A comparison of tree crown condition in areas with and without gypsy moth activity

Abstract

This study compared the crown condition of trees within and outside areas of gypsy moth defoliation in Virginia via hypothesis tests of mean differences for five U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service Forest Inventory and Analysis phase 3 crown condition indicators. Significant differences were found between the trees located within and outside gypsy moth activity, but no crown condition indicator was consistently different across the 4 years included in the study. Results suggest that the crown condition indicators may provide some benefit in pinpointing the presence of a known stressor and also may provide a starting point for identifying unknown stressors.

Citation

Randolph, KaDonna C. 2005. A comparison of tree crown condition in areas with and without gypsy moth activity. In: 2005 Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Forestry Inventory and Analysis Symposium: 107-113