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TOPIC: Good news today and very very very bad NEWS!
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/24a24bb9de0ffd93?hl=en
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== 1 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 14 2008 6:52 am
From: Marcas Houtchings aka jeeping31
Today the congaree National Park got a little bit bigger!! THATS the
good news http://www.thestate.com/local/story/374290.html
Now the very very very SAD news is Middleton place live oak tree.
Last week, the two limbs the size of ordinary trees themselves
crashed
to the ground, where they remain, covered in a gray pall of Spanish
moss. The tree lost about a quarter of its mass.
http://www.thestate.com/154/story/375170.html
== 2 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 14 2008 8:44 am
From: "Edward Frank"
Marcas,
Great to hear from you! You haven't posted in quite awhile. I am
glad that Congaree is continuing to pursue the aquisition of the
entire corridor on the bank of the Congaree River. Completion of the
corridor will provide some better protection for thr wildlife and
ecosystem within the park.
Ents, sad news about the Middleton Oak. If the limbs need to be
removed, and from the photos they need to be removed, this could
provide a unique opportunity to collect valuable information on the
species. First a ring count could be taken of one of the two or both
of the fallen limbs. Tey are low limbs and would give a better
approximation of the age of the tree. Is there enough goodwill from
the volume measurement of the tree to contact them and make
enquireys about that possibility. Second, if aqfter the leaves drop
off the fallen limbs, and they are removed, perhaps the material
removed could be weighed, to get a feel for what percentage of the
volume of wood was above and below the 2 inch cut-off boundary for
volume/mapping purposes. There would need to be some educated
guesses made on density, but it would be something that could be
played with. Third, if the limbs are to be removed, a section of the
epiphytic cover could be peeled off the limb like it was a mat and
could be looked at by experts in epiphytic growth. Now if we only
knew someone with experience in epiphytes. Perhaps from the ground a
quick estimate could be made of the amount (area or volume) of
epiphytic cover present on the downed limbs. I wish ENTS had the
resources to pursue opportunities like these.
Ed Frank
== 3 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 14 2008 8:59 am
From: James Parton
Marcas,
Hopefully some of the " Middleton Oak " team will read
this and be
able to make it to the oak in time. Unfortunantly it is just ahead
of
the ENTS gathering in Black Mountain NC. Regardless, the Middleton
Oak
is a magnificent tree. Minus a few limbs or not it is on my "
must see
" list. Any oak bigger than the John's Island Angel Oak is
gotta be
something!
Hooray for Congaree! I plan to visit there this year also.
James P.
== 4 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 14 2008 10:46 am
From: "Will Blozan"
Ed,
Yes, my thought exactly. They MUST save a wood cookie and dispel the
ridiculous claim of 1,000 years old.
Will
== 5 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 14 2008 11:56 am
From: DON BERTOLETTE
Ed-
It's been awhile, but text books from my wood science class had
species-specific 'specific densities' that were pretty dependable
for volume/weight/mass calculations. Those text books have
coincidentally recently arrived with a shipment of our belongings
from Arizona...the bad news is, they're amidst 6000 pounds of other
items and may (no, will!) take awhile to get to.
The point is though, those figures and measures of percent
moisture will yield anticipated specific densities, BTUs, and a host
of other factoids. I'll see if I can root around the net and find
something more current!
-Don
== 6 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 14 2008 12:54 pm
From: Larry
Marcus, ENTS,
To bad about the Middleton Oak it looked like such a Magnificient
tree. I hope we do get a sample for aging purposes. I have 5
examples
of Live Oak growth rates from different trees and locations. How far
is the Middleton Oak from our get together? Maybe I could swing by
and
get a sample! As far as age more like 300-400 years. Larry
== 7 of 7 ==
Date: Mon, Apr 14 2008 9:07 pm
From: "Edward Frank"
Will,
You should write to the people at Middleton Place, as the President
of the Eastern Native Tree Society, and organizer of the Middleton
Live Oak/ Sag Branch Tuliptree structure mapping and Volume
measurement project, and encourage them to save a cookie for each of
the broken limbs.
