| Kanati
Fork & Cliff Branch, GSMNP, NC |
Jess
Riddle |
| May
23, 2006 19:27 PDT |
Ents,
Except in Cataloochee, parallel drainages separated by large,
north-south ridges form the North Carolina side of the Smokies.
Consequently, that section of the park harbors smaller north
facing
than the Greenbrier, Townsend, Big Creek, and Cataloochee
districts.
However, Thomas Divide, above Cherokee NC, descends slowly from
the
Smokies' main crest, and two peaks that jut out from the ridge
produce
large north facing slopes in the Collins Creek and Kanati Fork
watersheds.
A few weeks ago, I measured a 142.1' basswood, a 167.1'
tuliptree, and
a 156.9' black locust from the trail that passes through small,
east
facing coves above Kanati Fork. In March, we returned to see the
forest on the sheltered, gentle slopes along the stream.
Tuliptrees,
white basswood, black locust, and black birch thrived at the
lower
ends of the coves along the stream, and walking fern carpeted
one
north facing boulderfield. However, tuliptree and black birch
dominated the narrow, open understory flats along Kanati Fork
itself
to the near exclusion of all other tree species. The tuliptrees
did
not reach the heights the individuals higher in the coves; trees
commonly reached 150', but taller individuals were absent.
Similarly,
black birch frequently reached 100', but not significantly
taller.
The yellow birch listed below is the tallest known second growth
individual and tied for second tallest overall.
Species Cbh Height
Basswood, White 5'3" 136.1'
Basswood, White 5'8" 136.7'
Basswood, White 4'3" 138.3'
Basswood, White 5'7.5" 144.7'
Birch, Black 4'1" 107.1'
Birch, Yellow 4'2" 109.3'
Locust, Black 5'0.5" 153.6'
Oak, Northern Red NA 131.7'
Silverbell 4'2" 111.0'
Sycamore 4'8" 143.9'
Tuliptree NA 155.1'
Tuliptree 7'0" 162.7'
Tuliptree 9'5" 163.1'
Tuliptree 7'4" 164.7'
Somewhat disappointed by not finding trees surpassing those
initially
seen along the trail, and having several hours of daylight left,
we
decided to explore the nearby Cliff Branch. Cliff Branch flows
off
the northeast side of the unnamed 4564' peak that shelters the
east
side of Kanati Fork. The peak's northeast consists of narrow
ridges
that descend rapidly to the northeast, and a broad, steep, 1000'
high,
north facing slope. Cliff Branch forks around one of the ridges
and
drains the broad slopes. While both forks contain tuliptrees
over
160' tall, the fork at the large slope's base is noticeably more
productive. Black birch, silverbell, sugar maple and basswood
form
the canopy with many tuliptrees and a few yellow buckeye along
the
small stream. Black locust formerly thrived higher in the
watershed,
but most have died. Mountain maple grows in some boulder strewn
parts
of the cove, but the understory is generally open. Walking fern
also
grows on some of the boulders, and acute leaved hepatica and
sedge
leaved plantain were blooming lower in the cove.
Species Cbh Height
Ash, White 5'11" 129.6'
Ash, White 6'5" 131.9'
Ash, White 7'9" 135.6'
Ash, White 4'5" 136.7'
Ash, White 6'3" 137.7'
Basswood, White NA 123.9'
Basswood, White 5'4" 131.8'
Basswood, White 6'6" 136.1'
Basswood, White 5'5" 139.7'
Beech, American 7'0" 121.0'
Birch, Black 4'2.5" 104.7'
Birch, Black 4'4" 115.9'
Buckeye, Yellow 6'9" 131.4'
Buckeye, Yellow 7'10" 139.1'
Cherry, Black 7'6" 123.2'
Cucumbertree 5'4" 141.1'
Cucumbertree 6'7" 146.8'
Hickory, Bitternut 11'1" 139.0'
Locust, Black 5'2" 133.1'
Locust, Black 6'6" 144.5'
Magnolia, Fraser 6'1" 121.5'
Maple, Red 5'4.5" 125.5'
Maple, Sugar 8'6" 118.2'
Maple, Sugar 7'6" 123.8'
Silverbell 4'11" 110.3'
Tuliptree 9'2" 154.2'
Tuliptree 6'4" 154.5'
Tuliptree 9'6" 154.7'
Tuliptree 9'0" 160.1'
Tuliptree NA 160.5'
Tuliptree 9'0" 160.7'
Tuliptree 7'0" 161.5'
Tuliptree 7'7" 161.8'
Tuliptree 9'11" 165.0'
Tuliptree 8'3" 165.9'
Tuliptree 8'10" 166.7'
Tuliptree 7'10" 167.0'
Tuliptree 10'9" 171.2'
Tuliptree 9'4" 172.4'
Tuliptree 7'11" 173.3'
Tuliptree NA 176.1'
Rucker Index: 139.54'
Tuliptree 176.1'
Cucumbertree 146.8'
Black Locust 144.5'
White Basswood 139.7'
Yellow Buckeye 139.1'
Bitternut Hickory 139.0'
White Ash 137.7'
Red Maple 125.5'
Sugar Maple 123.8'
Black Cherry 123.2'
The tallest tuliptree is the second found over 175' outside of
the Big
Creek watershed. All of the tuliptrees over 170' grow in a small
cluster, and appear under 100 years old.
The bitternut hickory is a potential North Carolina state
champion.
The fraser magnolia is a new eastern height record.
Jess Riddle & Will Blozan |
| Re:
Kanati Fork & Cliff Branch, GSMNP, NC |
Jess
Riddle |
| May
24, 2006 13:11 PDT |
Hi Dale,
Locusts down here tend to be straight, but not conspicuously
straight,
as say tuliptrees are. The trunk form is essentially similar to
many
other overstory hardwoods. They do differ in never being massive
trees and having consistently small crowns.
Jess
On 5/23/06, Dale Luthringer wrote
| |
Y
Jess,
I still can't get over your black locusts down there. In
NW PA, ours
are often not straight trunked, kind of like a flat
S-shape. Are your
black locusts of similar form, or do they tend to be
more straight
trunked.
Those are some sweet tulips at Cliff Branch!
Dale
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