Russ Forest Lidar

[Erik Danielsen]

One of the little residential roads nearby, straight north from "wildwing lake" as the crow flies, pretty much still in the woods. I'd definitely be into meeting up one of these times.

[DougBidlack]

That’s just over a mile west from where my parents live. Maybe we can coordinate a meeting sometime since I visit fairly frequently.

[Erik Danielsen]

For sure. It's more like once every 2-3 months for me, so I'll be in touch next time I know I'll be out there.

[gjschmidt]

Doug and I visited Russ Forest on March 3, 2018 to look for those tall trees. The uneven canopy with gaps in the east had red oak, black oak, and bitternut. The area of uniform canopy at about 30 m in height on the west was beech and sugar maple. The emergent trees in either area were tuliptrees.

Black oak (Quercus velutina) 33.4 m tall, 127.5 cm dbh (110 ft, 13 ft girth)

Aplectrum hyemale - Common Name: PUTTY-ROOT, ADAM-AND-EVE (orchid). Uncommon in Michigan, but common here. http://michiganflora.net/species.aspx?id=1794

Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) 46.0 m tall, 125.4 cm dbh (151 ft, 13 ft girth), though Doug measured it with different equipment and got just over 148 ft.

Tuliptree (Liriodendron tulipifera) 45.2 m tall, 134.7 cm dbh (148 ft, 14 ft girth), though initially, we both got readings that suggested that the tree was more than 150 ft

Doug measuring the first tall tree

The big tree and me

The canopy gap near the big tree

[ElijahW]

Nice, Greg (and Doug). Did you get an idea of the tree ages here? The tulips and Black Oak look to be at least older second-growth. Are any taller hardwoods known in Michigan? The combination of height and girth is pretty impressive.

Elijah

[gjschmidt]

Currently, I don't know the ages. I interpret the size, structure, and down wood as possibly close enough to be labelled old growth. But whether it had ever been logged I don't know. Unless there are obvious stumps and invasive species, or a plow layer, it wouldn't make much of a difference at this point. The presence of an orchid with a conservancy index of 10 is a good sign. Not exactly pristine with the possibility of garlic mustard seedlings seen. Also a sugar bush operation at its western end.

The presettlement vegetation ranged from oak savanna to beech-maple forest near here.

[Erik Danielsen]

Fantastic Black Oak! Nice orchid find as well. If either of you have a reticle those also look like tulips of meaningful volume. I really hope you two keep it up and continue to report out of Michigan- as another great lakes state with almost the same latitude range as NY (in the mitten at least) I'm very curious what can happen there.

[gjschmidt]

Stay tuned. Doug may likely post more photos and more precise (official) estimates of the trees at this superlative site, sometime later. I suspect his numbers to be more accurate than mine. Upon looking at the Lidar again, I think that it was pretty spot on. I doubt that any tree here is yet above 150 ft.

[dbhguru]

Greg,

With respect to your observation

I suspect his numbers to be more accurate than mine.,

what method and equipment are you using to measure tree height, if I may ask? I think Doug uses an LTI TruPulse 200X, which has an accuracy to a clear target of between 2 or 4 centimeters in terms of its infrared laser. The TruPulse's tilt sensor is accurate to between about 1/12th and 1/10 of a degree. Assuming the intended target has been solidly hit, we can set accuracy limits with a fairly high degree of confidence.

The above said, the TruPulse offers three methods for measuring height: the tree-height mode, the missing line routine, and the VD mode. The least accurate method of the three is, believe it or not, the tree-height routine. I expect that routine was built into the TruPulse at the request of the U.S. Forest Service Service to provide an automated version of the tape and clinometer method, which of course carries fatal flaws.

Bob

[Larry Tucei]

Greg and Doug- A real nice Black Oak and the Tulips are very large. Any trees over 140' in the north woods are exceptional 150'+ is off the charts. Elijah- I would guess second growth. Nice posting and look forward to more no White Pines? Larry