Lower Huron Metro Park, Michigan    Will Blozan
  Jun 11, 2004 20:51 PDT 

Sent: Friday, June 11, 2004 10:35 PM
Subject: Michigan and the Smokies (RULE!)

Hello ENTS!

Lower Huron Metro Park, Detroit, Michigan 5-28-04

This city park, which I visited February 2003, has some fantastic riparian
forests of astonishing integrity with respect to native species. My last
visit there was brief, but enough to convince me to return. I was most
impressed by the eastern cottonwoods and burr oak. In fact, the whole intent
of my last trip was to locate a huge cottonwood I had spotted from a vantage
point along the river but was not able to access due to freezing
temperatures and time constraints. So I returned, and found the river to be
flooded and a crossing impossible. I consulted a map and was able to find a
way into the park via private property. As discreet as possible, I parked
and entered the park. I was immediately assaulted by hungry mosquitoes and
acres of poison ivy, while nearly choking on the cottonwood fluff floating
about like snow. Piles and piles of the fluff were winnowed along the roads
and any surface the wind could not dislodge it from.

The riparian forest was extremely impressive and very rich in herbs and tree
diversity. The ground was literally wall-to-wall Asarum ginger and the
understory nearly pure bladdernut in full bloom. Nearly every riparian tree
species I could think of was represented, and the forest appeared to be
80-100 years old. I was pleased to see burr oak as forest-grown specimens,
and they reached nearly 120'. The cottonwoods were the largest trees, with
one giant reaching 20'7" and 120.2 feet tall. Nearly every cottonwood was
over 120' tall, and a few reached the upper 120's and one over 130'
(previous trip). The other hardwoods were of slightly less height and girth,
but the canopy on the average was nearly 120' which is not too bad for that
far north. I was able to measure enough species for a preliminary Rucker
Index of 115.65, which I don't expect to increase by very much. The giant
cottonwood I saw from a distance last trip was two 14 footers growing side
by side.Arggh.

Well, here are the numbers:


Cottonwood (131.2' previous)

20'7"     X          120.2'

9'          X          107.6'

14'3"     X          121.5'

10'3"     X          128'



Hophornbeam

3'4"       X          61.1'



Bitternut

7'6"       X          102.1'



Kentucky coffeetree

6'          X          93.8'



Burr oak

12'5"     X          102.5'

9'4"       X          107.1'

11'11"   X          117'

12'9"     X          105'



Red elm

9'1"       X          114'



Sycamore

10'10"   X          123.9'

12'9"     X          122'



Green ash (dead)

11'11"   X          `110'



Silver maple

10'        X          110.2'



Black walnut

5'2"       X          113.6'

7'10"     X          104.8'



Hackberry

8'1"       X          105.5'

11'7"     X          90.9'



Tuliptree

8'8"       X          120.5'



Northern red oak

8'8"       X          118.5'



Bladdernut

9.3"       X          32.9'



On a sad note, EVERY single ash tree was dead or 90+% defoliated from the
emerald ash borer, thus I did not include them in the Rucker Index. For some
reason, I did not measure any this trip, and I cannot find my notes from
last trip at the moment.


Will Blozan w/ Jess Riddle