Hemlock Mortality Questions

Hemlock Mortality Questions

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TOPIC: Hemlock mortality questions
http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees/t/c5242e8fd00154d4?hl=en
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== 1 of 2 ==
Date: Sun, Nov 30 2008 6:27 pm
From: JamesRobertSmith

I spent the past few days around the Peaks of Otter Recreation Area.
The hemlocks all along the spine of the high country are dead, of
course, and have been all dead since at least 2003 (when I first
noticed they'd all croaked).

Yesterday, I did some hiking around the James River Face Wilderness.
What I noticed were lots of living hemlocks. And not just living, but
thriving. Mainly Carolina hemlocks. I even drove a FS road where I saw
a parked tractor with bush hog that had been driving along the road
chopping down perfectly healthy hemlock trees!!!

What's the deal with hemlock mortality? How can one area be totally
destroyed, while another area seems relatively hwa-free just mile or
two away?

Another thing I noticed on one trail was that all of the hemlocks were
long dead, but I was finding a very few individual trees that were
apparently doing okay, with no sign at all of hwa. These, too, were
Carolina hemlocks. These trees were also young, with the largest being
maybe ten feet tall. The living hemlocks along the Apple Orchard Falls
Trail that were living were along streams. The hemlocks that I was
finding in the James River Face Wilderness that were doing okay were
in pretty dry areas--in fact, drier areas than I think I've ever seen
hemlocks.

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Dec 1 2008 12:46 am
From: James Parton

James S,

I too noticed some healthy Carolina Hemlocks, though they were small,
around Mt. Jefferson last year while visiting the area for American
Chestnut. I wondered the same thing. The ones down in fairly nearby
Linville Gorge are all dead. Visiting Biltmore with ENTS last year
taught me how to identify these trees.

James P.

== 2 of 2 ==
Date: Mon, Dec 1 2008 5:04 pm
From: "Will Blozan"

James,

Some trees will undoubtedly survive the first wave, but I feel they will be
relics of isolation or circumstance. They are not immune. Their progeny will
suffer a gruesome death like their former neighbors.

Will F. Blozan
President, Eastern Native Tree Society
President, Appalachian Arborists, Inc.

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