At a very basic level the study of nature and biology requires quantification as an important step in understanding the subject. What is the form, how big is it etc. An ornithologist for example might mist nest a bird, measure it's length and girth, weigh it, ID it, determine it's gender, perhaps take blood and very small feather samples for DNA analysis etc. etc. and then release the bird relatively unscathed. What Will et al are doing is similar except on a very grand scale, and their subject is fairly slow moving, at least on a calm day. -AJ
[email protected] wrote: > Barry, > > Others may want to chime in here, but as the short answer to your > question, Sillett, Van Pelt, et al. are doing large scale scientific > research on these big trees to understand the physiology more > completely. This includes figuring out the tree's internal plumbing, > epiphytes it lives with, parasites on it, etc. We may dramatize a few > interesting tree statistics in ENTS for comparative purposes, but they > are PhD-level researchers who go very deeply into tree morphology. > Will's posts to ENTS are spectacular, but are meant only to inform us > of his participation in an extensive study. It is the mere tip of the > iceberg in terms of information gathered for scientific purposes. > > The information gathered from these climbs is like no other and will > help scientists to understand how these trees grow, cope with a > changing environment, create ecological niches, etc. - a very long list. > > Bob > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "Barry Caselli" <[email protected]> > To: [email protected] > Sent: Wednesday, October 7, 2009 5:35:05 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Sequoia adventures 7/2-7/9/2009 - Day 3-5- TALLEST > SEQUOIA! > > Awesome pictures of a beautiful tree, with an interesting report too. > But what I'd like to know, what I've been wondering about, is why > bother with all this mapping and modeling? > Yeah I understand wanting to know the height of a tree, the diameter > and circumference, and the crown spread, but why the rest, what you > did here? What's the point in knowing? > Maybe it's a dumb question, but I've finally decided to ask. > Thanks > > --- On *Wed, 10/7/09, Will Blozan /<[email protected]>/* wrote: > > > From: Will Blozan <[email protected]> > Subject: [ENTS] Sequoia adventures 7/2-7/9/2009 - Day 3-5- TALLEST > SEQUOIA! > > WNTS/ENTS, > > > > The time had come for the 3-D mapping and volume modeling of the > World’s tallest known giant sequoia. Growing just over the ridge > from Whitaker Forest , this tree had been rigged and tape-dropped > but the entire mapping process- including foliar, twig and cone > sub-sampling- had not yet been performed. Two mapping teams were > assembled for this project which was expected to span a full three > days. Steve Sillett and Marie Antoine were one team and Bob Van > Pelt and I the other. At 94.8 meters (311’) this tree stands just > centimeters taller than another tree in Redwood Canyon . > > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ 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] -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
