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Three Rivers Region

Started by dedgren, December 20, 2006, 07:57:49 PM

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Alfred.Jones

I love all the mini tutorials and lessons :thumbsup: I'm learning so much :P

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Ajax

The info you have provided for the trees of 3RR is simply superb!
Quote from: Gaston on January 05, 2007, 03:50:49 PM
You are still in my opinion, The Terraforming Guru!
I am in complete agreement! Thanks for sharing your terraforming techniques!

tkirch

David,

Thank you, your tutorials are amazing.  This whole journal is amazing.

Todd

dedgren

#123
Here's the remainder of

A Field Guide to the Trees of Three Rivers Region

Deciduous Trees


American elm (Ulmus americana)

     

American elms are large trees, height usually 50' to 70' with a diameter of 24" to 48", although they can reach a height of 100' with a diameter of up to 48"; wide spreading branches that droop at the ends; crown is vase-shaped.  The bark is dark, ashy gray; divided into irregular, flat-topped, thick ridges; generally firm, although on older trees it tends to come off in flakes; outer bark layers alternating white and reddish-brown in cross section.  Leaves are simple, alternate on stem, length 4" to 6"; rather thick, somewhat one-sided, dark green, doubly toothed on margin, generally rough above, smooth below; veins very pronounced, running in parallel lines from mid-rib to edge of leaf; turns yellow in autumn.  The fruit, which is in the form of a seed, is a winged samara, light green, oval, and waferlike in appearance; seed portion in center surrounded entirely by the wing; outer end of each wing deeply notched; seeds hang in clusters, ripen in spring, and are widely scattered by the wind.

American elm is hardy throughout Three Rivers Region; more abundant on rich bottom lands; moderately shade-tolerant, fast-growing. Very susceptible to Dutch Elm disease, although this condition has not had the terrible effect on the region's elms that it has had elsewhere in North America.


Cottonwood (Populus deltoides var. occidentalis)

     

Cottonwoods are large trees, 50' to 80' tall, diameter 36" to over 48"; developing first a narrow, conical crown that with maturity becomes broad and open supported by a massive trunk.  The bark is light gray on young trees and dark gray and rough on older trees.  Leaves are simple, alternate on stem, 3" to 5" long, nearly as wide; broadly ovate or triangular, pointed, square at base, finely toothed or wavy on edges; covered with soft white hairs on underside; slender stems from 2" to 3" long are flattened; winter buds covered with chestnut-brown, resinous scales; turns yellow to yellowish-orange in autumn.  The tree's fruit, in the form of a seed, is two to four, valved, thin capsules borne on short stock in drooping "catkins"; seeds, when set free in late May or June, are minute, pale, brownish-white, enclosed in a cluster of white cottony hairs that carry them for long distances. There are two kinds of flowers borne separately on different trees; female trees throw cotton.

Cottonwood is found throughout Three Rivers Region, often in conjunction with aspen.  The tree often forms extensive groves; will grow on dry locations but makes most rapid progress on moist sites; shade-intolerant, very fast-growing.  The region's farmers frequently planted these trees in the late 1800s and early 1900s along roads and lanes and between fields as windrows.


Northern red oak (Quercus borealis)

     

Northern red oak is a medium to large tree 50' to 65' in height with diameters at maturity ranging from 18" to 24"; tall and straight with clear trunk and narrow crown  The bark on young stems is smooth, dark gray to dark brown; on older trees, thick and brown broken by shallow fissures into regular, flat, smooth-surfaced vertical plates.  Leaves are simple, alternate on stem, length 5" to 9"; divided into seven to nine lobes, each extending halfway to the midrib; each lobe somewhat coarsely toothed, bristle-tipped, firm; dull green above, paler below, often turning a brilliant red in fall. Buds thick and pointed at top.  The tree's fruit is in the form of a large, bitter acorn, maturing the second year; length 3/4" to nearly 2"; blunt-topped, flat at base with base enclosed in a very shallow, dark brown cup. Acorns are an important winter food source for the region's squirrels, deer, wild turkeys, and several songbirds.

Northern red oak grows throughout Three Rivers Region, but is most common and of best quality in the rich soil of bottom land along the lower Grand and Wind Rivers, and along the Fox River; moderately shade-tolerant, fast-growing. Very susceptible to oak wilt fungus.


