site: Chapman's Landing, west side of a knoll west of Mt. Aventine  size: 106.5' x 8'8"   photographer: Darian Copiz This Sassafras is in a grove of about 4 similarly sized trees. Joe Malandruccolo is in the picture for scale. Behind his left shoulder is another Sassafras. On the  ground is a fallen Sassafras.  The second image is of the same tree taken from the base.

This link gives a description of the site with some tree pictures as well: http://www.chapmanforest.org/bigtrees.html

This was our first time measuring tree heights. I didn't make a table for the rangefinder, but it is supposed to have a 1/2 yard accuracy so I don't think distance measurements should be too far off. I'm using a Suunto clinometer. Generally we measured degrees to half a degree. I have no idea how anyone can measure this to a tenth of a degree unless using a tripod on a windless day. As this was our first day measuring, and there were no veteran ENTS to verify our measuring I expect the below measurements are tentative. However, we did feel fairly confident that these figures give a pretty good idea of the heights. On some of the trees we may have missed the tallest twig, but most of the time were probably pretty close.


Chapman's Landing:

Carya cordiformis          8'0" x 126.5'        edge of top of ravine

Carya cordiformis          9'9" x 118.8'        edge of top of ravine

Carya glabra               9'0" x 114.1'        edge of top of ravine

Fagus grandifolia          8'2" x 108.4'        gentle slope of ravine

Fraxinus pennsylvanica     10'2" x 120.5'       edge of top of ravine

Fraxinus pennsylvanica     11'1" x 107.2'       flat upland area

Liriodendron tulipifera    17'5" x 113.8' x 60' the last number is horizontal spread in one direction from trunk base. on a shallow slope of a ravine.

Liriodendron tulipifera    133', circumference was not measured but the dbh appeared to be about a pitiful 2'. growing in the bottom of a ravine.

Platanus occidentalis      118.7, circumference was not measured but was even more wimpy than the unmeasured tulip tree. growing in the bottom of a ravine.

Quercus muhlenbergii       12'9" x 90.0'        top of a knoll

Sassafras albidum          8'8" x 106.5'        slope of knoll


At another site just upriver, Ruth B. Swann Memorial Park we also measured a beech tree, but based off of measurements of later beeches that looked taller we were slightly skeptical of the height measurement

Fagus grandifolia          9'5" x 129.4'        on slope above small stream


The tallest tree measured (tulip tree) with the exception of the sycamore was the least impressive tree we measured. These two trees were cheating by growing at the bottom of the ravine which not only gave them access to richer soils, but also forced them to compete with trees growing higher up on the ravine slopes. These two trees also had small crowns. We didn't see any really big trees in the ravine bottoms.

We did not have as much time as we would have liked and only covered a portion of the site. We would definitely like to go back sometime. The Q. muhlenbergii in the picture on the above referenced website is one I would especially like to find. Who knows what the height is, but that's an impressive tree.

Darian