Native Tree Society BBS

Dear ENTS,

Bob has been hinting about the tulip-poplar paper I would like to help lead in the very near future. Here is some of the background for this paper:

The idea for this paper started a few yrs ago when we found a 500+ yr old tulip in the Smokies. In the time in between, the fact that tulip can live 4-5 centuries has been re-confirmed as my students and Will Blozan, Jess Riddle and Josh Kelly pointed out, shared samples or discovered more 350-475 yr old tulip poplars. Prior to this time, the oldest, well-documented [cross-dated] tulip poplar maxed out around the mid-300s. There are older ages in the literature, but at least one famous example is an age extrapolation, so it is hard to know how good those ages are. Also, if you've ever looked at tulip rings, you'll know that you have to sand perfectly to get a clear view of its rings.

Anyhow, I soon began seeing interesting growth patterns in this early-successional species shed some new light on these species for me. Then after learning of the new height records and the incredible volumes ENTS has documented, the kernel for this paper started to come together.

So, what I would like to do is lead an effort, and what is starting with Bob, ENTS et al., is to highlight these new data to get others to think about this species differently. I think we should aim for a Brief Communications article in the Journal of Forestry or something like that. With this in mind, I hope to help guide a paper of ENTS and my data to document:

- Age & growth patterns

- Highlights of Height & Volume measurements

- A brief overview of the pattern of tulip-poplar height across latitudes in the far eastern US. I would love, Bob, a focus on the drop-off in height and crown or upper tree architecture as one moves towards tulip’s northeastern range margin. If we could push towards its southern range limit, that would be very cool, too.

I just want to make a brief highlight of the new information we, myself, my students, ENTS, have learned about tulip in the last 5-10 yrs. ENTS has definitely done the hard work and deserves recognition that we have much to learn about the natural history of many [most?] species in the eastern US.

Ideally, we'd have at least 5 height measurements from natural forest sites along the Appalachians for now [yes, it would be nice to see what is happening out west, but it would be nice to push this towards press within 9 months; yes, it will be quite a gestation process].

Bob has wonderfully and graciously volunteered to collate the data. I owe you millions Bob.

so, this is the basics of the paper that has been discussed. I marvel at the efforts ENTS goes to to get solid heights and volume estimates. I've definitely learned a lot and would like to share it with the larger research community.

neil

Neil,

Thanks. This is truly what we intended as a use for our measurement data, i.e. to be available to and used in scientific research. Thanks to all those who have contributed. I'm honored to consolidate the data for the rest. I look very forward to data from many more sites. The more sites, the better.

Bob

Neil,

I am glad to be a contributor. I hope to get another site or two before the deadline.

ENTS,

The stand of Tuliptrees at Green Lakes State Park here in Onondaga County, NY, should be a good part of the study. In 2002 Bob Leverett and others measured Tuliptrees to as high as 144.7 ft. These could be the world's tallest Tuliptrees this far north (43 degrees N. Lat.). It would be good if an ENTS team came out here this year to re-measure them; I don't have the means to get out there now, and the snow is over a foot deep with more and more snow falling everyday, so spring (best of all early April before leafout) would be a better time for a measurement outing.

Tom Howard

Tom,

I may be able to get out there at the end of April. Monica and I will be in Virginia in mid-april then head north to Cook Forest. After that we could swing up to Green Lake.

Bob

Tom, Bob,

that would be a great get. it is very close to a northeast range margin. tulip doesn't make its way to Watertown, does it? plus, that setting is so picturesque, that it would make a nice photo for the article [or if we are lucky, a cover].

neil

Neil-

Would data from Ohio be of interest, or is that farther west than your target area? I could supply data for several sites in Ohio but still on the Appalachian Plateau.

Steve

Steve,

I don't want to jump the gun on Neil, but he and I have discussed coverage many times. Ohio is important. We have been banking on plenty of sites from Ohio, especially the eastern part. This is likely only the first of several papers on TT. Neil is less concerned about Indiana and Illinois. Please send the data to me. The more sites, the better. I'm collating the inputs from everyone.

Bob

Neil & Bob,

Will any of the reuslts from the project be posted on the ENTS BBS or main website?

James,

The goal is to publish the paper in a peer reviewed journal. The notice that it has been published and links to any online versions or abstracts of the paper will be posted here on the BBS.

Ed