Will, Good reading on reiterated trees.
You remember the big field pine at Kellogg? The Octopus white pine. It has at least 8 huge reiterations from a short stubby main trunk. If I remember right, I counted nine! What would cause an open grown tree to grow like this? I suspect it was broken off when very young. It is the most reiterated tree I know of but I am sure you know of some great hemlocks. http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/north_carolina/kellogg_center.htm James P. On Mar 12, 4:36 pm, "Will Blozan" <[email protected]> wrote: > Ed, > > Here is an excerpt from the Tsuga Search Project that should help: > > Wood distribution > > In total, this project sampled 3,340.1 m (10,955 ft) of eastern hemlock > trunks (N=53) with a cumulative wood volume of 1,672.3 m3 (59,053 ft3)[1]. > The modeled trees did not always conform to a simplistic, single trunk form > however, and required measuring some challenging structures (See > Reiterations and bifurcations below). In all trees sampled, "conventional" > main trunk wood composed anywhere from 63.7% to 100% of total tree volume. > Bifurcations (forks of vertical leaders) accounted for a maximum of 36.3% of > total wood volume, considerably more than a maximum of 10.05% for > reiterations (limbs upturned into secondary trunks). Bifurcations were much > larger; even though a total of 633.1 m (2,076.6 ft) of reiterations were > measured, total bifurcation volume (42.9 m3; 1514.2 ft3) was 240% more with > only two-thirds of the cumulative path length. Path lengths (length of all > measured wood structures) of individual trees ranged from simply the length > of the trunk to a maximum of 200.7 m (658.4 ft). See Appendix 4: Wood > distribution of subject trees for more detail. > > Reiterations and bifurcations > > Reiterations are replicated trunks formed by the tree to exploit a light > gap. Structure and growth of reiterations are markedly different from normal > descendent or ascendant branches. Reiterations are included in trunk volume > calculations as they are part of permanent, branch bearing structures of the > tree. Their origin arises from the sprouting of normal branches and can be > initiated by a light gap from the side or from crown damage above. The > apically dominant portion of these structures are often much younger and > model-conforming as in a young tree. The cross-section changes to a more > oval shape as reaction wood is built up to support the added weight from > increased growth and sap demands as the reiteration gains vigor. The > buttressing allows a more permanent attachment than a conventional branch > due to support on the lower portion being less likely to fail from injury to > the upper surface. This also allows wounds with associated decay to persist > and form a suitable substrate for vascular epiphytes (Sillett, Van Pelt > 2007) > > Studies in redwood forests indicate that structural diversity in the canopy > is strongly linked with aerial biological diversity. Reiterations generate > niches not found anywhere else in the forest (Sillett, Van Pelt 2007). Our > observations indicated moss mats, epiphytic plants and lichen gardens to be > associated with these large structures. Large reiterations and breaks in the > trunks were hosts to shade intolerant shrubs and wind disseminated trees > such as Rubus and Betula. Complex, reiterated crowns could be refugia for > those species lying in wait for a light gap or breach in the rhododendron. > > Of the thirty trees discussed in this project, eleven trees had large > reiterations. Four of these were tall trees and seven were large trees (two > trees are replicated). A total of thirty-seven reiterations were measured, > ten of which grew on the Usis Hemlock, the most on a single tree in the > project. Total reiterated trunk length measured on the Usis Hemlock totaled > over 147.8 m (485 ft) for a tree total of 200.7 m (658.5 ft) of trunk. > Likewise, the Cheoah Hemlock had a total of 185.6 m (608.7 ft) of measured > trunk length in reiterations and bifurcations. These structures are likely > to greatly increase the crown area of the tree, and bolster wood production. > > Reiterations on the subject trees (no repeated trees) totaled 14.7 m3 (518.8 > ft3) in volume, 527.0 m (1,728.6 ft) in cumulative length, and were found to > compose anywhere from 0.5% to 10% of total tree volume, averaging 4.2% for > all trees. Volume of individual reiterations reached a maximum of 1.78 m3 > (62.9 ft3) and a maximum structure length of 18.96 m (62.2 ft). On average, > the reiterations were 31% larger and 12% longer on the large subject trees > than on the tall subjects. Fusions between reiterations were documented in > two trees, forming a strong interlocked crown with braced bifurcations that > likely reduce mechanical failure of non-conventional crowns. "Transplanted" > branches were noted in the Cheoah Hemlock. This occurs when a grafted branch > severs its connection from its origin. This phenomenon is well documented in > the coast redwoods of California, and is encountered in dense hemlock hedges > as well. The Cheoah Hemlock and the Usis Hemlock both exhibited reiteration > fusions; one of which started at 14.3 m (47 ft) and fused to another > reiteration 9.7 m (31.9 ft) higher in the tree. The Cheoah Hemlock had a > branch that crossed the inner canopy while grafting to three separate > structures. > > Height of origin was noted for every measured reiteration. The lowest > occurred at 12.59 m (41.3 ft) and the highest at 38.35 m (125.8 ft) above > mid-slope. The highest recorded reiteration was over 25 cm (12 in) in > diameter and was encountered in the Usis Hemlock. This tree also contained > the highest cumulative and relative volume of reiterations; 4.36 m3 (154.3 > ft----------3) and 10.05% respectively. The most massive reiteration was > found in the Cheoah Hemlock and scaled 1.78 m3 (62.9 ft3). This individual > structure alone contained a path length of 34.33 m (112.6 ft) of measured > trunks. A graphing of the origin heights below likely reveals a random > height of origin as the events initiating the formation of a reiteration > would likewise be random. Data gathered from a control population of > non-superlative trees are needed for comparison. > > Of the thirty subject trees, three had large bifurcations that warranted > frame mapping along the section(s) of trunk fusion. These massive, fused > areas were up to 1.6 m (5.25 ft) across. Two other subject trees were > bifurcated but did not exhibit reiterations. Of the subject trees, only the > Cheoah Hemlock was both reiterated and bifurcated. This tree, supporting a > bifurcation more than 83 feet long, was also nearly entirely cloaked in live > crown from base to top. The longest and largest bifurcation occurred on the > Yonaguska Hemlock; 28.75 m (94.3 ft) long and 5.37m3 (189.6 ft3) > respectively. See example of a frame-mapped bifurcation fusion below: > > Frame mapping example from the Yonaguska Hemlock bifurcation fusion > > All the remaining trees in the project had a single trunk; one of which was > broken at 31.74 m (104.1 ft). This tree (the Headless Giant) - as well as > several others - had the vast majority of the crown originating on > reiterations with very few non-reiterated branches. Several reiterations > reiterated again (second order) with one fourth order reiteration noted in > the Usis Hemlock. This immense tree had a fusion of two giant reiterations > that supported a complex limb system supporting multiple reiterated sprouts > - some originating from the same limb like a row of small trees extending > upwards of ~12 m (~40 ft) from the trunk origin. > > Will F. Blozan > > President, Eastern Native Tree Society > > President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc. > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > > Behalf Of Edward Frank > Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 11:04 PM > To: [email protected] > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Another Big White Pine > > ENTS, > > I am wondering about these reiterations. We have talked about it before, > > but everything is not clear in my mind. A reitteration is what exactly? It > > appears to be a secondary trunk formed ntially from an upturned limb... How > > do they form and why? What species of trees are know to have these > > reiterations? I know this white pine, some of the hemlocks in the Tsuga > > Search project, Many of the giant conifers from Bob Van Pelts book. Are > > there examples of reiterations in trees that are not conifers? Please > > enliughten me on the subject. > > Ed Frank > > _____ > > [1] The cumulative volume total of all subjects in this study is just > slightly more than the entire trunk volume of the largest known giant > sequoia (Van Pelt 2001). > > > > image003.gif > 12KViewDownload > > image004.gif > 11KViewDownload --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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 To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
