a serious decline in dogwood populations across North America in recent decades.

An article published in the journal Forest Ecology and Management states that the fungus is decimating dogwood populations. In some cases there has been more than a 90% mortality rate.

An article on Physorg.com reports that a study on the effect fire has on revitalizing the dogwood population in the Great Smoky Mountains shows that in areas where there have been two fires over a 20-year period, dogwoods have survived the disease.

You can read the full article by clicking here.


Jeff
HikingintheSmokys.com Detailed information on trails in the Smoky Mountains; includes trail descriptions, key features, pictures, video, maps, elevation profiles, news, and more.

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