Tornado tears through Massachusetts

A severe tornado touched down near Springfield, Massachusetts on June 1, 2011, then carved a path through nearly 30 miles of state and private forest. The streak in red show an extreme reduction in growth compared to the prior year’s condition as of mid-June. Many of the trees damaged or destroyed were evergreen conifers that recover slowly. Always remember that many disturbed areas are salvaged after the event, so the ultimate change can involve both the disturbance and subsequent forest management.