Stateline Woods Preserve, off of Old Kennett Pike

[BeeEnvironment2020]

Hello everyone,
I have been wanting to post about this preserve located out of Kennett Square, which has a rare 10-13 acre section of old-growth/very early secondary growth. Anyhow, It has plenty of very tall and large trees, especially unblighted beech (for now), and oak, in the old-growth section in a stream valley with many large boulders lying around.
The preserve, owned by the Land Conservancy for Southern Chester County (Tlc for Scc), is around 80 acres in size, and boasts of a large white oak at the parking lot that appears to be in good health.
I have registered many of the old-growth trees on monumental trees: https://www.monumentaltrees.com/en/usa/pennsylvania/chestercounty/25912_statelinewoodspreserve/
However, I will put my findings here as well.
Here is a photo of the 6' DBH White oak at the entrance of the preserve, with a human for comparison:

The approximately 6' DBH White Oak at the entrance of the park. Maybe 250-300 years of age, and a height of about 20 meters.

I would place the age at around 250-300 years, as it appears it used to grow in a forest, and then at some point the forest was cleared, and this oak was allowed to grow in the open.
Now, traveling into the stream valley along a trail, we are greeted by old-growth, with Beech making a stunning appearance (note the very tall tulips in the background, and the large burl on an oak):

Here is a view of the old-growth section of the woods. Beech, Oak, and Tulip are the most dominant trees, with Beech appearing to be unblighted for now.

I would estimate the height for most of the old tulips to be around 155'-165', and Oak at 130'-135', and beech at 135'-145' possibly
As we travel further along a steep hill-side with the old-growth, we pass a large Tulip tree, with a CBH of 3.4 meters, and a height of approx. 135'. What I found fascinating about this tree, is that it has evidence of the bark balding up to 7 feet high, which signaled to me that it was a very old tulip, and this part of the forest was indeed old-growth:

A fascinating 3.4 meter CBH, about 135 foot tulip tree that showed signs of balding up to 7 feet high. However, on the other side of the trunk, a part of it is slowly rotting away.

And here is a view of the same tulip looking upward from the ground:

Here is a view upward of the 3.4 meter CBH balding tulip tree. I estimate the height to be about 35 -40 meters, or 130-140 feet.

Now, as I looped around the old-growth forest, a trail passes close to a old-growth American beech. This beech currently is the tallest tree I have "accurately" measured in this forest at 42 meters, or about 140 feet:

A old-growth 2.82 meter CBH, approximately 140 foot American Beech, with almost no taper for the first 50 or 60 feet!

Finally, here is a last image I made of the old-growth sections of the preserve:

Well, that's it for now. I have described more tree on Monumentaltrees.com, though I am hoping I will be able to add more trees onto this discussion later on.
(Let it be known that I don't have a 3 point measurement device, so I use a clinometer. However, I use extra caution, and take measurements from different angles and distances from where I believe is the tallest point(s) in the canopy (and on flat ground as much as possible), to get a relatively accurate result. It can take well over and hour with this method just to measure one tree. However, it would be great if we could go and check out the heights with a 3-point device. I wish I was able to get my hands on one, but I cant afford them.)
BeeEnvironment

[Erik Danielsen]

Hi BeeEnvironment,

This looks like a great forest site. The Oak-Tulip-Beech forests of that part of the Atlantic coast region can really put it up there. A question about your MonumentalTrees posts, though- they list that you measured the tall beeches with a laser in two-point mode? That's the measurement method we consider acceptably accurate when looking through MonumentalTrees records, so if those are really clinometer measurements it would be good if you can correct those.

Devices with a "three-point" mode aren't really the golden ticket for accurate measuring- just as long as you're using a laser rangefinder and a clinometer together (many devices combine them) and calculating with sine-based geometry (either manually or some devices offer this as a 2-point mode), that's what really matters. The three-point modes some devices offer have the same error sources as plain clinometer measurements. In the end, the foundation for being able to make good estimates is to have first made many accurate measurements with the proper equipment. Having a laser rangefinder is like gaining a new sense to add onto sight, touch, taste, etc- it lets you start perceiving a whole dimension of the landscape that you can otherwise only wonder about.

You seem to have a lot of energy and enthusiasm for documenting the forests in your area and appear to be doing what you can with what you do have, which is great to see. It's unfortunate that sometimes equipment costs are sometimes a barrier to this kind of inquiry. The laser rangefinder I started out with doesn't get any use these days since I now have two other units to work with, but it served me well for hundreds of tree measurements and it's still working perfectly. It doesn't calculate heights automatically but does read out the distance and angle measurements you need to do the calculations. I would be happy to mail it to you so it can get back to work and help you measure trees. You mentioned being in highschool so if you're a minor please do check with your parents before having a stranger on the internet mail you things, but if that sounds good to you, get in touch through the private messaging system or email at er1kksen @ gmail.com and I'll send it along.

Erik

[BeeEnvironment2020]

Hi Erik!
Thanks for telling me about the measurements, and for your offer! I should have put the measurements down as clinometer on monumental trees. I somehow missed where it said "clinometer" when I did it.
Thanks also for telling me that 3 point measurement are not really the "golden ticket", I never fully understood the difference. Now it does make sense that using a laser rangefinder is indeed like gaining a new sense/perspective.
Haha, yes, I do admit I have quite some enthusiasm when it comes to documenting forests and trees.
Thanks very much again for your generous offer! It seems to good to be true to me! Being a minor, I asked my parents, and they are perfectly fine about it, so I will be sure to contact your gmail account shortly within the next day.
Thanks again!
BeeEnvironment

[Erik Danielsen]

No problem. I'll include a letter with some pointers on getting started and resources for further reading and practice.

[BeeEnvironment2020]

Thanks! That will be sure to help me out with using it. I sent you an email from edumailha@gmail.com just now about it, and I should have included the shipping info.
BeeEnvironment

[dbhguru]

BeeEnvironment,

Erik's advice on us oof the 2 versus 3-point height measurement routines with a hypsometer is critical. You can visit the American Forests website at www.americanforests.org can find your way to the Tree-measuring Guidelines Handbook. It will cover the sine and tangent methods and illustrate where the errors are introduced through traditional clinometer measurements. You're now in THE organization that has led the way to more accurate tree-measuring. We're happy to have you as a new member.

Bob

[BeeEnvironment2020]

Thanks, Bob
I will be sure to read the American Forests measuring handbook, I bet it will be fascinating!
Yes, I am also proud to finally be in this association, thankyou very much
I am very much looking forward to documenting all my finds on this website!
BeeEnvironment