Cathedral Forest - Virgin Hemlock Forest

Day 1 of the Cabell County Forest and Rail visited Cathedral State Forest in Preston County, West Virginia. This 133 acre park is a virgin hemlock forest that has never been harvested. The previous owner sold the land to the state under the provision that it never be touched by saw or axe.

What makes the the forest unique beyond the stipulations for remaining uncut is the appearance of the forest from under the canopy. When in the forest, the first thing noticed will be the lack of a thick undergrowth on the floor. The predominantly hemlock trees create an atmosphere that is considerably different than forest at lower altitudes or forest that were harvested for the timber content. Follow the link below to see a 360 degree view from the forest.

Cathedral Forest 360 from 7/15/2011

Questions to think about:

• Why do you think the forest floor appears so much different than a harvested forest?
• How do new trees compete with the old growth trees?
• The bark of hemlocks was used to tan leather in the past. What would this tell you about how the tree affects the pH level of the soil? 

The group measured a hemlock tree while in the forest. We also computed pH for the soil. The data below shows the outcome from that field experience.

Water Quality Sample for Four Pole Creek

As a part of the WV Forest & Rail Project, we as teachers were responsible for assessing the water quality of Four Pole Creek at Ritter Park. Our field outing in April provided us time to collect water, but many questions had to be answered for the other group present in the shelter on that afternoon. After reviewing the data I had acquired, I decided to retest the water due to some missing information and to practice the procedure.

On June 24, I went to Ritter Park to collect a water sample from the creek and to take a few pictures. The results of the water quality testing are shown in the table below.

For this sample on this day, the water quality overall is at the low end of the medium spectrum. I was surprised by the Turbity outcome for the sample as even with agitation of the sample water before collection, that number seems low based on what my eyes told me. I calibrated the sensor and the number stayed the same.

To test water quality, follow the procedures listed here from Investigating Environmental Science.

1. Collect water sample.
2. Using Vernier Labquest, test temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, turbidity,  using the appropriate sensors or probes.
3. You will also need DO tables to determine dissolved oxygen for the conditions on the day of the test.
4. Once the data is collected, it will be entered into the spreadsheet. You will need to compare the data to the chart to determine Q values for each parameter.
5. Check outcomes on spreadsheet to make sure no errors are present.



Think about the following:

• How does the water quality vary with changes in temperature?
• Why would water flow rate change quality?
• Would changing the collection point alter the results? Why or why not?

Timber Transport in the 21st Century

Last Thursday on I-77 near Chesapeake, I passed a truck carrying a load of logs. The development of the modern truck for transport of large, cumbersome items changed the face of mass transport for the United States. Trucks are primarily utilized for commodity goods for end user consumption, but are also used for movement of raw materials such as coal or wood. Intricate supply systems are now in place for rapid fulfillment of orders as needed to lower overhead costs for companies.
According to a 2007 study from the University of Memphis, 4%, in tons, of freight moved by truck was a wood product. While this number is low, the flexibility of trucks creates opportunities that are much more difficult via railroad. The numbers change when examining revenues for truck versus rail transport. 27% of all revenue for railroads is generated by wood, paper, and associated products. That translates to $2.70 out of every $10 is directly impacted by timber or wood products.
Looking at this data, how does revenue show the impact of timber on railroads? Why would this information be relevant when maintaining rail lines or building new ones?

Report retrieved from: http://www.memphis.edu/ifti/pdfs/cifts_freight_baseline.pdf

Activities Updated

The links below lead to activities I have created for use with the Forest and Rail project for 6th grade. The lessons are challenge-based learning activities that encompass standards from each core content area. The students will be pushed to complete the activities within the allotted time frames reflecting authentic, real-world situations they will encounter in life. Working in small groups, the students will also be building 21st Century skills while manipulating the tools needed to succeed in the future.

Some questions that students will need to research and solve include:

1. What types of trees grow in the BHMS forest?
2. Why use GPS to mark tree locations? Why would that help others?
3. How does tree height effect board feet? What other factors effect board feet output?
4. How do I use a clinometer? Why use one?
5. Why use Shay/Climax locomotives for transporting timber? 
6. How does slope limit train movement? 
7. How do I design a railroad to move timber to a sawmill? Why plot the route on the map?
8. How does sharing my findings help others understand timber operations?

The activities are also housed in the left navigation pane.

Trees in the School Forest
Board Feet:Student Guide
Timber to Mill:Build a Railroad

Determining Tree Height & Board Feet

Finding usable tree height is accomplished using a clinometer. This device, which can be an app for Android and iOS devices, provides angles to deduce usable tree height for milling trees. After finding the percentage angles, subtract the base angle (negative value) from the angle where the usable tree height ends. Do not forget to change percentages to decimal form or the tree height will be incorrect. Multiply this result by 66 feet to determine the usable tree height. This measurement is needed to find the board feet available in the tree. 

You also need to measure the circumference of the tree at chest level, roughly 4 1/2 feet from the ground. Convert this to diameter using the formula: diameter = circumference/3.14. Convert this from inches to feet by dividing by 12 and then find the radius by dividing by 2. The next step is finding cubic feet to estimate board feet.