The Cary Institute in Millbrook will host a lecture on deadly winter ice storms on Friday, December 9 at 7 p.m. The talk will be conducted by US Forest Service scientist Dr. Lindsey Rustad.
Research suggests that ice storms are on the rise in the Northeast due to climate change. Destructive and unpredictable, these storms affect forest ecosystems, altering everything from the composition of trees to water quality. Despite their role in sculpting forests, scientific understanding of ice storms has been limited, because researchers can’t predict when and where they will next occur.
Rustad led an experiment to simulate large ice storms, in which scientists created ice storms of different intensities and frequencies at a research forest in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. Cary senior research fellow Peter Groffman was part of the team. The first-of-its-kind experiment has provided vital insight into the short- and long-term effects of ice storms on northern hardwood forests.
The ecologically important and visually compelling work was recently profiled in National Geographic. A video of the experiment may be viewed at www.youtube/rYxg3zfbgME.
The lecture will take place in the Cary Institute auditorium at 2801 Sharon Turnpike in Millbrook. The doors open at 6:30 p.m., and seating is first-come, first-served. More information is available by visiting www.caryinstitute.org.
Join the family! 
