Tracking the ephemeral in Tennessee

Full-fledged tornadoes are typically well documented, but the massive outbreak of April 2011 also had localized short-term effects that are easily overlooked. This image pair from a month after the storm (top) and two months later (bottom) shows how fast seemingly severe damage can recover, in this case a ridgeline forest southwest of Kingsport, Tennessee. While such ephemeral disturbances from wind and hail can reduce tree productivity and annual growth, it takes high frequency forest monitoring to know that these events have even occurred.