Zombie Tree

 

“Nature abhors a vacuum.” – Aristotle

Beech, birch, balsam fir, and white pine are all active in this part of the forest and are all contenders to colonize this open space.  Fir trees are the most aggressive colonizers and fast growing, often outcompeting other species for space and light. White birch can also quickly establish a dense stand, yet like balsam fir it is short-lived and usually gives way to other species. Beech trees spread vegetatively and are slower to become established, yet they are persistent and can outlast other species. White pine is also slow to colonize, but has a long life and under the right conditions will dominate an area.

Steps have begun to use this opportunity to expand this beech stand. A vigorous beech stand, like this one, adds diversity to the forest. Beech is also underrepresented, compared to the other species. To give beech an advantage, it is necessary to cut down a handful of fir trees in the space, outlined by the giant branch that fell from the Zombie tree and its large limb.

Since beech trees propagate through their roots, everything is interconnected, meaning that this whole area is part of a single clonal organism, known as a “genet”. Each individual stem, or “ramet”, is genetically identical, sharing the same root system and genetic makeup. A well-known example of a clonal organism is the “Pando” aspen grove in Utah, where thousands of stems are part of a single genet, making it one of the largest and oldest living organisms on Earth.

In 50 years, this area will look very different, as the competition gets sorted out.