1.. The cross-section or "Cookie" would be an excellent
display at their facilities.
2.. A complete pristine cross-section would not be needed to do a
ring count, just a section or chunk that included the span from the
outer edge to the central pith of the branch.
3.. A section or complete sample from each branch would allow
cross-dating between the branches.
4.. They could claim to have the oldest dendrochronologically dated
Live Oak tree that has been documented.. Other claimants could then
be dismissed as pretenders with unfounded and exaggerated age
claims.
5.. The age of the tree would likely be no more than twenty
to-thirty years older than the date of the branch - stick in your
own number here, as I have not seen the tree.
6.. The tree may be 1000 years old, but tell them to be prepared
because a more likely age range would be nearer to 600 years, but
still it would be the oldest documented Live Oak in existence, if
the rings could be counted.
7.. Point out this would be an opportunity for them to make a unique
contribution to science, as it is not every day that there is a
chance to age date a tree of this great size.
8.. Point out that there are a number of members of the ENTS
organization who are dendrochronologists and might be interested in
doing the ring count for them.
Give the letter a shot Will. You can refer them to the updated
report on the ENTS website talking about the Middleton Oak Project: http://www.nativetreesociety.org/projects/middleton/middletonproj.htm
It is not very often that a chance like this comes around.
Ed Frank
== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Tues, Apr 15 2008 6:01 am
From: Kouta Räsänen
ENTS,
I have a stupid question: When you write "Live Oak"
without specifying
"Xxxx Live Oak", do you mean Quercus virginiana or what?
Can any other
Oak species in eastern North America compete with it in size?
Thanks!
Kouta Räsänen
== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Tues, Apr 15 2008 7:08 am
From: "Edward Frank"
Hello,
We are talking about Quercus virginiana when we say Live Oak. They
are the largest of our oak species, many with vey large girths, but
they tend not to get exceptionally tall. Other species do get large,
but not not as big as the Live Oaks. Larry Tucei is documenting
large live oaks in the southern US. His cut-off for making the list
is a girth of twenty feet, or just over 6 meters. He has 71
specimens documented so far, looking sporadically in his free time
over the past couple years, and likely will have several hundred in
that size range. It is uncommon for other oaks to reach these
girths, although they may be taller.
Ed Frank
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Update on the Middleton Oak
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/b7bb9b966354e43d?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Wed, Apr 23 2008 10:20 am
From: "Edward Frank"
ENTS,
I wanted to post an update on the status of the Middleton Live Oak
at Middleton Place in South Carolina. As you know two of the massive
limbs on the oak broke off on April 9th essentially resulting in the
loss of about 1/3 of the tree mass. Robert Behre has been doing a
series of newspaper articles for the post and Courier in Charleston,
SC The latest article is at: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/19/middleton_oak_needs_pruning_live37890/
A new article will be coming out in the next day or so providing a
new update. I was interviewed for the article and hope I do not come
off sounding like an idiot. I think it is critically important that
with this sad thing happening to the magnificent oak, that we take
this rare opportunity to collect the information we can from the
downed branches.
I sent an email to Sidney Frazier at Middleton Place encouraging
them to save a cookie from each of the broken limbs for ring
counting and other analysis as there is virtually no data on the
actual ages of Live oaks (Quercus virginiana). I also posted to the
ITRDB Forum looking for support for the quest to have the cookies
saved. It is a non destructive process to count the rings and a
display of the cross-sections at Middleton Place when the count was
done would be a fantastic one to see - certainly one of the most
impressive in the east. In reply to the post to the Tree Ring Forum
Henri Grissino-Mayer from the University of Tennessee Knoxville
offered to process the sample if collected. he runs the Ultimate
Tree Ring Website http://web.utk.edu/~grissino/ and is prominent
member of the dendrochronology community. He wrote in part:
"I've got two complete sections from live oak from Ft. Sumter
in South Carolina but they only date back to about 1860 or so
(hence, their interest). The rings are quite large and eccentric in
shape. Let me know what you can obtain and I'll be glad to process
these at my lab: sanding, measuring, and hopefully crossdating,
although ring counting is most likely. Complete 7 foot diameter
cross sections can be obtained carefully by well-trained sawyers and
these sections would make perhaps the most outstanding displays of
tree sections in the eastern U.S."
