Olivers Woods on the Last day of the Old Year

For the final two hours of daylight from the old year I headed out to the Woods. I finished a three day binge of sorting out student insect collections and put away all the bugs and boxes. I needed a break from the detailed work.

I drove to the SW gate and set out. I got to near the big hollow log before encountering new inundation.. the southwestern Woods slowing filling with water.

I was able to detour to the South Boundary Trail via the path through the Woods past the Two Friends.. the big bur oak and cottonwood that stand side by side. The cottonwood (tree #99), for a year or more, had one massive branch down. Now the main stem is broken thirty feet up. I think this will doom the tree. After a 100-130 years, the blizzard of 09 has done for it.

I followed the trail southeast to the south end of the Dune trail and then headed north to the Beaver Dam. The inundation had not reached the dam, in fact the water had spread eastward only as far as the old grandfather cottonwood.

I saw two white tail deer go bounding away in the central Woods flashing the white flags of their tails. I crossed the Wash on the Elm Bridge and then recrossed on the Bur Oak Bridge.. interesting to see the tracks of the dogs on the Bur Oak bridge crossing over.

I must clear small branches and some new down fall along the South Boundary Trail.

Interesting to think how the Woods could be used by Ecology in winter.
Decomposition studies with.. litter bags (request berlese or winklers for class)?

Stand dynamics..have the current trees arrived randomly over the past century, or in waves of species with recruitment of particular species when conditions were favorable?
Find the biggest tree.. find the oldest.
Each pair of students randomly assigned a 10 by 10 m or 5 by 5 m section of forest to follow through the spring, recording everything that changes.
Where are the snails? Why?

I thought twice I felt the touch of gossamer across my face..but that does not seem possible after the snow with max temp in the mid 30's.

The snow, now one week old, still covered 85% of the ground, except for the south-facing slope of the ridge, where it had melted. The shallow snow revealed the regular trails of deer and other wildlife.

The Woods are a remnant forest, a surviving block of trees from a forest that once stretched hundreds of miles along the North Canadian River. Not unchanged or virginal .. cows have grazed there and part of the Woods have been cleared for pasture; but the essential community of this highest floodplain forest survived and is holding on here.

The falling light of the sun dipping below the horizon hurried me along, heading back to the SW gate, I emerged at 5:25 in time to watch the last of the disk of the sun disappear in the trees to the west. The last of the daylight of 2009.

The forest is so clear in winter light.