Veteran Trees in Herefordshire: measurement, science and landscape history. Talk to the Woolhope Club 22/11/2104 here [280 Mbytes]
Real time ancient tree growth rate measurement
most recent measurement
Data to 23 June 2015, shrinkage winter & spring
8.4 m girth veteran tree in Middleton-on-the-Hill [Thanks to owner Robin!]
3/3/13: Attached brass lugs with stainless screws to the bark to support tape
Ensured lugs all lie in a horizontal plane
Positioned so the tape doesn’t touch the bark, sliding evenly over brass lugs
Tape should end up perfectly horizontal and only in contact with brass lugs
One end of the tape is anchored
The other end is attached to an anchored spring
The tape overlaps itself and can move freely as tree diameter expands..
..and becomes a self-measuring vernier device
13/03/2013: Subtract the two aligned tape readings: G=8453.6mm
18/04/2013: G=8451.7mm [1.9mm contraction: real or system bedding in?]
1/08/2013: G=8459.5 mm, 7.8 mm girth increment from previous (75 μm/day mean)
26/08/2013: G=8461.1 mm, 1.6 mm girth increment from previous (64 μm/day mean)
19/10/2013: G=8464.2 mm, 3.1 mm girth increment from previous (57 μm/day mean)