Should dead hemlocks be removed from the forest to prevent high fire risk?
There have been no catastrophic fires in the eastern United States, unlike the western states. In addition, hemlocks typically do not grow on fire prone sites. Cutting down dead hemlocks will probably cause more damage to the forest than leaving them, especially since rotting hemlocks will build up organic matter in the soil. There is no real economic incentive to salvage log dying hemlocks since the species rots quickly. The problematic results of dead hemlocks are likely to come from impact to nearby streams rather than from fire. Limbs and trunks will clog up rivers, causing flooding and changes in stream flow patterns. As trees fall over and pull up root masses, the short term sediment loading in streams will increase and banks will lose their stability. Will imidacloprid harm the surrounding environment or the humans applying the chemical? Studies have shown no impact of imidacloprid on organisms other than insects and zoooplankton. Only collembolas (aka springtails) showed impact
