Posted: Wed Oct 06, 2010 12:23 am
Ed,
I have some of your posts on the Allegheny River Islands. You guys found some " killer " Silver Maples and huge Hawthorns there.
I have always had issues with the multiple-single classification when a tree fuses multiple trunks into what appears to be in most ways a single trunk. After all, the roots and indeed the entire tree behaves as one individual. Some trees that are fused are obviously double/multiple, like two or three trunks growing out of a bulbous swollen fused base. But others in most ways look like normal single trunked trees, except for evidence of pith lines. But even these can disappear given enough time. Scientifically I know and realize that a true nonfused single trunk is more significant and should be recognized as such. But still. It seems that sometimes a big tree is just that. A big tree!
James
I have some of your posts on the Allegheny River Islands. You guys found some " killer " Silver Maples and huge Hawthorns there.
I have always had issues with the multiple-single classification when a tree fuses multiple trunks into what appears to be in most ways a single trunk. After all, the roots and indeed the entire tree behaves as one individual. Some trees that are fused are obviously double/multiple, like two or three trunks growing out of a bulbous swollen fused base. But others in most ways look like normal single trunked trees, except for evidence of pith lines. But even these can disappear given enough time. Scientifically I know and realize that a true nonfused single trunk is more significant and should be recognized as such. But still. It seems that sometimes a big tree is just that. A big tree!
James