ENTS, In October/November I was able to spend a few days continuing to document various Lake Erie drainage stream valleys in Erie County, Erie, PA. This report entails a particular drainage within the Lake Shore Country Club. It is very similar to other drainages in the area. It has very steep side walls and a shallow, moist, soil,with shale substrate. I followed the valley from the main entrance road that runs on its west bank, all the way to the terminus into Lake Erie. The lower portion near the lake has more recent disturbance... selective logging along the banks resulted in numerous small mudslides into the valley floor. The majority of the site appears to not have any major disturbance for ~125 years.
Although not as deep as others I've been in, this one ranges from 60-80 vertical feet in depth. It holds a mature forest with canopy dominant tuliptrees and sugar maple, with a smattering of N. red oak and white ash. Although I found no new records, I was impressed by the abundance of hardwood diversity in the 120ft class. There a few select tuliptrees and N. red oak that may go into the 150 year age class. A number of sugars should easily make it to 100 years, if not closer to 125. Some Am. beech could make it to the 125 age class as well. One interesting antedote was vitually walking into a half rack non-typical buck. As I was working my way upstream, the valley started to become shallower, and began wrapping almost back onto itself. The shallow meandering valley system was very "tight". I was pretty quiet most of the day until I had to jump a section of stream and straddle a downed log all that the same time... As I came down with force sending a splash into the creek, I noticed a white flash just in front of me over an adjacent small ridge finger that was now at eye level. At about 10 yards out was a nice half rack buck. It had a solid 4 points on one side, and at least 2-3 twisted ones on the other that didn't make it far above the brow. He went upstream a short distance, then hopped it and used the twisting land contours to hide himself as he worked up the steep bank, onto the ridge top and completely around and behind me. It was quite a display, and I had a good bit of time observing him. His eye was on me the entire time, but wasn't too terribly spooked. I'm sure he must be a frequent, but seldom observed resident of the golf course and surrounding upper class neighborhood. I feel pretty confident there's no hunting in here, so he has the whole golf course greens and fancy shrubs to himself. Nice deer. All the deer run this valley on a regular basis, bypassing the multitude of people and cars on the ridge top. Deer are a resourceful lot... The day's stats follows: Species CBH Height Comments Am. basswood N/A 98 Am. basswood N/A 102.1+ Am. basswood 7.8 104+ Am. basswood 4.9 115.6 Am. basswood 5.6 116.6 Am. beech N/A 105.2 Am. beech 9.1 105.3 Am. beech 9.3 108.8 Am. beech 8.6 117.1+ black cherry N/A 93.8 black cherry N/A 97 black cherry 6.3 102.6 black cherry 8.1 111.1+ cottonwood N/A 100.5 cottonwood 9.4 116.5 cottonwood 10.4 *123.9* 42 4.752N x 80 13.002W E. hemlock 6.4 108.8 E. hemlock 7.4 113.8 E. hophornbeam 2.3 57.8 E. hophornbeam 3.2 59.3 N. red oak *12.5* 103.6 N. red oak 6.9 107.8 N. red oak (2x) 111.1+ N. red oak 8.5 *120.3* Norway maple 3.1 60.1+ red maple 8 98.6 sassafrass 5.1 90.2+ sugar maple N/A 114.2 sugar maple N/A 116.8 sugar maple 6.6 116.9 sugar maple 7.8 *120.1+* sugar maple 8.1 *120.2* sugar maple 7.9 *123.1+* 42 4.869N x 80 13.003W sugar maple 6.8 *123.6+* 42 4.864N x 80 13.012W tuliptree 8.5 118.1 tuliptree N/A 119.2 tuliptree ~12 120.2 steep bank, "spooning" bark tuliptree N/A 122.6 tuliptree *12.3* 124 42 4.775N x 80 12.991W tuliptree N/A 124.3 tuliptree 7.1 124.8 tuliptree 8.3 125 tuliptree N/A 127.4 tuliptree 11.2 129 tuliptree 10.4 129.7 tuliptree 7.4 131.1 tuliptree N/A 131.6 tuliptree 10 138.7 tuliptree ~9.5 139.6 steep bank white ash 5.9 114.5 white ash 7.8 *122.8* yellow birch 3 64.6+ Other species observed but not measured = witch hazel, Vitus sp. Invasive species = Japanese barberry, multiflora rose, tatarian honeysuckle, Norway maple Rucker Index = *118.74* Species CBH Height tuliptree ~9.5 139.6 cottonwood 10.4 123.9 sugar maple 6.8 123.6+ white ash 7.8 122.8 N. red oak 8.5 120.3 Am. beech 8.6 117.1+ Am. basswood 5.6 116.6 E. hemlock 7.4 113.8 black cherry 8.1 111.1+ red maple 8 98.6 Dale --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
