When the Carlton family bought the property we know as Chinquapin in 1977, the land had been timbered by its previous owner, Liberty Life Mutual Insurance Company. That’s why the majority of the trees now on the property are of a “youngish” size. Trees that were left after the timbering were too small or too difficult to reach at the time of the logging.
Tree care information sources for this article, provided by the Jackson County Extension Office, include North Carolina Urban Forest Council https://www.ncufc.org/tree-care-information.php , the Arbor Day Organization https://www.arborday.org/trees/bulletins/ and Landscaping for Wildlife with Native Plants from the NC Extension publications. At the end of the article is information about trees and construction at Chinquapin and a resource for native trees in this area. Visit the links for more detailed information.
By the way, each NC county has a cooperative extension agency which can provide free advice and information about soil, plants and trees, agriculture, and farm animals. In Jackson County, the website is https://jackson.ces.ncsu.edu/. NC State University and N.C. A&T State University work in tandem, along with federal, state and local governments, to form a strategic partnership called N.C. Cooperative Extension, which staffs local offices in all 100 counties and with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
This photo shows untopped trees.
Topping, or cutting a tree's branches back to the main branches at the trunk, isn't a recommended form of pruning to preserve trees’ health or survival. Subsequent growth, if any, is thin, weak, and the raw areas from the cutting allow insects and disease to settle in. The severe cutting can cause shock to a tree and starvation can set in due to not having leaves to produce what the tree needs. Topped trees can die. You can see photos of topped trees in this Arbor Day pdf and read about pruning alternatives that help trees. https://www.arborday.org/trees/bulletins/coordinators/resources/pdfs/008.pdf
Construction affects trees’ long term survival. Trees absorb oxygen and water through a root system which extends outward from a tree’s base, 2-3 times as tall as the tree is, so the ground surrounding a tree needs protection for future growth and survival. The minimum amount of roots a tree needs is called the Critical Root Zone, CRZ. https://www.ncufc.org/tree-protection-during-construction.php
There are two types of CRZs, a legal CRZ and a biological CRZ. While there’s a formula, found in the link above, using a tree’s diameter and distance from the trunk to calculate a legal CRZ, most municipalities use a 6 foot radius regardless of the tree’s diameter. The biological CRZ, the minimum radius needed to survive construction, usually extends to the dripline of a tree. For trees growing in a forest setting or with small crown sizes relative to their trunk size, the dripline may not capture all the roots needed for survival. In this case, the size of the biological CRZ may be found by using a DBH ratio calculation similar to what is done for the legal CRZ. An arborist can help determine what the ratio should be by evaluating tree factors (such as size, age, condition, and species sensitivity) and site characteristics (such as soil quality, water availability, and exposure).
Avoid digging inside this radius which can cut a tree’s roots; heavy equipment consistently moving over soil at trees compacts it and reduces the water and oxygen the roots need. If equipment must travel over tree root areas, one way to mitigate the compaction is spread several inches of wood chips over the area. https://www.arborday.org/trees/bulletins/coordinators/resources/pdfs/007.pdf
In the Chinquapin architectural guidelines, Section 8.1, about site planning, addresses clear cutting of lots and view corridors; Section 11, 7.2 has details about trees, removal, and when that type of work can be done. Section 8-18 assists in meeting Chinquapin requirements for a smooth building process; guidelines are under the Owner Resources tab.
Here’s a partial list of native trees to plant in our area to support wildlife and to avoid introduction of invasive plantings. This publication by the NC Cooperative Extension answers all kinds of questions about native, non-native, invasive and noninvasive plants and has a long list of plants to review. https://content.ces.ncsu.edu/landscaping-for-wildlife-with-native-plants Serviceberry, sugar and red maples, white oak, scarlet oak, beech, black locust, eastern hemlock, sassafras, flowering dogwood, and a lot more native trees are in the list.
Great information ,
thank you .