Barry- While arborists used to express a rule of thumb for root spread (approximately to drip line of tree), there is a fair amount of variation across species, types. Anybody that has seen conifers blown over, exposed by floods, etc., usually marvels that so little of a shallow root system kept them vertical...to paraphrase our current Secretary of State, "It takes a forest [village]..." Forest grown trees typically have constraints on how far they can expand, both in terms of crown, and root system (simply mechanical abrasion in crown, and space in soil). Particularly with mixed species, where adjacency may not be well tolerated. -Don
Date: Fri, 13 Mar 2009 05:46:21 -0700 From: [email protected] Subject: [ENTS] Re: Roots? To: [email protected] If memory serves, the conifers have a taproot system, while the broadleaf trees have the other system. I'm pretty sure on that. But how deep the roots go will depend on the quality and density of the soil and the amount of water the trees get on a regular basis, and how close the water table is to the surface. Typically a tree that's planted in a yard or golf course that has daily irrigation will grow a shallow root system, which is unfortunate, since trees like that will blow down easily. --- On Wed, 3/11/09, DON BERTOLETTE <[email protected]> wrote: From: DON BERTOLETTE <[email protected]> Subject: [ENTS] Re: Roots? To: [email protected] Date: Wednesday, March 11, 2009, 10:49 PM James- While I have done no research on root systems, my take on them out west is that it's amazing how many of the biggest trees have surprisingly shallow/low mass root systems. -Don > Date: Wed, 11 Mar 2009 17:21:32 -0700 > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Roots? > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > > > Jenny, > > This reminds me of a conversation I had with Theresa Thom of Congaree > NP. She mentioned that we at ENTS could measure most aspects of trees. > Girth, diameter, height, spread and volume. All above ground. She > mentioned that much of a trees mass is below ground. In the roots. I > asked her how root mass or root volume may be measured. She mentioned > by using ground penetrating radar or possibly sonar. I have seen GPR > used to find stuff on programs like The Discovery Channel. However a > GPR or GPSonar are beyond ENTS abilities, meaning the finances needed > to buy such an instrument. But still, she had a point. To thoroughly > measure a tree the roots should be accounted for as well. > > It is something to think about. > > James Parton > > > On Mar 11, 1:36 pm, JennyNYC <[email protected]> wrote: > > HI, > > > > When you all are gathering data on trees, do you estimate the depth > > and length of the root system? Maybe this is impossible. > > > > And thank you for working so hard for the hemlocks. > > > > Thanks, Jenny > </table _________________________________________________________________ Express your personality in color! Preview and select themes for Hotmail®. http://www.windowslive-hotmail.com/LearnMore/personalize.aspx?ocid=TXT_MSGTX_WL_HM_express_032009#colortheme --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
