Quantifying ice damage by counting branches on damaged sugar maple trees

We quantified the productive capacity of sugar maple crowns by counting branches (third order and epicormic) on damaged trees following the 1998 ice storm in southeastern Ontario. The covariates derived from branch counts provided greater statistical confidence, for explaining post-damage root starch and sap (volume and sweetness) production, than did crown damage estimates. When combined with predictive equations for leaf area and biomass per branch, branch counts produce estimates of foliar biomass for individual trees, regardless of the amount of damage received. Although visual estimates of crown damage seem appropriate for documenting stand-level injury, those interested in individual tree responses or comparing damage among trees should consider counting branches as a way to quantify the productive capacity of trees with or without damage. Key words: Acer saccharum, branch counts, damage assessment, foliar biomass, ice damage, sugar maple