Aspen (Populus tremuloides var goldenis northeii)

     

Aspen takes the form of a small to medium size tree; taller ones may reach height of 65' and diameter of 12" to 20", but usually somewhat smaller at 30' to 50'; open, rounded crown; young branchlets are reddish-brown and shiny, becoming gray and roughened after first year.  The bark is thin, white to gray-green, almost smooth with black areas around base of limbs; becomes grayish and warty or deeply furrowed.  Leaves are simple, alternate on stem; small, broadly oval, short-pointed at end and finely toothed along margin; green and shiny above, dull green below; usually ranges in size from 1" to 2" but often 4" or more in length as well as in width on vigorous young shoots. Leafstalks are flattened at right angles to leaves, causing leaves to quake or tremble in a very slight breeze.  The leaves turn brilliant gold or yellow in the the fall of the year.  The tree fruits in late spring (May or June) before full expansion of leaves; consists of cottony mass (catkin) containing tiny round light brown seeds that usually germinate in a few hours after they release from the tree.

Found in the upland areas of Three Rivers Region; one of the first species to appear after cutting or fire; it will colonize cutover land, but is quickly replaces by cottonwoods, maple and oaks; grows well on sandy, gravelly soils but thrives better on good soil; shade-intolerant, fast-growing.


Red maple (Acer rubrum)

     

Red maple is a medium-sized shade tree, height 40' to 65' with diameters of 10" to 24"; broad, round crown; moderately long, clear trunk.  The bark is smooth, light gray on young stems, dark gray and rough on old limbs and trunk; old bark divided by shallow, flaky ridges at surface, making tree look shaggy.  Leaves are simple, opposite on stem, length 2" to 4"; has three- to five-pointed saw-toothed lobes separated by sharp angular openings; upper surface is light green when mature; lower surface is whitish and partly covered with pale down; first of the maples to turn brilliant shades of red, orange, and yellow in autumn. Winter buds are small, red, and somewhat rounded.  Fruit, in the form of seed, appear as u-shaped pairs of winged seeds (samaras), 1/2" to 1" in length, on long, drooping stems; red, reddish-brown, or yellow; ripens in late spring or early summer.

Red maple is distributed throughout the areas of lower elevation of Three Rivers Region.  The tree is shade-tolerant, moderately fast-growing.


Sugar maple (Acer saccharum)

     

Sugar maples are 60' or more in height with a diameter of up to 24" or more.  The tree has a symmetrically rounded crown.  The bark on young trees is light gray to brown and somewhat smooth; on older trees gray to almost black with irregular plates or scales. Twigs are smooth and reddish-brown with sharp-pointed winter buds.  Leaves are simple, opposite on stem, length 3" to 5"; three- to five-pointed, smooth-edged lobes; division between lobes rounded; dark green on upper surface, lighter green below; in autumn turns to brilliant shades of dark red, scarlet, orange, or yellow.  The fruit, in the form of seeds, consists of two slightly connected wings (samaras), each containing one seed; length about 1"; easily carried by the wind.

Sugar maple grows in cool, rich locations generally not far from the lakes, rivers and streams of the region; very shade-tolerant, slow-growing.  It provides the basis for the increasingly significant quantity of "boutique" maple syrup products that have become emblematic of the region.


White oak (Quercus alba)

     

White oaks are large trees 60' to 80' in height with a diameter of 24" to 36", although they can grow larger.  The tree is tall and narrow-crowned in the forest; short in the open, crowned by a broad, rounded top with limbs spreading irregularly; well-grown specimens are strikingly beautiful.  The bark is pale gray with scaly ridges and shallow fissures.  Leaves are simple, alternate on stem, length 5" to 9" and about half as broad; crowded toward ends of twigs, deeply divided into five to nine fingerlike lobes; young leaf yellow or red while unfolding, later becoming light green above and much paler below; turns red or brown in autumn; sometimes remains on tree most of the winter.  The tree fruits in the form of light brown acorns maturing the first year, length 3/4" to 1", about one-fourth of it is enclosed in a bowl-shaped cap. These acorns are a valuable fall food source for many wildlife species.

In Three Rivers Region, white oaks are at the northern extent of their range in North America, so they do not form the dense stands found only a few hundred miles to the south in the midwestern United States.  The tree grows on heavy, well-drained acid soil; slow-growing; difficult to transplant after passing seedling state. White oak is a fine permanent tree that should be planted wherever there is available space and the soil is suitable.


