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Tree Cavities, Holes, and Dens

Holes suitable for birds and other vertebrates are formed from tree injury, moisture, and insect and bacterial and fungal decomposition. Calus tissue forms around the hole in many species of trees. Squirrels have been reported to manage the rate of closure of such holes.

The tendency of trees to form tree holes is related to their specific gravity and other properties such as fungicidal and bacteriacidal. After knowing the old-aged tree species in a stand, an index to the proclivity of the stand to form cavities of potential value to fauna can be formed. These same cavities may be suitable for tree-hole mosquitoes and other insects of great medical and human health interests.

The index is based on information either about what trees are within each forest type or a list of the species observed within each stand...and the following values for each species. The same table of information about each forest stand can yield information about average green specific gravity or available heat per cord of green wood

After the following table (not typically shown to users of The Trevey, see the results that would typically be presented.

Old Age Heart-wood Cavity Proclivity Values for Eastern US Forest Trees
1. AMERICAN ELM 10
2. ATLANTIC WHITE-CEDAR 3
3. BALDCYPRESS 1
4. BALSAM FI R 10
5. BALSAM POPLAR 10
6. BASSWOOD 10
7. BEAR OAK 1
8. BEECH 7
9. BIGTOOTH ASPEN 10
10. BITTERNUT HICKORY 7
11. BLACK ASH 7
12. BLACK CHERRY 3
13. BLACK GUM 10
14. BLACKJACK OAK 7
15. BLACK LOCUST 1
16. BLACK OAK 10
1 7. B LACK SPRUCE 1
18. BLACK TUPELO 10
19. BLACK WALNUT 3
20. BLACK WI LLOW 10
21. BLUE ASH 7
22. BLUEJACK OAK 0
23. BOX ELDER 0
24. BUCKWHEAT TREE 0
25. BURR OAK 7
26. BUTTERNUT 7
27. CAROLINA ASH 7
28. CEDAR ELM 0
29. CHERRYBARK OAK 5
30. CHESTNUT OAK 3
31. CHINKAPIN 0
32. CHINKAPI.N OAK 7
33. COTTONWOOD 10
34. CUCUMBER TREE 10
35. DAHOON 0
36. DELTA POST OAK 3
37. DOGWOOD 5
38. DWARF CHINKAPIN OAK 7
39. EASTERN REDCEDAR 1
40. FRASER FI R 10
41. GRAY BIRCH 10
42. GREEN ASH 7
43. HACKBERRY 7
44. HAWTHORN 1
45. HEMLOCK 7
46. HONEYLOCUST 3
47. HOPHORNBEAM 5
48. HORNBEAM 5
49. JACK PINE 3
50. LAUREL OAK 0
51. LIVE OAK 7
52. LOBLOLLY BAY 0
53. LOBLOLLY PINE 3
54. LONGLEAF PINE 3
55. MAPLE 10
56. MOCKERNUT HICKORY 7
57. MOUNTAIN ASH 7
58. MYRTLE OAK 0
59. NORTHERN PI N OAK 10
60. NORTHERN RED OAK 10
61. NORTHERN WHITE-CEDAR 1
62. NUTMEG HICKORY 0
63. NUTTAL OAK 7
64. OVERCUP OAK 7
65. PAPER BI RCH 10
66. PAWPAW 0
67. PEACHLEAF WILLOW 0
68. PECAN 7
69. PERSIMMON 10
70. PIGNUT HICKORY 7
71. PIN CHERRY 3
72. PIN OAK 7
73. PITCH PINE 5
74. POND CYPRESS 1
75. POND PINE 5
76. POST OAK 3
77. PUMPKIN ASH 7
78. QUAKING ASPEN 10
79. REDBAY 0
80. RED MAPLE 10
81. RED OAK 7
82. RED PI NE 5
83. RED SPRUCE 7
84. RIVER BIRCH 10
85. ROCK ELM 10
86. SANDBAR WI LLOW 7
87. SAND LIVE OAK 5
88. SAND PINE 3
89. SAND POST OAK 5
90. SASSAFRAS 7
91. SCARLET OAK 10
92. SEPTEMBER ELM 7
93. SHAGBARK HICKORY 7
94. SHELLBARK HICKORY 7
95. SHINGLE OAK 3
96. SHORTLEAF PI NE 7
97. SHUMARD OAK 10
98. SILVER MAPLE 5
99. SLASH PINE 10
100. SLI PPERY ELM 10
101. SOUTHERN MAGNOLIA 10
102. SOUTHERN RED OAK 10
103. SOURWOOD 10
104. SPRUCE PINE 7
105. SUGARBERRY 7
106. SUGAR MAPLE 5
107. SWAMP CHESTNUT OAK 7
108. SWAMP COTTONWOOD 10
109. SWAMP CYRI LLA 0
110. SWAMP HICKORY 7
111. SWAMP TUPELO 10
112. SWAMP WHITE OAK 7
113. SWEET BAY 5
114. SWEET BIRCH 10
115. SWEETGUM 7
116. SYCAMORE 10
117. TABLE-MOUNTAIN PINE 5
118. TAMARACK 0
119. TURKEY OAK 7
120. VIRGINIA PINE 7
121. WATER HICKORY 10
122. WATER LOCUST 3
123. WATER OAK 10
124. WATER TUPELO 10
125. WHITE ASH 7
126. WHITE OAK 5
127. WHITE PINE 3
128. WHITE SPRUCE 7
129. WI LLOW 10
130. WI LLOW OAK 10
131. WI NGED ELM 10
132. YAUPON 10
133. YELLOW BIRCH 10
134. YELLOW BUCKEYE 10
135. YELLOW-POPLAR 10
136. HARDWOOD 5
137. RED ELM 10
138. STRIPED MAPLE 0
139. HICKORIES 7
140. MOUNTAIN MAPLE 0
141. SCRUB OAKS 7
142. OAK 7
143. TU PELO 10
144. WATER ELM 10
145. AMERICAN HOLLY 10
146. APPLE 10
147. DWARF LIVE OAK 7
148. CHAPMAN OAK 7
149. UNDRAINED FLATWOODS 7
150. OTHER 5
Average old-ages heartwood cavity proclivity index for forest cover types found in the area
SAF Type umber Cavity Index
21 4.64
444.40
948.20

