[NatureNS] Age of hemlock trees

From: Mary Macaulay <marymacaulay@hotmail.com>
To: Nature Nova Scotia <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2011 11:14:52 -0300
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and he is right about the need to preserve heritage trees - and indeed old =
growth forests.  These should trigger an environmental assessment before an=
y cutting is done.
 From: perry.lynne@hotmail.com
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
Subject: RE: [NatureNS] Age of hemlock trees
Date: Thu=2C 21 Jul 2011 21:30:53 -0200








I so respect Peter Hope.....have for years. Thanks for sharing this. Kind r=
egards. Lynne Perry.
=20




Date: Thu=2C 21 Jul 2011 20:20:04 -0300
To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca
From: plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca
Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Age of hemlock trees

Hi Annabelle=2C

        I asked a similar question on this forum six years ago .  Peter Hop=
e=2C now retired from Kejimkujiki National Park=2C gave a very helpful repl=
y=2C which I am sure he would not mind my repeating. =20

        Patricia L. Chalmers
        Halifax

P.S. How did you measure the height of the trees?


At 10:53 PM 02/02/2005=2C Peter Hope  wrote:
Hi Patricia=2C

Wow=2C what a hemlock you have there!

I'll answer your question based upon some study I did in the big hemlock
grove on Hemlocks and Hardwoods trail in Kejimkujik a few years ago. I
initiated having the trail built in 1976 and laid out the route. A couple o=
f
years ago it was in real need of resurfacing with gravel. We did a bunch of
studies=2C then wrote self-interpreting signs. Since I retired the work has
been done with a lengthy stretch of boardwalk to keep people on the path an=
d
protect the trees - the soil around their roots was eroded and their roots
were in the early stages of being debarked and worn. The problem was nipped
in the bud.

Anyway I got some of my staff to help me. We measured the trees (diameter a=
t
breast height above the ground)=2C used an instrument to measure the height
and cored the trees. So what I'll give you is based upon individual trees.
We did a few in each size class.

Your tree=2C with 130 inch circum. is 330 cm around. Here is what I measure=
d
that were closest to that size:

Tree # 1  258 cm in circum.   230 + years (core was not quite complete so
precise age uncertain)

Tree # 2   237 cm in circum.  240 years old

Tree # 3  217 cm  in circum.  275 years old

Tree # 4  251 cm in circum.  280 years old


Based upon the above a nearby tree 304 cm in circum. was estimated at 350 t=
o
400 years old.

I think it is likely that your tree is conservatively 400 years old.

There are two hemlocks together in a stand of young trees=2C mostly beech=
=2C
just 15 m. off the Grafton Woods Trail in Kejimkujik. I feel they are about
the size of your tree or just a shade bigger. I have always felt they were
over 400 years old and might be close to 500.

It is not possible to core such trees with the equipment I had and it is
likely they have hollow butts=2C so no accurate measurement can be taken. A
book we had in the Kejimkujik library stated that eastern hemlocks had been
recorded at over 900 years of age!

It is a pity such trees that you have described could not be classified as
"heritage trees" and saved for their uniqueness.

Pete Hope
----- Original Message -----
From: "Patricia L. Chalmers" <Patricia.Chalmers@ukings.ns.ca>
To: "NatureNS" <naturens@chebucto.ns.ca>
Sent: Wednesday=2C February 02=2C 2005 1:08 PM
Subject: Hemlock Tree - how old?


> Hi there=2C
>
> Enough about birds=2C here's a question about trees.
>
> Along the Old Coach Trail=2C which passes through the woods behind my
> parents' house in Bedford=2C there used to be some very large hemlocks.  =
The
> biggest of these have recently been cut down by the developers of "The
> Ravines of Bedford South".  We got to wondering (too late) just how big
> and old these trees were.  My brother and I measured one of the hemlocks =
still
> standing=2C although it's smaller than the biggest ones that are now
> gone.  We found that this tree is about 130 inches in circumference=2C at
> about breast height.  It was growing against the side of a very steep
> incline=2C so it was a challenge to measure and I took the measurement
> higher up than perhaps I should have done.
>
> My question is=2C can one estimate from this how old the tree is?  I
> understand that one can't get a precise answer without taking a core
> sample=2C but can someone suggest a range of years?
>
> Many thanks=2C
>
> Patricia L. Chalmers
> Halifax


At 01:57 PM 18/07/2011=2C Annabelle wrote:

Martial and I would like to estimate the ages of three eastern hemlock tree=
s in a little woodland graveyard near Georgefield.  Here are their measurem=
ents in metres. Circumferences are at breast height.

Tree                      A                 B                 C
Height                    22                21                17
Circumference            1.52              1.75              1.83


Even very rough estimates would be of value to us with lower and upper boun=
ds such as 125-150 years.



 		 	   		   		 	   		  =

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<body class=3D'hmmessage'><div dir=3D'ltr'>
and he is right about the need to preserve heritage trees - and indeed old =
growth forests.&nbsp=3B These should trigger an environmental assessment be=
fore any cutting is done.<br>&nbsp=3B<BR><div><hr id=3D"stopSpelling">From:=
 perry.lynne@hotmail.com<br>To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<br>Subject: RE: [Na=
tureNS] Age of hemlock trees<br>Date: Thu=2C 21 Jul 2011 21:30:53 -0200<br>=
<br>


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<div dir=3D"ltr">
I so respect Peter Hope.....have for years. Thanks for sharing this. Kind r=
egards. Lynne Perry.<br>&nbsp=3B<br>
<div>

<hr id=3D"ecxstopSpelling">
Date: Thu=2C 21 Jul 2011 20:20:04 -0300<br>To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca<br>F=
rom: plchalmers@ns.sympatico.ca<br>Subject: Re: [NatureNS] Age of hemlock t=
rees<br><br>Hi Annabelle=2C<br><br>&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B=
&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3B&nbsp=3BI asked a similar question on this forum six years =
ago .&nbsp=3B Peter Hope=2C now reti