You Wood? Field Notes from the Austin Carey Forest to the Binderholz Mill

You Wood?

Field Notes from the Austin Carey Forest to the Binderholz Mill Shane Jezowski

Scott Sagar | UF School of Forestry

Jeff Peters | Woodworks

Hike at Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park

Wendell Cropper | UF School of Forestry

Dr. Elizabeth Stokes | Mississippi State University

Tour of Binderholz Mill

Tim Martin | UF School of Forestry

Daniel Wirth | Minimal Impact Engineering

You Wood?

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

The 2600 acres of The Austin Carey Forest are a living laboratory serving students, land-owners and Florida at large. These flatlands are guiding the future of the forestry industry.

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You Wood?

Florida sits at the very bottom of one of the world's most prolific wood-producing regions, the Southeast Region (Region 8). This region produces around 15% of the world's wood products. With Florida being 50% forest, it is a critical player in this production. Our national and state forestry services are investing their time and funds to propel research into the future of forestry to assure a sustainable economic model for generations.

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

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You Wood?

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

The Southern Yellow Pines (Slash, Long Leaf and Loblolly) all desire space to avoid competition for canopy space and sun-light.

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You Wood?

Lake Mize | Austin Carey Forest

Located at the heart of the Austin Carey Forest is Lake Mize – one of the deepest lakes in Florida with a depth of 120'. Lake Mize is a natural sinkhole with a settled soil plug.

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

It was not hard to spot one of Lake Mize's many inhabitants, The American alligator.

Lake Mize after a leak occurred in the soil plug. Image Source: The University of Florida Archives

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

A poetic contrast to Lake Mize is the sinkhole at Devil's Millhopper Geological State Park. A similar sinkhole in its depth, but this sinkhole reveals evidence of frequent leaks. The many trees, old and new, are evidence of this cycle.

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You Wood?

Scott Sagar, Wendell Cropper and Tim Martin (UF School of Forest, Fisheries, & Geomatics Sciences), alongside Elizabeth Stokes (Mississippi State University), Jeff Peters (Wood Works), and Daniel Werth (Minimal Impact Engineering), have come together to introduce a "soil to assembly" series of lectures – educating us on timber, mass timber products, and their logistics. From the Spotted Owl regulations to the increase in western pine beetle populations, the Southeastern forestry region has adopted much of the western U.S.'s timber industry. With these historical economic shifts in mind, we must observe, record and combat any changes in our public and private forests – from the timber stands to the wild-lands. We cannot economically afford to lose this lush resource. As Scott Sagar noted, it is confusing why we have citrus on our license plate when our primary export is our Southern Yellow Pine poles and products. Imagine losing this all to damn beetle!

We had the pleasure of being given a tour of the Austin Carey Forest, where Scott Sagar and Tim Martin conduct many laboratory experiments from prescribed burns to density testing for the Slash, Long Leaf, and Loblolly Pine species. We learned through these travels the benefits of prescribed burns and how they outweigh the immediate losses during a burn. These burned plots offer an alternate ecosystem for species like the Southern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger niger) that have trouble thriving in an unmanaged forest. More importantly, these burns help to control the under-story species allowing the Pines to better thrive and for their soil to become nutrient-rich. As Ecologists and Foresters, they desire to expand the yields and the health of their timber stands while maintaining a balance within their Pineland ecosystems.

This is a pile of bio-mass resulted from a recent clear cutting. This will release and not store carbon – returning it to the atmosphere.

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

BI-annual Burn (recent)

The road between two burns

Annual Burn (not recent)

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You Wood?

A

C

B

A

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B

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

A

B

C

Scott Sagar presented to us three different plots with varying management practices applied. Site A is a predominantly Loblolly Pine, Slash Pine, and Magnolia forest restored naturally to a more pre-Columbian state with no prescribed burns, selective logging, or manual planting. Site B is Long Leaf Pine stand naturally restored (i.e., no manual planting), but they conduct prescribed burnings to the plot. Finally, in Site C is a manually planted stand of Slash Pine, but there are no prescribed burns. It is pretty evident in the photographs that the prescribed burns of Site B reduce the population of Gallberry bushes and Magnolia trees. Still, the Saw Palmettos seem to be thriving.

Chaos Score A !!!

B !!

C !

Restoration Natural Natural Planted

Prescribed Burn No Yes No

Pine Species Loblolly + Slash Long Leaf Slash

Replanting Age ???

80-90 45

*Hatches represent the complexity and diversity of underbrush and non-Pine tree species present.

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You Wood?

This pine tree, plagued by pests, has degenerated the tree from the inside out. If needed, Foresters would remove this tree to avoid infection to the surrounding timbers, but in most cases it is a specimen-rich host for entomology research.

In the center of this stand is a burnt tree. The assumption is that the tree was already dead before the prescribed burn. It is a testament to the timber's resilience even to stand firm in death and char.

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Field Notes September 9th-14th, 2021

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You Wood?

Crown = 24.5%

Logged Trunk = 46.5%

Bark = 6%

Stump = 3%

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Roots = 20%

Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

According to Dr. Elizabeth Stokes, these are the carbon storage potentials per tree part.

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You Wood?

Wendell Cropper noted various plant species and their regional context, but his short mention of the Ethno-Botany of the Yaupon Holly (Ilex vomitoria) greatly piqued my interest. It opened my eyes to the edible economy to Florida's flora and fauna. Just imagine how many salads could come from these forests! The Seminoles used The Yaupon Holly leaves in tea by drying them and steeping them in hot water. Both Daniel F. Austin1 and Peggy Sias Lantz confirm the Seminole tribe's ceremonial use of the Yaupon Holly Tea.

"The Seminoles boiled it to excess and drank it to excess, and when the caffeine caused vomiting and diarrhea, they felt they were purified.

Ilex vomitoria is therefore an appropriate name for it."2

1 Austin, Daniel F. 2004. Florida ethnobotany. Boca Raton, FL: CRC Press. http://public.ebookcentral.proquest. com/choice/publicfullrecord.aspx?p=2010352.

2 Lantz, Peggy Sias, Elizabeth Smith, and Mike Brinkley. 2014. Florida's edible wild plants: a guide to collecting and cooking.

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

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You Wood?

The tour of the Binderholz Mill was a sight to be seen, heard, smelled, and felt. From the sawdust on the handrails to the smell of wet bark, the timber processing was a multi-sensory experience. The facility was clean, and the process was hyper-automated....German engineering and management....go figure. This processing method is somewhat over labored when you know that the poles outside the mill are sufficient structural members. Yes, the mass timber products are far better performing, but we must remember that not every part needs to be processed to a toothpick to glue the toothpicks together to create a raft.

Timber Poles stacked outside prior to being processed.

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

Dimensional lumber loose, stacked and bound.

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You Wood?

House in a Garden | Miami FL | Atelier Mey

The digital fabrication process of CLT panels offers an opportunity to introduce curves where other materials and products would require added costs to achieve.

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Field Notes

September 9th-14th, 2021

This view presents the intensive moisture wrapping required for the mass timber roof system.

Evidence of a traveling brace recently cut away, but not yet trimmed flush.

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Shane Jezowski

You Wood?

Field Notes

September 9th-14th