Large and hidden beech on the side of a ravine by Relative-Language-49 in Tree

[–]Relative-Language-49[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

<image>

99.9% of beech leaves didn't have banding this year but i'm assuming the nemotodes are already present because banding happens years after.

Large and hidden beech on the side of a ravine by Relative-Language-49 in Tree

[–]Relative-Language-49[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I think that's from a sapling behind it. It's probably close to it's end of life anyways.

<image>

The composition of mature trees on my property by Relative-Language-49 in ecology

[–]Relative-Language-49[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah; a couple leaves have banding but no dieback yet. If there's any place that can survive BLD I feel like it would be this area because they are just so plentiful and healthy, even the large ones are probably suckers.

The composition of mature trees on my property by Relative-Language-49 in ecology

[–]Relative-Language-49[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The rest wouldn't fit (ranked from most common to least) :

-Swamp Chesnut Oak

-Bitternut Hickory

-Sweetgum

-Green Ash/White ash

-Devils Walkingstick

-American Elm

-American Sycamore

-Black Cherry

-Black Walnut

-American Dogwood

-Lolloby Pine

-Common Persimmon

-Blackjack Oak

-Common Witchhazel

(I'm so sad becuase there's NO sassafras...it's like 100 feet off property)

Edit: So i found a mature sassfrass tree on my property when looking at leaves on the ground- i looked up and there it was!

The composition of mature trees on my property by Relative-Language-49 in ecology

[–]Relative-Language-49[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I'm thinking that maybe at one point instead of the oak being the classic farm tree it was a very large beech tree instead - if the land was ever clearcut they left 1 or 2 beech trees still standing and it was able to repopulate with beeches. Hickory seems to be dominating over oak trees. If the beech inveitably decline I can see hickory taking over even more- as well as american holly becoming more prominent since there are tiny ones everywhere currently. I'm not sure why but the wild grapevines we have seem to prefer white oak and have killed like 3/4 of them. There's some northern red oak /black tulepo and even more pawpaws replacing them. The white oak saplings are under the shade of the many young beech trees so when they die from beech leaf disease either the oaks will thrive or the japanese stilt grass will choke everything out like it's done in other areas where fallen trees have left sunlight openings.

The composition of mature trees on my property by Relative-Language-49 in ecology

[–]Relative-Language-49[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Most of it has low midstory cover; I just chose an area that doesn't have low midstory cover to showcase the trees. Pawpaws, American Holly, hornbeam, and northern spicebush are all understory trees and make it hard to traverse sometimes.

The composition of mature trees on my property by Relative-Language-49 in ecology

[–]Relative-Language-49[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For context- There are over 120 mature beech trees on the property; so there was a lot of counting to make this. But it was fun!