Live oak is extremely hard and has destroyed many borers. Henri
commented:
"Basically, it's impossible to core live oak -- you can only
get about 2 inches into the tree before the borer no longer will
turn or the borer breaks -- live oak wood is acknowledged as one of
the densest of the oaks worldwide. The very first borer I ever broke
was my own personal one purchased when I was a poor graduate student
at Georgia. In 1986, I tried coring a live oak on Cumberland Island
in southern Georgia and broke the borer off after only 2 inches.
Essentially, all age estimates are wild guesses -- no one has ever
cored a live oak. Also, the rings are most visible when the wood is
completely cured, which took a long long time in my lab, drying at
air temperature. My general impression of live oak is that the
oldest trees are more in the neighborhood of 300-400 years, if they
live that long without being heavily damaged by hurricane strikes.
The sections we have are from two trees that were killed in 1989...
A 4-foot bar with a very sharp (new) carbide-tipped saw chain should
do the trick. A good arborist or tree surgeon should have these.
Here at UT, we sectioned the original sections (they were huge when
we got them) using a chain saw mill using a 6-foot bar with
carbide-tipped chain over at the Forestry Department."
I also sent out some letters to four biology and forestry
departments at major universities in South Carolina to see if any
would be interested in collecting and documenting the epiphytes
growing on the downed limbs. There has been little work done on
epiphytes in the east compared to that done by Dr. Van Pelt in the
west. I received a response from John Nelson, Curator of the USC
Herbarium:
"As the curator of the USC Herbarium, let me just quickly say
that I would be very interested in collections of epiphytes from the
Middleton Oak ASAP, but of course I don't know exactly what ASAP
means...and I have to get out of the office right now. Our strengths
could be in assisting your project overall by providing such
vouchered collections of bryophytes, lichens, and presumably
vascular plants that would be involved in the inventory.
Identification of bryophytes and lichens would need to take place at
another institution; we can take care of any vasculars here. But as
long as proper collections are made, the identifications can be
applied somewhat more leisurely..."
The problem still is that I do not have anyone to do the actual
collection at this time. So I am still looking on that front. If any
of you have any suggestion of who may be able to do the collection,
measuring, and mapping of the specimens, please send me their email
or buttonhole them yourself to take up the task.
I spoke with Mr. Frazier, Middleton's vice president of
horticulture, on the phone today. he indicated that all of the wood
is going to kept at Middleton until they figure out what to do with
it. I encouraged him to save a cross-section of each of the limbs,
and I also mentioned collecting the epiphytes. He said in response
to the epiphytes that it would not be a problem, just let him know
when they would be coming. The response on the cross-section was
more ambivalent, but he ask that I forward all relevant
correspondence to him directly.
The consulting team from Bartlett Tree Research Laboratories
included Thomas Smiley and certified arborists Mike Dunkerley and
Patrick Franklin. Among the recommendations made were new treatments
to repel boring insects attracted to the tree's wounds, inspecting
and removing other decayed branches on a timely basis, removing all
Spanish moss, replacing the tree's vertical cables, installing props
under other low branches, and restricting access under the tree.
Middleton officials will decide in coming weeks about the timetable
for pursuing each of the 12 different recommendations. The removal
of the Spanish moss is a really ridiculous idea that I hope the
squelch in the final decision. It would ruin the character of the
tree completely and would serve little benefit. (Material reported
by Robert Behre).