Based on copyrighted work done by Minnesota Department of Natural Resources. 2007. The Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Web Site (online). Accessed 2007-1-4 at http://www.dnr.state.mn.us/sitetools/copyright.html
D. Edgren

Please call me David...

Three Rivers Region- A collaborative development of the SC4 community
The 3RR Quick Finder [linkie]


I aten't dead.  —  R.I.P. Granny Weatherwax

Skype: davidredgren

pvarcoe

I very much enjoyed the tree tutorial David.
Using in-game shots of the various varieties in really neat.
I'd say I like the White Oak and Sugar Maples best, even thought I'm normally more fond of evergreens.

Very useful tutorial on terraforming river beds too!

Phil

bat

Very nice field guide you have done there :thumbsup:

jeronij

Hi David, this is being very pleasant to read and look at. These last trees posts are very vell done, very elegant and very interesting  :thumbsup:
I am currently not active - Please, contact Tarkus for any site related matter. Thanks for enjoying SC4D :D


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Alfred.Jones

Awesome work Dedgren! I'm loving the tree guide :P

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TheTeaCat

School was never this much fun! &apls

I learn something new everyday just following 3RR. &apls

The amouont of information you gift us with is amazing. Super clear instructions on how to use tools not explained much, to background info on the trees we use in game, to topography lessons, the list is endless.

Thank you. (is not enough!!!)



Kettle's on. Milk? Sugars?    ps I don't like Earl Grey  $%Grinno$%
Reduce, Reuse, Recycle - If you're not part of the solution , you're part of the problem!
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dedgren

#129
n.b.  The growing back story for 3RR, which continues to be a work in progress.  Old text is in black, new in blue.  There are several new pics.  Additional changes, mostly the material expanding on poutine along with the picture of that dish, were made on 01-08-07.  DE

Location and Physical Setting

Three Rivers Region ("3RR") is a 1,600 square mile/4,096 square kilometer area of land located on the North American continent at about 49 degrees north latitude and 95 degrees west longitude.  Its area forms a square 40 miles/64 kilometers on a side.



The Grand Meridian is the map line formed by 95 degrees west longitude as it passes through Three Rivers Region.  This principal meridian was not in fact named after the Grand River that empties into Hotham Inlet at Pineshore; this is a local misnomer (albeit an understandable one given local pride).  The meridian was named after Simon deBeauville Grand, a French-English trapper and freebooter of little repute who frequented parts several hundred miles to the south of the region until his untimely death at age 37 during a gas-passing contest with the soldiers of F Troop at Camp Heckawi during the winter of 1846.  The Grand Meridian is unremarkable, passing through no other place of any comparable importance to the region along its entire distance between the North and South Poles.


Three Rivers Region lies on the northwest shore of the highest of the great lakes of the region (surface elevation 820 feet/250 meters above sea level), which drains the three large rivers of the region out through Lake Superior and on to the Atlantic Ocean.  The final phase of the St. Lawrence Seaway project, completed in the 1970s, makes the region the home to North America's most inland containerized port, and the one most convenient to the agricultural and mineral lands of great plains Canada and the northern United States east of the Rockies.  3RR's port facilities are among the most advanced in the world.

The region shares with Canada along its northern boundary the Northern Range, an east-west lying mountainous area about 75 miles/120 kilometers in length and 20 miles/32 kilometers wide at its greatest north-south axis.  To the south and west, the region shares with the United States the Southern Range.  These mountains, which occupy a roughly diamond-shaped area 30 miles/48 kilometers from north to south and east to west, host the southeasternmost glaciers on the North American continent.  Like the Mesabi Range to the east, the Southern Range is heavily mineralized, and was mined significantly for iron and other ores in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

Sovereignty and Governance


Three Rivers Region is self-governing under the Treaty of 1839 with Canada and the United StatesThe region enjoys close relations with both countries, but strictly observes its national motto:

Vos mens vestri res quod nos mos mens nostrum res.

which loosely translates as, "You mind your business and we'll mind ours."

Diplomatic relations are maintained with most of the democratic nations of the world, but 3RR has no embassies in other countries.  It welcome other nations, however, to maintain diplomats in the region.  3RR's foreign policy, to the extent it has one, is modeled on that of the Duchy of Grand Fenwick.  The governmental and administrative center of 3RR is the city of Pineshore.

