UMaine to examine climate change’s effect on maples

ORONO — A University of Maine researcher plans to examine the impact of climate change on maple trees.

Jenny Shrum is attempting to understand the relationship between weather and the flow of maple sap. She hopes that unraveling the relationships will help the industry anticipate how climate trends could shape syrup production.

Additional Photos

A drop of sap comes out a tap in a maple tree. A Maine researcher is trying to understand the relationship between weather and the flow of maple sap. 2005 Associated Press File Photo

Shrum is in the environmental sciences graduate program in the UMaine School of Biology and Ecology.

She says the physiological process for sap flow is not completely understood. She plans to collect on-site weather station data and sap flow rates at three test sites and to interview small- and large-scale producers.

Her research is being supported by the National Science Foundation and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research.

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