The letter regarding the cookie to Mr. Frazier:
My name is Edward Frank. I am with the Eastern Native Tree Society.
We are the group that came to Middleton Place in 2004 to measure the
volume of the massive Middleton Oak Tree. http://www.nativetreesociety.org/projects/middleton/middletonproj.htm
It is a shame about the loss of limbs from the tree. Dr. Robert Van
Pelt and I were discussing Saturday that this amounted to about 1/3
of the total volume of the entire tree. I am wondering about the
broken limbs. Have they been removed from the tree and site? This is
a rare opportunity to learn something from the catastrophic loss. I
would encourage you in the strongest terms to save cross-sections
from each of the broken limbs when removed, or if they have already
been removed to contact the arbor company to see if cross-sections
could still be obtained.
1.. The cross-section or "Cookie" would be an excellent
display at your facilities.
2.. A complete pristine cross-section would not be needed to do a
ring count, just a section or chunk that included the span from the
outer edge to the central pith of the branch.
3.. A section or complete sample from each branch would allow
cross-dating between the branches.
4.. Middleton Place could claim to have the oldest
dendrochronologically dated Live Oak tree that has been documented..
Other claimants could then be dismissed as pretenders with unfounded
and exaggerated age claims.
5.. The true age of the tree would likely be no more than twenty
to-thirty years older than the date of the branch, the time it took
for the tree to reach that height and put out the limb in question.
(A more conservative guess would be in the 10 to 15 year range).
6.. The tree may be 900 to 1000 years old, but you should be
prepared because a more likely age range would be nearer to 500 to
600 years, but still it would be the oldest documented Live Oak in
existence, if the rings could be counted.
7.. This would be an opportunity to make a rare and invaluable
contribution to science, as it is not every day that there is a
chance to age date a tree of this great size.
8.. There are a number of members of the ENTS organization who are
dendrochronologists and might be interested in doing the ring count.
Otherwise, I am sure any of a number of dendrochronology
laboratories associated with universities across the country would
jump at the chance to examine the tree "cookie."
9.. The cross section could also provide climatological data for the
entire length of its history, and add greatly to the knowledge of
the region, as there is basically no long term data for the region.
This is an important chance that should not be lost. I would have
contacted you previously, but the information about the limb
breakage was slow to reach me. Please contact me about the the limb
cross-sections and about the status of the health of the tree in
general. It would also have been great to do an assessment of the
epiphytes present on the downed limbs.
My letter to the Tree Ring Forum (without the copy of the letter to
Mr. Frazier):
Forumites,
On April 9, 2008 two of the massive limbs on the Middleton Live Oak
(Quercus virginiana) broke from the tree. The Middleton Oak was the
largest Live Oak known to exist with a measured volume of 4,830
cubic feet, excluding limbs smaller than 2 inches. http://www.nativetreesociety.org/projects/middleton/middletonproj.htm
(A full 3-D model of the tree prior to the breakage has been compile
but not yet published by Dr. Robert Van Pelt.) There always have
been claims (exaggerated) of great age for these trees. Their
website suggest the tree is 900 years old. Claims for other Live
Oaks are upward of 1500 years plus. In any case the largest limb
that broke off is 7 feet in diameter, appears to be solid, and was
growing only a short distance above the ground. I am strongly
encouraging them to save a cross section from each of the broken
limbs for display and for age dating. I would like to ask that
people on the forum also add their voices to the call to preserve a
cookie from these limbs. The person in charge is Sidney Frazier, and
can emailed at: info@middletonplace.org (I have his cell phone
also.)
