| Long
Branch Hemlock and Others, GSMNP |
Will
Blozan |
| Aug
12, 2005 17:54 PDT |
ENTS,
Jess Riddle and I spent three days on the Tennessee side of the
Smokies
exploring new areas and re-visiting known trees. Our primary
goal of the
trip was to climb and measure the Long Branch Hemlock, a huge
tree Jess and
his father found several years ago. The weather cooperated
beautifully and
we were accompanied by Morgan Simmons of the Knoxville News
Sentinel and
Kristine Johnson, Supervisory Forester for the Great Smoky
Mountains
National Park (GRSM).
---snip---
National Champion mountain silverbell 12.9 feet cbh X 117.4 feet
tall.
After the
climb Jess and I went upslope to remeasure and photograph the
2004 National Champion mountain silverbell. We found it in
excellent
condition (although hollow) and upon remeasuring it, found a
"new" top that
was slightly higher. Its new measurements are 12'11" X
117.4' tall, up from
a previous height of 111'.
|
| Silverbell |
Will
Blozan |
|
Nov
01, 2004 16:00 PST |
Jess,
Excellent report and nice ash! Great to know that species is a
wide spread
tall tree. What is the largest Carolina silverbell you have
seen?
...
Later, Will
|
| Re:
Silverbell |
Jess
Riddle |
| Nov
02, 2004 06:29 PST |
The silverbell on Long Branch is still easily the largest I've
seen. In
SC, one in the White Rock Scenic Area, just over the ridge from
the
Walhalla Fish Hatchery, is 7'5" x ~101'. The state champion
is listed at
7'7" x 94' and looks like an old column. I really haven't
paid much
attention to the different varieties of northern red oak. Most
of the
tall ones in SC are at the piedmont-blue ridge interface between
1250' and
1550' elevation. Two exceptions growing in more mountainous
areas are the
143.8' Laurel Fork tree at about 1900' and the 152.9' record
Whitewater
River tree also around 1900'.
Jess Riddle
|
| RE:
Silverbell |
Will
Blozan |
| Nov
02, 2004 14:26 PST |
With regard to silverbell, I was referring to the Carolina
(type), not the
mountain silverbell (var. monticola). The piedmont site had some
nice trees,
but nothing over 4' cbh (which is pretty big, actually).
Will
|
| Re:
RE: RE: Wadakoe Mountain, Attn: Jess, Colby and Lee. |
Jess
Riddle |
| Nov
03, 2004 15:31 PST |
The largest silverbells I've seen at a piedmont site are some
slightly
over 4' cbh on the banks of the Chattahoochee River within a few
miles of
downtown Atlanta.
I think all
of the silverbells I've seen in SC are var. carolina. Var.
carolina reaches the overstory much more frequently in north GA
than in
SC, and a number of sites support 6' cbh individuals. Brasstown
Bald is
the only mountain in GA with any silverbells over 7' cbh, and
has
individuals up to 8'10" cbh. However, those trees look more
like the
Smoky Mountain trees, but that could also be age or growing
condition
related. In general, Brasstown Bald forests bear a strong
resemblance to
Smoky Mountain forests growing in exposed locations.
Jess
|
| Re:
Silverbells |
Edward
Frank |
| Nov
03, 2004 17:12 PST |
Jess and Will,
What is the difference between Mountain Silverbell and Carolina
Silverbell?
They are listed as the same in my Audubon book.
Ed Frank
|
| Re:
Silverbells |
Jess
Riddle |
| Nov
03, 2004 18:48 PST |
The main differences I've observed between the varieties are in
the bark.
The mountain variety has more dark purple in the bark and more
of a scaly
structure. The bark structure differences are particularly
striking in
young trees about a foot in diameter. In such cases, the
carolina variety
has a ridge and furrow structure common among many other species
while the
mountain variety has already developed a scaly structure.
Habitat
preferences vary between the two subspecies also. Carolina is
restricted
to moist habitats, but generally avoids the richest sites.
Conversely,
the mountain variety is commonly a major component of the most
productive
sites in the smokies. I think Will has observed several
additional
differences.
Jess Riddle |
|