Branching Out - Winter 2021 | University of Maryland Extension

A Red Fox in Baltimore City, Maryland, 2015. Photo by Thomas Andres, Maryland Biodiversity Project

Updated: January 24, 2023

By Andrew Kling , Jonathan S. Kays , and Nancy Stewart

In our Winter 2021 issue...

Registration for the spring session of "The Woods in Your Backyard" online course is now open. The deadline to submit comments about managing selected Maryland state forests is March 5. Our regular features include profiles of the red fox in the Woodland Wildlife Spotlight, and Tree-of-heaven in Invasives in Your Woodland, as well as our events calendar and the Brain Tickler challenge. Learn about a new app that can help you understand the health of your woodlands, and about a first for Tree Farm Inspectors in Maryland.

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There's an App for That!

Jonathan Kays, Forestry Specialist

The use of new mobile apps make exploring your woods fun and educational. HealthyWoods, a collaborative effort between forest specialists from Kentucky and other hardwood-producing states in the Appalachian region, including Maryland, provides woodland owners with a convenient tool to scout the health of their woods.

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Registration is Now Open for “The Woods in Your Backyard” Online Course Spring Session

Registration is now open for the Spring 2021 session of “The Woods in Your Backyard” online course. Our course is designed primarily for small-acreage property owners who want to learn how to care for or expand existing woodlands, or to convert lawn space to woodlands.

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Adult Asian Longhorned beetle. Photo by Donald Duerr, USDA Forest Service, Bugwood.org.

Forest Pests: Asian Longhorned Beetle

Nancy Stewart & Agnes Kedmenecz, Woodland Stewardship Education Program-Wye Research & Education Center

The Asian Longhorned beetle (ALB), native to eastern China and Korea, is a wood-boring pest which feeds on a number of hardwood trees, eventually killing them, impacting both urban trees and forested sites. Wildlife habitat will be impacted due to loss of forest shelter and food sources. Industries such as such as lumber, maple syrup, nursery, commercial fruit, and tourism will feel an economic impact.

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News and Notes

The News and Notes roundup for this issue features news about the Woodland Stewardship Education programs new website, and the pioneering efforts of "The Mad Scientist of Pawpaws." The Maryland DNR is seeking public input about how they manage four state forests, and a Marylander has been chosen as the 2021National Tree Farm Inspector of the Year.

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Woodland Wildlife Spotlight: Red Fox

Andrew A. Kling, Faculty Associate

The red fox is the largest of the fox family, found throughout this continent, from the Arctic Circle to Central America, as well as in Europe, Asia, and parts of Africa. DNA tests have shown that the red fox is indeed native to North America and that the populations in the mid-Atlantic and southern states are the result of range expansion from the northeast and Canada.

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Tree-of-heaven seeds on a female tree. Photo by Richard Gardner, Bugwood.org

Invasives in Your Woodland: Tree-of-Heaven (Ailanthus)

Andrew A. Kling, Faculty Associate

Tree-of-heaven has been receiving a significant amount of attention lately, and not just because it is a fast-spreading invader of woodlands throughout the mid-Atlantic states and beyond. the recent discovery of a new invasive insect in Pennsylvania, and its subsequent spread into adjoining areas, has lent new voice to advocates for the plant’s removal. Spotted Lanternfly, a recent arrival from Asia prefers tree-of-heaven as its host. This has led to an increased movement to remove tree-of-heaven from the landscape.

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The acorns of two oaks native to Maryland

This issue's Brain Tickler...

For this issue, consider the drawings at left. There are 21 species of oaks native to Maryland; name the two that make these acorns. (Hints: one is the state tree; the other’s name sounds like an infamous vice president.)

** We have a correct answer for this issue! The results will be announced in our Spring 2021 issue, due to be released in May. Thank you for participating! **

Last issue we asked you to identify the papery tissue that encloses the seeds of the white ash. The term is “samara.” Congratulations to Fred Dickinson for his correct answer!