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Hardly anyone today in the Ozarks of Missouri or Arkansas who was born after the 1950’s know what an Ozark Chinquapin is or have even hear of this tree. Most of what is left today is old stumps of trees that succumbed to the Chestnut Blight (Cryphonectria parasitica). These remaining stumps have sprouts that continue to bear nuts each year but rarely reach any significant height before once again the blight kills back the stump sprouts and the cycle is repeated. By 1908 in Missouri most of the short leaf pine had been cut. Ozark Chinquapin trees were very similar to the American chestnut tree. The wood of the Ozark Chinquapin just like the American chestnut was very durable and rot resistant. Because of this it was sought as a source of durable railroad ties and fence post. The remaining hardwood forest fell next and by the 1920’s most of Missouri’s virgin forest had been cut. By looking at old photographs and listening to first hand accounts the landscape in much of southern Missouri looked like a sea of stumps. By the late 1920’s the land was deforested and timber companies moved on. Inhabitants now tried to make a living with orchards, small scale farming, and raising livestock.
A float of railroad ties on Current River in Missouri around 1900. It was common practice to burn this deforested land at least once a year usually around Easter to improve the pasture land by killing deciduous tree sprouts that try to reclaim the land. Ozark farmers also wanted to use fire to help eliminate snakes and ticks. By the 1950-60’s the same Chestnut blight that killed out the American chestnut reached the Ozarks and began to take its toll on the Ozark Chinquapin. Many Ozark Chinquapin that were dead and standing were cut so at least the wood could be salvaged. Sprouts often came back up from these stumps or standing dead trees. Because of the Chestnut blight Ozark Chinquapin were reduced from large trees to an almost shrub status. How long these few remaining stumps can continue this cycle is not certain.
Me kneeling beside another large Ozark Chinquapin in Northern Arkansas. A cold steady rain never stopped falling on us this day. Carl and I had no doubt the Ozark Chinquapins were the dominant species on this hill. Because of an overall lack of knowledge about these trees they are often not given consideration when land is converted to pasture or home building sites. Slowly through attrition we are losing more and more of the old stumps and our seed base. Each year more and more land is converted from its original state to pasture land or living space. With every passing year we are also losing first hand accounts of just how numerous and important these trees were.
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