Dr. Stuart Alan Moss Assistant Professor West Virginia University Division of Forestry & Natural...
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Transcript of Dr. Stuart Alan Moss Assistant Professor West Virginia University Division of Forestry & Natural...
Dr. Stuart Alan MossAssistant Professor
West Virginia UniversityDivision of Forestry & Natural Resources
Tree Identification Basics
GymnospermsDo not produce true flowersSeeds borne in conesConifers (pine, spruce, fir, hemlock, larch, cedar, etc.) Mostly evergreen, but some are deciduous (larch,
baldcypress)
AngiospermsFlowering plants“Hardwoods” (oak, maple, hickory, ash, cherry, etc.)Sometimes referred to as “broad-leafed”Mostly deciduous, but some are evergreen (live oak, holly)
Gymnosperm vs. Angiosperm
Shape of Tree
Branching Pattern
Bark
Twigs & Buds
Leaves
Fruit
Flowers
Tree Identification May Use:
Overall Tree/Crown Shape
Branching Pattern
Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison
massnrc.org
Opposite Branching – “MAD-Cap Horse”MapleAshDogwood
Caprifoliaceae (Viburnams)Horsechestnut / Buckeye
Branching Pattern
hvfarmscape.org
Branching pattern of red maple
Characteristics Useful for Identification:Broad-leaf vs. scaled or needle-likeSimple vs. compoundGeneral shapeMarginPubescent (hairy or fuzzy) vs. glabrous
(smooth)Arrangement on twigsScentTaste
Leaves - General
Leaves – Scaled
Iowa State Univ. Treetopics.com
Eastern redcedarNorthern white-cedar
Leaves –Needle-like
Gaiahealthblog.com Ayay.co.uk
Angular shape, sharp to touch : spruces
Flattened shape, rounded tip : firs and hemlock
Needles arranged singularly along the stem:
Leaves –Needle-like in bundles
Virginia Dept. of Education
Fascicle
“Simple”
“Compound”
Leaves – Broad-leafed
University of New Hampshire 2020site.org
University of North Carolina
Sugar maple American beech
Mockernut hickory
Leaves – Compound Broad-leaf
sluh.org
Palmate - buckeyeMississippi State University
Pinnate – white ash Bi-pinnate - honeylocust
honeylocust.com
Broad-leaf Shapes
U.S. Dept. of Agriculture
Leaf Margins
EntireSmooth edge
SinuateWavy, almost lobed
UndulateWavy
Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky
Leaf Margins
LobedLobes extend less than halfway to rib
Pinnately DividedLobes more than halfway to rib
PalmatelyDividedLobed like a hand
Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky
Leaf Margins
SerrateForward-pointing teeth of uniform size
SerrulateVery finely serrate
Doubly Serrate (Erose)Teeth vary in size
Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky
Leaf Margins
DentateOutward-pointing teeth
CrenateRounded teeth
CiliateFine hairs
Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky
Leaf Venation
PinnateExtend from rib to margin
PalmateExtend from central point to end of each lobe
ParallelRun parallel to margin
Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky Univ. of Kentucky
Leaf Apices (Tips)
Univ. of Illinois
Leaf Bases
Univ. of Maryland
Characteristics Useful for Identification:ColorTextureThickness
Bark - General
Characteristics Change with Age!
Bark Characteristics
northernwoodlands.org
Black cherry
Bark Texture - SmoothAmerican beech
Bark Texture – Ridged / Furrowed
suttonmass.org
Uninterrupted
Iowa State Univ.
Intersecting
Northern red oak White ash
Bark Texture – Blocked
augustaga.gov
Blackgum
Bark Texture – Plated / Scaled
Black cherry
Bark Texture – Peeling / Exfoliating
ipfw.eduMissouri Botanical Gardens
River birch American sycamore
Bark Texture – Lenticels
Univ. of Miami
White (paper) birch White poplar
Common on birch, poplar, cherry and others
Characteristics Useful for Identification:ThicknessTexture / Features
GlabrousPubescentWinged / corkyThorns/spines
ColorLeaf scarsBuds
Arrangement (alternate vs. opposite)ShapeTexture (smooth, sticky)Scales
Twigs - General
Twigs - Anatomy
Clemson University
Twigs – Overview
Eat the Weeds
Ash Maple Birch Beech Horse-chestnut
Oak
Twigs – Thickness
Portrait of the Earth (both)
Thick, stout twigs are usually indicative of heavy fruit (walnut, hickory, buckeye, etc.)
Black walnut Cherry (choke, black & pin)
Twigs – Features
Louisiana State Univ.
Corky “wings” on sweetgumSpines on black locust
Auburn Univ.
Twigs – Leaf Scars
Univ. of Maryland
Univ. of Wisconsin – Green Bay
Ohio DNR Division of Forestry
Buckeye
Butternut & black walnut
TerminalFalse TerminalLateralSingle or clusters
Types of Buds
Ohioplants.org
Basswood – bitternut hickory – chinquapin oak
Buds - Shape
Missouriplants.com
Carolinanature.com
Auburn Univ. Ohioplants.org
Bud Scales
Ohioplants.org
Valvate yellow-poplar
Imbricate sugar maple
Nakedwitch-hazel
Drupe – cherry, peach, plum, dogwoodPome – apple, pearBerry – persimmon, hollyNut – hickory, pecan, walnutAcorn –oakSamara – maple, ash, elm, yellow-
poplarSeeds in pods – black locust,
honeylocust, redbud
Fruits of Angiosperms
Fruit - Drupes
Louisiana State Univ.
Black cherry Dogwood
Missouri State Univ.
Fruit - PomesApple
Brookfarm.com
Fruit - Berry
Persimmon
Discoverlife.org Thetreecenter.com
Holly
Fruit - Nut
Mockernut hickory
Auburn Univ.
Black walnut
Onlyfoods.net
Fruit - AcornNorthern red oak
Treetopics.com
White oak
Virginia Native Plant SocietyPin oak
University of Kentucky
Fruit - SamaraRed maple
Washington State Univ.
Yellow-poplar
Oregon State Univ.
Slippery elm
Carolinanature.com
Fruit – Legume PodsEastern redbud
Caseytrees.org
Fruits of Conifers
Various Southern Pines
University of South Carolina
Fruits of ConifersNorway spruce
Treetopics.com
Baldcypress
Stephen F. Austin State Univ.
Eastern redcedar
University of Tennessee
Use a series of “yes or no” questions (“Are leafs needle-like?”) or mutually-exclusive options (“Leaves simple or compound”).
Answers to questions direct the user to the next question.
Dichotomous Keys
Using a Dichotomous Key
Dichotomous Keys
More advanced keys use all available characteristics: leaves, twigs, buds, etc.
Some keys are specialized for use in winter (i.e. they do not rely on leaves for deciduous species).
Here are a few examples: http://bhort.bh.cornell.edu/tree/keys.htm http://cnre.vt.edu/dendrology/idit.htm http://www.dec.ny.gov/docs/lands_forests_pdf/
treeidkey.pdf