Alan Mitchell
Encyclopedia
Alan F. Mitchell was a British
forester
, dendrologist
and botanist, and author of several books on tree
s.
He almost single-handedly measured every notable tree in the British Isles
, founding the Tree Register of the British Isles (T.R.O.B.I.), which held records of over 100,000 individual notable trees at the time of his death.
During the Second World War, he served with the Fleet Air Arm in the Far East. Returning by troop ship in the Red Sea at the end of the war, he pondered his future and decided it would be trees. In 1976, the Royal Forestry Society of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland awarded him its Medal for Distinguished Service to Forestry (Gold Medal) during a Society meeting at Westonbirt. (From a tribute by Esmond Harris, Quarterly Journal of Forestry, January 1996, page 67).
His 1987 book The Guide to Trees of Canada and North America is dedicated to his sister Christine. The book makes occasional oblique reference to a trip to North America in 1976.
Mitchell's Rule states: "If there are tree stump
s or felled trunk
s nearby, count the annual growth rings and measure the trunk circumference to find local growth rates".
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
forester
Forestry
Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...
, dendrologist
Dendrology
Dendrology or xylology is the science and study of wooded plants . There is no sharp boundary between plant taxonomy and dendrology. However, woody plants not only belong to many different plant families, but these families may be made up of both woody and non-woody members. Some families include...
and botanist, and author of several books on tree
Tree
A tree is a perennial woody plant. It is most often defined as a woody plant that has many secondary branches supported clear of the ground on a single main stem or trunk with clear apical dominance. A minimum height specification at maturity is cited by some authors, varying from 3 m to...
s.
He almost single-handedly measured every notable tree in the British Isles
British Isles
The British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, founding the Tree Register of the British Isles (T.R.O.B.I.), which held records of over 100,000 individual notable trees at the time of his death.
During the Second World War, he served with the Fleet Air Arm in the Far East. Returning by troop ship in the Red Sea at the end of the war, he pondered his future and decided it would be trees. In 1976, the Royal Forestry Society of England, Wales, and Northern Ireland awarded him its Medal for Distinguished Service to Forestry (Gold Medal) during a Society meeting at Westonbirt. (From a tribute by Esmond Harris, Quarterly Journal of Forestry, January 1996, page 67).
His 1987 book The Guide to Trees of Canada and North America is dedicated to his sister Christine. The book makes occasional oblique reference to a trip to North America in 1976.
Mitchell's Rule states: "If there are tree stump
Tree stump
After a tree has been cut and felled, the stump or tree stump is usually a small remaining portion of the trunk with the roots still in the ground. Stumps may show the age-defining rings of a tree. The study of these rings is known as dendrochronology....
s or felled trunk
Trunk (botany)
In botany, trunk refers to the main wooden axis of a tree that supports the branches and is supported by and directly attached to the roots. The trunk is covered by the bark, which is an important diagnostic feature in tree identification, and which often differs markedly from the bottom of the...
s nearby, count the annual growth rings and measure the trunk circumference to find local growth rates".
Selected bibliography
- 1972. Conifers in the British Isles. A Descriptive Handbook. Forestry Commission Booklet 33.
- 1974. A Field Guide to the Trees of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins. ISBN 0-00-212035-6
- 1980. Native British Trees. Forestry Commission Research Information Note, 53/80/SILS Forestry Commission, Edinburgh.
- 1981. The Gardener's Book of Trees, illustrated by Joanna Langhorne. J.M. Dent, London. ISBN 0-460-86085-2. First published in paperback, with corrections, 1993.
- 1982. The Trees of Britain and Northern Europe. Collins. ISBN 0-00-219037-0 (hbk) ISBN 0-00-219035-4 (pbk)
- 1985. Champion Trees in the British Isles, with V. E. Hallett & J. E. J. White. Forestry Commission Field Book 10.
- 1987. The Guide to Trees of Canada and North America, illustrated by David More. Dragon's World, Limpsfield and London. ISBN 1-85028-053-3 (hbk).
- 1996 (published posthumously). Alan Mitchell's Trees of Britain. HarperCollins. ISBN 0-00-219972-6