Fieldcraft Determining north from plants, other than compass roses

[fairdebtlawyer]

In my online Bio 2 class the instructor posed a question on the discussion board: "If you were lost in the woods, using knowledge from our course and other sources, can you think of a plant that would help you determine which way was north or south? Why or why not?"

I said the best plant for finding directions is of course a compass rose. But before that, I went outside to see what I could see on the farm. I couldn't find any moss to test the old saying about moss growing mostly on the north side of trees because it's darker and damper there. I did notice that trees standing by themselves seemed to have more small branches on the south side, and sometimes their trunks leaned a little south, presumably to get lots of leaves on the sunniest side.

This wasn't universally true. Trees on the edges of fields lean toward the field, and trees growing close together seem not to orient themselves in any one direction. So I said you might survey a lot of trees in the immediate area and sort of get a vote on which direction is south. Anybody know a better way?

I shouldn't have been surprised, but did get a laugh, when one of the other students said she didn't know before about a compass rose, but it sounded like a great idea, and the next time in the woods, she would certainly look for one.

 

[Flying Goose]

Spending a lifetime in the woods has taught me many things. Finding north is one of them and your on the right track! Broad leaf trees are more likely to tilt toward the south but like you said ensuring that your looking at multiple single trees and observing the soil conditions around them for consistency is key. The old tale of moss grows on the north side is true (most of the time). Really what I'm saying is there is no one way and you can't determine from looking at one thing. Unless its the sun and you know what time of day it is. I'm sure someone will throw out more ways but you've got it!

 

[Idaho Savage]

Depending on where you are, there are different rules. In the Pacific NW, the moss thing is really easy. Here in the mountains, south slopes are almost always considerably barren where as the northern aspects are timbered. In the winter, there will be way more snow on the Northern aspects.

I can't speak to tropical climates but I hope this helps a bit.

 

[Mike_Honcho]

In the wet areas of the PNW that moss thing should be considered Northish.

 

[fairdebtlawyer]

Spending a lifetime in the woods has taught me many things. Finding north is one of them and your on the right track! Broad leaf trees are more likely to tilt toward the south but like you said ensuring that your looking at multiple single trees and observing the soil conditions around them for consistency is key. The old tale of moss grows on the north side is true (most of the time). Really what I'm saying is there is no one way and you can't determine from looking at one thing. Unless its the sun and you know what time of day it is. I'm sure someone will throw out more ways but you've got it!

I spend way less time in the woods than I should so I'm glad we have members who know stuff. A lot of students gave conflicting opinions about moss. Our instructor, who has a masters in bio but I don't know what field experience, says in SE NC the woods are often so thick that the trees are pretty evenly shady and damp all the way around, so moss doesn't know which way is north, it's just happy anywhere on the tree. He also noted that different students got different answers because science is rarely easy or exact. I would have said, but we're supposed to be nice to each other in class, how about going outside and looking at the world yourself instead of just copying stuff you found online.

Personally, I'll just try not to lose my Cammenga compass.

 

[Geronimo]

learned a watch method and a real simple method as a scout, stick a stick in the ground put a rock at the edge of the shadow, then wait awhile the place another rock at the new edge of the shadow, that will be east and west

 

[KYpatriot]

I know its was a classroom question but why bother with plants, use the sun. In the northern hemisphere if you know what time it is then when pointing the hour hand at the sun South will be halfway between the hour hand and noon. As noted above, shadows progress east.

 

[fairdebtlawyer]

Right, unless there's a persistent overcast. And you might not have a reliable watch. Or it's probably a digital watch with no dial. I'll go see if our woods let in enough sunlight to cast a good shadow on the leaf litter.

 

[45.308]

What if the sun goes around in a circle, rises and sets in the north in summer or rises and sets in the south for winter?

A good question to digest for classroom but classroom use only.