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TOPIC: SGL 155
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/6c79f51653137ccc?hl=en
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== 1 of 5 ==
Date: Fri, Sep 12 2008 5:00 pm
From: "Dale Luthringer"


ENTS,

On 4/17/08 my Jack Russel (AKA - "Da Bug') and I decided to take a walk
back into my old stomping grounds during my high school days in SGL 155
(state game lands). SGL 155 is located in the southeast corner of Erie
County, Erie, PA in NW PA. Sorry, you'll have to get used to the
"shorthand". Most Pennsylvania natives write and speak about
Pennsylvania using the abbreviation, "PA".

Anyway, I've been wanting to go back and take a look at a particular
hemlock/beech stand that always struck me as "old" when I was younger,
and was wondering if it actually was after years of experience
documenting old growth in the field. It turns out it was very close to
old growth in terms of dead standing snags and CWD, but I wasn't able to
record any trees that would pre-date the logging era for this site
beyond the 1800's. It is a very mature stand about 2 acres in size
encompassing a hilltop overlooking a ~80ft deep ravine system that runs
around it.

It was nice to get back in and take a look after being away for close to
10 years. I used to hunt this stretch of woods repeatedly in my high
school days over 20 years ago, and it has been interesting to see the
surrounding woods change and grow up as the PA Game Commission manages
the area for timber and wildlife. It is nice to see that they left this
hemlock grove stand. In the 100's of acres this game lands encompasses,
the hemlock-beech forest type left standing of its kind. All
surrounding stands have been managed to approach a fairly young hardwood
stand dominated by ash, red maple, and scattered hickories.

One area I wished they would've left was a very mature hardwood stand
that had close to ~20 acres of large stature Am. Beech and black cherry.
It was mined for the black cherry back in the early 1990's. It was one
of the best raccoon, fox and gray squirrel hunting sites in NW PA. Now
it's just a 20 acre blackberry patch. Too bad they couldn't have left
just a few decent sized seed trees.

We decided to take a long hike around the general area as well, checking
out a few drainages in other similar but shallower depth ravine systems
nearby. When I stopped too long to measure a specific tree, 'Da Bug'
would start tugging on a root, attempt to dig out a chipmunk, or start
dragging a stick way too large for her to fetch. You have to keep a
keen eye on her though, she has a strong affinity towards raccoon scat.
She just can't resist those fermenting berries...

Was able to measure enough trees to add a new site to the PA Rucker
Index list. We did find one tree that may be a new NE height record for
E. hophornbeam at 1.8ft CBH x 78.8ft high. Bob has a hophornbeam in
MTSF at 3.3ft CBH x 78.2ft high measured back on 10/23/03, but I can't
find a current reference that beats the SGL 155 tree. The day's stats
follows:

Species CBH Height Comments

Am. Basswood 3.8 97.5

Am. Beech 8 81.1+
Am. Beech 10 90.1+
Am. Beech 5.6 100.5

Am. Hornbeam 2.2 39

Big tooth aspen 3.8 90.7

Bitternut hickory 4.6 93.1+
Bitternut hickory 5.4 105.1+

Black cherry 11.1 81.1+ field boundary tree
Black cherry 10.5 112.1

Cucumbertree 4.8 77

E. hemlock 5 101.5
E. hemlock 6 103.6
E. hemlock 7.5 107.8

E. hophornbeam 2 66
E. hophornbeam 1.8 78.8 tallest NE? 42
00.439N x 79 52.147W

Juneberry 2.7 68.5

N. red oak (2x) 95.3

Red maple 10.1 81.1+
Red maple 8 90.1+

Sugar maple 4 93.1+
Sugar maple 12.5 93.1+ old wolf tree, measured
at waist 2.5ft up

Tuliptree 7.3 107.1
Tuliptree 7.9 116.3

White ash 13.1 30.8 wolf tree, "stump"
with a few green sprigs
White ash 8.1 93.1+
White ash 5.8 102.6
White ash 6.4 108.5
White ash 4.7 111.7

Yellow birch 4.8 91

SGL 155 Rucker Index = 103.04
Species CBH Height

Tuliptree 7.9 116.3
Black cherry 10.5 112.1
White ash 4.7 111.7
E. hemlock 7.5 107.8
Bitternut hickory 5.4 105.1+
Am. Beech 5.6 100.5
Am. Basswood 3.8 97.5
N. red oak (2x) 95.3
Sugar maple 12.5 93.1+
Yellow birch 4.8 91

Dale

== 2 of 5 ==
Date: Fri, Sep 12 2008 5:38 pm
From: dbhguru@comcast.net


Dale,

Good show! I'll seek out the hop hornbeam and remeasure it. John Eichholz did the original measurement.

I'm inspired to get out there and update the RHIs in New England that are starting to be a bit dated. Keep up the good work, buddy.

Bob

== 3 of 5 ==
Date: Fri, Sep 12 2008 6:04 pm
From: "Edward Forrest Frank"


Dale,

An excellent account of your trip. I like to see reports of new sites that haven't been written about before. I want to encourage people to write about their small trips to new areas. These are the kind of reports that drive ENTS. (" In the 100's of acres this game lands encompasses, the hemlock-beech forest type left standing of its kind." - You had meant to say this stand was the only one of its kind?) I am looking forward to more of your trip reports as you catch up with the backlog of various expeditions. Do you have any photos from the trip - one at least would be nice :) Great hop hornbeam find! It is amazing that new records can potentially be found at almost any site on almost every trip, especially for species for which we have little information.

We as a group only have measurements of a few dozen species of trees and shrubs in the eastern United States and of those many species are represented by a just a handful to a single measurement. The USDA lists 776 native trees from the eastern US and over 2000 trees and shrubs, allowing for double listings for varieties of the same species, that is still likely over 300 tree species and likely 700 shrubs present, while we have measured only a few.

Ed Frank

Join me in the Eastern Native Tree Society at http://www.nativetreesociety.org
and in the Primal Forests - Ancient Trees Community at: http://primalforests.ning.com/

== 5 of 5 ==
Date: Fri, Sep 12 2008 6:55 pm
From: "Dale Luthringer"

Ed,

Yes, the hemlock/beech forest is the only remaining stand of its kind in
that game lands.

That's a negative on the photos.

I only have very few hophornbeams in the data base. So, when I get one
that approaches 70ft or is "extra fat", I measure it. Scott's probably
got an 80 footer tucked away down in the Philly/Harrisburgh area
somewhere. There's one on his list I need to check out in Erie that is
reported to be 79ft, but measured using an unknown method.

Dale