A recent article in the local paper tells more about the current
status of the tree:
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/19/middleton_oak_needs_pruning_live37890/
Mr. Robert Behr, a writer for the Post and Courier paper says in his
article:
The Middleton Oak, which was one of the nation's largest oaks until
two of its larger branches snapped earlier this month, needs to get
smaller to survive. That's the recommendation of Middleton Place's
consultants, who say that two of its surviving limbs and all of its
Spanish moss should be removed. The consulting team from Bartlett
Tree Research Laboratories included Thomas Smiley and certified
arborists Mike Dunkerley and Patrick Franklin. Their job was to
evaluate the failures and advise how to save what remains of the
tree. Middleton received their report Friday. The team also
determined the two breaks were related, even though the first branch
broke around 2 p.m. April 9, several hours before the second, said
Sidney Frazier, Middleton's vice president of horticulture. The
first branch failed because of excessive decay near where the branch
met the trunk; wind wasn't a factor. The second failed because of
the first. "You kind of got a domino effect," Frazier
said. "The first branch caused some problems for the second
one, even though the cable snapped when it came down, it caused
excess stress on the second." The tree still looks much like it
did the afternoon of April 10, with its branches still lying across
a path and the tree area cordoned off by yellow caution tape.
Frazier said workers might begin clearing the branches in a few
weeks. The consultants said if the two branches now supported by
telephone poles are kept, these temporary props should be replaced
with three to four permanent ones. The consultants also recommend
new treatments to repel boring insects attracted to the tree's
wounds, inspecting and removing other decayed branches on a timely
basis, removing all Spanish moss, replacing the tree's vertical
cables, installing props under other low branches, and restricting
access under the tree. Frazier said Middleton officials will decide
in coming weeks about the timetable for pursuing each of the 12
different recommendations. "The most important thing is to
ensure the health of the tree, of what remains," he said.
"That's what we're really concentrating on. Everything we do
will be focused on that."
Reach Robert Behre at rbehre@postandcourier.com
or 937-5771.
The initial report in the paper:
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/11/great_middleton_oak_peril36875/
This is the letter I sent to various University Departments
concerning the epiphytes:
Dear Dr. Lovell
My name is Edward Frank and I am with the Eastern Native Tree
Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org I am sure you are aware of
the recent breakage of two major limbs on the Middleton Live Oak at
Middleton Place there in South Carolina. On April 9, 2008 two of the
massive limbs on the Middleton Live Oak (Quercus virginiana) broke
from the tree. The Middleton Oak was the largest Live Oak known to
exist with a measured volume of 4,830 cubic feet, excluding limbs
smaller than 2 inches. http://www.nativetreesociety.org/projects/middleton/middletonproj.htm
(A full 3-D model of the tree prior to the breakage has been compile
but not yet published by Dr. Robert Van Pelt.) Part of the initial
plan when we modeled the volume of the tree was to access the amount
of epiphytes in the canopy of the tree. Dr. Van Pelt has reported in
some of the western rain forests of Washington State that in some
trees there may be almost three times more weight of epiphytes than
there are weight of leaves in some trees. Unfortunately because of
limited time available, and because of the complexity of the tree
the mapping of the epiphytes in the Middleton oak could not be
pursued.
The process consists of sampling select sections of the epiphytic
cover, then identifying and weighing all of the components. The
amount of and type of epiphytic cover in each sample is defined on
what is basically a five point scale representing the pattern of
coverage. Then with each of the limbs mapped, and the pattern of
coverage documented fro each limb segment, the information on the
pattern of epiphytic is combined with the detailed information from
the sampling and sub-sampling to calculate the mass and distribution
of epiphytic cover in the canopy.
With two of the limbs on the ground there is an opportunity to do a
complete sampling of all of the epiphytic cover on both of these
limbs without affecting the overall ecology of the tree as a whole.
