Hearts Content Update

Hearts Content Update, PA

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TOPIC: Hearts Content update
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/3bd971ed6357d367?hl=en
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== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Tues, Mar 11 2008 7:30 pm
From: "Dale Luthringer"

ENTS,

On 12/3/07, Carl Harting & I took a day trip to Hearts Content Natural
Area to attempt to volume model some decent sized hemlocks. The weather
wasn't perfect, blowing snow, cold, etc., but we were still able to get
some good data. We spent most of our time on what we called the 'Hearts
Content Hemlock'. We put the tree at 13.9ft CBH x 126.6ft high x 53.1ft
avg crown for 306.7AF Points. Using tripod and macroscope 25 we came up
with 637ft^3. I believe this officially puts the tree as the largest
known in PA using the AF point system.

It is interesting to note that the Camp Trail Hemlock at Cook Forest is
13.8ft CBH x 125.4ft high x 52.6ft avg spread for 304.2AF Points. We
volume modeled this tree using the same methods as above and came up
with 844ft^3. Eventhough the Hearts Content Hemlock has more AF Points
and current state champ status for single stem hemlocks, the Camp Trail
Hemlock has considerably more volume. I believe it is currently the
largest volume modeled hemlock we have so far for the Northeastern U.S.

Will & Bob, let me know if you want the hard data and I'll send it your
way.

After we modeled the Hearts Content Hemlock, it was my intention to
model another large hemlock beside it which went to 13.7ft CBH x 113.3ft
high. Since we were starting to run out of time, I decided to just take
bottom trunk measurements. We took various circumferential measurements
to 7.3ft from base and obtained 132.ft^3 for this bottom section. It
didn't even come close to the adjacent hemlock in bottom trunk volume.
What would've been interesting though, would be to see what the overall
volume of this tree would've been, since it split into two large trunks
a good 25-35ft up from the base.

Both trees were no more than 75 yards east of the western side of the
main trail loop.

On our way out, we decided to head due west towards the main road then
turn north and work back to the parking area. We came across two trees
that were worth measuring, a red maple to 9.7ft CBH x 111.1+ft high, as
well as a nice white ash to 7.8ft CBH x 120.4ft high. The white ash was
the first one we have measured for this site to make it into the 120ft
class. After adding in new trees that other ENTS surveyed from the 2006
ENTS Rendezvous, Hearts Content now has an RI of 117.95:

Species CBH Height

E. white pine 10.5 167.2
E. hemlock 12.2 136.2
Red maple 8.7 120.8
White ash 7.8 120.4
Cucumbertree 8.8 114.1
Am. Beech 6.2 109.8
White oak 7.8 108.4
Black cherry 4.6 106.4
N. red oak 11.1 98.6
Chestnut oak 7.5 97.6

I feel confident that with more searching we could get all 10 species
over 100ft, which would eventually put the RI up to 118.33. As it
stands now, Hearts Content currently ranks 11th out of 36 sampled sites.
Here's PA's current top ten sites:

Site RI

Cook Forest State Park 137.15
Fairmont Park 132.27
McConnells Mill State Park 130.85
Wintergreen Gorge 127.53
Ricketts Glen State Park 126.29
Walnut Creek Gorge 121.69
Anders Run Natural Area 121.59
Little Elk Creek Gorge 119.45
Clear Creek State Park 118.3
Delaware Water Gap 118.24

Dale

== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Tues, Mar 11 2008 7:40 pm
From: "Will Blozan"

Dale,

Great illustration of the shortcomings of the AF point "system". Curiously
though, the two largest hemlocks in the Tsuga Search Project would be
co-champions on the AF point system. 389 points (Laurel Branch Leviathan)
and ~393 points (Caldwell Giant). It is very likely that ENTS will never see
a 400 point hemlock.

Will

== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Tues, Mar 11 2008 7:49 pm
From: "Dale Luthringer"

Will,

Well, the AF system almost works for the largest two single stem PA
hemlocks. They're so close it's probably statistically insignificant.
The status is just switched around:

307 Hearts Content Hemlock (state champ)
304 Camp Trail Hemlock (co-champ)

Neither one holds a candle to your monsters though. Man those are huge!

Dale

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