Report on Friends of Shimek 4th
Annual Education Day
Twelve people attended the 4th Annual
Shimek Forest Education Day presented by Shimek State Forester,
John
Byrd last Saturday morning. Despite its crisp beginning, the day
was sunny and calm. In the first part of the program, held at
White Oak
campground, John discussed urban trees suitable for yards and
answered questions. He recommended diversity in tree plantings
due to insects like ash borers and some diseases affecting maples
now. This might mean using trees like ironwood or
hackberry. He recommended native species endemic to a location
and
encouraged land owners to become familiar with the type of soil
and
climate conditions in their yards and what type of trees are
suitable for such a location. He stressed the importance
of using slower growing trees if you want a long lasting, strong
tree. The fast growing trees like many of the poplars are not good
choices as they come down easily in high winds.
Here John is discussing which tree
shapes/growth patterns are weak.
He mentioned evidence that a tree
planted from seed can outgrow bare root trees or potted trees due
to
stress to the tree when it is replanted. He also mentioned that
any stress to a tree will shorten its life span, even though the
tree
may seem unaffected at the time. This could be drought,
insects, severe trimming, damage to the root zone. He cautioned
about planting root bound potted trees and how to cut the roots so
a
tree was not choked by its own roots winding round and round the
pot
as the roots can actually girdle the tree. John mentioned
new research about pruning certain trees when the sap begins
running
in the spring due to evidence that the new sap would heal a wound
quickly versus pruning in the fall when the wound remains open
until
spring. He also stressed that you generally should not paint over
a
cut as that hinders the tree's own healing process. Oak trees
should never be pruned in the spring when sap is flowing due to
the
types of diseases that affect oaks. John recommended mulching
yard trees with 6 to 8 inches of mulch each year, being sure not
to
get any right up to the tree trunk and spreading it out far enough
that you can mow around it comfortably.
Experts that you can contact for free
help with tree selection and planting are the Iowa DNR district
foresters. The District 5 Forester is Lisa Louck in Wapello at
319-523-2216 and the District 6 Forester is Ray Lehn in Fairfield
at
641-472-2370. There are Iowa State Extension Service publications
available online as well. One excellent article is from Iowa
Outdoors entitled “10 Distinctive Trees to Plant” at http://www.cityofdubuque.org/DocumentCenter/View/22463
There is also a new DNR publicaiton availabe: Rethining Maple-Selecting Trees for Your Yard - A Case for Species Diversity. We have permission to post it here for your use--Click on this link:
During the second part of the
program John discussed forest management at Shimek State Forest.
This began with a walk in the woods at the White Oak Campground
shown here, discussing how a forester manages a tract of timber
for regeneration
with various management practices.
Control burns reduce brushy growth of unwanted under story and this can release the growth of young trees like oaks by allowing more sunlight and less competition. However, some under story is necessary to encourage the young trees to reach for the sky and grow long straight trunks, not like the low branching of a lone tree on the prairie. Cutting down less desirable trees can release sunlight to choice trees. Forest management is not just about the trees harvested today but more about trees being regenerated for harvest in the future. For example, an oak tree may need 120 years to mature for harvest (not to be confused with a life span of 400 to 800 years). Depending on the height and width of the trunk and any flaws noted like where a tree limb has left a scar, an oak tree may only be worth $100 at harvest after growing for 100 years! Oak trees are a good harvest tree due to the amount of mast (nuts) produced for wild life and the value of oak trees for harvest. There are many different species of oak trees in Iowa that thrive in different types of soil and conditions and are valued for different purposes.
Here John demonstrates how to estimate the board feet in a tree.
Next was a stop in the Lick Creek unit
to see an
area about 8 years into regeneration after harvest. John
demonstrated
how to estimate the number of young tree sprouts per acre with a
simple device - a stick with a string to measure a circle of 6'7”
diameter or 1/1000 acre and count the number of trees in that
circle. A reliable estimate require taking numerous such
samples. He is hoping to achieve 2,000 to 5,000 oak sprouts per
acre. This depends not only on his management process but the good
fortune
of having an excellent acorn crop from the nurse trees. A
burn is scheduled soon in the area visited to remove some of the
underbrush and let these young oak trees get more light. While
learning about the forest, participants also observed a variety of
other plants and mushrooms growing in the woods. Among these were
a
"hissing" mushroom known as the Black Tulip that is
considered a harbinger for morel mushrooms, and early spring
flowers
including serviceberry trees in full bloom, Virginia blue bells,
Dutchman's breeches, violets, spring beauties, toothwort, and even
a
Dogtooth Violet (trout lily.)
John Byrd is responsible for the management of over 9400 acres of forestland and has it in a ten year rotation for management practices so that he works with nearly 1,000 acres each year. Anyone can view the 300 page document for the management of Shimek Forest written by John Byrd and posted on the Iowa DNR website at
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/forestry/shimek_managementplan.pdf
John Byrd is responsible for the management of over 9400 acres of forestland and has it in a ten year rotation for management practices so that he works with nearly 1,000 acres each year. Anyone can view the 300 page document for the management of Shimek Forest written by John Byrd and posted on the Iowa DNR website at
http://www.iowadnr.gov/Portals/idnr/uploads/forestry/shimek_managementplan.pdf
The Friends of Shimek thank John
Byrd for spending the morning educating participants about urban
tree
plantings and forest management.
This photo is of the Black Tulip mushroom.
