[TowerTalk] lightning & trees

[Bill Aycock]

Jim- I think the big effect is conductivity of the sap. I lost one Poplar 
this year that was over 20' shorter than surrounding trees. It went down 
after the second hit in about two years. It was in a small mixed  (Pines, 
Hickory, Oak) grove next to a small, old, usually dry pond.
Bill
At 07:49 PM 3/17/2005 -0500, Jim Jarvis wrote:


>:)  I believe ya, Bill.
>
>I've got poplar and red oak here in MD, both at 80' or so.
>So far, no losses.  dunno if we'll be staying, so oppty to
>sample over 18 years is limited.
>
>So, you think it's height, or conductivity which dominates the
>equation?
>
>Jim Jarvis
>410 439 1073 office
>443 618 5560 cell
>jimjarvis at ieee.org
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bill Aycock [mailto:baycock at direcway.com]
>Sent: Thursday, March 17, 2005 19:38
>To: jimjarvis at ieee.org; towertalk at contesting.com
>Subject: Re: [TowerTalk] lightning & trees
>
>
>
>Jim- I don't know why, although I have suspicions. Also, I did not say ONLY
>Poplars were susceptible; I know that Red Oaks are also, but the results
>are different in the change in the tree.
>The difference seems to be in the fluid (sap) content and character in the
>Cambium layer. With Red Oak, a hit will "explode" the bark and create a
>foamed yellow substance that looks like yellow Styrofoam; The results with
>Maple and Poplar are that the Steam expansion peels the bark away, but does
>not "foam" it. I have seen one Poplar that had the soil removed from the
>region above the roots.
>The effect on the tree shape (of the growth after a hit) is also different.
>The effect on a Maple is hard to see because of the multi-branched nature.
>Both the Poplar and the Red Oak (When grown within a forest) have a large,
>tall, main trunk, and the deviation after a hit is easy to detect.
>I have lived in the same forest for over 18 years, and I can see these
>results; You could, too, and I can show you, if you wish.
>Bill
>
>At 07:53 AM 3/17/2005 -0500, Jim Jarvis wrote:
>
>
> >It was written:
> >
> >Tulip Poplars are Very prone to Lightning hits. I have quite  few on my
> >place that show evidence of hits above 40-50 ft.  A Tulip Poplar that has
> >been hit will show a "Y" or a "Zag" where the top was when it was hit.
> >
> >and I wonder:
> >
> >Why would one species of tree be more likely to be hit by lightning
> >than another?   Unless perhaps there is a stand of one species in a
> >higher location than other trees?
> >
> >n2ea
> >jimjarvis at ieee.org
> >
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>Bill Aycock - W4BSG
>Woodville, Alabama
>
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Bill Aycock - W4BSG
Woodville, Alabama