Rucker Height Indices for 107 Eastern Sites

 (Excerpt for FMTSF 2006 Report, May 2006)

Rucker Height Indices for 107 Eastern Sites

 

 

 

Site  

Rucker Index

State

Region

GSMNP

163.6

North Carolina-Tennessee

Southeast

Savage Gulf Wilderness

152.1

Tennessee

Southeast

Congaree National Park

151.0

South Carolina

Southeast

Central Brevard Zone

150.6

South Carolina

Southeast

Tamassee Knob, Brevard Fault Zone

146.1

South Carolina

Southeast

Wadakoe Mtn

144.2

South Carolina

Southeast

NE Aspect Cove, Tamassee Knob, BFZ

142.7

South Carolina

Southeast

Alexander Creek, Brevard Fault Zone

140.1

South Carolina

Southeast

Indian Creek

138.7

North Carolina

Southeast

Station Cove, Brevard Fault Zone

138.4

South Carolina

Southeast

Robin Shelby SP

138.1

Tennessee

Southeast

Panther Creek

137.8

Georgia

Southeast

Zoar Valley

137.3

New York

Northeast

Bankhead National Forest

137.2

Alabama

Southeast

Cook Forest State Park

136.2

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Mohawk Trail State Forest

136.0

Massachusetts

Northeast

Cliff Creek

135.8

Georgia

Southeast

Kelly Creek Roadless Area

135.4

Georgia

Southeast

Red Mountain

134.5

Alabama

Southeast

Camp Creek

133.6

Georgia

Southeast

Ocmulgee Flats

133.3

Georgia

Southeast

Joyce Kilmer Wilderness

133.1

North Carolina

Southeast

Brasher Woods, Red Mountain

132.9

Alabama

Southeast

Jewel Branch, Wadakoe Mountain

132.9

South Carolina

Southeast

Fairmount Park

132.3

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Cohutta Wildlife Mgt Area

132.2

Georgia

Southeast

Opossum Creek

132.2

South Carolina

Southeast

Camp Branch

132.2

Georgia

Southeast

Cohutta Wilderness Area

132.0

Georgia

Southeast

Belt Woods

131.0

Maryland

Central Atlantic

Rock Creek Park

130.3

Washington D.C.

Central Atlantic

Chase Creek Woods

130.2

Maryland

Central Atlantic

Rock Creek

129.9

Georgia

Southeast

Turkey Creek

129.4

South Carolina

Southeast

Wintergreen Gorge

128.5

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Long Cane Creek

128.3

South Carolina

Southeast

Stockbridge (town)

128.0

Massachusetts

Northeast

Fitzhugh’s Woods, Red Mountain

127.7

Alabama

Southeast

Vanderbilt Estate

126.9

New York

Northeast

Ricketts Glen State Park

126.3

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Ice Glen (in Stockbridge township)

126.2

Massachusetts

Northeast

Otter Creek

125.1

South Carolina

Southeast

North Prong Sumac Creek

124.9

Georgia

Southeast

Davidson Creek

124.8

Georgia

Southeast

Mountain Bridge Wilderness

124.3

South Carolina

Southeast

Monroe State Forest

123.7

Massachusetts

Northeast

Hocking Hills State Park

123.7

Ohio

Midwest

Big Oak Tree State Park

123.3

Missouri

Central

Widen Stand

122.5

West Virginia

Central Atlantic

Anders Run N.A.

122.3

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Tyler Arboretum

123.1

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Western NC Nature Center

122.1

North Carolina

Southeast

Carter's Grove

122.0

Virginia

Southeast

Walnut Creek Gorge

121.7

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Alum Bridge

119.9

West Virginia

Central Atlantic

Northampton (town)

119.3

Massachusetts

Northeast

Corcoran Woods

119.2

Maryland

Central Atlantic

Green Lake

118.0

New York

Northeast

Clear Creek State Park

117.5

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Easthampton (town)

116.6

Massachusetts

Northeast

Claremont-Private

116.5

New Hampshire

Northeast

Mill Creek park

115.9

Ohio

Midwest

Coho Property (Erie Bluffs)

115.7

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Lower Huron Metro Park, Detroit

115.7

Michigan

Midwest

Mount Tom State Reservation

115.2

Massachusetts

Northeast

Sisters of St. Francis

115.2

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Hemlocks N.A.

