Williams Woods Nature Preserve Hit by ‘Microburst’

Emergency Trail Closure in Place

Charlotte, Vermont — July 1, 2007 — The Nature Conservancy announced today the emergency closure of Williams Woods Natural Area, located on Greenbush Road in Charlotte. At 4:12 PM on June 27 the preserve, which features many large, old trees was damaged by a microburst. Described as a localized column of sinking air, a microburst produces severe winds at ground level. The area affected can measure just a few miles in diameter. While it lasted only a few seconds, this severe weather event created significant natural openings in the forest canopy.

This 63-acre clayplain forest is one of the jewels of The Nature Conservancy's preserve system in Vermont. Unlike most forest areas in the state, much of this property was never cleared for agriculture, and closely resembles "old-growth" forest. Towering white pines, majestic old hemlocks and tall, straight oaks characterize the preserve.

“It is indeed heartrending to see the havoc caused by mother nature in just a few seconds. Many of the large pines and hemlocks were either tipped over or broken off at various heights,” said Professor Larry S. Hamilton, Conservancy trustee and Charlotte’s tree warden. Hamilton went on to say, “While this seems like a true catastrophe, it is important to remember that we would not have pine forests in the absence of disturbances. It is the nature of white pine to regenerate as the dominant tree following such events.”

Clayplain forests like Williams Woods take their name from the heavy clay soils of the Champlain valley and have characteristically shallow root systems. Soils saturated by summer storms sometimes fail to support large trees during severe winds. The history of storm damage in this forest can be seen in the mounds and pits of the forest floor. The Great Hurricane of 1938, the ice storm of 1998, and Hurricane Floyd in 1999 have all left their mark. According to Hamilton who has walked these woods extensively, “Last week's damage is the worst that I have seen in my fifteen year acquaintance with this preserve.”

Three of the largest swamp white oaks in Charlotte, estimated to be 280 years old, were to be found in the preserve. Sadly two of these giants suffered considerably damage, although due to the localized nature of microbursts the third, standing just 200 feet away, remains untouched. Forests have adapted to localized disturbances like ice-storms, wind-storms, and fires which have occured repeatedly over thousands of years. Disturbance and regeneration is a natural cycle essential to forest health and diversity.

Fallen trees and standing snags, called ‘coarse woody debris’ by foresters, occur more frequently in mature woods. This vital habitat provides den sites for forest mammals, supports reptiles and amphibians, and as decomposition progresses returns nutrients to the soil for the next generation of trees.

Fragmentation of forest parcels is a modern threat the Conservancy is working to prevent. Clayplain forests which once covered the floor of the Champlain Valley, supporting a wide variety of tree and herb species and harboring abundant wildlife, now exist on only 10 percent of their historic range in Vermont. The same productive soils that supported these forests are highly valued for agriculture.

After completing an extensive analysis of the remaining patches of clayplain forest in the Champlain valley, the Conservancy is working with public and private landowners to protect, restore and reconnect the largest remaining parcels.

Bob Klein, director of the Vermont chapter said, “Our goal is to protect forest stands in the Champlain Valley, particularly those of sufficient size to withstand such natural disturbances. At selected sites we are enlarging existing patches of forest by replanting native tree species in adjacent areas.”

The Conservancy asks that the public respect the trail closure at Williams Woods because there are many dangerous trees along the trail. A hazard tree removal project is being initiated by the Conservancy with the assistance of professional tree crews. Susan Tucker of Lincoln, the Conservancy’s volunteer preserve steward at Williams Woods, has organized volunteer trail maintenance work here for years. The Conservancy anticipates calling for volunteers to assist in clean-up work after the major blow downs and dangerous trees have been removed.

The Nature Conservancy is a leading conservation organization working around the world to protect ecologically important lands and waters for nature and people. To date, the Conservancy and its more than one million members have been responsible for the protection of more than 15 million acres in the United States and have helped preserve more than 102 million acres in Latin America, the Caribbean, Asia and the Pacific. Visit The Nature Conservancy on the Web at www.nature.org.