Native Tree Society BBS

Height Index

• 153.5' Tuliptree
  139.5' Northern red oak
  139.3' White ash
  136.0' Eastern hemlock
  133.0' Bitternut hickory
  128.6' Slippery elm
  127.7' American beech
  127.7' Sugar maple
  127.5' Blackgum
  125.7' American elm
  125.7' Eastern cottonwood
  123.3' Black cherry
  123.2' Black walnut
  122.7' Sassafras
  120.7' White oak
  120.3' Red maple
  119.0' Pignut hickory
  118.8' Eastern white pine
  118.5' Cucumber-Tree
  118.5' American sycamore
  112.5' American basswood
  110.5' Shagbark hickory
  107.8' Black ash
  103.8' Mockernut hickory
  087.4' Yellow birch

• RHI05: 140.26'
  RHI10: 133.85'
  RHI20: 127.46'

Girth Index

• 18' 03" Red oak
  14' 08" American chestnut *stump circumference @ highest point (2.5')
  13' 09" Tuliptree
  13' 06" White oak
  13' 01" American beech
  12' 07" Sugar maple
  11' 07" Red Maple
  11' 06" Blackgum
  10' 08" Cucumber-Tree
  10' 08" White ash
  10' 06" Eastern cottonwood
  10' 04" Eastern hemlock
  10' 01" Black cherry
  08' 10" American basswood
  08' 08" Eastern white pine
  08' 08" American elm
  08' 05" Black ash
  08' 04" Sassafras
  08' 04" Black walnut
  08' 02" Butternut
  08' 01" Slippery elm
  08' 01" Shagbark hickory
  07' 05" American sycamore
  06' 10" Mockernut hickory
  06' 07" Pignut hickory
  05' 05" Yellow birch
  02' 01" Northern fox grape *Vine

• RGI05: 14.65000'
  RGI10: 13.02500'
  RGI20: 11.02917'

Blue denotes a single specimen for height and girth

Conical Volume

<1100ft³<900ft³<700ft³<500ft³<300ft³

1.) Northern red oak

• 1113 ft³ 18' 03" by 126.0'
  1064 ft³ 18' 02" by 121.5'
  1021 ft³ 17' 08" by 123.3'
  953 ft³ 17' 05" by 118.5'
  706 ft³ 15' 01" by 117.0'
  583 ft³ 14' 02" by 109.5'
  506 ft³ 13' 00" by 112.9'
  485 ft³ 14' 09" by 084.0'
  421 ft³ 10' 08" by 139.5'

2.) Tuliptree

• 689 ft³ 13' 09" by 137.4'
  676 ft³ 13' 08" by 136.5'
  571 ft³ 11' 11" by 151.6'
  520 ft³ 11' 11" by 138.0'
  495 ft³ 12' 02" by 126.0'
  465 ft³ 12' 02" by 118.5'
  454 ft³ 11' 06" by 129.4'
  449 ft³ 10' 06" by 153.5'
  446 ft³ 11' 10" by 120.0'
  409 ft³ 11' 00" by 127.5'
  311 ft³ 10' 03" by 111.5'

3.) American beech

• 541 ft³ 13' 01" by 119.2'
  528 ft³ 12' 09" by 122.5'
  416 ft³ 11' 07" by 117.0'
  379 ft³ 10' 11" by 120.0'
  377 ft³ 11' 02" by 114.1'
  345 ft³ 10' 06" by 118.0'

4.) White oak

• 533 ft³ 13' 06" by 110.2'
  473 ft³ 12' 02" by 120.5'
  370 ft³ 10' 09" by 120.7'

5.) Sugar maple

• 496 ft³ 12' 07" by 118.1'
  362 ft³ 11' 02" by 109.5'

6.)Blackgum

• 389 ft³ 11' 06" by 111.0'
  344 ft³ 10' 01" by 127.5'
  344 ft³ 10' 07" by 115.7'

7.) Eastern cottonwood

• 368 ft³ 10' 06" by 125.7'

