Jenny, Your thoughts regarding the multiplicity of definitions applied to "Old Growth" are right. Are you a forestry student? Horticulture? Old Growth is actually a forestry term to describe the succession of the forest; one could say a climax point of forest development. Because of the amount of disturbance that is in play, whether man-made or by natural means, forests rarely, if ever reach this stage of succession. However, there are some pockets within somewhat protected regions that come to this development stage, but they are few and far between. Some have come to think of Old Growth to be equal with old trees. But this term is indeed misleading because of individuals who may be agenda driven and the different life spans of different tree species.
Ah, yes "Urban Forester"! This is the direction in which the forestry discipline is headed! The use of wood products is on the decline because of the development and use of alternative materials and to some degree, recycling! Urban forestry is geared more toward arboriculture, or management of individual trees rather than the entire forest by the forester. Urban living is expanding into the rural countryside through sprawl and people like to have nice trees in the yard regardless if we approve of not. This is the way of the land. Don't let the sidewalk trees confound you; they have the ability to "stop traffic" in more ways than one! Steve Springer Urban Forester City of Bartlett -----Original Message----- From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of JennyNYC Sent: Monday, March 30, 2009 2:37 PM To: ENTSTrees Subject: [ENTS] Re: Hemlock view 1906/2009 Steve, I agree that there are many definitions of 'old growth' depending on what the source is. The term isn't very descriptive as it seems to be applied to so many different kinds of forests. Can it be any forest that has never been clear cut, even though the composition has completely changed? Does it have to have a certain percentage of old trees? If so, how old? Etc., etc., etc.... I think it has become a vague term that is also very seductive and can be useful in getting attention/money for a forest. It's very interesting to me that you are an urban forester. By circumstance, I am studying as much as I can about trees in urban areas. (By that I mean I'd rather be in Maine, but my beau is here in NYC - but, maybe I am just overwhelmed by the complexity of urban forestry and the diversity of species in this area as opposed to Maine.) Oh, defining "urban" in urban forestry is another challenge. Are suburbs urban? Seems so. And sidewalk trees CONFOUND me... Jenny On Mar 30, 9:33 am, "Steven Springer" <[email protected]> wrote: > Jenny, > > Were you able to find a satisfactory definition to "old growth"? It can be > subjective depending on who you may be talking with at the time. > > Steve Springer > Urban Forester > City of Bartlett > > -----Original Message----- > From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On > Behalf Of JennyNYC > Sent: Saturday, March 28, 2009 9:26 AM > To: ENTSTrees > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Hemlock view 1906/2009 > > Carolyn, > > The HWA did wipe out the remaining hemlocks in NYBG, but the Forests > is still considered a remnant of old growth because of the tenacity of > other species. I'm finding it hard to define 'old-growth'. > > I cannot imagine witnessing the the death of those hemlocks in your > area within 5 years. I'm glad you saved one of your big hemlocks. That > must have been hard to cut down the others. > > Jenny > > On Mar 27, 7:08 pm, Carolyn Summers <[email protected]> wrote: > > It's always been my understanding that HWA killed what was often referred to > > as NYC's only old growth forest. I moved to NYC in the late 70s and no one > > thought hemlocks were in any danger of dying. No one knew then that HWA was > > coming to wipe out our hemlocks throughout the region. But HWA can kill > > really fast. I've seen forest patches in this region decimated within > > 5-years of infestation. The trees become totally moth-eaten and awful > > looking, but I don't have to tell you that. When we moved from NYC to > > Hastings in Westchester County in 1992, the first thing we had to do was cut > > down three 50-70 ft dying hemlocks. We managed to save one that is now > > maybe 70 ft tall. Basically, already by the early 90s, the only live healthy > > hemlocks were yard trees and hedges that were being sprayed regularly by > > tree care services. > > -- > > Carolyn Summers > > 63 Ferndale Drive > > Hastings-on-Hudson, NY 10706 > > 914-478-5712 > > > > From: Will Fell <[email protected]> > > > Reply-To: <[email protected]> > > > Date: Fri, 27 Mar 2009 05:18:09 -0700 (PDT) > > > To: ENTSTrees <[email protected]> > > > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Hemlock view 1906/2009 > > > > That is a beautiful area....it is great the city saved it as a park. > > > While the HWA is taking it's toll on the hemlock, I would suspect that > > > the demise of the hemlocks in the old postcard probably predated the > > > appearance of the HWA. Many conifers are frequently replaced by > > > deciduous trees in an undisturbed forest, unless there is some > > > disturbance or other factor such as frequest fire the holds the forest > > > in a subclimax stage like the outer coastal plain of the southeast. > > > > What is the purpose of the cables and banners over the river in the > > > background? > > > > On Mar 26, 5:17 pm, JennyNYC <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> Hi, > > > >> Ed suggested I take current pictures of the sites of the old postcards > > >> I posted earlier of NYBG in the early days. Here is a colored photo > > >> taken in 1906 and 3 pictures in the exact same location taken > > >> yesterday. Even though the hardwoods have not leafed out, it's > > >> apparent what is sadly missing.... > > > >> Jenny > > > >>http://picasaweb.google.com/JennifDudley/HemlocksThenAndNow?feat=dire... --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