I am looking for/ encouraging someone to undertake a detailed
sampling of the epiphytic growths on these downed limbs before they
are removed. There is little good data available for eastern forests
describing epiphytic growth on the scale or detail that is available
for western forests. Someone has a unique chance to work on this
with limbs from the Middleton Oak, but only if the chance is taken
quickly before the limbs are removed. If data is collected on
coverage patterns, then the epiphytic growth in the entire tree
canopy could be collected in a more deliberate pace. Dr. Van Pelt,
research faulty at Humboldt State University, is one of the worlds
foremost experts in big trees and big tree canopy. He is a member of
our ENTS organization, but living on the west coast is unable to
pursue the sampling of the Middleton Oak at this time. We discussed
the Middleton oak in detail at an organizational meeting last
weekend.
I want to recruit someone from your faculty to take this opportunity
to characterize and sample the epiphytic growth on these downed
limbs and to undertake the characterization of documenting the
epiphytes on the tree as a whole. There are time constraints
involved, so I am contacting other Universities in the region as
well. At the present time I do not have permission for the sampling
to be done by Middleton Place, but I do not believe that would be a
problem as they have been happy to work with our group before and I
expect would be glad to work with people from the University of
South Carolina. The person in charge of the tree at Middleton Place
is is Sidney Frazier, and can emailed at: info@middletonplace.org
His cell phone is xxx
A recent article in the local paper by Robert Behre tells more about
the current status of the tree: http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/19/middleton_oak_needs_pruning_live37890/
The initial report in the paper: Robert Behre
http://www.charleston.net/news/2008/apr/11/great_middleton_oak_peril36875/
In the article Bartlett Tree Research suggested the removal of all
of the Spanish Moss on the remaining tree, which I think would be a
terrible idea. But that is another potential roadblock in collecting
the information.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Update on the Middleton Oak
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/b7bb9b966354e43d?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Apr 24 2008 4:48 am
From: Ren
Edward,
What is the size saw you need to cross-section the limbs? I have a
Stihl 090 that can handle up to a 10' bar easily. I think I may
still
have a 54" or maybe even a 72" bar and chain for it still
in my
warehouse. If not one can be obtained from Bailey's. I'd be glad to
assist in the collection of cookies. Probably a new bar as my bars
have seen a lot of cutting over the years. (Veneer trees and big
stump
removals after storms), Ren
== 2 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Apr 24 2008 6:56 am
From: "Edward Frank"
Ren,
The base of the largest limb was reported at 7 feet diameter. The
other was smaller. Henri-Grissino-Mayer suggested that by cutting
around a 4 foot bar would be enough, but bigger is likely better. I
don't have permission to collect the cookie yet, they are still
thinking about what to do, but I anticipate we will be allowed to
collect them. The wood is very hard and it was suggested a carbide
tipped chain was needed. I will let you know. Thanks.
Ed
== 3 of 3 ==
Date: Thurs, Apr 24 2008 7:47 am
From: JamesRobertSmith
Thanks for the links, Ed!
The amazing thing about some trees is their longevity. The sad thing
is that they're not immortal. People just think of them that way
because certain ones have always been there, it seemed to them. It's
always heartbreaking to see landmark trees succumb to disease and
stress.
==============================================================================
TOPIC: Update on the Middleton Oak
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/browse_thread/thread/b7bb9b966354e43d?hl=en
==============================================================================
== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Sat, Apr 26 2008 12:56 am
From: "Edward Frank"
ENTS - Middleton Oak Update
I wanted to tell you what is or isn't going on with respect to the
Middleton Oak. As you may recall I spoke with Mr. Frazier,
Middleton's vice president of horticulture, on the phone Wednesday.
He indicated that all of the wood is going to kept at Middleton
until they figure out what to do with it. I encouraged him to save a
cross-section of each of the limbs, and I also mentioned collecting
the epiphytes. He said in response to the epiphytes that it would
not be a problem, just let him know when they would be coming. The
response on the cross-section was more ambivalent, but he ask that I
forward all relevant correspondence to him directly. Henri Grissino-Mayer
from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville who has volunteered to
process and count the tree cookie if it is collected. Another ENTS
member has even offered to help cut it, if Bartlett Research for
some reason would not be able to do so, I am optimistic that they
will collect or allow a cookie to be collected from the branches.
