Rucker Height Indices for 107 Eastern Sites
(Excerpt
for FMTSF 2006 Report, May 2006)
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Rucker
Height Indices for 107 Eastern Sites
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Site
|
Rucker
Index
|
State
|
Region
|
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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
|
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Alexander
Creek, Brevard Fault Zone
|
140.1
|
South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Indian
Creek
|
138.7
|
North
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Station
Cove, Brevard Fault Zone
|
138.4
|
South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Robin
Shelby SP
|
138.1
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Tennessee
|
Southeast
|
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Panther
Creek
|
137.8
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Zoar
Valley
|
137.3
|
New
York
|
Northeast
|
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Bankhead
National Forest
|
137.2
|
Alabama
|
Southeast
|
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Cook
Forest State Park
|
136.2
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Mohawk
Trail State Forest
|
136.0
|
Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Cliff
Creek
|
135.8
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Kelly
Creek Roadless Area
|
135.4
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Red
Mountain
|
134.5
|
Alabama
|
Southeast
|
|
Camp
Creek
|
133.6
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Ocmulgee
Flats
|
133.3
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
|
Joyce
Kilmer Wilderness
|
133.1
|
North
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Brasher
Woods, Red Mountain
|
132.9
|
Alabama
|
Southeast
|
|
Jewel
Branch, Wadakoe Mountain
|
132.9
|
South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Fairmount
Park
|
132.3
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
|
Cohutta
Wildlife Mgt Area
|
132.2
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
|
Opossum
Creek
|
132.2
|
South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Camp
Branch
|
132.2
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Cohutta
Wilderness Area
|
132.0
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Belt
Woods
|
131.0
|
Maryland
|
Central
Atlantic
|
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Rock
Creek Park
|
130.3
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Washington
D.C.
|
Central
Atlantic
|
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Chase
Creek Woods
|
130.2
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Maryland
|
Central
Atlantic
|
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Rock
Creek
|
129.9
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Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Turkey
Creek
|
129.4
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South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Wintergreen
Gorge
|
128.5
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Long
Cane Creek
|
128.3
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South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Stockbridge
(town)
|
128.0
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
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Fitzhugh’s
Woods, Red Mountain
|
127.7
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Alabama
|
Southeast
|
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Vanderbilt
Estate
|
126.9
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New
York
|
Northeast
|
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Ricketts
Glen State Park
|
126.3
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Ice
Glen (in Stockbridge township)
|
126.2
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Otter
Creek
|
125.1
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South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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North
Prong Sumac Creek
|
124.9
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Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Davidson
Creek
|
124.8
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Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Mountain
Bridge Wilderness
|
124.3
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South
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Monroe
State Forest
|
123.7
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Hocking
Hills State Park
|
123.7
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Ohio
|
Midwest
|
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Big
Oak Tree State Park
|
123.3
|
Missouri
|
Central
|
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Widen
Stand
|
122.5
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West
Virginia
|
Central
Atlantic
|
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Anders
Run N.A.
|
122.3
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Tyler
Arboretum
|
123.1
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Western
NC Nature Center
|
122.1
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North
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Carter's
Grove
|
122.0
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Virginia
|
Southeast
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|
|
|
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Walnut
Creek Gorge
|
121.7
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
|
|
|
|
|
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Alum
Bridge
|
119.9
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West
Virginia
|
Central
Atlantic
|
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Northampton
(town)
|
119.3
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Corcoran
Woods
|
119.2
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Maryland
|
Central
Atlantic
|
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Green
Lake
|
118.0
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New
York
|
Northeast
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Clear
Creek State Park
|
117.5
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Easthampton
(town)
|
116.6
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
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Claremont-Private
|
116.5
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New
Hampshire
|
Northeast
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Mill
Creek park
|
115.9
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Ohio
|
Midwest
|
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Coho
Property (Erie Bluffs)
|
115.7
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Lower
Huron Metro Park, Detroit
|
115.7
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Michigan
|
Midwest
|
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Mount
Tom State Reservation
|
115.2
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Sisters
of St. Francis
|
115.2
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Hemlocks
N.A.
|
114.8
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Kyle
Wood
|
114.8
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Ohio
|
Midwest
|
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Kaaterskill
Falls
|
114.5
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New
York
|
Northeast
|
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Heart's
Content N.A.
|
113.8
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Starza
Woods, Atlanta
|
113.8
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Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Lake
Erie Community Park
|
113.6
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Bullard
Woods
|
112.9
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Laurel
Hill in Stockbridge
|
112.5
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
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Bartholomew
Cobble
|
112.5
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
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Poland
Woods
|
112.4
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Ohio
|
Midwest
|
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Monica’s
Woods (Florence, MA)
|
112.1
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Carl
Sandburg Home
|
111.8
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North
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Conway
(town)
|
111.7
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Arcadia
Wildlife Sanctuary
|
111.5
|
Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Alan
Seeger N.A.
|
111.1
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Calloway
Gardens
|
110.7
|
North
Carolina
|
Southeast
|
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Wawa
Preserve
|
110.0
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Scott
Community Park
|
109.6
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Montgomery
Estate
|
109.5
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New
York
|
Northeast
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Tionesta
Scenic and Research N.A.
|
109.4
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Stanley
Park, Westfield, MA
|
109.1
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Hatfield
Floodplain
|
107.4
|
Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Bryant
Woods
|
106.9
|
Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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The
Pocket, Pigeon Mountain
|
106.6
|
Georgia
|
Southeast
|
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Look
Park
|
106.6
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
|
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Latodami
Nature Center
|
106.5
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Allegheny
River Islands Wilderness
|
105.0
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Detweiler
Run N.A.
|
104.7
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Laurel
Run Rd-Centre County
|
104.6
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Parker
Dam State Park
|
104.1
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Skinner
State Park
|
101.7
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Massachusetts
|
Northeast
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Hemmenway
State Park
|
101.0
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New
Hampshire
|
Northeast
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Glenwood
Park
|
98.1
|
Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Shingletown
Gap
|
97.5
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Arkansas-Pinnacle
Mountain
|
98.8
|
Arkansas
|
Eastern
|
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University
of Arkansas, Monticello
|
96.8
|
Arkansas
|
Central
|
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Yates
Park, Lawrence Park
|
96.0
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New
York
|
Northeast
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Bear
Meadows N.A.
|
93.7
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
|
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Scholarie
Valley
|
91.8
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New
York
|
Northeast
|
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Reynoldsville
suburbs
|
88.8
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Pennsylvania
|
Northeast
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Gouverneur
Site, Lawrence County
|
66.1
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New
York
|
Northeast
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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.
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