Tree Crowns, what do they tell us? 

Issue No. 49 Spring 2022

A tall pine forest under a clearn cloudy sky, with young evergreen saplings in the foreground and mountains in the distance

About the Cover 

By: Peter Kolb - MSU Extension Forestry Specialist 

If you are reading this newsletter, it is almost certain that you love trees and forests. Surveys have given us a long list of why people feel the way they do about this subject, ranging from the spiritual to the utilitarian. I liken the love of forests to the love of books and libraries. Books can give us endless information about just about anything, let us escape from reality into some enjoyable fantasy world, teach us to be better in our relations to others, learn about history, and ultimately learn about ourselves. Libraries in turn can give us a quiet place to reflect and learn. If you forgive the analogy, forests do pretty much the same, though first you need to learn a new language in order to “read the forest” and the ecosystem it creates. If there is an alphabet, it might be the climate, soils, geology, and tree, plant and animal species. Combinations of these make up the words, and over time they make up different chapters and plots within the novel that is your forest. Tree crowns are a reflection of the genetics and life history of each tree (or character) on that site, and combinations of crowns tell us a little about interactions and story of that site. The cover shows us some really big strong healthy ponderosa pines, surrounded by others that have some other characteristics (thin crown, wide crown, lighter needles, etc). We know that ponderosa pines need full sunlight to germinate and grow—so aging the trees tells us when that location had a major disturbance that created sunny bare mineral soil. Maybe a lightning strike caused fire? Or maybe some fire set by the Salish or Kootenai people? But why do the trees look different with this shared history? Does the thin crown tree have a disease that will infect the other trees? Maybe it just is in a different phase of its life? Poor nutrition, genetics, a cold? And then there is the larch—looking a little ragged compared to the ponderosa pines— but why? Is this the way larch is supposed to look? And what about the tree “kids” in the foreground? Will they turn out like their parents, or do they need something new that their parents did not have when they were younger? As forest managers we have a population of individuals we are responsible for, and that most of us want to see get bigger, stronger and healthier, and that provide us with the pleasure of seeing them grow and give us not only the experience, but also the wood products that provide us with the means to do more for the forest. Tree crowns can tell us a lot, and hopefully this issue will give you some more information that helps figure out the characters, plot and the chapter of the book that we are a part of. And if you find you end up with more questions than answers, game on, that is always part of learning more and being a forest steward. I hope you enjoy this issue of the Montana Family Forest News!

Peter Kolb signature

From the Editor's Desk 

This newsletter is possible through funding from the Renewable Resources Extension Act (RREA). It highlights numerous articles focused on information and resources that forest landowners can use to better their knowledge and potentially implement on their own land. The overall concept is to provide articles that capture one’s attention based on current issues and updates on various organizations on a state and national level. Our goal is to provide articles that will give important information and encourage landowners to develop new ideas towards their land. The newsletter is also available at http://forestry.msuextension.org/publications.html.

Warm regards,

Christina Oppegard

 

Editor 

Peter Kolb

MSU Extension Forestry Specialist 

 

Designer 

Christina Oppegard 

MSU Extension Program Manager 

 

Advisor 

Cindy Peterson 

MSU Extension Associate Forestry Specialist 

 

Financial Contributors 

Montana Tree Farm 

Montana Stewardship Foundation 

Montana Forest Owners Association 

Montana State University Extension Forestry 

 

A diamond-shaped logo for "Certified Family Forest" featuring a central seal and the words Wood, Water, Recreation, and Wildlife along the outer edgesAn arched logo for the "Forest Stewardship Foundation" featuring silhouettes of evergreen trees and a single tree in the centerA logo featuring the silhouette of the state of Montana with evergreen trees on top and the bold white letters "MFOA" in the centerA logo for "Montana State University Extension Forestry Program" featuring a large letter "M" with a flame-like graphic on topA mountain-shaped logo for the "MT Department of Natural Resources & Conservation" featuring a sun, the bold letters "DNRC," and a winding river

 

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), Montana State University and Montana State University Extension prohibit discrimination in all of their programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital and family status. Issued in furtherance of cooperative extension work in agriculture and home economics, acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Cody Stone, Director of Extension, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717.