In southwestern NJ, along the Delaware Bay, Davis (1993) described two areas of possible old-growth broadleaf swamp forests. According to Davis, Bear Swamp West is 100 acres of possible old growth forest containing some 400 to 500-year-old black gum, 300-year-old sweetgum, large red maples, and large sweetbay magnolia trees (of unknown…...
What Does “Old-Growth” Really Mean? It depends – Example 2 – Eastern Hemlock Forests of Northern NJ (Installment 4 of 6)
Another example of older forests in New Jersey that have suffered significantly due to lack of management are forests comprised of Eastern hemlock. Davis (1993, 2003) discussed that many of NJ’s historically old growth forest had been dominated by Eastern hemlock, which is a conifer species that can live up…...
What does “Old-Growth” really mean? It depends. (Installment 1 of 6)
We humans depend heavily on our visual senses and emotional responses. We frequently make decisions from our hearts, occasionally in defiance of data. We also tend to dislike environmental and other change. This human approach to decision-making is relevant to our definition and approach to stewarding “old-growth” forests. The notion…...
Birds of Belleplain – May 5, 2021
Leaders: Shaun Bamford, Bert Hixon, Lynn Pollard Temp: Winds: Weather Conditions: Scintillating Scarlet and Summer Tanagers, territorial and aglow in the morning light, greeted participants of this mornings ‘Birds of Belleplain State Forest’ excursion. Other highlights included point-blank, lingering views of an obliging territorial male Prairie Warbler, Baltimore Oriole and…...
What is, and Why, Femelschlag
There is no such thing as a “Shade-Loving” plant, plain and simple. In elementary school we learned about photosynthesis. Remember photosynthesis? The essential process of how plants, (except holoparasitic or semiparasitic plants) make food by an endothermic (‘takes in heat’) chemical process that uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into…...