8.) White ash

• 358 ft³ 10' 08" by 118.5'
  339 ft³ 09' 07" by 139.3'

9.) Red maple

• 357 ft³ 11' 07" by 100.2'

10.) Black cherry

• 333 ft³ 10' 01" by 123.3'

11.) Cucumber-Tree

• 324 ft³ 10' 08" by 107.5'

12.) Eastern hemlock

• 317 ft³ 10' 04" by 111.8'

Additional Information

• North Chagrin History.rtf

  Wilderness Descriptions of the North Chagrin Reservation site and its Immediate Surroundings via The First Settlers

  (12.54 KiB) Downloaded 187 times

  

  Map to go with Wilderness Descriptions - They are quite literally describing the southern portion of "North Chagrin Reservation"

  1943219.pdf

  The Composition and Dynamics of a Beech-Maple Climax Community - 1936 study of N. Chagrin old growth

  (6.42 MiB) Downloaded 220 times

  

  Bird's Eye Map, with most of the parks boundary. Old growth is highlighted (currently an estimate). The shading is not terrain, the shades of yellow is of the Beech-Maple association and shades of red are of Mixed-Forest association

  V095N4_281.pdf

  Distribution and Persistence of American Chestnut Sprouts in Northeastern Ohio Woodlands - 1995 study, references to N. Chagrin

  (2.13 MiB) Downloaded 220 times

Damage and ongoing problems within the forest:

• *Chestnut blight - chestnut, once a dominate in the parks mixed forest - is now locally extinct in this forest
  *Dutch elm disease - prevents the parks elm from establishing large numbers, and mature sizes
  *Emerald ash borer - northern half of the forest is currently decimated from EAB
  *Invasive earthworms - duff layer damage
  *Overpopulation of white-tail deer - diversity and density of undergrowth suffering - Undoubtedly due to predatory extinctions via ecological isolation
  *Invasive plant species - The park has planted many decorative non-native species in the fields, now establishing themselves in the forest. Birds and deer have further spread non-native species
  *Extinction and extirpation of forest wildlife - Especially large mammals, but also birds, amphibians, and reptiles
  *Drainage problems - mainly this is due to poor trail design
  *Lack of formal protection - Invasive species will not be intervened by the Cleveland Metroparks

Problems present in the local area, but unconfirmed in the park:

• *Beech bark disease

Definite, or potential problems in the near future:

• *Hemlock woolly adelgid

Re-establishment of wildlife diversity in the forest

• Black bear - Extirpated since the 1830's, recently seen in Ohio, at least one survives almost exclusively within North Chagrin Reservation
  American beaver - Extirpated since the 1830's, beaver recently re-established their presence in the floodplains below the forest
  Eastern coyotes - Perhaps non-native. Today's population originated from the west and had been spotted in the area since the late 1970's. A pack of three coyotes with pups holds territory to the north, and two coyotes with pups is established to the south. Alpha pairs with three or four subordinate adults are not uncommon in the local area.
  White-tail deer - Another animal extinct since the 1830's, sightings occurred in the late 1930's. Though, the historic population was never this high. Until the unlikely return of large predators the parks deer are annually culled, but it was once, and is now again a part of the ecosystem

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRayUjTYQs4

*This post will be continuously updated with information. Please inform me of any errors on State Champion trees. I based the initial data on the BTD
http://rev215.treesdb.org/Browse/Sites/601/Details
Big Trees Database

Updated 9/10/2011

ENTS-

Dan and I returned to North Chagrin today to fill in species' heights we missed on the first trip, especially eastern hemlock and white oak. We found an eastern hemlock at 131.7', which brought the Rucker10 above 133---not bad for a northern site in an urban area. A photo of Dan with the largest girth red oak:.

After leaf drop this autumn I'm confident we'll push the Rucker10 past 135.

Steve

Dan and Steve,

Phantastic numbers! This site has turned out to be really impressive. When you get things together a complete single post writeup complete would be great for the BBS and the magazine if you get time. If not the cumulative post serve the purpose here on the BBS and are fine.

