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UNH
College Woods
Vol I No 8
College Woods Coalition ~ Conserving the College Woods
Jan-Dec 2014
College Woods Day October 8, 2014
remove the stones from the soil surface. This allowed for seeding
grasses and providing pasture for livestock.
We happily observed College Woods Day on the second Tuesday
on October which, this year, was on October 8th. Although rainy
in the early morning, the clouds cleared as the day unfolded and it
turned into a splendid day for the celebration. The activities began
at high noon in the James Hall Conference Room with snacks,
good conversation, raffle items, and a display of College Woods
mementos. After about twenty minutes, the group strolled into
College Woods for a dedication ceremony at the College Woods
Natural Area sign.
Only a thin mantle of glacial till over bedrock occurs in many areas.
Soils forming in these areas are not as productive for forest growth
or farming due to the low soil moisture holding capacity. Soil maps
for these areas often show a shallow to bedrock soil (less than 20
inches) called Hollis and a deeper soil called Canton that occur
in a very complex pattern. Bedrock outcrops also occur in these
soil units.
Dick Weyrick introduced our guest speaker Phil Auger, land agent
and land manager, Southeast Land Trust. Phil gave a good talk
about his experiences in College Woods and his views on conservation. Then Patty Bedker gave a thoughtful tribute to Emery
Booska who was a strong supporter of College Woods. We were
glad that Suzanne Booska could be with us to share the dedication
and tribute. We miss Emery.
Surface soil -- Forest floor consisting of organic soil materials.
Some material more decomposed than other areas but generally
reflects the leaves and needles comprising the overstory forest trees.
The Annual Rededication of College Woods
A few members of the group took a tour of College Woods following
the ceremony. It was a beautiful day for our second annual dedication of the priceless asset to the university, UNH College Woods.
A typical soil profile for a well drained deep soil in glacial till:
Some areas have a thin A horizon. These are mineral soil materials that largely resulted from physical mixing of organic surface
with some of the underlying subsoil mineral material as part of
a land clearing operation during Colonial time. Additionally,
sheep and cattle using the area in spring and early summer months
when soils are very moist often mix the organic with mineral by
action with their hoofs.
Soils in College Woods
Sid Pilgrim, August 2014
Perhaps the Five Factors of Soil Formation can serve as a framework for a discussion of soils in College Woods, University of New
Hampshire. These are Parent Material, Topography, Biota (plants
and soil organisms), Climate and Time. I generally add a sixth
factor for New England, Human Disturbance or Anthropogenic.
1. Parent Material This is a major factor in the kind of soil
found at a given location within College Woods. Materials left as
the Ice Sheet departed New Hampshire and receded into Maine
(about 17,500 years ago, Maine Geological Survey 2007) relate
to soil properties for individual soils. The most extensive parent
material in College Woods is glacial till. This is material deposited
by active ice as it moved from the northwest to the southeast. A
wide range of particle sizes is typical. This includes sand, silt and
commonly less than 10 percent clay. Gravel and cobble size material is common with angular faces on the rock fragments. Stone
size fragments (10 to 24 inches in diameter) are found in the soil
profile as well as on the surface. Stone walls observed today in the
College Woods were built during Colonial Time as an effort to
University of New Hampshire ~ Durham, New Hampshire 03824
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Subsoil -- Yellowish brown color B horizons with loamy textures.
Soil is friable with many roots. Rock fragments are angular and
comprise up to 20 to 35 percent of soil volume.
Substratum -- Grayish brown color C horizons with more sand
than the overlying horizon. Many angular rock fragments typical
of glacial till. This horizon commonly starts at 24 inches below
the surface and extends to at least 40 inches.
The second most extensive parent material is marine sediments. As
you will see this is actually a misnomer. The active ice mass moving
from the Northwest rides over bedrock outcrops grinding the rock
into a rock flour. The mineral composition of the flour reflects the
mineralogy of the bedrock. Schist and granitic rocks are common
upstream, thus micas, feldspars, quartz are common minerals in the
rock flour. Clay size fraction is generally 35 per cent or less with
silt and sand making up the balance of the less than 2.0 millimeter
material. Subglacial streams pick up the rock flour and transport to
the margin of the ice sheet. These streams occur in topographical
lows. An example is College Brook. The weight of the ice mass
depressed the land. As ice melted ocean waters rose and intruded
over the deposited rock flour. Eventually the land rebounded and
marine waters receded exposing sediments that originated much
further upstream.
A shovel pit dug in these sediments would show materials dominated
by clay and silt with some sand. Rock fragments such as cobbles
and stones would not be present in contrast to the glacial till. An
A horizon of six inches or so is common. Color is generally a dark
grayish brown in wet areas. Silt loam is a common texture. A thin
forest floor often overlies the A. The subsoil or B horizon has an
array of soil colors produced by the alternating wet soil conditions
and then dry conditions. These colors are the footprint left in the
soil from Fe reduction (wet - gray) and then Fe oxidation (dry
– reddish brown). Soil microbes play a key role. These colors
persist in soils and thus are useful in determinations of soil drainage class and hydric soil calls in wetland work. One can use these
footprints to predict the height and duration of the soil water table.
