Arkansas: A 135' shortleaf pine--almost   Don Bragg
  Apr 26, 2005 05:31 PDT 

I finally had a little bit of time and the opportunity to remeasure the height of the Arkansas state champion shortleaf pine (we call it the "Walsh Pine" in honor of a deceased forestry tech from our unit). Previously, using a clinometer and the traditional tangent method, we had measured its height as 142'. This trip we had our Impulse 200LR and used the ENTS sine method, and determined the tree really had a height of 134.8 feet. I am much more confident in the ENTS sine technique, given the lean of this pine. So we now definitively have from the Levi Wilcoxon Demonstration Forest:

shortleaf pine    9.3 feet CBH    134.8 feet tall

I only had enough time to measure one other tree, a loblolly pine (diameter unknown) across the highway that was 120.7 feet use the sine method (we also shot its height with the tangent method, and came up with 127.9 feet). I look forward to getting more measurements and enough species to tally a Rucker10 index. I suspect both loblolly and shortleaf pine will exceed 140 feet at this site when all is said and done, as there are many more individuals in a better section of the forest that haven't been measured yet.

Don

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Don C. Bragg, Ph.D.
Research Forester
USDA Forest Service
Southern Research Station
RE: A 135' shortleaf pine--almost    Don Bragg
   Apr 26, 2005 12:18 PDT 

The biggest trees in Arkansas are probably in the eastern and southern parts of the state, especially in the bottomland areas. I have heard of some impressive trees in a few remnant parcels of old-growth bottomland hardwoods (e.g., Sugarberry Natural Area in the White River National Wildlife Refuge). So little old-growth (or mature timber) remains in large parts of the state as to make it difficult to find very big individuals, although they are out there. I know of a handful of spots for next year's rendezvous that should provide a good sample, however.

Don Bragg
  Robert Leverett  wrote:

Don:

  Congratulations! It is great to finally have someone in Arkansas to
pick up that region of the eastern forest domain. We look forward to
future reports and to the ENTS rendezvous there next spring.

  BTW, do you have a good feel for what parts of Arkansas might produce
the most exceptional trees and of what species? Arkansas has been a
black hole for us. We've simply not known what to expect. What kind of
rainfall distribution does Arkansas have?

Cheers,

Bob