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TOPIC: Lake Julian Pine Forest
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/t/d22329594e027ae2?hl=en
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== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Dec 9 2008 3:28 pm
From: James Parton
 
 
ENTS,
 
Over the last three days I have been exploring a nearby area of woods near Lake Julian. A short while back, I explored 4 different areas ( sections ) around the lake to see the makeup of the forests located there. This current section, which I will call " section 5 " is located between Heywood Rd, Across the rd from the first section of forest I explored near the lake, Hwy 25 ( Hendersonville Rd ), Old Shoals Rd and Glenn Bridge Rd. The Medical Action Industries and CPU2 facilities on Old Shoals border the forest. CPU2 has a walking trail which goes along the edge of the woods but I did not use it. I accessed the forest from a pull off on Heywood Rd. The satillite picture shows the forest explored within the white outline.

To summarize the outing, the forest was primarily White Pine on higher ground with hardwoods dominating the lower ground near hwy 25. The whites average around 125 feet tall with some going into the upper 130s. I found none to 140 but there is a chance that a small number could reach that. Tuliptree was generally in the low 120s with oaks a little shorter. I measured a Black Cherry to 105 feet.

11' 5" girth, 108 foot tall Tuliptree

base of the 11' 5" cbh Tuliptree

 The girth on the biggest pines was just shy of 10 feet cbh with the average around 7 feet cbh. I would guess the age of the forest to be between 50 to 85  years, however down in the lower ground I found two really nice tuliptrees with large heavy limbs and gnarly old trunks. Both exceed 10 feet in girth and stand out in contrast to the rest of the forest. I feel that these two trees exceed the age of the surrounding forest and may have been trees in the yard of old dwellings or ones for some reason not cut in the past. These trees, while not as ancient as theJoyce Kilmer or Cataloochee Valley tulips may still be 140-180 years old. They remind me of a couple of large Tuliptrees at the Carl Sandburg Home in Flat Rock.

White Pine forest

138.1 foot tall White pine

 
The understory is dominated by American Holly which like on all shores of Lake Julian is very common. None are very tall though. 45 feet is about tops.. Rhodo and Mountain Laurel is nearly absent. Invasives ( especially in the lower terrain hardwoods ) made travel difficult in places, constantly untying the laces to my hiking boots. I lost my hiking stick in there somewhere where I layed it down to tie my boots. The invasives were Multiflora Rose ( Ouch! ) Privet, Bittersweet, Blackberry vines and Poison Ivy. In the denser pines it was not  much a problem.
 
I noticed a for sale sign along the hwy and noticed border markers within the woods. Like many forests locally these woods may fall to development. The biggest Tuliptree is in an area that is relatively flat and that made me worry for the tree. It may be the oldest in the woods and may well fall to development. I just wish more people would realize the value of forests. The woods was littered with trash in places from homeless people but the cold this time of year has undoubtedly driven them to warmer dwellings somewhere else.
 
http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/north_carolina/julian/lake_julian_park_nc.htm
 
 
 
Here are some specific measurements.
 
                         Girth          Height
 
White Pine         9' 8"           138.1' !
White Pine         7' 6"           122.2'
Pitch Pine          5' 10 1/2"    99.8'
White Pine         7' 7 1/2"     123.0'
Tuliptree             8' 5"          121.5'
White Pine         6' 2"          136.8' ! 
Tuliptree            7' 0"           123.0'
Tuliptree            11' 5"         108.7' !
Red Oak            6' 9"           106.5'
American Holly                    38.5'
White Pine        6' 11"          132.8'
Tuliptree           10' 10"         115.5' !
White Pine        9' 7 1/2" 
 
Except for losing my stick, it was a nice outing. I plan to check out another site or two near the lake when I find the opportunity.
 
 
James Parton
 

== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Dec 9 2008 3:41 pm
From: "Will Blozan"
 
 
James,
 
Nice stuff! I do hope you get to scout around Biltmore Park.
 
Will F. Blozan
 
President, Eastern Native Tree Society
President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc.
 

== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Tues, Dec 9 2008 4:31 pm
From: James Parton
 
 
Will,
 
That is quite close to here. I am sure I will get around to it.
 
Also, I plan to do a more detailed measurement of some pines in the
Pink Beds sometime this winter. You are welcome to go with me. Hunting
season has only about a week left, if that much. Afterwards it should
be safe.
 
Have you been back to that big 181 ft ( WoW! ) tuliptree yet?
 
JP
 

== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Wed, Dec 10 2008 4:28 am
From: dbhguru@comcast.net
 
James,
 
Keep up the good work. We need data from as many white pine sites as we can get.
 
Bob

== 4 of 5 ==
Date: Wed, Dec 10 2008 1:54 pm
From: James Parton
 
 
ENTS,
 
To add. I also measured a huge oak stump which was 14' 4" in
circumference! It had been a large double trunked tree which had
split and both trunks lie prostrate on the ground. The forest also had
a few still living hemlocks.
 
JP