Dan-
Learning my hardwoods in winter (I am a westerner), I came to rely on
bark characteristics for IDing trees. Joining Bob Leverett in the
woods looking for MA ol-growth, I was introduced to a whole new set of
bark characteristics?
I pretty much place bark characteristics as one of the most consistent
OG IDs. Barring adjacent vegetation or fauna damaging bark being the
cause...
Don
Sent from Don's iPhone 3GS...
On Jan 9, 2010, at 2:06 PM, ranger dan <[email protected]> wrote:
On Jan 8, 8:26 pm, Don Bertolette <[email protected]> wrote:
Dan
To what do you attrbute the bark characteristics in photos number
4/5?
Don
I don't have the answer, but info I can provide is that this pattern
is only found bear the bases of old trees, around 3'dbh at least. The
lines are raised, the broad areas sunken. The bark is so thin in thes
places that you can puncture the phloem with your thumbnail. The
sunken places are where plates of bark fall out, leaving the raised
dividing lines. Tuliptrees sometimes also exhibit a special old-
growth bark pattern near the base, with uncharacteristically rounded,
thin-barked patterns. This usually happens after 3 or more "sheds" of
the typical ridge-like bark have occurred. These atypical patterns
don't seem to be attributible to growing conditions, since you won't
find the same pattern on neighboring trees. Perhaps it is genetic.
These are among the many delights in old-growth forest that you won't
find in vigorous, young stands.
Dan
