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TOPIC: RI list update and Mt Tom
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/t/151274a454bff71f?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sat, Nov 22 2008 7:59 am
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
ENTS,
On another topic, yesterday, I began a long process of working with
the Mount Tom Advisory Committee to propose special protections for
Mount Tom State Reservation (MTSF) in Holyoke and Easthampton, MA.
MTSR covers 2,084 acres and is a veritable island of biological
diversity - one of the richest sites in the Commonwealth for rare
and endangered species. Mount Tom's RI is a solid 117.0 and home to
the Connecticut River Valley's tallest accurately measured tree, a
white pine that is 141.0 feet tall. Its name is the Trident because
it has 3 trunks.
Yesterday I broke the American Beech record on Mt Tom with a lean
7-ft girth, 104.3-foot tall tree that is in excellent health.
Because of the underlying layer of basalt and thin soils over most
of the mountain, tall tree areas are limited, but I'm sure we can
push the Rucker up at least 0.5 before we're through.
Because of the frequent, past and varied human usage of Mount Tom,
its forests present us with a mosaic of single trees and patches
that span an age spectrum of about 0 to over 300 years. Lots of
areas include several cohorts varying in age from 60 to just under
200 years. There are high and low growth areas that are reflected in
species variations ofteh with sharp dividing lines between the
areas. The whole mountain is a laboratory. We're just starting. Gary
Beluzo, John Knuerr, and I (the original Tree Amigos) are describing
our collective effort as being dome under the auspices of ENTS. Gary
also brings in Holyoke Community College. The project will be a high
visibility one for ENTS.
Bob
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TOPIC: Mt Tom's Old Trees - a Story Worth Investigating
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/t/fb722c3ec50a4f9b?hl=en
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== 1 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 9:00 am
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
ENTS,
At a meeting last night that I attended of the Mount Tom Advisroy
Board, Bob Carr, the supervisor of Mt Tom State Reservation, gave me
a cookie off a small downed white ash located at the beginning of an
enchanting little hickory glade on the eastern side of the mountain.
All trees in the glade are stunted - or at least small. Most are
pignut hickory - highly unusual for Massachusetts. A few shagbarks
can be counted among the pignuts. I don't know if these two species
hybridize, but I do see trees with characteristics intermediate
between the classic features of pignut and shagbark. The only other
species showing any abundance within the glade is hop hornbeam.
Beyond that, there are a few black oaks and white ash trees spotted
around the glade, the origin of which is unknown. Gary Beluzo and I
assume fire played an important role in its establishment. Gary
spotted charcoal in the soil on a recent outing. The glade features
rare and endangered species, and consequently its exi stence and
location needs to be quiet from the general public.
Well, back to the cookie that Bob provided me. He said that it
was taken about 6 feet above the base to get solid wood. Its radius
is 5 inches. Under magnification, I was able to count 147 annual
rings. At the base, the tree was probably between 150 and 155 years.
It began life in the mid-1800s and I am wondering if the collocated
hickories are about the same age.
Mount Tom is awash in trees with age characteristics that suggest
an origin during the time period of 1830 to 1880. However, there is
a generation of much older trees, trees between 250 and 300 years
and a few even older trees, mostly hemlocks. Because of the intense
use of the mountain by settlers beginning in the late 1700s, there
is no real old growth on Mount Tom except perhaps on the west side
of the mountain following the basalt cliffs and ledges. There, a
swath of forest encompassing 20 to 30 acres can probably be
classified as old growth, although fires of Europeaan origin have
unquestionably played an important role in shaping the cliff-side
vegetative communities.
Mount Tom will be the focus of an effort being planned by Gary
Beluzo, John Knuerr, myself to help the Mount Tom Advisory Board
gather information needed to secure a higher level of protection for
the state reservation under a nomination plan being accepted by
Commissioner Sullivan. Without a more permanent type of protection,
Mount Tom's forests will ultimately be subjected to threats the
nature of which we can only guess. Given the importance of Mount Tom
as a cultural, ecological, and recreational resource, the price of
preservation is eternal vigilance and public education. We cannot
affored to take our eye off the ball.
Over the past decade, I have come to increasingly recognize the
interesting patchwork of tree ages that characterize most of Mount
Tom's forests. Many old trees alive today are survivors of past
fires or logging that have continued up until 30 or 40 years ago.
