Given that maple sugaring is a forest-derived product, the impacts that climate change may have on northern stands of sap-producing tree species - chiefly sugar maples ( Acer saccharum ) and red maple ( Acer rubrum ) - is of primary concern when it comes to the potential impacts of a changing climate. ![]() Photo: Connie Guillory/Audubon Photography Awardsĭespite the great strides maple sugarers have made in adapting their methods - consuming less energy and providing more quality forest habitats and ecosystem services in the process- there exists one existential threat that could prove disastrous for the future of maple production across much of the U.S. Barred owls are one of many bird species that thrive in properly-managed sugarbushes. These actions support a greater number and variety of plants and animals, which in turn enhances natural ecosystem services, or benefits, provided by proper ecosystem functioning, including nutrient cycling, carbon sequestration, erosion and pest control.Ī Barred owl sits in an old sugar maple tree. For example, under the Bird-Friendly Maple recognition program, participant sugarbushes commit to supporting a greater diversity of tree species (as opposed to a monoculture of red and sugar maples), canopy structure (i.e., ensuring mixes of tall and lower-canopy/shrub tree species), and complexity (i.e., leaving dead snags and fallen woody debris to serve as refuge and foraging sites for birds and small mammals). Organic and Bird-Friendly Maple recognition) across Vermont has also helped to ensure that sugarbushes are managed in a more environmentally-friendly manner - with sugarers working to maintain structural and ecological diversity in their forests. Meanwhile, the creation and widespread adoption of new certification and recognition programs (e.g., U.S.D.A. This adds up to a lot less time spent tending the sugarhouse, and more time spent enjoying the syrup we love so much! ![]() In fact, reverse osmosis machines can reduce boiling times (and thus energy expenditure) by 60-70% based on brix concentration (aka - the amount of dissolved solids, like sucrose, in the sap). This allows maple producers to dramatically reduce the amount of water they have to evaporate from the sap in order to produce the final maple products we love so much. Using a combination of fine, semipermeable membranes and an electronic pump system - reverse osmosis machines separate water from the sugar, minerals, and other suspended solids in the maple sap. ![]() To illustrate an example of just how profoundly technology has transformed Vermont’s sugaring operations, consider the reverse osmosis machine. ![]() The adoption of new technologies - including reverse osmosis machines, plastic tubing, vacuum systems and more efficient evaporators has allowed for continued growth in maple syrup production. Over the years, the industry has undergone some dramatic changes with the adoption of new time and energy saving technologies, scientific and ecological forest management practices, and the expansion and diversification of the maple sugaring market. Maple sugaring has a long history in North America - a history spanning thousands of years since Indigenous communities first learned when and how to harvest maple sap and refine it into maple sugar.
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