Provenance: Holland, Region 3.3.14-01
Provenance latitude: 52.25 degrees north
Origin: Unknown
Altitude of seed trees in Holland: 0-100 metres
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Images:
Day
5918
- height from ground 1.5 m (~ 5 feet), selected
details (note crustose lichens), 1.1 megabyte image Day
6388 - new shoots emerging, 2.6 megabyte image
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YouTube video of Quercus
robur EO001, September 11, 2011
YouTube video of Quercus
robur EO001, April 16, 2012
Local site details:
Composition:
Glacial deposits
derived from silicic/felsic rock, commonly tonalite. Soil typically
reddish and clay rich, with magnetite (a few percent) common.
Soil: pH
typically 5.0-5.5
Exposure: 3-10. The acorn was planted in a sheltered spot
at a depth of 1-2 cm. The oak tree
that grew from the acorn eventually became fully exposed to the
elements as it grew above the shelter that had been afforded by the
native trees.
Previous land use: none (planted in a cleared
area of original forest).
Planting site preparation:
none.
Site cultivation to date:
occasional removal of competing vegetation such as young Betula papyrifera
(White birch) and Prunus
pennsylvanica (Pin cherry).
Planting site latitude: The
local latitude is 47.50 degrees north. Hence the local site is 4.75
degrees south of the provenance latitude. Assuming 111.0 km per degree
latitude, the local site is approximately 528 km or 321 miles south of
the provenance latitude.
Altitude: 20 metres.
Aspect (slope): moderate, west.
Natural damage:
no known moose (Alces
alces americana Clinton 1822 [Peterson 1955]) or showshoe
hare (Lepus americanus
Erxleben 1777) damage noticed since planting.
Tree details:
Height: 7.47 m, 24' 6" (March 3, 2010) measured with measuring rod and
assessed using photographs
Height: 7.47 m, 24' 6" (December 29, 2009)
Height: 6.80 m, 22' 4" (January 10, 2009)
Bole
circumference:
40.8 cm, September 7, 2011, measured at fixed point
marked
on the bole ~30 cm from the ground
34.5
cm, March 3, 2010
33.5
cm, August 10, 2009
Bole circumference:
34.8 cm
September 7, 2011 122.0 cm (48
inches) above the ground
[29.2 cm,
March 3, 2010] ?
36.5
cm, August
11, 2009
December 2009
35.5
cm, July
23, 2009
34.0
cm November
11, 2008
Time of the
first seasonal shoot extension (bud break): early June
2009.
Shoot Extension (on a
selected branch)
Two episodes of shoot extension were noticed:
A.
2009 first growth
(shoot extension) data from a selected branch:
11.0 cm
B.
2009 second growth
(shoot extension) data from the same selected branch as above (A):
10.0 cm total second growth to August 9 (when measurements
were started)
11.5 cm to August 10
13.5 cm to August 11
14.2 cm to August 12
15.5 cm to August 13
16.5 cm to August 14
18.0 cm to August 15
20.2 cm to August 16
20.2 cm to August 17
20.9 cm to August 18
21.3 cm to August 19 (end of
second growth, and end of all growth for 2009, no third growth noticed)
21.3 cm to August 20
21.3 cm to August 21
21.3 cm to August 22 (32.
3 cm total of both seasonal growth extensions)
Growth rate:
From August 10 to August 19, the selected shoot above extended by 12.3
cm. Hence, 12.3 cm divided by 9 (days) gives a growth rate of
approximately 1.37 cm
per day.
Acorns:
The first acorns were noticed midway to the top of EO001 on
August
10, 2007 (~5000 days, or 14 years after the acorn was planted).
August
13, 2007 - acorns dropping
August 18,
2008 - acorns dropping, August 21, all acorns dropped
August 20, 2009 - a few acorns turned dark brown over the previous 24
hours, none seen to have dropped yet
August 22, 2009 - first acorn seen to drop from tree (while handling a
branch).
September, 2009 -
It
might seem odd to the reader that the drop dates of immature acorns are
known to such an accurate time. But when a tree is visited every day,
and sometimes more than once a day, the time of the dropping of acorns
can be known to an accuracy of several hours.
Observations:
First
hand field notes: on a few trees, leaves of the current year
retain much green into mid-November (2009), otherwise, the majority of
leaves are olive-green by mid-November, in November, the leaves are
conspicuous and quite noticeable on the ground, sometimes at a great
distance from the tree, as if they had escaped or been scattered there
on purpose, when disturbed by the wind, late autumn leaves still
attached to the tree sound like corn flakes flowing from a box, in late
March, the same leaves now somewhat fewer in number on the same tree
have a more ragged sound, other leaves will be found (blown in) on the
floor of a shed, paper birch leaves are now black, wet, and folded into
the mud, at approximately 15 years, when English Oak trees have become
large enough, they will change the aesthetics of a garden or planted
area by virtue of the mass effect of their unique (to Newfoundland)
autumn leaf colour, at Candlemass, in mid-winter, when shovelling, oak
leaves will be encountered on the surface or within snow, in
springtime, when hacking, leaves will be found encased in tabular and
conchoidal pieces of ice, trunks at the ground will withstand intense
quack/couch grass fire, the lowest leaves heavy and afire white, gray,
and charcoal will struggle into the air, in late April, last year's
leaf when torn from its tree in a windstorm will make an audible 'tick'
when striking the wooden side of a house, in late-April an occasional
leaf will become lodged on edge upright in veranda decking and rest
there for months (at least August 28 in 2009), first signs of bud break
showing green occurs in late May (May 28, 2009) for provenances of
Holland and southern England, stalks holding acorns are 4.0 to 5.5 cm
long (July 24, 2009), acorns roughly 5-7 mm in diameter and 5 mm deep
at July 26, 2009, second growth (flush) well underway in many oak
toward the end of July (July 28, 2009), in late July leaves from 2008
will still be observed blowing around on the floor inside a shed on a
windy day, second summer growth noticed in side branch of EO001 on
August 9, 2009 at 10.0 cm (3.5 inches of rain the night/morning of
August 7/8), second growth noticed at top of EO001 August 9, 2009 (see
growth rate notes), immature 2008 acorns still attached to their stalks
can be found in dead 2008 grass beneath oak as late as August 2009, the
end of new growth can be identified by the 'stacking' effect as leaves
are added but the stem does not extend, new second growth stems up to
30 cms long are able to withstand winds up to 80 km/hr without any
damage (EO001, Hurricane Bill, August 23, 2009), leaves do not 'wick'
oil and are strongly resistant to oil absorption, oil will pool on leaf
surface,
Animals and insects: moose will eat branches down to
at least a 5mm x 8mm ellipse (March 29, 2009), largely resistant to
insects - caterpillars and spanworms consume leaves very slowly and
appear to run out of time or search for new food during their attempt
to damage leaves,
Storm damage: new growth leaders are able to
withstand any known force winds, leaves will withstand gusts to 70
km/hr without any damage, leaves will become damaged (torn/shredded)
when the wind gusts to 150 km/hr (remnants of tropical storm Danny,
August 30, 2009)
Appendix
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Approximate density of Quercus
robur - 720
kg/cubic metre (15% moisture)
Approximate density of Abies
balsamea - 350
kg/cubic metre (15% moisture)
Approximate density of Picea
mariana - 410
kg/cubic metre (15% moisture)
Approximate density of Betula
alleghaniensis - 610
kg/cubic metre (15% moisture)
Approximate density of Buxus
sempervirens - 910
kg/cubic metre (15% moisture)