The underlying substratum or C horizon extends from about two
feet to four feet. Color of the matrix is often gray. The thickness
of the sediments can be to much greater depths. Soils common in
College Woods includes the moderately well drained Boxford and
the poorly drained Scitico.
Some tree species have developed morphological adaptations so as
to grow in the poorly drained sediments. White pine and hemlock
are common to the upland soils. There is no impediment to root
growth as water tables are low. However, these species have adapted
to the more poorly drained soils by use of elevated root systems.
Excellent examples of this occur in College Woods. The down side
of this is that the trees can be very susceptible to wind throw during
storm events, especially if the canopy is quite open.
Marine sediments can be found in the southern part of College
Woods extending from College Brook to the reservoir on Oyster
River. Only minor areas of other kinds of parent material occur in
College Woods. These include alluvium along the Oyster River.
2. Topography Different soils occur in upland areas compared
to wetland areas. This is the primary function of topography as it
relates to soil formation.
3. Biota - Plants and soil organisms Soils formed under forest
have different surface layers than soils formed under a grass vegetation as the former prairie areas of Illinois and Iowa. These soils
have thick A horizons with abundant organic matter. Soils of the
forested regions of the northeast commonly have surface mineral
layers with low organic matter. This is typical of forested sites in
College Woods that have never been extensively cultivated for crops.
Earthworms contribute to the formation of surface A horizons by
mixing the surface organic matter with underlying mineral soil
material. However, the acidic surface layers of College Woods soils
are not conducive for earthworms and rarely are any found. The
soil organism community also includes soil microbes in saturated
soils searching for oxygen atoms in Fe oxides, Fe203 ferric iron.
Microbes entice the oxide to be an electron acceptor releasing an
oxygen atom. The resulting FeO, ferrous iron is soluble in water and
moves with the ground water. Thus, splotches of gray and white
occur and can be seen against a more brown matrix soil. These
splotches are called Fe depletions and are diagnostic features for
estimating soil water presence. The marine sediments are excellent
candidates to observe this soil forming process. All of this occurs
under anaerobic conditions in wet soils during the growing season.
Cornell University researchers estimate about two thirds of the iron
reduction in wet soils can be attributed to microbial activity.
Fungi and bacteria play an important role in the decomposition
of forest plant residue. Over long periods of time the residue or
forest floor can be separated into distinct soil layers depending on
the degree of decomposition. This is probably best seen beneath
a long term deciduous forest canopy that may show three distinct
layers. The organic soil material often will have an inch or two
of the previous year leaf fall. This will be underlain by another
two inches of partially decomposed organic material - fungi and
bacteria action. Beneath this would be another two or three inches
of a highly decomposed organic material. Contrast this to a forest
floor beneath a long term canopy of hemlock or white pine. The
plant residue is needles and twigs with perhaps more resistence to
decomposition and less likely to have three distinct layers.
4. Climate In the big picture of things the temperate climate of the
seacoast does not provide the extreme conditions for soil development as in the Arctic regions or the deserts of southwest U.S. In
these regions climate plays a significant role in soil formation.
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5. Time Soil formation has been on going since deglaciation in this
area - 17,500 years or so ago. But not at the same rate over this
period of time. Cold temperatures and low precipitation characterized some of this time frame resulting in little soil development.
6. Soil Classification The soils of College Woods are placed in
the order Inceptisols in the U.S. Soil Taxonomy. These soils have
a diagnostic cambic B horizon suggesting some alteration of the
subsoil. For upland soils this is generally a color change – a yellowish brown - as compared to the gray color of the substratum C
horizon. This is brought about by some weathering of the resident
minerals. For wetland soils the iron chemistry of the cambic has
been altered yielding reduced gray colors. The term inception is
relative to this soil order suggesting early stages of soil formation.
tion to handle. The only way it could be met was to manage the
area under a modified selection system. In this case undesirable or
mature trees are removed individually or in groups. The idea is to
keep the leaf canopy practically intact, that is, to do little or no clear
cutting. With such a mature stand this procedure is hardly profitable. It is inevitable that in a few years the last of this old growth
forest will have disappeared. Nor will it be replaced by young pines
because they are intolerant of the shade conditions existing under
the present stand. The forestry department has already begun to
set out the area to spruce which will thrive under those conditions
and later give a valuable stand of timber.
Article from the archives “Special Collections”
of the Dimond Library
“The New Hampshire” ~ September 30, 1916
Duplicate of California “Big Tree” in College
Local Forest Has Tree Two Hundred Years Old in its Midst-Sixty Acres of Woodland Form Natural Park
It has been discovered that we have almost a veritable “big tree” right
here in the college forest. In fact there are a good many, but this
one deserves special mention because it is the largest and oldest tree
there, having defied its enemies two hundred years. Nevertheless it
still has sufficient vitality to grow in diameter at the rate of 1 inch in
7 or 8 years, rather remarkable for a tree of that age. It is 140 feet
tall and has a diameter, breast high, of 50 inches. Estimates show
that the tree contains at least 3000 board feet of lumber. Altogether
it is as fine a specimen of the white pine as one could desire. It
calls to mind nature’s law of the survival of the fittest. This huge
stick, which makes a lumberman’s mouth water to see, will stand
untouched. That means the tree will eventually be blown down, well
nigh a total loss. But is that lamentable? The tree has an aesthetic
value that greatly outweighs its value in cold dollars and cents.