Population

The only urban place in Three Rivers Region of any appreciable size is the city of Pineshore, which has a total population of about 1,200,000 inhabitants.  Pineshore is situated in the south-center of the region at the mouths of the Grand and Wind Rivers.



Suburban areas surrounding the city have a combined population of about another 500,000 people.  Small cities, towns and villages spread across the rest of the region bring the area's total population to about two million.  The region's population growth is essentally flat, with deaths and a small outmigration roughly equalling births since the 1980s.  Life expectancy is substantially longer than the North American average at 89 years for women and 86.5 years for men.

Early History

The Three Rivers Region area was first explored by French and English trappers and traders in the early 1800s.  The abundance of fur bearing animals in the area such as beaver and fox led to the establishment of a trading post on High Island by 1820.  There were aboriginals, mostly Chippewa and Assiniboine, that frequented the area that ultimately became 3RR, but no permanent aboriginal settlements are known to have existed.

Pineshore was founded in 1823 as a fur trading encampment originally named De Pere.  The original name was not, as many believe, in honor of the French trader and explorer; rather it was the first thing said on resurfacing ("Deep here!") by the faithful Native American guide of the Rochamboullet party after stepping out of his canoe into what he thought were shallow waters near shore in preparation for setting up camp for the night.  The name De Pere was abandoned in favor of Pineshore some 30 years later in the fit of completely irrational anti-French xenophobia that swept North America's upper Midwestern regions at that time.

By the 1830s, farmers had begun to move into the area attracted by its fertile prairies, ease of shipping, and, due to the configuration of the mountains to the north, west and south, relatively mild winters and long growing season for being so far north.  Situated, as noted, at the mouths of the Grand and Wind Rivers, Pineshore quickly grew into a local transportation hub the like of which was not again reached west of Duluth until at least Moose Jaw.  The old saying, now sadly forgotten, that "You can't get to Kenora without changing canoes in Pineshore" originated during this period.

The week-long "War of Hickam's Knee," which arose over the rumor that the U.S. and Canadian governments were colluding in imposing a tax on local all-you-can-eat smörgåsbord-style dining establishments resulted in independence under the aforementioned Treaty of 1839 when each of those nations, on the mistaken notion that 3RR was on the other side of the national border, ceded all claims to the region without a shot being fired.  By the time this error was recognized, 3RR's residents had taken the ball and run with it, establishing a regional government that stands today as a model of efficiency and just administration unique in the world.

By 1900, the population of Pineshore had grown to almost 60,000 inhabitants, about 80% of the 1,600 square mile region's population.  The regional government had a total budget that year of 214,000 simoleans (the simolean, for obscure reasons to complicated to explain here, was formerly pegged until the advent of the Euro to the Portuguese escudo; it is now a free-floating currency on its own and currently trades at about par with the Canadian dollar), most of which was raised through library fines and moorage charges.  The Regional Council ("RC"), consisting then as now of 23 members, met monthly in spare warehouse space (if for no other reason, to play the national game: five card stud poker- jokers and one-eyed jacks wild) at the foot of Second Avenue on the Grand River in Pineshore.  These premises, now fallen into substantial disrepair, are the object of competing efforts to have them designated historic and to have them torn down as part of a waterfront freeway project.  The government has moved on, of course, to the new administrative complex constructed in West Pineshore in the 1960s.

Transportation

Railroads reached Three Rivers Region in the 1850s, bringing a new era of economic growth along with a whole host of communicable diseases theretofore unknown to the region.  Rails quickly connected the region to the growing cities of the U.S. midwest and Canadian plains.  It is locally contended that poutine, an incomprehensible mixture of fried potatoes, gravy and cheese curds,



was invented in Pineshore in 1863 as a way of efficiently feeding hungry railroad crews and reducing the growing surplus of locally produced agricultural products.  Poutine was honored by being designated as the region's official convenience food in 1993 and is a main dish at all governmental functions where food is served.
  The advent of the automobile increased Three Rivers Region's links with the heartland of North America, and truck and rail transport now surpass, but not by much, shipments of goods and commodities through 3RR's port city of Nelson.  Three Rivers Region International Airport has become a major hub for several airlines, and its airfreight capacity now rivals cities like Memphis, Tennessee.

