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Sweet Gum Trees--The Delta seems to have an over supply of these trees and I'm trying to determine what most owners do with this timber. I feel if we cut these trees, either the underbrush would expand, or the oaks would benefit. Duck or deet habitat would be enhanced IMHO. Any thoughts you have on the matter would be appreciated.

Actually the sweetgum very often help the oaks. (Let me explain) The sweet gum is an early successional species and grows very fast. The oaks particularlly found throughout (Nuttal, Willow and Water) are known for epicormic branching. (You have seen the trees branches going every direction.) Well the sweetgums tend to train these oaks up in many cases and keep the oaks from epicormic branching.

You are correct after the trees become large enough they need to harvested and it can increase browse and open the forest floor for more regeneration.



On a side note, my wife grandfather just died, he worked at ATCO for years. He has a picture of a sweetgum (old picture) where one tree could have filled up a couple of log trucks by itself. It looks like something that should have come from California.

Epicormic branching, see all the little limbs that have sprouted after the surrounding trees were removed. Kinda like when direct sunlight hits the bole of the tree for the first time, it causes these sprouts........

those sweetgums sure do hurt me feets when i'm squirrel hunting barefoots...

A historic forest cover type on high ground in teh delta is sweetgum-red oak association. Pewee is correct, oaks thrive and produce superior quality in such conditions. That's because southern red oak species evolve mid-succesion in forest development; acheive optimal growth at 50% full sunlight. Old growth sweetgum that has been subject to canopy disturbance during its development lays heartwood and is refered to as red gum, it is likely one of the most commercially valuable woods in the delta and have heard that italian furniture makers, for example, come to the delta to bid on single stems. Merenisco made me a duck call stand a few years ago out of a piece and it is beautiful.

Ecologically speaking, sweetgum is prevalent among all forest stand types of the delta and is what is called a super emergent species (it will eventually crown out above the forest canopy). Decline of super emergent species has been attributed to the decline of wildlife species that nest in super emergent species, such as the swallow-tailed kite. All y'all hillbillies that regard sweetgum as nothing more as a nuisant species deleterious to pine plantation management - y'all want to see something nice during the off season, visit the sweetgum natural area, which was established prior to the mainline Mississippi River Levee, on the north end of Delta National Forest...and just imagine if the delta still looked like that.

Crowell, there are several management scenarios for the situation you described but it's foolhardy to make specific recommendations without having first seen the stand.

All y'all hillbillies that regard sweetgum as nothing more as a nuisant species deleterious to pine plantation management - y'all want to see something nice during the off season, visit the sweetgum natural area, which was established prior to the mainline Mississippi River Levee, on the north end of Delta National Forest...and just imagine if the delta still looked like that.

I have been there and it is pretty impressive.

They may very well be the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I hate a damn sweetgum tree! Seems like every house my wife has ever liked had about a hundred of those suckers in the back yard!

Only time I ever appreciated one was when I was crossing the pasture one time as a boy, and Uncle Cabe's bull got after me. I barely made it to a sweetgum tree out in the middle and climbed that sucker. That danged bull kept me up that tree most of the morning!

Crow,

I don't believe you could climb a tree, even with a bull after you.

You'll just have to show/prove you can do it next time to venture west

Your dear friend,

Crow,

I don't believe you could climb a tree, even with a bull after you.

You'll just have to show/prove you can do it next time to venture west

Your dear friend,

SB, I do not think you have ever been put up a tree by an animal before!!! It gets VERY INTERESTING VERY FAST!!!!!!! Whether it be an ANGRY BULL or HOG!!!

Well, we all thought you were dead, Scott! But, I should have just considered that you are so much in love, an all!

If I had a bull as bad as that ole sob used to be, I could still climb a tree pretty dang fast! Shoot, I could shinny up a tree with the best of them...course that was many years and pounds ago!

You still running the roads a bunch or has that slowed down some?

I've been siiting on a deer stand trying to dart adult does with a tranquilizer. We just started a deer research project between MSU and the MDWFP. It has been some long nites that hasn't left much time for luvin! I sat on the deer stand more during the first week of the project than I have the last several years recreating, and we still have a long ways to go.

Keep an lookout on Wild Animal Kingdom, you just might see me on there with dart gun and all