1. Sugar maple growth response to
a Ca addition
Eric MacPherson
Saint Michael’s College

2. Background
• Sugar maples have been declining as a result acid
deposition (Driscoll, 2001)
• Studies have shown that sugar maples respond
positively to calcium additions (Wilmot et al 1996, Bailey et al 2004, Juice et al 2006)
• In 2011, calcium (CaSiO3) was added at 6 plots in
powdered form in the same amount as W1 .

3. Methods
Measurements were taken in
three sites at Bartlett a
young, mid old, JB mid and
old, and HB old
Overstory maples (>10cm
DBH) measured using a
dowel and DBH tape
Understory Saplings ( 2<
DBH<10 cm DBH) measure
at DBH
First Year Seedlings measured
from the ground to
terminal bud.
• Marked with clear zip ties
last year
Diagram: Matt Vadaboncoeur
30m
5x5m sapling subplots

4. Hypotheses
The sugar maples in the
calcium addition will show a
larger increase in growth
than sugar maples in the
control.
The first year seedlings in the
calcium addition will be
taller than the control
seedlings
Adam Wesley

5. Overstory sugar maples (>10cm DBH)
-30
-20
-10
0
10
20
30
40
50
Control Calcium Control Calcium Control Calcium Control Calcium
p=0.29 p=0.04 p=0.20 p=0.03
Bartlett- C6 Mid Jeffers Brook Mid Bartlett- C8 Old Jeffers Brook Old
treegrowth(cm^2)
plot young to old

6. Understory sugar maples
(2cm<DBH<10cm)
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
Control Calcium Control Calcium control Calcium Control Calcium Control Calcium
p=0.47 p=0.0007 p=0.01 p=0.0003 p=0.12
Bartlett C1- Young Bartlett C6- Old Jeffers Brook -Mid Hubbard Brook Ca- Old Jeffers Brook- Old
treegrowth(cm^2)
Plot young to old

7. First year seedlings
0
2
4
6
8
10
12
14
Control Calcium Control Calcium Control Calcium Control Calcium Control Calcium Control Calcium
C1 C6 JBM C8 JBO HBCa
height(cm)
plot young to old

8. Summary
The calcium addition sugar maples have grown
faster than the control sugar maples.
The seedling height showed no significance.

9. Discussion
The calcium addition has
increased the ph of the soil.
Calcium is a structural
component of sugar maples
Future Work
• Continue to monitor the
larger trees
• Sample and weigh biomass
of the seedlings
• Survivorship

10. Acknowledgements
Adam Wild
Yang Yang
Brannon Barr
Joe Kendrick
Ruth Yanai
Hubbard Brook Experimental forest
Craig See
“Tony” Yi Dong
Cleo Warner
Megan McLin
Bartlett Experimental Forest
Thanks to everyone on the Shoestring Crew especially

11. Citations
Images
Slide 1) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acer_saccharum_Rogów.JPG
Slide 2)
https://picasaweb.google.com/101729395385523779286/CalciumFertilization?authuser=0&authkey=Gv1sRgCNOyhoCX5MvMogE&feat=embedwebsite#5661483542
724549602 Matt Vadaboncoer
Slide 3) Adam Wild 1
http://bhnavigators.blogspot.com/2007_07_01_archive.html 2
Slide 4) http://www.panoramio.com/photo/19136742 Adam Wesley 1
http://whitemountainsojourn.blogspot.com/2009/07/blog-post_24.html Alex MacPhail 2
Slide 7) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Maple_birch2.jpg
Slide 9) NAMP certificate
Slide 11) http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Maple_-_Inside_Canopy_-_Cylburn_Arboretum1.jpg
Work
Bailey, S.W. S.B. Horsley, R.P Long, R. A. Hallett, 2004 Influence of Edaphic Factors on Sugar Maple Nutrition and health on the Allegheny Plateau Soil Science Society of
America Journal 68, 1 pp 243-252
Driscoll, C. T, G. Lawrence, A. Bulger, T. Butler, C. Cronan, C. Eagar, K. Lambert, G. Likens, J. Stoddard, K. Weathers 2001 Acidic Deposition in the Northeastern United States:
Sources and Inputs, Ecosystem Effects, and Management Strategies BioScience Vol. 51 No. 3. Pp 180-198
Juice, S. M., T. Fahey, T. Siccama, C. Driscoll, E. Denny, C. Eagar, N. Cleavitt, R. Minocha, A. Richardson. 2006 Response of Sugar Maple to Calcium Addition to Northern
Hardwood Forest Ecology Vol 87 No 5 pp 1267-1280
Wilmot, T. R., D. Ellsworth, M. Tyree 1996 Base cation fertilization and liming effects on nutrition growth of Vermont sugar maple stands Forest Ecology and
Management Vol 84 pp 123-134

13. Overstory
-0.002
-0.001
0
0.001
0.002
0.003
0.004
0.005
0.006
0.007
Bartlett C6 JBM Bartlett C8 JBO
changeinbasalarea(m^2)
plot young to old
Control
Calcium

14. Understory
0
0.0005
0.001
0.0015
0.002
0.0025
0.003
0.0035
Bartlett C1 Bartlett C6 JBMid HBO JBO
Changeinbasalarea(m^2)
Plot youngest to oldest
Control
Calcium