Smith Woods
Smith Woods is a spectacular remnant of old growth forest - an island in a landscape that was nearly completely logged in the early 1900s. This forest is similar to what the Europeans would have encountered when they first visited the area. Less than 0.6% of the forest that remains in the East today has not been heavily logged or grazed.
Trees occasionally have been removed from Smith Woods, so it is not a virgin forest. But over the past 150 years, only trees that were blown over in severe windstorms were removed. You can still see trunks of trees that were snapped off and removed after a windstorm in 1989, and observe recent blowdowns from spring 2006. The smaller-than-expected number of visible mounds that occur when trees topple and uproot suggest that there was human activity here 150 years ago, flattening the mounds. However, not all of the trees were removed in the mid-1800s because some of the fallen hemlocks in 1989 had more than 300 annual growth rings. This suggests that Smith Woods was once used as a woodlot where firewood was taken, but not all trees were removed. So, although it is not pristine, disturbances over the last 200 years have been infrequent enough to classify Smith Woods as an old growth forest. This 32-acre tract contains hemlocks between 150 and 300 years old, red oaks nearly 200 years old, and sugar maple, yellow poplar and beech exceeding 130 years. One very large cucumber magnolia is growing near the Sure Save entrance. Twenty-three tree species have been identified and labeled along the trail running through the woods. Some trees are more than 10 ft. in diameter and 130 ft. tall.
Old growth forests provide unique habitats that are rarely found today. At least 30 species of birds prefer old-growth forests to other habitats. Among them are pileated woodpeckers, flickers, scarlet tanagers and some owls. Beetles are particularly abundant in old growth forests, as are salamanders in the wetter sites. Old growth forests support a wide variety of lichens that are rarely found elsewhere. Flying squirrels also prefer the old growth forest to secondary growth. The woodland flora in spring is spectacular with abundant mayapples, jack-in-the-pulpit, trillium, trout lily, hepatica, bloodroot, baneberry, blue cohosh and geranium.
When left uncut, trees get old and die. Sometimes they die when they are blown over in the wind, but they also die from disease and old age. For example, the beech trees in this forest are dying from a fungus infection under the bark. Dead trees may look unsightly, but they support a large number of species. Standing dead trees provide a habitat for insects and the woodpeckers that follow. In the early spring, an observer can spot white, black, red, blue, orange and green fungi and lichen on decomposing wood. In addition, fallen trees provide a habitat for new trees to establish on, especially hemlock and black birch. Some sedges, for example, are abundant on old logs because ants carry seeds to nesting sites in decaying logs, where the seeds germinate. You may see a tree that appears to have its roots starting a couple of feet above the ground, with a hollow space at its base. This tree germinated on a fallen log and the log eventually decomposed.
Beech and maple trees can tolerate shade, so you will see trees of all sizes in Smith Woods because seeds germinate and establish continuously. In contrast, tulip popular trees are often found together and many are about the same age (130 years old). This is because they require light to germinate and grow, so they start life only when there is a light gap - probably caused by a fallen tree. As one walks to the southeast, conditions become wetter, the trees become smaller, and the species composition changes to include white ash, shagbark hickory, hop hornbeam, ironwood, white oak, yellow birch, and witch hazel.
Deer sleep and find shelter in Smith Woods, but they leave the woods to feed because there is little for them to eat in this shaded environment. Deer will eat white pine and yellow birch, so you will find few small trees of these species. You may find animal skulls and bones along the west end of the forest, next to Rt. 96, because animals hit by passing cars often enter the woods, then die.
Old-growth forests like Smith Woods are important for maintaining biodiversity. They contain genes that can make important contributions to the gene pool and genetics of forest tree species. They harbor native species, demonstrate natural processes, and provide living examples of what our landscape was like before dramatic human disturbance. Please help us protect this remnant forest for future generations.
Visitors are welcome to explore Smith Woods, but please stay on the trail. The trail is accessible near the sign along Rt. 96 at the southwest corner of the woods (by the Sure Save), at the corner of Cemetery and Falls Road (the northeast corner), or across from the fairgrounds crosswalk. Please do not litter, pick wildflowers, start fires, cut wood, or engage in any other activity that could disrupt the forest and detract from the experience. Motorized vehicles, bikes, and hunting are prohibited.
	We encourage you to visit the Cayuga Nature Center after you explore Smith Woods. The Center is only 4 miles away, south along Rt. 89, next to Cayuga Lake.

Last Updated February 14, 2009