Today, individual trees with advanced age characteristics stand out,
but less so broader forest communities and particular species that
have not figured prominently in our thinking. One such species that
offers us with opportunities to better understand past clearing
activities on the slopes of Mount Tom is the black birch. Most
people are familiar with young blach birch and may hardly recognize
older birches. However, Mount Tom has an amazing number of large,
mature black birch, many between 100 and 150 years old and some
between 200 and 250 years of age. I think these birches have a story
to tell about past large scale clearing operations and the locations
of old fields. BTW, the champion black birch of the state grows on
Mount Tom. Will Blozan re-measured the tree on the recent ENTS
rendezvous.
It remains to be seen if we can piece together the history conveyed
by the residual old birches of Mount Tom. There is a more intriguing
story in both the ages and distribution of the birches than I think
anyone has heretofore realized.
BTW, Mount Tom has 3 state champions: eastern hemlock, red pine,
and black birch. The black birch's height was re-measured by Will on
the recent ENTS rendezvous. We not have it at 99.8 feet, up from my
96. That adds a few insurance points for the Mount Tom champ over
its nearest rival.
Bob
== 2 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 10:53 am
From: Elisa Campbell
Bob,
a great description of a wonderful place. I'm familiar with a couple
of
big old black birches at UMass; I'm anxious to see those on Mt Tom
and
to compare them. I wonder how the hemlocks are doing? the last time
I
saw them that damned HWA seemed to be very widespread.
Elisa
== 3 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 11:10 am
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
Elisa,
Mount Tom's hemlocks were delivered a pretty severe blow a few years
ago. At present, they are holding their own. That is about all that
can be said.
If you'd like to see the birches, let's plan an outing. There are
many more to locate, measure, and document.
Bob
== 4 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 11:16 am
From: "Edward Frank"
Bob,
I am wondering if there is any marked difference between the forests
on the MT Tom Reservation property and the other properties on the
mountain? There is the US Fish and Wildlife property on the south
side of the mountain, the Trustees of the Reservation property, the
Holyoke Girls and Boys Club property? Since the research is to be
for the Reservation Property itself, is the exploration going to be
limited to that property or will it include some of these
surrounding areas? It looks like there are some steeper slopes on
the south /river side of the mountain.
Ed
== 5 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 11:24 am
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
Ed,
I've walked the other properties, including that of the Trustees. We
may include information from studies done on those properties. Our
time constraint won't accommodate much time devoted to outside the
reservation boundaries, but to get a complete picture, discussing
adjacent properties and what is happening on them would be helpful
to the cause.
From time to time the idea of a casino pops up on private lands and
there are those big monied interests standing ready to jump in if
given any latitude. Vultures continually circle the mountain, the
non-human and human types.
Bob
== 6 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 12:51 pm
From: Josh Kelly
Bob,
Regarding the hickories with a mixture of pignut and shagbark
characteristics, is Carya ovalis present in MA? In NC it looks like
a
hybrid between the two.
Josh
== 7 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 1:26 pm
From: ForestRuss@aol.com
Bob:
In New England I've encountered some situations where there have
been
bitternut hickories of equivalent age scattered among really old and
very slow
growing shagbark hickories. From what I recall is that on some
really poor sites
bitternut will develop a different bark from what it does in
productive
areas and a few nectria cankers can make it look even rougher....but
I'm not sure
if it is a valid comment on your question.
There are few walks in the Connecticut Valley I have taken that were
more
memorable than my first hike along the basalt cliffs of Mt. Tom.
Russ
== 8 of 8 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 25 2008 1:36 pm
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
Russ,
Yes, the views from the cliffs of Mount Tom are first class -
absolutely memorable. The 200-year old red pines are also very
attractive.
Bob
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Mt Tom's Old Trees - a Story Worth Investigating
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/t/fb722c3ec50a4f9b?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Wed, Nov 26 2008 5:13 am
From: billfinn
Bob, the old Mountain Park property was purchased a couple of years
back by the individual who owns the Calvin Theatre and Iron Horse
music establishments in Northampton. The park is presently being
stripped of most of its trees, including some very large White Pines
that were taken down yesterday. They have clear cut in most places
right to the access road that leads up to the old ski area (Boys and
Girls Club). My understanding is that beginning next summer, very
large outdoor concerts will be scheduled at the park. As you know,
this property sits in the middle of DCR, Trustees of the
Reservations,
Fish and Wildlife properties as well as the Whiting Reservoir.
Bill
== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Wed, Nov 26 2008 8:55 am
From: "Edward Frank"
Bill,
It would be interesting to get some ring count/ diameter/ species
information on the cut trees on this portion of the mountain.
Ed
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