| Last
gasp of the East Fork hemlocks |
Will
Blozan |
| Dec
14, 2003 10:27 PST |
ENTS Report 12/13/03
Yesterday Jess Riddle, Ed Coyle, Mike Riley and I went into the
unsurpassed
tall hemlock forests of the East Fork of the Chattooga River in
the Ellicott
Rock Wilderness (SC section). We braved an impending ice storm,
a swollen
river crossing and ice covered logs. A traverse was set up with
rope and
pulley to get the gear across the river. We went to climb a tree
Michael
Davie and I measured two years ago after we climbed the
"East Fork Spire", a
167'10" tall eastern hemlock that was a new World Record
height (living
tree) for the species. The new tree (still unnamed) measured
168'11" based
on laser-clinometer measurements. Our measurements before the
climb
yesterday still indicated a height of 168'11". Ed broke in
his new equipment
and got a height of 168.92'. I got a height of 168.95' with my
gear. Not
bad! We calibrated on the "Medlin Mountain Monarch", a
massive tree climbed
in 2001 and taped to 161'10". Ed got 162' and I got
162.07'. Again, not bad!
So up we went! The tree was 11'4" in girth and the tape
drop indicated a
height of 168'9". A new World Record!. Upon the calculation
and seeing our
ground measurements were only 2 inches off, Ed said, "Why
do we bother to
climb?".
Well part of the reason is in the title of this email. This tree
and every
other in the grove is essentially dead. This was the last climb
of the last
tall hemlock in the grove. The hemlock woolly adelgid has
destroyed the
grove and some trees are completely defoliated and dead. The
Medlin Mountain
Monarch, which was climbed just two years ago with no obvious
sign of HWA,
is now a partially defoliated, gray ghost of it's former
luscious glory. We
are documenting these great trees down to the very inch of
growth literally
on the eve of the death. We are also looking for answers to
nagging
questions.
Can eastern hemlock reach 170'? I would have to say, absolutely,
but not any
more. The last growth increment on the tree climbed yesterday
was 7 inches
long. The top and every other tip on the tree is now dead. This
tree and the
East Fork Spire would have been 170' within three to five years,
if HWA was
not a factor. I don't know how tall they would have grown to,
but the tops
of these trees were arrow-straight and vigorous, with no sign of
slowing
down. Unfortunately, we will never know. Eastern hemlock is a
clear example
of a species lost in it's prime.
Time is out, folks. The great hemlocks of the southern
Appalachians will
likely be just a historical anecdote in a few more seasons. At
least,
because of ENTS, the history will be accurate and truthful.
Will Blozan
President, Eastern Native Tree Society
ISA Certified Arborist
 |
The attached photo is a composite taken
December 13, 2003. The foremost tree is the one we climbed and taped to 168'9", and has Ed Coyle beside it. The next
tree is a 155'+ tree with Jess Riddle beside it. The farthest tree is a 160'
tree with Mike Riley beside if. Dead center in the picture (between the left
and middle tree) is the bole of the East Fork Spire which was taped to
167'10" in 2001. I want to get a better photo of this grove before the trees
decay... Will Blozan
|
|
|
|
| RE:
Last gasp of the East Fork hemlocks |
Paul
Jost |
| Dec
14, 2003 10:48 PST |
Will,
It isn't often that one reads a message like that. The hemlock
height
is incredible, especially in what was a vigorously growing tree!
The
accuracy of the initial measurements is also very satisfying to
hear.
However, going from such a high to the premature death due to
HWA was a
real let down. It is really crushing to know that my beloved
hemlocks
will likely disappear from this earth. I hope that my
grandchildren
will have a chance to see them, but they will probably never
know the
immense grandeur of the southern Appalachian hemlocks. They may
only
know the smaller statured midwestern hemlocks, if those hemlocks
can
survive...
Paul Jost |
| Re:
Last gasp of the East Fork hemlocks |
Greentr-@aol.com |
| Dec
14, 2003 12:50 PST |
Will,
Jess, Ed & Mike,
Sorry I was not up to the challenge yesterday. If I was, the
river fording
would have been down my alley. Besides having crossed raging
jungle rivers
full of bull sharks, I designed and supervised the building of
an obstacle course
that featured several different rope bridges.
I'm glad the rain held off (or did it?) long enough to make a
successful
climb to the top of the "world's tallest eastern
hemlock" (one of my all-time
top-ten favorites). It's rather sad that we may never see this
species reach
170'. All of this just reinforces my two earlier arguments; (1)
that exotic pests
and loggers are likely to locate and kill the very best showing
of a species
before the rest of us ever get a chance to personally appreciate
their
grandeur, and (2) do we really know just how tall a given
species once reached?
