ENTS Related Projects

ENTS Related Projects

Major Projects

Other

Ed Frank and I have been discussing the desirability of a button on the website that lists ENTS projects by participant, subject, duration, priority, etc. The spot would be a place we can all see what is planned and what is curently in the mill. It is easy to lose track of who is doing what and how much time and resources are being used. One can quickly find oneself overcommitted.

ENTS and ENTS-related projects can be classified in several ways and if we're going to follow through on this, we need to think about a coding scheme. One classification criterion is whether or not a project is a solo ENTS project or one involving multiple organizations in which ENTS has a role. In the case of work done in MTSF, it is being accomplished both under the banner of FMTSF and ENTS. Another way of classifying our projects is by whether or not a project is to be accomplished by a single individual or undertaken as a group effort. Computing Rucker site indices has been a group effort in ENTS, although specific sites may be handled only by particular individuals. The dendromorphometry book will be a group effort, as will be the study comparing sine and tangent-based tree height measuring techniques. Doing a forest survey of Fitzgerald Conservation Area will involve ENTS among other individuals or groups, but ENTS involvement will in all likeihood be just myself.

A third way of classifiying a project is by whether or not it sponsored by ENTS acting collectively or in which ENTS is being represented by an individual Ent acting separately under the ENTS banner. For example, Larry Tucei Jr. took on the project of documenting Live Oaks in the 20-ft circumference and over class. Larry's project is evolving to include other Ents.

There are no doubt other ways to slice the pie. But as a minimum, I can think of the following documentation format.

Project Name
Project Description
Project Leader
Other ENTS Participants
Other organizations
Anticipated Start Date
Anticipated Duration or End Date
Visibility/Importance to Other Organizations/Groups
Priority
Comments

In cases where we collect data to support tree lists and site indices, there won't necessarily be a project leader nor an end date. One point I would emphasize is that while we may engage in discussions on the list about site or species preservation, ENTS is not an activist organization. Should we decide to turn out attention towards environmental battles, we would lose our primary ENTS focus, which is to fill a niche that few other organizations fill. Many of us on this list come from backgrounds of activism whether as independent citizens or from within an organization. However, in terms of the actual projects that we undertake (as opposed to list discussions, which are open to whatever topics any of us wish to raise, so long as we practice reasonable verbal restraint), I believe that ENTS should remain a non-activist organization dedicated to celebrating forests and trees, pioneering tree measurement methods, and collecting data for scientific, historical, and yes, sporting purposes. At present, we have 181 members, and while we don't hear from but a few, I think that the vast majority join because they can get information and discussions through ENTS that is not easily available elsewhere.

I'll give a dilly of an example:

Recently, our great Ent from Arkansas, Dr. Don Bragg alerted us to the "Silvics of North America" available to us online. For the most part, this is a class act publication by the Forest Service and is chopped full of useful information. I am thankful that we have the publication. However, in the area of accurate maximum tree dimensions, this distinguished publication leaves the the wide gap unabridged. Silvics is full of outdated and often incorrect information. There is a similar gap in dendrochronological data. I don't think the authors have paid much attention to the work of the tree-ring laboratories, such as Dave Stahle's at the University of Arkansas. The Silvics manual often quotes American Forests "National Register of Big Trees", which is a dead giveaway as to the state of knowledge on the part of the authors about maximum tree dimensions.

So, there we have it. If Silvics can't get it right, all that stands for truth in the numbers against the vast abyss of numerical ignorance is .... is ...... yes, yes ...... ENTS. Our mission of seeking and reporting numerical truth must continue and there is no end to the opportunities.

Bob Leverett

Individual Projects

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TOPIC: ENTS-related projects
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/dd47d15fb99fb7b4?hl=en
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== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Feb 24 2008 11:10 am
From: neil

Bob et al.,

Cataloging ENTS-related project is a great idea.

Last spring we had a good discussion regarding Liriodendron blooming
[see an example below]. It got me thinking, I wonder if members of ENTS
could find their favorite and easily accessible Liriodendron tulipifera,
note its location [city, suburb, forest, etc...] and when it first
blooms. If we commit to this each year, we could eventually build a nice
data set of flower phenology of Liriodendro across its range. There is
already a nice phenological network of lilac
[http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/npn/]. It'd be great to make a
collection of phenology from a native species, a species many people
love, ID easily and admire.

Anyone interested?

neil

According to "The Hive and the Honey Bee" (which is a
fabulous book if you want to know -absolutely
everything- about honey bees) bee foraging on
Liriodendron occurs mainly between April through June
for the following states: MO, IL, MI, IN, PA, OH, KY,
TN, MS, AL, GA, NJ, MD, WV, VA, NC, DE and SC. And
slightly later, late May to early June for CT.

Though mostly considered by bees (and researchers) to
be a secondary source of nectar in most of the states
mentioned, they can be a primary summer nectar sorce
in Connecticut. Even so, they are considered very
important nectar producers in most of these states.
Probably in part because individual flowers have been
known to produce up to 9 grams of nectar! One flower!

So, I suppose the alternate method for getting more
exact bloom dates for Liriodendron would be to put
away the binoculars and watch for honey bees instead!
If there are flowers, they'll find them before we will
for sure. I guess you could say......bee attentive
this spring?

-Meg

== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Feb 24 2008 11:21 am
From: dbhguru@comcast.net

Neil,

Absolutely. I'm looking out at the tuliptrees on Monica's property right now and will carefully note when I first see blossoms this season, which hopefully will be before we leave the area heading for a rendezvous with Lee in the Porkies.

Bob

== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Feb 24 2008 1:28 pm
From: "Edward Frank"

ENTS,

I am all for people making a list of ENTS related projects they hope to accompish in the comming year. Of course there will be more unpanned trips, and comments made to other people posts, and perhaps miscellaneous data collection efforts as part of ongoing research by other poeple. But please,even the new people, lay out a list of what you are thinking about for the comming year. I will compile it on the website.

Here is My list:

ENTS Related Projects / Site Investigations Planned

Updating the Website (continuous)

Special Editor for Issue or ENTS Bulletin (almost inished)

Tsuga Survey report

ENTS Aesthetics Project

Multitrunk tree standards
Crown Volume modeling
ENTS Tree Age Project
Spreadsheet Data Standardization

Keeping Watch on Bob and Will

Tree Spirit Investigation (curiosity)

Photography and Video Projects

-----------------------------

Planned Field work:

Holden Arboretum, OH
Allegheny River Islands Wilderness, measurement and volume modeling
McConnels Mill SP, PA
Cook Forest stuff
Mount Logan NA, PA

Ed Frank

== 4 of 4 ==
Date: Sun, Feb 24 2008 7:25 pm
From: James Parton

This sounds like a good idea to me. I will keep mind of it come
spring.

JP

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