Green Horizons

In case you missed it, a severe ice storm hit Southwest Missouri last winter. The hardest hit counties were Lawrence, Greene, Cedar, Dade, Webster, Polk, Laclede and Dallas. People throughout the region were affected in a very personal way. Personal because the ice did considerable damage to trees – and everybody has at least some trees, and tend to be very attached to them. From the time the ice was still accumulating until today, area foresters have been called upon for advice.

From left to right: Less than 50 percent crown remaining – sell. Major limbs are gone and damage to trunk – sell. Enough small diameter limbs to survive – keep. Photos courtesy Frances Main.

The trend of the questions has shifted over that time. The first group to express concern for their trees seemed to be the urban homeowners. If you only have two or three trees, every tree is important to you and the questions reflected that concern. In the first several weeks following the storm, almost every single question was about an individual tree and its likelihood to survive the damage.

As the months wore on, the trend shifted to more rural tree owners and the questions were more about the overall health of the forest and whether or not a timber sale was needed to salvage the value of the wood.

Black walnut tended to be of most concern probably for two reasons. First, walnut trees did not maintain their integrity well from the storm (perhaps because they are so often without the protection of a forested environment). Second, everyone has heard that a walnut tree is worth a couple of thousand dollars. However, whether oak, walnut or a mix of species, the evaluation process is the same when deciding if a “salvage sale” is necessary.

First, how badly damaged are the individual trees? If approximately 50 percent of the crown is still intact, it’s probably going to be fine, thus no need to consider it as “needing” to be sold. If more than 50 percent of the crown is gone or the damage has left wounds likely to promote decay in the trunk, then this tree is a good candidate for inclusion in a timber sale.

Looking at the forest as a whole rather than at individual trees determines if there are enough trees in the “candidate” category to provide enough volume to support a timber sale. Each part of the state is different, but in Southwest Missouri where the ice damage occurred, that is about 30 acres or 12,000 board feet.

Looking at a timber sale from a logger’s point of view will help determine if a timber sale is possible. Consider the fact that a typical southwest Missouri tree is worth about $40 or $50 at the mill, and the logger has to give about half of that back to the landowner. Is the cost of getting his equipment and personnel to the site, the time necessary to cut, de-limb, and load the tree, and the gas money back to the mill going to be covered and allow him a profit? He will need enough large trees (big enough that you can’t really touch your hands on the other side if you hug the tree) of high enough quality to make it worth his time to come to the site.

Although pruning questions were very common with the homeowner, larger acreages make pruning each wounded tree impossible. However, proper pruning of the damaged parts of the tree can make a big difference in the long term effect the ice storm has on a tree.

Pruning seminars offered by tree professionals in the affected area were heavily attended, and the hot-off-the-press MU Extension guide, “First Aid for Storm Damaged Trees” was a hit with the crowds.

Common questions as clean up of the damage began included things like; “What species makes good firewood?” “Which trees held up better under the ice load?” “When and how to prune?” and everything related to planting a replacement tree.

The storm itself may have ended Jan. 7, 2007, but the effects will be with us for years to come.