Stumped

10 years ago

This stump was left after the tree was cut down a year ago at a neighbor's house.The tree was a quercus falcata and around 80-90 years old according to the ring count.

I was out on an "adventure" with my daughter and had plenty of time to examine it while she planted juniper seeds on a (seldom used) road a few feet away.

I just thought it was a good snapshot of two tree trunks fusing together. Most likely both of the trunks originated from the same root mass. Notice the included bark in the middle is already hollow. Also the callus area of the rings seemed to have grown faster than the outer part of the rings at the same time period. Neat.

Right click on the pics and click "View image" to make the pics full screen

This post was edited by j0nd03 on Fri, Jun 21, 13 at 10:03

Comments (4)

arktrees
10 years ago
Excellent John. I like how the inclusion was eventually over come and solid wood resulted. Makes me wonder if this is a primary mechanism for trees like Sugar Maple that can get inclusions, but aren't nearly as prone to splitting? That, and just tough wood of course.

Arktrees
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
i would have suspected that it was mown or nibbled down as a sapling... and made two leaders.. and then started including the bark as they grew ...

why do you presume two separate trees???

i have no clue which of us was right.. i am just interested in our differing presumptions ...

ken

ps: i hope she was planting seeds of that invasive j virginianna ... i should send you a paper box of them so you can have her plant them around ... lol ... i am just kidding.. good for you for teaching her.. and spending the time ....
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j0nd03
Original Author
10 years ago
"Most likely both of the trunks originated from the same root mass."
-Me

"I would have suspected that it was mown or nibbled down as a sapling... and made two leaders.. and then started including the bark as they grew ... "
-You

To me, they are the same thing ;-)

That is to say what you said is a rephrasing of what I meant.

There are actually several examples of this going on in the early stages of their lives in the woods out back - two or more trunks coming up from the same apparent root mass. There are a few post oaks and blackjack oaks doing this but most are actually falcata interestingly enough.

Oh and I made sure she knew the chipped asphalt road is the ONLY acceptable place to plant the juniper seeds haha

Ark, I find it most interesting that, if you look closely, the included bark is nearly perfectly preserved after spending 30-40 years encased by layer upon layer of added wood!

John
ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
10 years ago
That is to say what you said is a rephrasing of what I meant.

==>> you mean you understand it to be what i meant to think..about what you said.. lol ..

i thought you were saying.. e.g. .... two acorns in one hole.. and i was thinking one acorn .. one cutting...

i said .... e.g.. i know we arent talking about oak ...

lol on the j virg.. ya gotta each them everything.. lol ..

ken