Black locust   Thomas Diggins   Oct 01, 2003 10:26 PDT  Joe, Quick comment on your black locust example. The species is regarded as non-native through much of the Northeast, and of course was widely planted for fence rows, etc. However, it naturalizes readily, and has made its way into all sorts of areas where it was never planted. This begs the question, How much would this species have expanded its range without the help of humans? I wouldn't be surprised if there are data on the post-glacial range expansion of black locust that might suggest what would have happened absent wide-scale planting. A second interesting point. Black locust doesn't seem to be highly regarded as a timber species, yet it is virtually immortal in its resistance to rotting. I know there are more than a few suggestions that black locust could be a replacement for pressure-treated wood. I'm under the impression that the contorted growth form usually limits board length and size (sounds like a potential application of silviculture/artificial selection here). BTW, black locust is a handsome tree. Tom   The issue of whether red pine or any other species is "natural" is certainly a fuzzy one. As the climate has changed during the past few million years, many species have moved through the area- which may not by "natural", that is "native" at this time, which to me, doesn't make them "un-natural". Almost certainly, at some time in the past thousands of years, red pine was "native" to the Quabbin area, even if none were there when the pale faces showed up. .... Oh, another species disliked by the species fundies is black locust. I like black locust. I once saw some monster specimens on the Pittsfield City Watershed, which have been cut. I think they were around an old celler hole, so were planted by some old timer, probably in the nineteenth century. And, I've noticed black walnut "escaping" in south Berkshire County- I've seen in seeding in on very fertile soils and I expect that it has "gone native". The species fundies may object, but walnut is a great species- why object to them? Joseph Zorzin  RE: Black locust   Joseph Zorzin   Oct 01, 2003 10:56 PDT  I just recently saw a slide show on an acre of black locust some other forester was managing- he marked it for a thinning, another consultant who does lots of trail and foot bridge work likes the wood, so he brought in a tiny machine (something from Italy) and did the harvest. He took some of the wood and a local framer took the rest for his exotic framing work. I inquired about the economics of the project, but didn't get an answer. I sort of assume, unscientifically, that if any tree species which is native anywhere in the east, gets planted somewhere else in the east and shows some propensity to "escape", the odds are it was once there, long before farmers planted them, so it's just a return, not an invasion- a dangerous political claim by humans, but legitimate enough to me for trees. Regarding data on post glacier movement of the species, great question- just the sort of thing that Dave Foster at Hah-vid Forest should be able to answer, seeing that pollen analysis is his speciality, unfortunately, he ain't here. Now, isn't black locust in the legume family? So, I wonder if it also can add fertility to the soil, like many other legumes? Whenever I see one, I sort of think of it as a asset to the local environment- a rare gem. The bark on the older specimens is amazing, the most convoluted and corky of any bark I can think of. JZ Re: Black locust   Lee E. Frelich   Oct 01, 2003 11:15 PDT  Tom: I haven't seen any papers on migration of black locust. The problem is that it is insect pollinated, which means that very little pollen shows up in sediment, so extremely large pollen counts would have to be done, or, even more difficult, macrofossils would have to be examined to determine its rate of migration. Few sedimentary basins have the right environment to preserve a lot of macrofossils (seeds, leaves, buds, etc.), especially as compared to pollen from wind pollinated species, which is very decay resistant. Black locust is extremely shade intolerant, and a nitrogen fixer, so it can invade open disturbed areas with poor soil, and actually improve soil quality. It can't invade established forests, and it is usually replaced by more shade tolerant species within several decades. Lee Re: Black locust   Colby Rucker   Oct 01, 2003 15:04 PDT  Joe, Indeed, black locust has many positive qualities. It appears quickly on roadcuts and abandoned "waste land", where it fixes nitrogen and fosters the growth of more permanent trees, such as yellow poplar. Locally, black locust can't compete for height, seldom going over 100 feet, but the dead and fallen trunks persist and can be utilized for fence posts. I put in over 500 in the early 1970's. I cut heavier ones for post-and rail, and many are still in place, especially in the drier areas. I also cut some larger ones into fifteen foot lengths and had it sawed 4 x 4. I picked out the clearest and straightest 4 x 4's, and cut the rest in half for posts. The best pieces were amazingly strong for their size, and I used them to crosshaul logs from jobs where it wasn't worth taking a boom truck for a single tree. Also used them for supporting trees on houses, pulling engines, etc. Left elevated, but exposed to the elements, they just got harder, and were always reliable. I still have several of them. Small diameter pieces of slow growth, cut from whitened snags, make wonderful tool handles. Cut down with a hatchet and drawknife, they take a high polish, and linseed oil brings out a grain of lasting beauty and high reflectivity. Due to their straight grain, basal growth is in line with the roots. The cross-section may be like a six-leaf clover, with exposed dead wood between the roots. The Fomes fungus destroys the heartwood, so that some trees are left standing on stilts, like your fingertips on a table top. The fungus also produces large woody polypore brackets higher on the trunk, a sure sign that the inner trunk has turned to a soft sulfur-yellow material, and breakage is imminent. For BTU's, locust is only surpassed by osage orange, and will bow cast iron andirons, and burn common iron right through. The matter of natural range is interesting, but I don't subscribe to all that's said. We can see that many species of field and roadside, such as persimmon, redcedar, and black cherry, would, without agriculture, be restricted to more specialized habitat where they could compete for sunlight. Persimmon arches over marshes. Redcedar and black cherry do well on sandbars. Black