ENTS,
So many grand tulip trees in the northeast (and probably
elsewhere). I
know that this is an early succession species and that it is a
relatively fast grower (would you compare it to the growth rate
of an
eastern white pine?), but it couldn't have germinated in all
those
places on its own could it? Seems that it would be a great tree
to
plant for reforestation of parks/non-timber land, so it would
have
been actively planted as well. And from what I've observed, once
they
are established they seem to propagate pretty well.
Jenny
Will Fell (July 12, 2009) wrote:
Jenny
I really couldn't speak in comparison with the E. White Pine,
but
Yellow Poplar is a relatively fast growing hardwood. I would
compare
it's growth rate down here in SE GA favorably with Loblolly
Pine. The
difference being, at least here in the south, that Yellow Poplar
is
very site specific (as many hardwoods are). Yet that site varies
by
region. Up in the mountains and upper piedmont of GA the tree is
found
generally in rich northfacing coves. Down in south GA it is
found in
what we refer to as poplarheads. These are springheads that are
generally wet year round, but not at the bottom of the drainage
where
water stands. Not sure how to describe it if you are not
familiar with
the term springhead other than to say they grow on a slight
slope at
the head of branches, where the water doesn't puddle yet you are
going
to get your tennis shoes muddy walking through it. Generally the
soils
are a little better in these poplarheads than in areas of deep
sandier
soils where the same hydrological regime would result in highly
acidic
bayheads where Bay trees would replace the poplars.
As for their reproduction, poplars fill a niche where other
trees
don't thrive. The other thing about poplar trees is they are
prolific
seeders. If you select cut poplar, red maple or tupelo will
dominate,
but if you clearcut and the seeds get some light, because the
seeds
will remain viable for many years in the duff, poplar
reproduction
will predominate. As they are a relatively valuable hardwood
timber
tree down here (peeler logs) we recommend clearcutting or patch
cutting if it is a good poplar site and there are even just few
poplar
trees around you will be rewarded with good poplar regeneration.
Another problem with select cutting, besides the risk of high
grading,
is that the boggy sites they thrive on will generally be damaged
by
the equipment and result in disease and degrade on the remaining
poplar trees. I would suspect this would not be as much an issue
in
the mountains or piedmont.
Bob Leverett (July 13, 2009) wrote:
Jenny,
With respect to your question
about tulip trees (also called tuliptree , tulip poplar ,
yellow poplar, and canoe wood ) compared to white pines, I'll
present some insights based on general observations and a heck
of a lot of tree measurements. I'll leave a more precise
explanation of the growth requirements to silviculturists and
foresters who have experience with the species, except to say
that pines do best in silt-sandy soils and tuliptrees do best in
rich soils. So they don't always inhabit the same locations,
although many sites in the Northeast might have both, with one
better suited to a particular site.
In terms of rapid growth, they are good
competitors. The white pine is our tallest native eastern tree
species and the tulip poplar is our second, i.e. t hey aren't
just fast growers, but reach greater absolute heights than any
other eastern species. Both species have been measured to over
180 feet (ENTS measurements) in the East. Our tallest white
pine, the Boogerman Pine in the Smokies is almost 189 feet in
height and our tallest tulip poplar, also in the Smokies, is
almost 182 feet. But despite t he slight height advantage of
the white pine, t ulip trees reach much greater sizes than white
pines. I won't inundate you with numbers, but the ratio of
maximum tulip tree volume to maximum white pine volume
is between 3 and 4 to 1.
T his general information
about volumes cannot be applied across the geographical range
of t he species. In central New England, the white pine will out
compete the tulip poplar. In northern New England, forget it.
The tulip trees is beyond its range limits. It will grow in
people's yards, but is not a forest competitor. So Maine is not
tulip tree country.
Farther south, (southern New
Jersey, Pennsylvania, etc.) the tulip tree comes into its own. I
n places like the coves of the southern Appalachians of North
and South Carolina, Tennessee, and northern Georgia, it reseeds
old fields that are left to return to forest. Coves can be
dominated by this single species.
