Forestry Question

[txscoutdad]

A while back I was looking for local places to go on day hikes with my kids and was looking at a web site hosted by the county. It made a claim about one park and I'll clip and post it here

 

"This is a climax forest with some trees that are estimated to be 300 to 500 years old. This is the only known location in the world where eight species of oaks are found growing together in the same ecosystem."

 

I'm just wondering about the factual content of a statement like this especially when on another park site they talk about a creek by saying,

 

"Each April the Sand Bass spawn, and people come out to see the thousands of fish swimming toward Lake Ray Hubbard."

 

Now I'm not real knowledgeable about Forestry but I do know something about fishing and I've been down to this creek when the Sandies are running and all the people down there are not there just to watch the fish. Holding a fishing pole and with the water so muddy it's real hard to "see" the fish run. Oh and the fish swim up stream away from the lake.

 

Now the point of this post. Yes I do have a point in this, and it's a question to ask anyone knowing about Forestry. It goes back to the topic about Oak trees and if this is the "only" place in the world that you can see eight types of Oaks in one place.

Anyone have an answer?

[Fuzzy Bear]

Answer:

No two trees are the same.

 

 

Question:

You live near Lake Ray Hubbard?

 

FB

[txscoutdad]

FB

Okay so the question is eight SPECIES of oak in one spot.

Yes, I'm a few minutes from the West side of the lake.(This message has been edited by txscoutdad)

[Fuzzy Bear]

 

 

(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

[Fuzzy Bear]

 

 

(This message has been edited by Fuzzy Bear)

[Fuzzy Bear]

I am without the answer as you suspected.

 

 

You must live just North of my old home town. I used to live in Mesquite, all those many years ago before the Bass spawned in swarms in LRH.

 

FB

[txscoutdad]

Fuzzy,

Yes I live in the next town up.

 

So nobody that comes here is a Forestry Merit Badge Counselor or has any input on my question?

 

Hello...Hello...Hello..

[9muckraker7]

I just googled your question and I came up with this webpage that may have the answer:

 

http://www.pacificforest.org/news/pdf/spring2001.pdf

[Be_Prepared]

There are over 400 species of oak worldwide, with over 50 in the US alone. There are many parks and wilderness areas that have 8, 9 or more species of oak - a few:

 

Gila Watershed complex in New Mexico Apache Box

Bear Valley Ranch Central California

Black Mountain Sierra Nevada Foothills

National Park Service Turkey Run Ranch, Virginia

Several Ranches in the Pacific Forest Trust

Devonwood Conservation Area- Canada

Chicago Wilderness Area - Illinois

 

[txscoutdad]

Thanks for the responses.

 

I had my doubts that this park was that unique and what was on the web site was the result of an overzealous webmaster putting spin on the topic or just posting what someone else wrote and not checking for facts.

If it was true, then I thought it would be great for a day trip for the troop maybe.

I did email the webmaster a while back pointing out the errors in the info on the sand bass but did not recieve a response nor see a change in the site.

Oh well.

Off to Lake Texoma this weekend for a troop campout. Hope the weather stays cool like it has all summer. Only ONE day of 100 deg temps.