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Any idea what's represented by these numbers on the trees?
The blue numbers have been there for at least several years; the white numbers were added more recently.
The plastic pipe in the foreground has also been there for at least several years.
Public land (forested park/reservation), but with a long prior history of pretty much everything.
No other signs of any other sort of activity nearby (i.e., considerably off-trail).
Attachment 202384
Looks like a permanent sample plot. Pipe marks the middle of a plot. The purpose... could be almost anything: Growth and yield, habitat, volume...
Most likely a permanent sample plot. Each tree numbered, measurements occurring at specified intervals. Can be used to establish growth and yield projections for the stand, or various other stand attributes (pathology, crown density, succession characteristics, etc.)
Yeah, what these guys said. Likely a chunk of rebar (permanent, fire resistant marker) inside the tube.
Not a forester but i have slept with one
I did some of this working as a forest tech for a research center
so you put a tape on that pipe and measure out a 10 meter radius and core /measure heights with vertex/ measure diameter of all the trees or seedlings in the test area but our trees were always labeled with a plastic or metal number tag nailed to the trunk and seedlings would have a wire wand with a number marker but I have never seen spray paint ... they must not have much of a budget
the last gig i did was with the dendrocronologist for pretty much the whole province of BC, he said there were 5000 plots in BC which had to be visited every 5 years, you had to be VERY accurate because your data would be multiplied by 100
Test plots are usually not too far from the office and close to the road so they don't have to walk too much or use expensive transportation, if they added numbers later they are probably studying something else ... maybe they got some more money
not a bad gig in the fall during the 1st nations summer when the bugs are gone and it ain't too hot
Super, thanks -- plus special bonus for learning "dendrochronologist" as my new word of the day!