Ed Frank

Anyone know of a Blackgum measured that is taller than the specimen listed here? The ENTS species maximum list way back from 2005 indicated 112.1'

Nyssa sylvatica Tupelo, Black Gum Girth 77.5 Height 124.1 Forest Grown Belt Woods National Natural Landmark Belt Woods National Natural Landmark, MD Oct-01 C Rucker

ENTS-

It should be mentioned that "LiDAR Strikes Again". Dan found a LiDAR hit at 132' for a (presumed) hemlock; we went to the area, surveyed the possible trees, and sure enough there was a tall hemlock right where it should be, measured to 131.7'.

It's encouraging that new members, Dan and Stefan, are now "in the fold" in northern Ohio. I'm looking forward to leaf-off to get even better measurements for several sites.

Steve

Steve, Dan, Stefan, Rand,

Very impressive numbers. You guys are way cool. Ohio starts to fulfill its big tree heritage through your collective efforts.

There is no doubt in my mind that Ohio's hardwoods surpass those of New England by quite a bit. However, it might be a real shootout between Ohio and the Mid-Atlantic hardwoods. I hope you all are able to get over into Indiana eventually. I would think that what is true of Ohio would hold for Indiana.

Steve,

Can you bring us up on the 10 tallest trees that you all have measured in Ohio? I'd like to use the information in a future article I have in mind. In terms of the counterpart for Massachusetts, here is the list.

Species Height Location Date of Last Measurement

White Pine 169.6 MTSF 2011
White Ash 152.5 MTSF 2010
Tuliptree 141.9 RSP 2010
A. Sycamore 138.5 Easthampton 2004
E. Hemlock 137.5 Ice Glen 2010
Shagbark H. 136.7 Ice Glen 2010
S. maple 134.5 MTSF 2007 (?)
N. red oak 133.0 MTSF 2010
Bitternut H. 132.0 MTSF 2008 (?)
R. Maple 128.0 MTSF 2007 (?)

State R.I. 140.4

I'd bet by the time you all have hit most of the promising spots, the Ohio R.I. will surpass MA by a point or two, and eventually by 3. Just my gut feel.

Bob

Bob, ENTS-

The current Ohio Rucker10 index is 144.15, with all measurements based on the ENTS method. Link to specifics: http://rev215.treesdb.org/Browse/States/33/Details .

All of these measurements have been from the north-eastern part of the state, and I'm sure surveying areas in the south-eastern part of the state would increase the index. There is supposed to be a hemlock at 149' in the Hocking Hills area, but I've not measured it, nor has Rand, I think. I think Rand did measure a beech to 135' somewhere in that area, but that record is not reflected by the Rucker10 just posted.

Steve

Dan: The WV Max Dimension List has a Black-gum, N. sylvatica at 131'. See the entire list at:
2011 WV Maximum Dimension List-ENTS.xls
ENTS: the WV Statewide RHI stands at 143.2'. Check out
http://rev215.treesdb.org/Browse/States/47/Details .
TS

WV and OH are well represented in the Big Trees Database! Wow! This is excellent! Check out that WV RGI - And I thought the oaks in Chagrin were big, jeeeeeze

I think Ohio's RHI will climb more, chagrin needs measured after leaf drop. - and there are more sites all over that have yet to be explored. Just one mile north of N. Chagrin is Hatch Otis sanctuary - It's 81 additional acres of Chagrin-River old-growth. Check out the 130+ lidar on It's southeast slopes: From the sheer diversity of tree's we've found in North Chagrins slopes, my gut says most of these 130's-140's are not Tulip tree's, and we may strike some gold in the 140's-145's. I've got to get some measuring equipment. Anyone have extra laser/clinometers they'd be willing to sell? Email me @ dantheman9758@yahoo.com. Then we've got glaciated Ohio covered! Steve, email me the link to that tape measure reel that you found online.