The Cavity Proclivity Index for tree species is based on Table 7 of Giles, Kroll, and Windon 1982. (0 = shrubs or trees too small to have significant cavities. No decay resistance of the heartwood = an index value of 0)

S.A.F. Forest Cover Type 21 WHITE PINE

The average specific gravity for this cover type: 0.40

Available heat (Million BTU) per cord green wood: 12.71 (See table in Specific Gravity unit)

The old-aged heartwood Cavity Proclivity I ndex for this cover type is: 4.64

Stands of this cover type are usually pure or consist of a majority of the stocking.

WHITE PINE makes up about 60 percent of this cover type.

Depending on site conditions, the following species will make up about 30 percent of this forest cover type:

  1. YELLOW- POPLAR
  2. HEMLOCK
  3. NORTHERN RED OAK
  4. WHITE OAK
  5. CHESTNUT OAK
  6. SHORTLEAF PI NE
  7. PITCH PINE
  8. HICKORIES
The following species may be occasional associates, making up about 10 percent of this cover type:
  1. Bigtooth Aspen
  2. Red Maple
  3. Sweet Birch
  4. Yellow Birch
  5. Black Cherry
  6. White Ash
  7. Sugar Maple
  8. Basswood
  9. Red Spruce
  10. Balsam Fir
S. A. F. Forest Cover Type 44) CHESTNUT OAK

The average specific gravity for this cover type: 0.54

Available heat (Million BTU) per cord green wood: 17.13

The old-aged heartwood Cavity Proclivity I ndex for this cover type is: 4.40

Stands of this cover type are usually pure or consist of a majority of the stocking.

CHESTNUT OAK makes up about 60 percent of this cover type.

Depending on site conditions, the following species will make up about 40 percent of this forest cover type:

  1. BEAR OAK
  2. NORTHERN RED OAK
  3. SOUTHERN RED OAK
  4. BLACK OAK
  5. POST OAK
  6. SCARLET OAK
  7. WHITE OAK
  8. SOURWOOD
  9. SHAGBARK HICKORY
  10. PIGNUT HICKORY
  11. SWEET BIRCH
  12. YELLOW-POPLAR
  13. BLACK GUM
  14. SWEETGUM
  15. BLACK CHERRY
  16. BLACK WALNUT
  17. RED MAPLE
  18. SUGAR MAPLE
  19. EASTERN REDCEDAR
  20. HEMLOCK
  21. WHITE PINE
  22. PITCH PINE
  23. TABLE-MOUNTAIN PINE
  24. SHORTLEAF PINE
  25. VIRGINIA PINE
  26. LONGLEAF PINE
S.A.F. Forest Cover Type 94 SYCAMORE, SWEETGUM, AMERICAN ELM

The average specific gravity for this cover type: 0.47

Available heat (Million BTU) per cord green wood: 14.87

The old-aged heartwood cavity Proclivity Index for this cover type is: 8.20

This cover type stocking:
SYCAMORE makes up about 30 percent of this cover type.
SWEETGUM makes up about 30 percent of this cover type.
AMERICAN ELM makes up about 10 percent of this cover type.

Depending on site conditions, the following species will make up about 30 percent of this forest cover type:

  1. Green Ash
  2. Sugarberry
  3. Hackberry
  4. Boxelder
  5. Silver Maple
  6. Cottonwood
  7. Black Willow
  8. Water Oak
  9. Pecan

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Last revision February 16, 2003.