Big trees

[bburgess]

I thought some of the loggers here might enjoy these pictures. These trees are near where the old family home place used to be. Even though they’re past their prime I won’t cut them because my mother is attached to them. I have more than enough in need of harvesting to bother with these anyway. There are several big poplar and red oak,(which is what the pictures are), and a few white oaks. One picture shows the circumference 14′ 8″, which would make it approximately 56″ diameter. I’m sure you guys have seen bigger, but in my little world these are pretty large trees. Any guesses as to how old they might be? The land where they are at is fairly wet…in fact one tree is growing right beside a spring.
That’s my wife beside the red oak to give some perspective on the size. She takes a prettier picture than me!
I hope the attachments work.
Enjoy

Ben

[bburgess]

Apparently the pictures didn’t post. Please be patient. On preview post everything looked good, but when I sent the post there were no pictures. Sorry for the tease…I’ll keep trying.

Ben

[Gabe Ayers]

Hello Ben,

Thanks for posting photos of those big trees. Those are big trees by anyone’s
standards in the eastern U.S.

I would submit that from looking at the photos that the tree your wife is standing beside is hollow or rotten on the inside. There are indicators of decline visible on the exterior that suggest this internal condition. Not that I am suggesting you cut them down, but am pointing out the indicators of decline.

Of course the entire tree should be observed to make an assessment of it’s health and trees have culture value to landowners that override any silvicultural consideration. It was just interesting that the system we use to determine which trees are ripe for harvesting as the “worst first” would include the frost cracks and indicators of decline visible on this individual.

You can read about the “nature’s tree marking paint” indicators of decline on our web site. It is a system of identifying decline in vigor, health and economic gainful conditions in individual trees that fall in three categories –
damaged – diseased – and inferior, low value species. There are about 16 visible indicators of decline that we use and this list grows based upon experiential
knowledge revealed through harvesting trees based upon observations by the harvester. This system may be customized to each region and forested condition.

I think the main point is that if a tree is rotting from the inside faster than it is growing on the outside it may be time to “cash it in” or if it is seen as a stock in a stock portfolio to sell it before it loses more value. When a tree is mature and growing slowly anyway, it doesn’t take much rot to be losing value faster than gaining volume. This approach makes the forest landowner and “inside trader” so to speak in a single tree selection scenario.

Thanks for sharing those photos, we have a few big ones on most sites too and the healthy ones stay there when we control the choice or when the landowner expresses a cultural value to them for their own reasons.

[bburgess]

Hey Jason,

I’m sure that you’re right on that tree being hollow. There are probably 8-10 big trees like these two that I have pictures of, and they are all in a state of decline. Probably if they were not so close in proximity to where the old home place was then my mother wouldn’t be so sentimental. Since the house and buildings are no longer there, these trees are the only thing left that she can remember it by. Now, there are a few big white oaks that appear to still be doing good.
I have been to your website many times, and I admire the work that you guys do. I think I have read everything on it several times. I keep going back hoping to find something new to read. Working in the woods has always been something that I enjoy doing and learning about. I hope someday to get some animals to add to that equation.

Keep up the good work!

Ben

[Author]

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