ENTS--
Good news--a new national champion tree seems to have been
found!!
Earlier this summer, Tom Diggins, Lee Frelich, and I had
reported on the
measurements of a large water tupelo (aka tupelo gum, Nyssa
aquatica) we
had measured in the White River National Wildlife Refuge. Given
a quick
set of measurements, we knew that this giant tupelo was pushing
AF
national champion size (current co-champs score 479 and 483
points), but
we did not quite reach that level, and given how wet and mucky
the site
was at the time, I figured to come back later after it had dried
out
some more to see if I could squeeze anymore size out of it.
Yesterday
(9/21/06), I returned with my trusty forestry tech Kirby Sneed
and we
stopped at the site en route to another research location. This
time,
we came with the Impulse 200LR at hand, and with two more months
of
drought to further dry the swamp. We measured this individual
(that
I'll now call the Diggins Gum, in honor of Tom's measuring
enthusiasm)
at:
Diggins Gum
30.0 ft CBH (we measured a little more conservatively than Tom
did--I
think he got 31 ft CBH or so)
74.4 ft tall (using the sine method, of course)
54.0 ft average crown spread
448 points, American Forests "bigness index"
An impressive tree, for sure, but not quite national champion.
This
tree (and most of the other large gum and cypress in this small
pocket)
used to be noticeably taller, but a storm some decades ago seems
to have
broken off their tops. This remnant survived the logging of the
past
because most of the survivors are poorly formed--too hollow,
branchy, or
otherwise "deformed" to make a good board.
When we were at this stand in August, we observed a neighboring
water
tupelo that was also very large and very hollow in the base, to
boot.
It also looked worthy of measuring, but it was too wet by that
individual to warrant an attempt, given our footwear. By
yesterday, the
site had dried down considerably, and I had brought rubber boots
to aid
in the effort, so we decided to give it a measure. And was it
worth
it!!
33.1 ft CBH water tupelo from Arkansas.
This tree is located next to, but is different from, the large
water tupelo
described earlier this summer in reports by Tom Diggins, Lee
Frelich, and
myself.
This giant (now dubbed the "Beaver Hollow Gum")
scaled in at the
following:
33.1 ft CBH
77.2 ft tall (sine method)
37.4 ft average crown spread
484 points, AF bigness index
33.1 ft CBH water
tupelo from Arkansas
This tree, assuming AF accepts the numbers, will be listed as a
co-champion with the other two current co-champs from Virginia.
The
crown is not as big or healthy as for the Diggins Gum, and as
the
pictures I've sent Ed will show, the tree is hollow as can be,
but it is
probably quite old and definitely a champion! Arkansas has no
current
state champion water tupelo, so I will also be sending this tree
in as
state champ.
33.1 ft CBH water tupelo from Arkansas
Either we got real lucky with this individual, or the biggest
Arkansas
tupelo gum are yet to come, because this just happened to be at
the
first of the many oxbow lakes/wetlands in the area I stumbled
across
looking for big trees. There are numerous other 20 to 30 ft CBH
water
tupelo along this one small oxbow lake, and this wasn't exactly
a remote
location, either--the site is probably less than a mile from the
new
White River NWR headquarters in St. Charles, Arkansas. Dave
Stahle has
mentioned huge (and ancient) water tupelo near one of his study
sites at
Bayou DeView further up this watershed, so I would expect to see
more on
the giant water tupelo of Arkansas soon!
Don Bragg
*****************
Don Bragg, Ph.D.
Research forester
*****************
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