locust persists on exposed bluffs along tidewater. Dry sandy ridges - impoverished soils - provide habitat for many intolerant species, including black locust. So, I see no reason why black locust wouldn't have been present at such specialized stations, and why it wouldn't have then spread to agricultural areas without introduction by man. Boundary markers in old deeds and timbers in early structures indicate the use of locust by early colonists, but I'm unsure of the dates. Lastly, we might extend our usual timelines. We speak of pre-colonization forests, the influence of Indians, warming in the last 10,000 - 12,000 years of the post-glacial period, and the movement of forest types. (Incidentally, forests can't be "pushed;" they are drawn). Shoreline erosion along the Chesapeake Bay exposed numerous baldcypress stumps five and ten miles from here. A 1917 photographs shows the stumps, some very large, in perfect condition after being buried for 100,000 years - since the previous interglacial period. And, fossils show many familiar species millions of years ago. My point is that our trees are prisoners of their genetics, perhaps changing little, and derived from unknown forests long ago in unknown times. Our trees are now making the best of their inherent capabilities, some perhaps not so tall, or so grand, or so "happy" as once in the past. We really don't know, but the black locust, on its own, appears to persist at sites which are perhaps not numerous, and certainly challenging, but possibly more widespread than claimed. Yes, for all its faults, black locust is an interesting species. Colby Re: Black locust   Thomas Diggins   Oct 01, 2003 15:05 PDT  Lee and Joe, Thanks for the posts. I hadn't thought about the insect-pollinated nature of black locust. Too bad, because there are good lake sediment pollen data for a number of other species that trace their recolonization from glacial refugia. These questions of invasion vs. recolonization are debated in terms of fishes as well. For some species, it's obvious how human activities fostered their spread, but for others it's not so clear. Sea lamprey is a good example. It definitely invaded the Upper Great Lakes via canals, but some biologists suggest it colonized Lake Ontario through a post-glacial marine intrusion. Or... maybe it was the Erie/Oswego Canal. Unfortunately, once the anthropogenic experiments of habitat alteration, disturbance, commerce, agriculture, etc., have been started, it becomes increasingly difficult to tease out their effects from those of previously (and continually) operating non-human factors. My hunch is that black locust, especially in light of its N-fixing pioneer abilities, would be a big-time range expander even in the absence of human influence. Interestingly, it behaves in Zoar Valley exactly as we would expect. It colonizes islands and gravel bars, sometimes getting quite big, yet we've only found one tree within a closed-canopy old-growth area. And that one tree is amongst bottomland sycamores and cottonwoods, and it is only about 50 feet from the river's edge. Tom Black locust - More   dbhg-@comcast.net   Oct 01, 2003 15:44 PDT  Colby: After your superb endorsement for the black locust, I may have to add it to my list of favorites. It was never far away. I delight in the fragrance of its blossoms and even find its brown seed pods rather attractive - in an odd sort of way. My quest for tall black locusts has turned up the following. Hgt State Circ 126.6 NY 7.1 117.6 NY 5.5 116.0 NY 6.2 114.2 MA 5.8 112.8 MA 5.8 112.3 MA 6.4 110.8 MA 4.0 109.0 MA 7.1 103.3 MA 4.6 100.3 MA 6.5 74.6 MA 13.0 Breaking 90 feet is relatively easy, but black locusts over 100 feet are scattered rather widely in New England. Will has broken 150 in the Smokies. I don't recall what Jess Riddle's best is. Bob black locust   Fores-@aol.com   Nov 23, 2003 18:01 PST  Bob: In all of my travels, I have not seen black locust the likes of which grow in the Dummerston and Putney, Vermont area. The general Putney area is where many western Massachusetts and southern Vermont apple growers traditionally got locust posts for the deer fences they installed around their orchards. Given the size of some of the locusts along the road sides, I can only imagine what could be back in the woods. In West Virginia, black locust can be a common pioneer species but it is disease prone and often wrecked by grape vines. It is only on rare sites where you will see locust over 20" DBH. It is not uncommon for trees to reach 80 or 90 feet but taller trees are usually only a function of competetion. I am reasonably certain that I regularly see older black locust in New England as a casual and infrequent visitor than I encounter on almost daily forays into the West Virginia woods. Russ Black locust revisited   dbhg-@comcast.net   Nov 23, 2003 18:40 PST  Russ: That's really fascinating. I'm going to head up Putney way the first chance I get and measure some locusts. Dummerston is the site of a huge colonial white pine. Maybe the general area has some special growing conditions. BTW, do people in WV use black locust for fuel and if so, what is their opinion about it? I've read that black locust is second only to osage orange in BTUs, surpassing hickory and white oak. Bob Re: black locust   dbhg-@comcast.net   Nov 23, 2003 18:41 PST  Russ: That is truly fascinating. Eastern New York is loaded with large, tall black locusts. The species seems to thrive in the latitude of southern to northen New York, which would include Putney, VT. You've really peaked my interest. The first chance I get, I'm headed for Putney. It isn't that far. BTW, the question you asked about the WV white ash in terms of its impact on the Rucker indexing process. It would be one of ten species that got averaged to comprise the index. The one you identified would make a handsome contribution to an index though. A question that comes to mind about the species is: do people in WV use black locust for fuel and if they do what do they say about its properties? I have read that from a BTU standpoint, black locust ranks second only to osage orange, outperforming hickory and white oak. Re: black locust   Fores-@aol.com   Nov 23, 2003 18:53 PST  Bob: In WV Locust is more prized for fence posts and rails than almost anything else. Small sawtimber trees 14-16" DBH are often sawn for naturally rot resistant decking lumber. Hickory is favored for firewood with localized and highly variable oak preferences. In much of the state, Osage orange is not native and quite scarce and I have never heard of anyone cutting it for firewood. Russ   Home