Moss & Lichens

Howdy Folks ~

I was just curious what people's thoughts are regarding the inadvertent disturbance of mosses and lichens while climbing. Is there an established ethic regarding such in the tree climbing community?

I'm climbing in the Adirondacks of New York and there are thick growths of numerous species of both mosses and lichens present in almost all of our trees, so it's pretty much impossible to get a rope sleeve through a crotch or over a branch without pulling down a sizable tuft of the stuff, and it always makes me feel bad, because I know how long it took for it to get to that size.

HooT

It is nice to read that others care about the canopy also. To say that there is an established ethic regarding disturbance will have almost as many answer as climbers.

To see that you use rope sleeves also is encouraging. I will never forget seeing a rope burn scar around the top of a sequoia limb that will be visible for maybe a hundred years.

I believe each one of us will have to decide yes or no but I also adhere to what Tom Dunlap taught me about group climbing. If for any reason I am not comfortable with anything another climber is doing to entry, climb, transfer or descend we all have the right to veto.

Your value of the limb growths will differ from mine and only thru kind discussions will an answer be found. If you climb solo then your conscience will be your guide and your path to the canopy will have to be chosen wisely.
I have to think that the growths disturbed to climb a tree only interfere with the time line of an inventible occurrence. The growths are there to convert water, soil and sun into by-products like nitrogen that provide needed elements to the forest. I read that the redwoods get lots of nitrogen that is absolutely required for their growth from the lichens that it supports. The growths will all one day be dust again once they die. If needs be to climb then be careful and thread lightly.

See you at the top,
Dan House

Great question! If you think that by climbing a particular tree you will disrupt the epiphytic communities associated with the tree, don't climb the tree. As you're assessing trees to climb look for trees that offer routes allowing the least contact with epiphytes. Roped technique offers the opportunity to climb carefully and tread lightly.

I look at climbing in a tree the same as walking off trail in the woods. Place your feet carefully, there's no need to thrash your way through mosses, ferns and other plant communities on the ground or in a tree.
-moss

This is a good thread to keep going. I am very interested in this subject.

After the Rendezvous climbs in 2005 I visited the site again after two weeks.

I could see the damage to plants on the forest floor easily at that time. I made a slow walk of the site on a rough grid and located all of the climbing trees.

I searched for a handsaw that I lost and found it near the bottom of the tree that took it out of my scabbard!

I climbed the big pine that had by far the most traffic...I remember watching the lichen rain down. I climbed off a set well out from the tree trunk and I could not see much sign of our climbing. I did find that the "camp site" showed lots of signs of our stay... (including the cordlett that I was climbing to retrieve)...and rope marks from the long ropes that were hung in the tree.

In 2006 a year later I returned again and could not see any sign of us on the forest floor. I would bet I could still have seen thje impact up in the tree. I will try to climb the tree again this year and see.

With Tom several years ago we climbed some big firs in a park...I was upset at the amount fo damage we did...on the forest floor. I decided that I would not climb in this area again...too much use without tree climbers...and a tempting spot.

I don't think it isd possible to climb a tree without disturbance. That said...one big storm brings down huge amounts of epiphytes from big trees sometimes it is attached to shed branches...sometimes not.

I think we need to be careful to spread our usae around. Trees that get climbed a lot, especailly if no string is left and repeated rope sets are made will get more wear.

Jerry B has a big tree that he has climbed for many years...he tells me that there is a "trail" up the trunk...but the tree has not suffered. In a case like that better to follow the same line when climbing.

Thats enough for me now... how about some more responses? Scott

Nice report on the 05 Rendezvous impact. I was wondering about that, I remember mention of quite a bit of "stuff" being knocked out of trees on one of the climbs.

It makes sense that storms do more damage than people do. It's the repeat foot traffic that is the problem. Or just one heavy-footed climb.

I think that solo or maybe two-person climbing is appropriate for some locations. Group climbs on wild trees obviously have quite a bit of impact on the ground and potentially in the tree.

Rotating trees, limiting climber numbers per tree and spreading out the climbs makes a lot of sense.
-moss

Thanks for the thoughts so far everyone. I too have seen lots of disruption on the forest floor with climbs, and have felt like it is a powerful lesson in treading lightly, which can and should be taken up the tree also. I climbed a friends white ash the other day that sits in a wondrous grove full of large ferns by the side of our little lake, and it was very difficult (but possible) to minimalize the trampling.

I am definitely wrestling with the epiphytic issue, and can't help but be sad when I see community disturbance of any sort. But if it comes down to deciding whether to climb or not to climb, I'm finding that I will climb and just do my best and stay open to learning how I can interact with the tree in a mutually benefiting way.

Does anyone have any particular strategies for approaching a heavily laden epiphytic tree lightly??

HooT

Originally posted by Hoot
Does anyone have any particular strategies for approaching a heavily laden epiphytic tree lightly??

HooT

First off accept that when you install your rope you will probably knock something off the branch. Set your TIP so that you have a branch route meaning that you have no contact with trunk. As you climb you can pass branches without grabbing or standing on them. You can climb the entire tree this way with minimal contact. The only disturbance will be where you set your rope which will be a very low percentage of epihytes disturbed compared to what would happen if you put your feet and hands on branches or the trunk. You can place your hands or feet carefully on branches and not cause disturbance if there is space on the bark. Often you can position your feet on the sides of limbs and minimize contact depending on the epiphyte configuration.
-moss