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TOPIC: Ohiopyle revisted
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/4b65935fe745fc78?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Wed, Jul 23 2008 8:26 pm
From: "Dale Luthringer"


ENTS,

On 3/26/08 I had an afternoon opportunity after training to scoot down
to Ohiopyle State Park and finish up documenting trees/old growth on the
Great Gorge Trail. This particular trail is opposite the Ferncliff
Peninsula National Natural Landmark on the Youghiogheny River. My last
visit to this site was on 5/17/07

http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/penna/ohiopyle_state_park07.htm

This particular trip wraps up measuring trees in this section of the
park. Ohiopyle State Park is one of the largest in the Commonwealth at
just over 19,000 acres. There are many deep valley drainages and coves
here, so we're just starting to break into the tall tree potential of
this site.

There is a limited section of old growth hemlock forest along the Great
Gorge Trail. Select hemlock and white oak will easily make it into the
200-300 year age class, with a scattering of old black birch and N. red
oak that approach the 150-200 year age class. It is unclear from their
park map if this side of the gorge, opposite Ferncliff is included in
the natural area distinction.

http://www.dcnr.state.pa.us/stateparks/parks/ohiopyle/ohiopyle_mini.pdf

If so, it already has a high level of classification for protection, but
if not, I would suggest that the entire length of the Great Gorge Trail
from Cucumber Falls downhill and east to the river, then down river to
the old railroad trestle, should be classified as an old growth area.
The entire perimeter of this area is just over 2.4 miles encompassing 32
acres of cliff edge old growth forest habitat. The entire area is not
old growth trees, but trail forms a perfect western boundary of second
growth forest buffer zone, and lends itself to the ease future
management decisions when delineating area and boundaries. A more
accurate delineation of actual old growth hemlock forest is probably
closer ~16 acres. The 16 acres of old growth includes the cliff face
down to the river itself with no second growth buffer to the trail. It
is interesting to note that the Great Gorge Trail follows an old
railroad bed.

I did a lot of criss-crossing up and down the cliff edge to the river in
this mapping project. While at the base of the river and Cucumber
Falls, I was able to get some preliminary heights on decent white pines
across the river at the bottom of Ferncliff Peninsula. Nothing out of
the ordinary in heights for white pine, but was able to confirm the
species into the low 130ft class.

The day's tally follows:

Species CBH Height Comments

Am. Basswood 4.4 106.3
Am. Basswood 6 107.8

Am. Beech N/A 103.7

Black cherry 4.7 106.1+
Black cherry 6.5 123.5
Black cherry 5.9 123.8
Black cherry 7.3 125.4 39 52.144N x 79
30.209W

Black locust 6.3 101.5

Cucumbertree 5.2 108.1+
Cucumbertree 8.1 113.4

E. hemlock 6.3 113
E. hemlock 8.2 118
E. hemlock N/A 121.3 rhodo thicket, base of
cliff
E. hemlock 9.4 124.4 39 52.165N x 79
30.048W

E. hophornbeam 2.5 47.5

E. white pine NA 129.5 Ferncliff Peninsula
E. white pine NA 130.2 Ferncliff Peninsula
E. white pine N/A 131.4 Ferncliff Peninsula
E. whte pine N/A 132.8 Ferncliff Peninsula

N. red oak 8.8 105.1+
N. red oak 4.7 111.1+

Red maple 5.7 105.1+

Shagbark hickory 4.3 107.3

Sycamore 5.2 99.1+

White oak 9 102.1+


Ohiopyle State Park now has a Rucker Index of 120.36. The RI includes
past multiple trips with data collected by Ed Frank, Anthony Kelly, and
I. Ohiopyle State Park now places 8th out of 39 sampled sites in
Pennsylvania:

Species CBH Height Comments

Tuliptree 6.8 136.6
E. white pine N/A 132.8
White ash 13.7 131.1
Black cherry 7.3 125.4
E. hemlock 9.4 124.4
Cucumbertree 8.1 113.4
White oak 5.9 112.2
N. red oak 4.7 111.1+
Scarlet oak 7.9 108.5
Am. Basswood 5.2 108.1+



Pennsylvania's Top Ten RI 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 122.77
Anders Run Natural Area 121.59
Ohiopyle State Park 120.36
Little Elk Creek Gorge 119.45
Clear Creek State Park 118.3


Dale

==============================================================================
TOPIC: Ohiopyle revisted
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/4b65935fe745fc78?hl=en
==============================================================================

== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Jul 24 2008 8:12 am
From: "Edward Frank"


Dale,

Excellent account of your trip to Ohio Pyle. Did you encounter any Umbrella Magnolia? In Western PA it is only found at Ohio Pyle as they were brought northward by the Youghioheny River. I had wished you had been with us on Anthony and my trip last summer to help confirm some of the species identifications (mostly oak varieties).  Anthony Kelly sent me a photocopy of a short leaflet by Jennings on the flora of Ohiopyle fromaround 1960. I will make you a copy, or perhaps scan it and post it here.

Ed

== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Thurs, Jul 24 2008 9:00 am
From: "Dale Luthringer"


Ed,

Negative on the umbrella magnolia. If I remember the brief description
I was given, it was somewhere on Ferncliff, and not a very big specimen.
I've seen so few, that I'd probably have to see the leaves on the tree
to identify it.

Dale