G oing westward, the role of tulip
tree is less clear to me and in the central Mid-west, the white
pine is out of its element. However, in the northern Mid-west,
the species reaches its greatest historical abundance. While its
range overlaps that of the tulip tree, I don't know how well
they compete with one another. Maybe Lee Frelich can shed some
light on the subject. However, I suspect they occupy different
habitats.
On my just ended trip west, I
encountered the tulip tree in Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio in 3
of the 4 old growth stands I visited in those states. If I add
in a site from last year, I saw tulip tree o n 4 of 5 old growth
sites. In Beall Woods, Illinois, the tulip tree was the tallest
species growing among the two dozen or so species I saw. At
141.5 feet tall, t he Beth Koebel Tulip Tree is Beall Woods's
tallest tree. In Pioneer Mothers Memorial Forest and Nature
Preserve in southern Indiana, the tulip tree is the tallest
species, except for a lone sycamore. Tulips there get into the
low 130s. In Davey Woods of southwestern Ohio, the tulip tree is
lord of the forest. I measuredthem to 144.5 feet and probably
didn't get the top of the tree. Several are in the 135 to
145-foot height class. There are no white pines in those
forests. It isn't white pine country.
Here in western Mass, tulips occup rich sunny sites and
reach to almost 140 feet. White pines are widely distributed and
reach to 169 feet with room left for a few to push 170 feet. The
pines reach greater girths and volumes when in stands. Tulips
in mixed stands tend to be slender. I expect that in colonial
times, with more open land, there were a few more of them, but
Massachusetts is definitely the transition zone for the species.
In adjacent New York, tulips make it up the Hudson
River Valley and eastward to the foothills of the Taconics. They
peter out near the south end of Lake Champlain. They will not
compete with the great whites at that latitude. However, in the
lower Hudson River Valley, tulip trees can reach great size.
We've measured several to over 150 feet in height and between 11
and 14 feet in girth on the old Vanderbilt Estate in Hyde Park.
There are younger tulips on Roosevelts estate, but they're
nothing special.
Near Syracuse is a place called Green Lake State Park.
It has a stand of tulip trees, the explanation for which, I do
not have. They reach to 144 feet, but have crowns that look
weather beaten. My guess is that the climate does not favor the
species in terms of growing them as a timber crop although their
fast growth rates allows them to be the tallest hardwood in the
area.
West Virginia is a p lace that grows huge tulip trees
and also grows nice white pine. In the Mountaineer State. the
tulips will easily outgrow white pines. Oops, better consult
with Russ Richardson on that. Russ?
Well where does all this rambling lead in terms of the
questions you posed? In southern New England, tulips are an
alterntive to white pine for the right kinds of soils. At the
latitude of central Massachusetts, the advantage has shifted to
the white pine. Farther north, the t ulips are out except as
ornamentals.
My friend Professor Gary Beluzo may have some
observations to make of his own. Gary?
Bob
Jess Riddle (July 17, 2009) wrote:
Jenny,
In general, tuliptree and white pine are comparable in growth
rate.
That same topic came up a couple of years ago, and I posted my
thoughts here:
http://www.nativetreesociety.org/species/sp_threads/tuliptree_vs_white_pine_growth.htm
As far as whether tuliptree is regenerating on its own, I'm
not quite
sure what you mean by "in all those places". I see tuliptree as
being
less site specific than what Will described, although I'm sure
his
comments are a good description of tuliptree in the Atlantic
Coastal
Plain. In the southeastern piedmont and southern Appalachians,
tuliptree is widespread on moist sites and often forms nearly
pure
stands on formerly farmed areas.
For old-growth near New York City, Minnewaska State Park and
Mianus
Gorge Preserve might be places to check. Others more familiar
with
the area will probably have better suggestions.
Jess