ENTS,



We own about 3/4 of an acre on a generally west facing hillside in
Jefferson County, Pennsylvania, near the town of Reynoldsville. The
coordinates of my house are 41 06.382N by 78 54.045W, elevation 1591. All
of the tree measurements are within a short distance of my house,
considering the property size. My goal today was to obtain enough
measurements to calculate a Rucker index for the property. The property is
on the outskirts of a small town. The hill above my house is flat topped
and wooded, with the forest rolling part way down each side. On the west
side this forest changes to private lots with individual houses. The east
side of the hill leads to abandoned fields and the local Vo-Tech school.
Several of the trees on my property of reasonable size, and there is a fair
amount of diversity, so I was off to measure a few trees.

The area is second growth forest that had been cut perhaps 80 years ago.
The canopy lies between 80 and 100 feet in height. The most common canopy
trees are red maples, with a smaller number of oaks. The shrubs in the
area include dense patches of mountain laurel and a few great rhododendron,
transplanted from nearby areas. Patches of shrub sized black cherry sprout
here and there. A few starts of sassafras still sprout, although it has
been years since any tree sized sassafras grew in the area. In the spring
the herbaceous layer includes mayapples, trillium, wintergreen, and pink
lady slippers. I remember a few yellow lady slippers from my boyhood, but
they are no longer present. Lady slippers are a native orchid. Ferns are
plentiful and include among others: maidenhair, common bracken, etc, as
well as several species of club moss.    

The largest and most impressive of the trees is a 108.75 foot high by 101"
cbh tuliptree in out lower yard. 

Tulip Tree

Black Gum

Also along the lower yard are a couple of
large white oak trees, These were doubles, but half of each died a year
ago, and two years ago respectively. The remaining halves of the doubles
are around 80" cbh and 90 feet high. I am sure there are taller red maples
in the 80 foot range, but I was not able to measure any.

Species                    height (ft)    cbh (ft)
Tuliptree                  108.75         8.42
White Oak                106.94         6.08    
Black Gum                 70.63         3.46
White Oak                  88.21         7.17
White Oak                     xx          6.71
Hemlock                    83.57         5.73
Red Maple                 68.08         7.17
Yellow Birch               73.37         4.67
Chestnut Oak             83.05         5.92
American Chestnut     30.48         0.896
E. White Pine             93.51         6.19
Hemlock                    78.28         4.29
American Beech         93.05         4.29
Cucumber Magnolia    86.80         5.83
Mountain Laurel         11.17         (7.75 inches at 1 foot)
Mountain Laurel         14.75         (7.87 inches at 1 foot)
Red Oak                   88.38         7.42
Witch Hazel               ~15           (5.25 inches breast height)
Yellow Birch              71.80         3.06

Rucker Index: 88.81


Last fall I purchased a Bushnell Yardage Pro Trophy rangefinder to satisfy
my curiosity about the height of various trees I encounter. I also wanted
to participate to a greater degree in the ENTS measuring activities. To be
fair, I am not particularly happy with the instrument. I am having trouble
getting a bounce from tree sprigs. I have used it a number of times and am
convinced the problem is with the instrument more than my technique. I am
sure I will improve with practice, butat the present time I would not
recommend this particular model of rangefinder.