Also, keep in mind it is possible to have a MUCH LONGER tree than it's height above the ground.
Gary On Nov 14, 2009, at 4:00 PM, Timothy Zelazo <[email protected]> wrote: > ENTS: > > While I was doing some historic research on the cultural history of > the Natural Bridge State Park, located in North Adams Massachusetts, > I found an interesting article in the Weekly Transcript, North > Adams, Mass., Thursday, July 12, 1849. > > A Large Tree. --- Mr. D. E. Hawks, of Charlemont, cut a Pine tree a > short time since, of the following dimensions. It was 7 feet > through 10 feet from the stump, and 5 feet through 50 feet from the > stump. Twenty-two logs were taken from the tree, the average length > of which were 12 feet. Fourteen feet of the tree were spoiled in > falling. The extreme length of the tree from the stump to the top > twigs was 300 feet! ---- Greenfield Gazette. > > > I asked Robert Campanile if he thought this was possible and here is > the response he gave me. > > TREE GENETICS > > There can be enormous variation among the different individuals of > any one species and this is partly genetic. For instance, grain and > figure may vary, just like human fingerprints. There may be no > specific benefit from such variation. But if there is no great > natural selective pressure not to vary, then variations will creep > in. Genomes are not commandments, which say exactly what to do come > what may. Genes present options. They operate in dialogue with the > environment. So the same tree, grown under different circumstances, > could grow in very different ways, and the effects of the different > circumstances are reflected in the timber, height, width, etc. The > growing timber responds to the stresses and strains and pressures > just as the bone of mammals may do. > > In forests, trees grow straight and tall, anxious for the light. > That and the resources needed to accomplish that growth will be > factors in determining the height and shape of the tree needed to > get the light. Conifers are generally light lovers. To this end they > have a trick – many can grow very tall very quickly. This is why in > the far north they tend to be very tall and thin – the sun is always > low in the sky and so they get most of their light from the side. T > he environment dictates the conditions and the challenge, and genes > can sometimes help meet that challenge with the variance in growth a > nd natural processes that the genetic code allows. > > > > Tim > > > > > > -- > 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] -- 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]