INTENDED FOR PARK
But that particular tree is only one of many that constitute the college forest which is managed on a somewhat more business-like
basis. This old growth forest, comprising 60 acres, is a part of the
farm bequeathed to the college by Benjamin Thompson. He permitted no one to cut the timber there when he was alive and in his
will specified that the forest should be maintained as a park. The
forestry department with this condition was given a hard proposiSAVE THE DATE
1962 - 2015
Annual Rededication of the
College Woods Natural Area
COLLEGE WOODS DAY
Wednesday
October 14, 2015
116 James Hall
12:00 - 1:00 p.m.
Paul Bunyan - photo by James Barrett August 25, 2006
Editorial from James Barrett
A number of reports indicate that Ben Thompson considered the
College Woods Natural Area a special place that should be protected
as a park. Some reports suggested that he would include a provision
in his will for the protection of the Natural Area. Alas the provision
was not included. Perhaps death came before he took care of this
business, for death waits for no one. We will never know why he
didn’t take this final step to protect the Natural Area.
Those that inherited the land that is now the campus, the agricultural fields, and College Woods continued to consider the Natural
Area as a special place that needed protection. A formal dedication
took place in 1962 that committed UNH to limited protection of
the Natural Area. The College Woods (including the Natural Area)
is a priceless asset to the UNH community and deserves enduring
protection. Note: National Civil War battlefields are protected not
just because of their physical features but mainly because of the
history of what took place. The College Woods Natural Area has
both unique physical features and a unique history.
More from the “Special Collections” archives
Article by Charles F. Scott, October 1967
Ben Thompson did a great many things to help the people of this
vicinity besides leaving his estate to New Hampshire College
(forerunner of today’s University). Some people in Barrington
were burned out and he gave them lumber for a new house with
the condition that relatives in Barrington would help them put up
the house. He gave his entire apple crop to the Railroad if they
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would transport the apples free to the Boston market. In those days,
the railroad was not bothered by Interstate Commerce regulations.
Woodland Sounds
James Barrett, September 5, 2014
Mr. Thompson made money on his farm as he had all kinds of animals
and crops, but he would have made more if he had cut the big trees
in the College Woods.
Woodland sounds in College Woods soothe and heal the body and
soul -- birds tweeting, the rustle of leaves, the patter of raindrops in
a gentle rain, the ripple of water over boulders in the Oyster River.
He wanted the trees saved for the enjoyment of the students and
faculty of the College and his will stated that no trees should be cut
in the College Woods. This request was carried out for a long time
but when the 1938 hurricane came, not much damage was done in
Durham except in the College Woods where the water got under the
roots of white pines that should have been cut years before. Many fell
down and some fell part way down and twisted up with others. After
that, some were cut as the hurricane was called an “act of God” and
in such cases exceptions are made in the way wills are carried out.
One of my favorite walks is to the bridge behind the Oyster River
Reservoir dam. After a rainy period the water roars over the dam
and ripples down the river like a grand, natural musical concert.
The sound, like other sounds in the woods, create a sense of harmony.
In those days, several men from Durham worked in Boston and went
back and forth six days a week, but Ben Thompson never went to
Boston. He took one trip to the Isle of Shoals and that is as far as he
ever got away from Durham.
He was very good to his help in most ways. George Amazeen
and Hamilton Palmer said that when they were haying they would
sometimes leave a bit of hay that had bees in it and Ben would shout,
“Get every bit of it?”
Ben Thompson would never use a swear word but Hamilton Palmer
told me that when he went to school (in what is now the Grange Hall)
and Ben lived in the house that stood about where the Post Office is
now, the boys would bat the ball against the side of his house and Ben
would shout: “Thundering guns, boys -- Bat the ball the other way!”
If you wish to become a member of the Coalition,
or as a member, would like to make an additional
contribution, please send a check for ten dollors or
more with the following form.
Become a Supporter of the College Woods Coalition
The College Woods Coalition seeks a large membership in order to demonstrate broad support for the permanent protection of College
Woods. Your one-time membership contribution of at least $10 will be used for further outreach by the Coalition. If you provide your
email address, we can keep you up-to-date on our progress and activities; your addresses will be neither shared nor overused.
Name__________________________________________________________________________
Address________________________________________________________________________
Town_____________________________________________State___________ Zip____________
Email (optional)___________________________________________________________________
Check as appropriate: _____Individual
_____ Organization
_____Department
_____Please contact me about how I can help. Phone (
_____Please do NOT use my name in any public list.
)___________
Send this form and a check for $ _________($10 minimum) payable to “UNH,” with “College Woods Coalition” in the memo line or
use your VISA/MC.
VISA/MC ________________________________________ exp ____________________
To: Dr. James Barrett, Emeritus, Natural Resources & the Environment, 114 James Hall, 56 College Road, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824