| Tracking
new growth |
Robert
Leverett |
|
May
09, 2005 09:34 PDT |
ENTS:
With the very cool temperatures that we've been having, new
growth is
coming painfully slow in the Berkshires of western MA - but it
is
coming. John Knuerr and I remeasured the Jake Swamp tree
yesterday and
after numerous reading from two locations, we settled on 166.4
feet.
That's up about 0.2 feet. The small increase is enough to up the
Rucker
index via rounding. Mohawk's Rucker is now 135.4. Rounded to two
places,
it is 135.37. Of course, we're nowhere near accurate enough to
reflect
measurements to hundredths of a foot. So, I've stopped at
tenths.
Incidentally, if we round MTSF to a whole number of feet, we get
135. If
we round to two decimals, we get 135.37, and to one, 135.4.
Obviouing,
we're play games and ignoring the rules of significant digits.
After this season's growth, we may squeeze
another tenth or two out
of the Rucker index for Mohawk, but that's all. Folks, we are
playing
with very tight margins in Mohawk. By comparison, Cook Forest
still has
lots of wiggle room and Fairmount Park has probably 2 to 4
points, if
not more.
How are we fairing elsewhere? We haven't even
scratched the surface.
With increased searching by ENTS, West Virginia and other
mid-Atlantic
states will produce many surprises. Individual trees and stands
of trees
that will reflect the longer growing season of that region as
compared
to the Northeast. Central and northern NY and New England will
fade.
Eventually, the Northeast will show itself to be a region of
slower
growth and shorter, smaller trees than will be commonly accepted
for the
mid-Atlantic states.
However, if we in NE lose in the individual
competition, our
saturation measuring of the best sites will produce much
valuable data
for comparison purposes. For instance, all through the spring
and
summer, I will be monitoring the trees in MTSF, Monica's Woods,
and
elsewhere. I'll inspect the crowns of the tulips, white pines,
and
northern red oaks in Monica's woods using her birding
binoculars. The
difference between my $80 binoculars and her $800 binoculars is
substantial. I think I prefer hers for monitoring new growth.
While in Mohawk yesterday, we remeasured the
William Commanda tree
from two new vantage points and got 155.0 feet both times. The
big trees
is 10.3 feet around. It is around 125 years old, maybe 130, but
not
more. John took crown photos. We'll be able to clearly see what
the
current high point does.
We'll be carefully monitoring the nearby Frank
Decontie tree that
will probably make 159 feet this season. It too has been
photographed.
Its girth will likely make 10.1 feet by season's end - at least,
the
girth's measurement will round to that number.
Bob
Robert T. Leverett
Cofounder, Eastern Native Tree Society
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