Steve,
In general, you may be correct. However, there are many, many fine examples of oak and tuliptree that predate the chestnut blight by centuries. Based on current day surrogates in the southern Appalachians (all I am speaking for) I would figure high quality tuliptree was probably not too hard to find and oak a bit more challenging. Of course, all depends on your definition of high quality. I bet much of the first cut in the mountains was wasted "junk". Hollow trunks, curved boles, short trunks, heavy limbs, etc. I often look over an old-growth forest cove and think there is virtually nothing merchantable (as in sawn timber) in it. How did anyone make money? Will F. Blozan President, Eastern Native Tree Society President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc. _____ From: [email protected] [mailto:[email protected]] On Behalf Of Steven Springer Sent: Sunday, May 03, 2009 8:09 AM To: [email protected]; [email protected] Subject: [ENTS] Re: Kalanu Prong, Greenbrier, TN GRSM 4-21-2009 My hunch is that we would be impressed with the specimen American chestnuts and be hardpressed to find a quality oak or yellow-poplar in the Appalachian mountain range (American chestnut being the dominant hardwood before the blight). (What do you think regarding dominant hardwoods through the Appalachian range, Will?) Steve Springer _____ From: [email protected] on behalf of Will Blozan Sent: Sun 5/3/2009 6:30 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ENTS] Re: Kalanu Prong, Greenbrier, TN GRSM 4-21-2009 Steve, How is your last sentence supposed to read? Will F. Blozan President, Eastern Native Tree Society President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc. _____ My hunch is that we would be impressed with the specimen American chestnut trees and be hardpressed to find a quality oak yellow-poplar in the Appalachians mountain range. Steve Springer _____ From: [email protected] on behalf of Joseph Zorzin Sent: Sat 5/2/2009 8:21 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [ENTS] Re: Kalanu Prong, Greenbrier, TN GRSM 4-21-2009 Question for Bob and Will and the others. Roughly speaking, what percentage of the forests of the East - if we could go back a millennium- would appear to us as "old growth"?? Of course there have always been fires, storms, clearings for villages, etc. I'm just trying to get a sense- if we could go back and wander around the forests- would they be filled with gigantic trees, thus looking very different from now, or not? Joe ----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Sent: Saturday, May 02, 2009 9:11 AM Subject: [ENTS] Re: Kalanu Prong, Greenbrier, TN GRSM 4-21-2009 Will, A phenomenal report as usual. It would be great to have a list of all the 20-foot circumference trees in the Smokies. Information in email communications becomes too scattered. Anyway, thanks for the great reports. Bob --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
