Forest Management  

Land Department staff manage SMSC’s forested areas. We record significant trees that have a Diameter-at-Breast-Height (DBH) of 15 inches or greater. These trees are recorded using a Global Positioning System (GPS) that marks the tree position. Tree height, marker number, and species are recorded as well. Currently, we have over nine hundred trees in our database and were not finished surveying yet! The Petsch and Whipps parcels on SMSC property mostly consist of a climax Sugar Maple-Basswood forest and have the most significant trees (refer to map). The YMCA owns the area to the east of the Petsch woods. Land staff has been given permission to survey there and we added those trees to our inventory.

One problem facing many forested areas on SMSC property is Common Buckthorn (Rhamnus cathartica). This shrub species was introduced from Europe and has an ability to out-compete native species. Buckthorn is spread by birds that deposit the undigested fruit seeds in their fecal matter. We see it encroaching from the outer edges of SMSC forested areas. The result is a dense thicket of Buckthorn that is nearly impenetrable for other plants to compete for resources. Large areas of understory forest can be taken over by Common Buckthorn since it is both drought and shade tolerant. We manage this plant by brushing a herbicide called Garlon on the bark. It’s very effective at taking out individual plants or small communities. Diagnostic features include finely toothed, elliptic, glossy, dark-green leaves; dark berry clusters; and leaves that stay on long after native plants have turned color or shed.