We are so lucky to live in a region so blessed with natural beauty. Every season has its glories, however I find myself especially enamored of snow on trees and mountains. I go out every chance I get to appreciate the light filtering through hemlocks onto snow and dark water in creeks, or peeking between oak trunks, or over rocks near the summits.
But those very oaks may be in danger.
Sudden Oak Death is caused by an introduced pathogen, Phytophthora ramorum. It has been killing oak trees in California for almost ten years. Scientists know that our northern red and pin oaks can be killed by it. Other plants, including rhododendrons, mountain laurel, and viburnum, can harbor it. This past fall, we now know, infected rhododendrons were shipped to nurseries in Connecticut and some discount stores in Western Massachusetts from a nursery in Oregon. No one has found infected plants in Massachusetts 'd0 so far. The federal agency in charge has issued new regulations that are supposed to prevent such shipments in the future.
One thing we should do is buy only locally-grown plants. If you have bought plants in the past year, check them for any sign of leaf damage or, for oaks, cankers on their trunks. In an article in "The Citizen Forester," Charlie Burnham, of the DCR Forest Health Program, asks people who see plant damage to contact the Forest Health Program at (413) 256-1601. You may also ask for a copy of their color brochure about Sudden Oak Death.
On a more hopeful note: The Natural Heritage and Endangered Species Program has created lists and maps of "Core Habitats" for species that are in need of protection to help guide land preservation efforts.
In our region, the places that matter the most are the rivers and streams (and the land next to them) and our high places, particularly the Mt Holyoke and Mt Tom Ranges, and Mt. Toby. Unfortunately, although many parts of the mountains are protected in some way, many parts are not. The rivers and streams are even less safe.
The Hickory/Hop Hornbeam forests and Black Ash swamps on the southern slopes of the Mt Holyoke Range, are unusual natural communities. Those communities, and the absence of roads and cars, make those slopes prime habitat for turtles and salamanders, including several that are in trouble.
If you look at your hiking map, you will see that a lot of land on and around the Mt Holyoke Range is not protected and is potentially developable. The Ingate Farm development, at the eastern end of the Range, is moving toward final approval: the Belchertown Planning Board expects to hold hearings on this 125-unit development in February or March.
Looking at the maps of Mt Toby is even more alarming: of that large pear-shaped mass of uplands and woods, home to some very rare species, between one quarter and one third is protected. It would be a real tragedy if the houses creeping up the sides were to begin to invade the inner valleys.
Waterbodies need to have natural shores and continguous land, as well as intact watersheds and wetlands, in order to keep the water clean and cool enough for the plants and animals that depend on them. It turns out that Lawrence Swamp is a fine example of an extremely rare natural community: a "Perched" swamp with Black Gum / Pin Oak and Swamp White Oak as primary species. Turtles depend on this area, as well as the Fort River and Hop Brook. Luckily, for a variety of reasons, including water supply, we have done a good job of protecting much of this habitat in Amherst.
Besides development, the biggest threats to habitat and species diversity include destructive "playing" with big machines and indifference to the dangers of introduced pests. On the Mt Holyoke Range, the destruction by trucks seems worst on the southern slopes, especially in South Hadley. Much of the worst destruction started when the area around Lithia Springs was owned by the South Hadley water department; evidently they didn't have the resources (or the will?) to keep trucks out. Unfortunately, the State Park doesn't have the resources either because of budget cuts.
Another danger is invasive pests. I've already mentioned Sudden Oak Death. We already have the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid. Although last year's very cold winter slowed them down temporarily, the adelgid is visibly killing hemlocks on Mt. Holyoke. Walk up the road to the Halfway House and you will see much farther into the woods now than you could a few years ago. The color isn't right either: there is a gray tinge because of bare twigs. Hemlocks that survived hundreds of years of hurricanes, ice storms, and the leather tanning industry, are now succumbing to this horrible little pest. Global trade and ignorance let it into this country, and ignorance and indifference let it spread once it was here. We owe both ourselves and those who come after us a natural environment that has not been impoverished by carelessness.