As more news is leaked out about the existence of such trees,
"maybe" more
research dollars will be appropriated. Though the chestnut
blight was an
anomaly, it nonetheless shows us just how important our roles
are by involving the
public (who has the money) as much as possible. I don't want to
just "read"
about some great tree that I was never privileged to personally
see, touch, feel
and taste. Nor even do I want to be one of many eyewitnesses who
spent the
rest of their lifetimes reminiscing about what such & such a
species meant to
them. I want my grandchildren to walk into their backyard and
experience it
for themselves! If education doesn't have a role in what we do,
then we can
always apply for a job as a museum custodian, long after these
species are
extinct and we're out of a job. A tree cannot "gasp".
But we can, and stand in
proxy for them. Let our gasps be heard by as many as possible!
Randy |
| Re:
Last gasp of the East Fork hemlocks |
Michael
Davie |
| Dec
14, 2003 14:54 PST |
Well, it's truly horrible to learn of the impending death of
those beautiful
hemlocks. The speed of their death is also very discouraging to
hear. I'm
just thinking of all the places I've been seeing HWA over the
last couple of
years, and what's going to happen to those trees... All the more
reason to
get out and document what we've got left.
I've got a few pictures of the East Fork Spire climb I'll send
to Ed to
post to the website. |
| Re:
Last gasp of the East Fork hemlocks |
SHAMR-@aol.com |
| Dec
14, 2003 19:02 PST |
Randy,
I don't think we should count the Eastern Hemlock out yet. 5000
years ago the
species disappeared from the pollen record yet somehow rebounded
to the
majesty of the trees you and I enjoy today. Eastern hemlocks are
one of my favorite
trees and it will sadden me to watch them decline probably at
about the same
pace as I will over the next four decades or so. But despite all
the human
shortsightedness and ignorance there is still a lot of beauty in
this world.
Maybe your grandkids will not get to see these amazing hemlocks
but there will
still be many other beautiful things out there that you can
teach them to enjoy,
love and respect.
I think it is not unlikely that 5000 from now the hemlock will
be rising tall
again and even if they do not other trees will grow to take
their place and
the ecosystems around them will adapt beautifully to those
changes as they
always have. Hopefully we will learn to adapt also so our
descendants will be
around to enjoy the hemlocks return as we do today.
I have just arrived back out west in Tahoe where a fresh foot of
snow covers
the mountains and jeffries pines. A thousand feet or so above my
new home
there are stands of western hemlock bowing under the white
powder. I do not find
these wispy, scraggly looking trees as appealing as their
eastern cousins but
they are still beautiful in their own way and growing nearby are
forests of red
fir trees with massive trunks and deep red bark that remind me
of old eastern
hemlocks. It is still a beautiful world out there! We just need
to help
others slow down long enough to recognize it.
Tim |
| Re:
Last gasp of the East Fork hemlocks |
Greentr-@aol.com |
| Dec
14, 2003 19:41 PST |
In
a message dated 12/14/2003 10:03:50 PM Eastern Standard Time,
SHAMR-@aol.com
writes:
I think it is not unlikely that 5000 from now the hemlock will
be rising tall
again...
Tim,
Even though we won't be around to see it (at least not in the
present form),
I hope you're right! But there were unlikely
exotic pests and development
here back in 3,000 B.C. When the same creatures that harvest the
earth's fruit
introduce new species to the cocktail, what is brewed may not be
fit for
consumption. But until 7,003, let's us well manage the trust
granted us and enjoy
the fruits of our labor.
Tahoe sounds like a beautiful area. That lake, as well as
Crater, has filled
many of my dreams. We just had a conference there, but I was
unable to
attend. Hope to make it in the future. I understand the water
visibility is now
136'! I thought western hemlock were not native to the Tahoe
area.
I grew up near a large glacial lake (East Grand) on the
Maine/New Brunswick
border. The shores are littered with home-size granite boulders,
and it's
clear, cold waters are full of trout and salmon. In the winter,
one can easily
listen to a conversation a mile or more away. Many a day I
ice-fished at
Whitehorse Reef and Billy & Nan Islands. It was near
Whitehorse that I once hooked
a lake trout that could not be landed. Though we battled for 1
1/2 hours, I
eventually had to yield to the more worthy fighter. Was it 30,
40 or 50
pounds? We'll never know. Some trophies, though never landed,
seem to grow larger
with time.
Randy |
|