Do Trees Have Birthday Parties?
By OGFN Mid-Atlantic Manager, Brian Kane
Many of us know families where the children’s heights and an accompanying date were scratched on a wall or doorframe with a pencil as the young ones grew to adulthood. The marks were never painted over until the house was sold. Families marked time by the growth of its next generation - until the family moved on and the new owners would roll a fresh coat of paint over the measurements.
Tree rings mark the years within a tree, and fortunately they can never be painted over. They are revealed when a tree falls or is cut down, and the counted concentric rings determine its age, among other things (you can also use an increment borer, but that’s a whole other blog post).
At the Old-Growth Forest Network, we frequently celebrate trees that are over 200 years old when we welcome a new forest into the Network. We also look for other old-growth forest attributes, such as fallen woody debris, and topographic indicators, but the primary signals of a potential old-growth forest are large old trees rooted firmly in the earth.
This year, we celebrate eight remarkable forests that have been part of the Old-Growth Network for ten years! Instead of marking a door frame with a pencil mark, or blowing out birthday candles (although cake sounds great as we enter spring!), we want to share some highlights of each forest in quarterly blog posts.
At this time, we also thank the forest managers of these places for their continued support and care for these protected and life-filled landmarks in their communities.
Let’s start in Ohio where four forests mark their 10th anniversary in the Old-Growth Forest Network this year!
Crall Woods (Ashland County, OH)
With 44 acres of old-growth, some have named Crall Woods the best wildflower site in the state of Ohio. These woods are dominated by sugar maple, while yellow poplar, American basswood, and northern red oak also grow here. A 1964 inventory of Crall Woods described the old growth as, "…ranking among the best of Ohio's known original forest remnants.” And ten years later, it was named a National Natural Landmark by the National Park Service. Those are some strong credentials! Happy Birthday Crall Woods!
Flint Ridge Ancient Quarries and Nature Preserve (Licking County, OH)
A notable site among the fifty included in the Ohio History Connection, Flint Ridge is a mature beech-maple-oak hardwood forest community. Many of the trees in the 533-acre preserve are over 100 years old. Over a thousand prehistoric quarry pits are scattered along the ridge. Many archaeologists believe that the Hopewell culture traded the highly prized flint for materials from other parts of North America. We celebrate the forest’s 10 years in the Network!
Photos courtesy of the Ohio History Connection.
Hammon Woods (Richland County, OH)
Hammon Woods contains about 90 acres of old growth in its beech-maple and white oak forests, white oak, sugar maple, red oak, tulip poplar, and American beech are dominant here. Its oldest trees are over 200 years old. Hammon Woods has rolling hills and the forest-type varies based on whether the hills are south or north facing. Happy 10th Birthday in the Network!
Camp Oty’Okwa (Hocking County, OH)
Camp Oty’Okwa’s old-growth forest is an oak/hickory forest on the ridge tops and a mixed mesophytic forest on the lower slopes and stream valley. Eastern hemlock trees are scattered along the valley sides adding to the overall tree diversity. This forest surrounds an outstanding geologic feature called Split Rocks. The massive Black Hand Sandstone - a hallmark of the Hocking Hills region - has split into numerous large vertical slabs creating a maze-like feature on the interior. Happy 10th and many more!
Tree ring photos courtesy of Nick Sanchez.
