--
David Hutchinson, Owner
Flora & Fauna: Nature Books
Discovery Gardens: Native Plants
3212 W.Government Way
Seattle,WA.98199
http://www.ffbooks.net/
206-623-4727




Subject:
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2009 12:04:53 -0700
From: Katie.Messick at kingcounty.gov
To: flora.fauna at live.com
CC: tweeters at u.washington.edu



















Hi David and Tweeters,



The data do exist to support
your observations about the even-aged forests and paucity of tree regeneration
in Seattle?s parks and greenbelts. The Seattle Urban Nature Project (SUN)
mapped all the open space in Seattle in 1999-2000 and now has much their data
available online. To see the general size-class of the forested areas in
Seattle parks, check out their interactive map (http://www.seattleurbannature.org/Survey/survey.html).
If you zoom to a park and click on a polygon, the forest size class will pop up
on the right.



In recent years SUN has done
more detailed studies of a few parks, and some of this more specifically
addresses forest regeneration. For example, their project in Deadhorse Canyon (Lakeridge
Park in SE Seattle) showed that the primary species regenerating in this fairly
nice urban forest are invasives such as English holly, cherry laurel and
European mountain ash. Here?s a link to that project report: http://www.seattleurbannature.org/Projects/dhcvmp/Deadhorse%20Canyon%20Vegetation%20Management%20Plan.pdf




SUN has more data than is
available on their website, so anyone wishing to take a closer look at this
issue can probably work with them on it. A dying forest may be great for
woodpeckers in the short term, but with no regeneration to create the next
generations of snags, it?ll be death in the long run.



Katie Messick

Seattle



Original
post:



I have only just caught up
with Dennis's post. If I tell you my nearest nesting woodpecker is Hoffman's,
you may guess why! I had been composing an entry about whether
woodpeckers in general and not just Flickers, seem to be more common in
Discovery Park this year. Pileated are doing well, Hairy is perhaps more
common, Downy is doing well, while Flickers are widespread. My proposed
explanation is that most of the mature deciduous trees, particularly Red Alder
and Big-leaf Maple are of even age. The Maples seem to be past maturity and are
dying from their crowns down and are shedding large side branches. Many
of the Alders and also Bitter Cherry have peaked. This creates a lot of
fallen timber for Pileated and softer large branches for feeding and
nest-hole excavation e.g.Flickers. Could Seattle's green belts be in a similar
situation having been created at the same time (mainly as steeper slopes
unsuitable for home construction) and therefore "unwanted"? I"m
thinking particularly of areas such as Montlake, Interlaken Blvd, Madrona,
Frink Park and Kiwanis Ravine. Does anyone have information that could add to
or refute this suggestion?



--

David Hutchinson










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