114.8

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Kyle Wood

114.8

Ohio

Midwest

Kaaterskill Falls

114.5

New York

Northeast

Heart's Content N.A.

113.8

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Starza Woods, Atlanta

113.8

Georgia

Southeast

Lake Erie Community Park

113.6

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Bullard Woods

112.9

Massachusetts

Northeast

Laurel Hill in Stockbridge

112.5

Massachusetts

Northeast

Bartholomew Cobble

112.5

Massachusetts

Northeast

Poland Woods

112.4

Ohio

Midwest

Monica’s Woods (Florence, MA)

112.1

Massachusetts

Northeast

Carl Sandburg Home

111.8

North Carolina

Southeast

Conway (town)

111.7

Massachusetts

Northeast

Arcadia Wildlife Sanctuary

111.5

Massachusetts

Northeast

Alan Seeger N.A.

111.1

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Calloway Gardens

110.7

North Carolina

Southeast

Wawa Preserve

110.0

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Scott Community Park

109.6

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Montgomery Estate

109.5

New York

Northeast

Tionesta Scenic and Research N.A.

109.4

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Stanley Park, Westfield, MA

109.1

Massachusetts

Northeast

Hatfield Floodplain

107.4

Massachusetts

Northeast

Bryant Woods

106.9

Massachusetts

Northeast

The Pocket, Pigeon Mountain

106.6

Georgia

Southeast

Look Park

106.6

Massachusetts

Northeast

Latodami Nature Center

106.5

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Allegheny River Islands Wilderness

105.0

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Detweiler Run N.A.

104.7

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Laurel Run Rd-Centre County

104.6

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Parker Dam State Park

104.1

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Skinner State Park

101.7

Massachusetts

Northeast

Hemmenway State Park

101.0

New Hampshire

Northeast

Glenwood Park

98.1

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Shingletown Gap

97.5

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Arkansas-Pinnacle Mountain

98.8

Arkansas

Eastern

University of Arkansas, Monticello

96.8

Arkansas

Central

Yates Park, Lawrence Park

96.0

New York

Northeast

Bear Meadows N.A.

93.7

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Scholarie Valley

91.8

New York

Northeast

Reynoldsville suburbs

88.8

Pennsylvania

Northeast

Gouverneur Site, Lawrence County

66.1

New York

Northeast

Notes:  

(1)   The dominance of Pennsylvania sites in the Northeast in the above table results from a concentrated effort by ENTS members to cover the Keystone state in-depth. Pennsylvania has a historical role as the repository of significantly big and/or tall trees. But even with the above coverage, we have a long way to go to cover the entire state. Pennsylvania will continue to be the highest performer of all states in the Northeast. The southeastern region of Pennsylvania still has significant sites and with additional searching, the Rucker index of Fairmount Park will likely approach 135.

(2)   There may be a few other sites in other Northeastern states with a Rucker index at 130 or over. New York will likely yield another one or two. With increased searching, MTSF’s claim to 3rd place in the Northeast  may slip slightly. However, given the small size of MTSF and its latitude, excepting Zoar Valley, NY, Mohawk’s position in the hierarchy of northeastern sites will remain remarkable and dominant at its latitude. In addition, so long as the white pine and white ash maintain their current level of dominance, the Rucker index of MTSF will likely stay at 136 or slightly more.  MTSF will likely remain the northernmost eastern site with a Rucker index over 130.

(3)   For the eastern U.S., Mohawk’s current position of 16th will slip substantially as more exemplary sites are added to the central Atlantic and in the South. Both hardwoods and conifers reach impressive sizes, especially heights, in the southern parts of their ranges when allowed to grow on good sites for 100 years or more. Older trees of a dozen species common to north and south achieve significantly greater diameters in the southern parts of their range. Consequently, tall tree statistics often favor the southern parts of the ranges of target species. The best example of this dominance is Tsuga canadensis. Tsuga reaches heights of 160+ feet in the southern Appalachians. It rarely reaches 120 feet in latitudes of 43 degrees north.  

(4) In the table above, the 17 Massachusetts sites are color coded red. Massachusetts accounts for 15.8% of the sites in the list. As more sites are added, the proportion of Massachusetts sites will drop and as more southern sites are added; those in the Northeast will drop further in the rankings.