Agriculture and Industry

The area has come to be a significant producer of crops such as corn, wheat, sorghum, milo and soybeans.  Regional development plans have been put into place to strictly limit the conversion of farmland to non-agricultural uses- this and a favorable taxation scheme insures that the rural character of the region outside of Pineshore and its suburbs remains strong and vibrant.  A strong high-tech industrial sector based on agricultural feedstocks for products such as plastics and alternative fuels has developed and presents new opportunities to grow 3RR's economy in the first decades of the 21st century.

Not to be overlooked is 3RR's industrial potential generally.  The discovery of the world's largest deposits of upsidasium shortly after the Second World War left the region, until the crash in demand for the mineral in the late 1960s, a major extractive resource producer.  Mining is still active in 3RR producing coal, iron ore and a range of other minerals, and substantial industrial capacity remains to process the production from these operations.  The region also has a strong manufacturing sector, producing everything from heavy equipment all the way to the most advanced integrated circuits and other electronics.

Climate

Three Rivers Region has a "continental" climate, with snowy winters and warm, sunny summers with moderate precipitation.  The following bar chart shows the year's average daily temperatures.


(conversion: 10ºF = -12 ºC, 20ºF = -6 ºC, 30ºF = -1 ºC, 40ºF = 4ºC, 50ºF = 10ºC, 60ºF = -16ºC, 70ºF = 21ºC)

The growing season in 3RR is 120-130 days long.  The region is in USDA Growing Zone 4a.

D. Edgren

Please call me David...

Three Rivers Region- A collaborative development of the SC4 community
The 3RR Quick Finder [linkie]


I aten't dead.  —  R.I.P. Granny Weatherwax

Skype: davidredgren

Ajax

David,

I realize that you are still developing the story for 3RR, but I just had to comment anyway.  What you have done so far is supremely entertaining!  :D I'm fascinated with your creativity and humor!  Can't wait for more!

thundercrack83

I like the ever-growing backstory that you are working on, it's very factual and educational, yet also very compelling. I see that Mr. Grand is a freebooter, a word which can be linked to the term "filibuster" through the Dutch vrijbuiter, at least according to West Wing episode entitled "The Stackhouse Filibuster."

And speaking of Mr. Grand, who won the contest between him and F Troop--Corporal Agarn or Sergeant O'Rourke? Anyway...very interesting stuff, looking forward to seeing more.

NikNik

David,

What a great continuation of 3RR. I love the history and especcially the smorgasbrot-uprising is a nice and humerous touch as well as the addition of local sayings such as: "You can't get to Kenora without changing canoes in Pineshore".  &apls

I guess the hi-tech industry might find also another solution to the upsidasium problem once again bringing in the wealth of this mineral.  :thumbsup:

Nik-Nik
PS. go to bed it's about 1 AM in Alaska!

dedgren

#133
I'll be moving on from the recent focus on trees and updates may come a bit more slowly as a result.  I thought, though, that you might like the following.

Early spring.



Early fall.



Winter before the first snow.



It's a shame cycledogg's great terrain textures don't turn with the seasons, but that's picking at nits.

Don't miss the updated 3RR back story here [linkie].
D. Edgren

Please call me David...

Three Rivers Region- A collaborative development of the SC4 community
The 3RR Quick Finder [linkie]


I aten't dead.  —  R.I.P. Granny Weatherwax

Skype: davidredgren

pvarcoe

QuoteIt's a shame cycledogg's great terrain textures don't turn with the seasons, but that's picking at nits.

Ahhh. I have to admit, this made me smile a little. Must be an early Monday morning thing ;)
Nice little update. Leave's me wanting more (which is sorta the point).

Phil



exodus101

Wow!  So much posting this weekend (and still time for a PM).  Your two part update on the trees was excellent...very well thought out.  The back story is equally entertaining.  Poor Simon deBeauville Grand - what a way to go!!  I'm looking forward to what comes next in 3RR!

-Stephen

Alfred.Jones

Very nice work Dedgren :thumbsup: Very enteraining history and information :thumbsup:

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your_adress_here

#137
Nice update, I've always liked it when theres a good history behind the region. Although, I hope you do know that it was us Québequois who invented poutine.  ;)
Bookah!

bat

Nice information and using of trees!

threestooges

Sorry for my recent absence (computer problems and whatnot), but I have been keeping an eye on this in my free time and I have tp say that everything (trees of the region, region history, etc) is absolutly amazing. You've added another layer of realism and, at the same time, made it easier for those who will be helping develop the region to keep it aligned with your vision. Keep it up.