The problem I have is that I also wan to have someone collect
samples of the massive amounts of epiphytes growing in the downed
limbs. This could be done without affecting the "ecology"
of the living tree as the limbs are downed anyway and will be
chopped and removed from their location. I have contacted everyone I
know in SC, not many people, and the biology/forestry departments at
Clemson, USC, and College of Charleston about collecting the
samples. But I have nobody willing or able to collect the samples.
So at this point, the collection of the epiphytes looks like a bust.
I would even be willing to spend some money to pay someone for their
expenses and time up to a $100 or so from my "just above
minimum wage" salary to just have the collecting done.
I have been trying to figure out what information could be usefully
gathered from the epiphytes on the downed branches. Basically this
information would fall into two categories. The first category would
be a calculation of the total weight of epiphytes growing on the
downed limb. And since there are generally only two species of note
making up the bulk of the epiphytes, what is their relative
abundance in terms of mass of the two species. The second category
of data would be to collect samples of all of the different species
of plants found to be growing on the limb, including vascular
plants, mosses, bryophytes, lichens, club mosses - whatever was
there and make notes on the location of the plants along the limb.
An estimate of the relative abundance or areas covered by these
species might be beyond the scope of a basic investigation. Robert
Nelson wrote: "As the curator of the USC Herbarium, let me just
quickly say that I would be very interested in collections of
epiphytes from the Middleton Oak ASAP, but of course I don't know
exactly what ASAP means...and I have to get out of the office right
now. Our strengths could be in assisting your project overall by
providing such vouchered collections of bryophytes, lichens, and
presumably vascular plants that would be involved in the inventory.
Identification of bryophytes and lichens would need to take place at
another institution; we can take care of any vasculars here. But as
long as proper collections are made, the identifications can be
applied somewhat more leisurely..." So I have someone who can
do thesome of the processing of the epiphyte samples if they are
collected.
Even if this opportunity is lost, and I am still hoping someone will
step forward and offer to do the field sampling, I want to offer a
sampling strategy in case we have this chance again in the future.
Weight of Epiphytes and Relative Weight of Significant Species
The epiphytic systems in the eastern United States consist of far
few numbers of species and lesser complexity overall than those
being mapped by Dr. Van Pelt in the Western US and in tropics. This
is likely directly related to the amount of rainfall available to
support these systems, as the availability of water is a limiting
factor in their growth. On the downed limb I would propose running a
tape line from the inner end of the limb to the tip of the main
branch. Initially a sample 18 inches and width of all the epiphytes
present at the but end (inner) of the limb would be collected. These
could be cut off using either a sharp knife or a saw - am not sure
what would work best and would take a variety along to see what
works best. This would be akin to collecting a strip of sod from the
ground for transplanting One variable to be noted is the different
growth on top of the limb versus the side and bottom of the limb.
