Wow! Now that is an impressive tulip tree; it is huge for a relatively young tree.
Good work, and I wonder what it should be named? On Dec 29, 10:49 am, "Will Blozan" <[email protected]> wrote: > Jess, ENTS, > > A black birch we measured in the side cove below the tuliptree was 112.4 feet > X 19.2" diameter. Not bad! > > Will > -------------- Original message from "Jess Riddle" <[email protected]>: > -------------- > > > > > > > Ents, > > > While Will and Jason were starting the climb, I had a little time to > > look around the surrounding forest. Basswood, silverbell, buckeye, > > and beech with smaller numbers of white ash, tuliptree, sugar maple, > > and black birch make up the overstory on the surrounding slopes. The > > forest's age, likely 100 years or slightly less, makes the presence of > > mature individuals of shade tolerant and generally slower growing > > species like buckeye, sugar maple, and beech surprising. The > > dominance of those three species plus scattered spicebush and > > silverbell in the cove's understory is more typical of second-growth > > rich cove sites. Most of the herbaceous layer had died back, but > > Christmas fern and intermediate wood fern were abundant evergreen > > herbs. A few toothworts and chickweeds were also scattered around the > > forest floor, and various remnants hinted that the growing season > > herbaceous layer includes goldie's fern, sweet cicely, maidenhair > > fern, goldenrod (probably Solidago curtisii), and foamflower. Rich > > cove forests commonly feature all of those species with the exception > > of goldie's fern, which is restricted to slightly richer sites and is > > scarce in the Smokies. > > > I also had a chance to measure a couple other trees farther up the > > cove. A beech came out at 121.7', and a buckeye with a slender crown > > growing next to one of the 170'+ tuliptrees is 143'+. Tall buckeyes, > > like tall individuals of most late successional species, are usually > > found in old-growth forests, so this buckeye may be one of the fastest > > growing ones. > > > Still working on a name for the tuliptree. > > > Jess > > > On Sun, Dec 21, 2008 at 10:24 AM, Will Blozan wrote: > > > ENTS, > > > > While many of you northerners were hunkered down in a snowy mess, Jess > > > Riddle, James Parton, Jason Childs and I went into the Bradley Fork > > > watershed yesterday to climb and tape-drop the super tuliptree Jess found > > > in > > > 2006. I lasered the tree this past September, and as it was a contender > > > for > > > the tallest known specimen a climb was more than justified. > > >http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/gsmnp/bradleyfork/bradley... > > tree.htm > > > > The heavy rains of the past week had Bradley Fork swollen to a formidable > > > torrent. Our usual crossing spot was underwater so we had to cross by > > > other > > > means. Jess and I chose a slippery hemlock log, Jason rock-hopped and > > > walked > > > across some toppled rhododendron, and James simply walked through. On the > > > way out we choose to walk upstream to a bridge… > > > > Jess crossing the log… > > > > And James just crossing! > > > > We hauled the gear up the cove to the tree. The first limb was 85 feet up > > > and the ground sloped so the initial line set was difficult without a > > > slingshot (which we should have brought…). Four LONG pitches later I made > > > it > > > to 160 feet which was as high as I was comfortable going in the young > > > tree. > > > Jason brought up a 17 foot pole with which I was able to reach the top for > > > the height determination. Jess scouted the other tops so we had the > > > correct > > > one and we set the tape straight up and down. > > > > Looking down from 160 feet. Jason is barely visible in white helmet. > > > > Jason working his way up. > > > > The final tape reading was 181.35 feet, just 7 inches less than my 181.9' > > > laser shot in the summer. I am still amazed at the accuracy of the > > > low-cost > > > ENTS sine method. As a bonus, we discovered this tree has multiple tops > > > over > > > 180' and the highest recorded liana in the eastern US; Virginia creeper > > > was > > > found to reach 166.5 feet! > > > > View up into the highest top. > > > > This climb confirms or solidifies several important current facts: > > > > This tree is the tallest known tuliptree, and sole representative member > > > of > > > the "180 Club" > > > > Tuliptree is the tallest eastern hardwood > > > > Tuliptree is the only hardwood in the east to break 180 feet tall > > > > Tuliptree is currently the tallest native hardwood in North America > > > > The motley crew: Will, Jason, James and Jess at the base of the tree > > > > A tree of such significance needs an appropriate name. I'll leave that up > > > to > > > Jess! > > > > Will F. Blozan > > > > President, Eastern Native Tree Society > > > > President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc.- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org You are subscribed to the Google Groups "ENTSTrees" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
