Benefits of Ice Storms
Ice storms benefit forests in two ways: increasing sunlight availability and enhancing species richness. First, when entire trees snap off or branches break, more sunlight can shine through to the forest. Trees need sunlight to photosynthesize, or to make their own food. Therefore, more sunlight means healthier trees. Second, ice storms may change the distribution of tree species. Ice storms reduce the number of dominant tree species, which decreases competition for light in the forest. As a result, non-dominant tree populations can receive more sunlight, which is required for survival. This provide an opportunity to enhance species richness (number of different tree species in the same area) within the forest.
Conifers, like Eastern hemlocks, are more resistant to ice storm damage than hardwoods, like sugar maples. If a forest of predominantly Eastern Hemlocks was largely damaged by an ice storm, other tree species, like sugar maples, would be given the opportunity to grow due to increased space and light availability. Therefore, ice storms help maintain species diversity in forests.