The branch cross-section could be thought of as having 4 quarters -
the (top quarter 1030-130, side 130-430 & 730-1030, or bottom
430 -730. The samples from each quarter could be bagged separately
in large trash bags and labeled. From the upper surface a small
garden trowel should be used to remove any of the soil accumulations
under the mat. This could be put in the bag with the upper plants
swatch or bagged separately as appropriate. Similar swatches around
the entire limb would be taken every five to ten feet along the
length of the limb. At each location the thickness of the epiphytic
cover would be measured at various points along the cut to determine
the thickness of the cover. One at midnight, 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 and
at points other deemed appropriate by the collector. Since this is a
fallen limb, samples for the bottom of the limb and the thickness of
cover will not be able to be obtained from the portion sitting on
the ground. At each sample point a digital photo or series of
digital photos should be taken to document the collection site. A
3x5 index card should be included in each photo keyed with the
sample location information that is also included in the samples in
the trash bags. I would start by collecting the samples across the
top of the limb first, then go back and collect the samples from
each side from the ground. At each location the diameter of the limb
would need to be noted. From the ground the vertical diameter would
be the height from the ground to a level ine across the top of the
stripped limb. In areas where the limb was off the ground the same
procedure could be used correcting for the distance the base is off
the ground. This would provide a consistent vertical diameter of the
limb regardless of limb asymmetry. These samples could be processed
on location. The amount of material in each bag would be weighed and
then the total weight of the epiphytes in a particular band would be
determined. Then using a big blue plastic tarp the samples in each
bag could be separated. There are two main species here polypody
fern and Spanish moss. The samples would be separated into piles of
each of these species and weighed. Other species is present could be
weighed also if they consisted of more than a token amount of the
epiphytic mass. After each of the species were weighed for that bag,
the soil and humic material left on the mat should also be weighed.
There is no need to collect every plant removed to be sent to the
herbarium. A few samples of polypody ferns could be collected, some
samples of Spanish moss as well, the rest can be disposed of. Any
other species found in the samples should be bagged in smaller bags,
gallon or quart sized zip locks, labeled as to the location they
were found and sent off for identification. Again a good selection
of specimens of each type should be collected, but there is no need
to overwhelm them with large amounts of duplicate specimens. I would
not anticipate that every branch would need to be sampled to get a
good approximation of total epiphyte weight, so long as there is
enough representative sampling done to make a reasonable assessment.
Equipment needed for this project: 30 gallon trash bags - 50 or so
at least to collect bulk samples, knives or saws to cut specimens
from branches, garden trowel to collect soil and humic material atop
the limbs, tape to note position along limb, tape measure to measure
thickness of epiphytic cover, 3xs5 index cards and marker to mark
location information, digital camera for photographic documentation,
tarp for in field processing of samples, notebook to compile data,
clinometer would be useful to determine when level with top of limb,
smaller gallon and quart ziplock bags for individual samples of
specimens to be sent off for identification.
Identification of Species Present and Their Branch Position
This is straight forward. The branch would be examined for examples
of other species of plants aside from the polypody fern and Spanish
Moss. When found each of these plants would be photographed before
being removed, with a card noting its location. Location would be
distance from base of the limb, and position on the circumference of
the limb - top, side bottom, etc. If it is an epiphytic lichen
growing on the bark, then the specimen would be removed bark and
all. Each different specimen collected would be bagged and have a
location card included in the bag. If there is any doubt about
whether a specimen is a different species, it should be collected.
Multiple specimens of each species is encouraged to be collected.
Relative Abundance
This is the most difficult and subjective aspect of the process, and
should be left for last if there is time for it. In the west Dr. Van
elt has been using a five point scale to characterize the degree of
coverage of the epiphytes. I am not sure that scale would be
directly applicable to the situation with the Live Oaks, and I do
not have the details anyway, Consider this scale: 0 would be no
epiphytes, 1 would be lightly covered on the bottom, 5 would mean
the branch would be fully engulfed by epiphytes the entire way
around. The numbers in between, and characteristics of each would
need to be decided upon based upon what was seen in the intact
branches and the downed limbs at this location. The goal would be
use this so that if we know the girth of a limb, and by using this
scale indicating the degree and thickness of epiphytic cover, we
should be able to approximate the volume and weigh of the epiphytes
in any give limb segment. The other thing that would be difficult,
but worth the time to try would be to estimate the relative
percentage covered by the miscellaneous mosses and lichens, by type,
where they are not overwhelmed by the thick fern and Spanish moss
growth.
HELP! HELP!
So if any of you can do this sampling, or can quickly find a friend,
colleague, or someone else willing to do it, contact me immediately
and I will make arrangements with Middleton Place, or they can
contact Mr. Frazier directly. I can give you his cell and email.
Ed Frank
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