Stand Dynamics and Health. Helping Your Woods Grow. For most of us this is our goal. Traditional Land Knowledge. Forest Function and Wildlife Habitat

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1 Helping Your Woods Grow the art and science of silviculture Stand Dynamics and Health Kristi McClelland, King County DNRP Forester Photo by John Palka Forest Function and Wildlife Habitat For most of us this is our goal Traditional Land Knowledge LYLE, WASHINGTON - September 19, Richard Sohappy pulls a fish from the KIickitat River. Yakama Indians fish 24-hours a day during the season at Lyle Falls near Lyle, Wash., Sep 19, Thomas Boyd/The Oregonian Photo: Jason Gobin, Tulalip Tribes 1

2 Trees Talk Suzanne Simard: You are working on: Values, goals, objectives Native trees & plants Forest health Wildlife and fish habitat Helping your woods grow Soils care Water resources Measuring your trees Invasive control Current use taxes Silvicultural practices will get you where you want to be Silviculture as Applied Ecology Control disturbances in forests to achieve desired results 2

3 Many factors determine what your woods become: Owner s goals and objectives Biological capabilities of stand Current condition/health of stand Weather events Skills of landowner and operator (Planning is important!) Forestry in a landscape context Health of your woods dependent on allocation of scarce resources: 1. Maintain respiration of all parts. 2. Produce fine roots and leaves. 3. Produce flowers and seed. 4. Extend branches and roots. 5. Store energy rich chemicals. 6. Add wood to stem, roots and branches. 7. Create anti-pest chemicals for defense. Silvicultural prescriptions: A course of action that causes change (disturbance) within a forest stand Regeneration treatments method of regeneration age & structure Intermediate treatments species composition stocking/spacing quality Each tree and plant has different requirements and opportunities Leaves... Silvical characteristics such as shade tolerance are important criteria in determining the correct silvicultural alternative and needles Very Tolerant Tolerant Interm. Tolerance Intolerant Very Intolerant Western Hemlock Grand Fir West. White Pine Costal Douglas-fir Lodgepole Pine West. Redcedar Subalpine Fir Inland Douglas-fir Noble Fir Western Larch Pacific Silver Fir Sitka Spruce Madrone Ponderosa Pine Hooker s Willow Alas. Yellowcedar Bigleaf Maple Douglas Maple Alder Mt. Hemlock Cascara Cottonwood Shore Pine Garry Oak 3

4 different stands forest health issues How do you start? Evaluate what you have: riparian resources soil types tree & shrub inventory wildlife habitat Tree spacing for various stocking levels Trees per acre Spacing between trees 681 8x8 ft x9 ft x10 ft x11 ft x12 ft x14 ft x16 ft x17 ft x19 ft x20 ft x25 ft x30 ft. A Knowledge of silviculture helps you recognize: wildfire hazard abatement what you can do reduce tree density to improve health of woods Silvicultural treatments allow YOU to manage toward goals for your woods: Knowledge of Many Silvicultural Pathways 1999 NO ACTION RETENTION DELAY THIN THIN, LATER RETENTION timber harvest planting snag creation Stand Characteristics 4

5 Even-aged stands: Uneven-aged stands Even-age vs Multi-age Even-age one or two age classes Narrow distribution of diameter classes Result of disturbance, or harvesting method (shelterwood, clear cut) Rotation: beginning and end in terms of economic or biological maturity Multi-age 3 or more age classes Wide distribution of diameter classes Created by periodic removals through out all diameter classes Perpetual cover with regeneration a goal of each cutting cycle Clearcut Shelterwood Seed tree Clearcutting Shelterwood 5

6 Variable retention stands Uneven-aged regeneration treatments Single-tree selection Uneven-aged stands contain at least three age classes with a range of young to old trees: Single tree selection Group selection Group selection Drawbacks to uneven-age harvests: 6

7 Ecological Forestry Disturbance scale Excerpted from Natural Disturbance and Stand Development Principles for Ecological Forestry, Franklin, Mitchell, Palik Variable retention Recovery periods Green tree retention Two-tiered stands Management options for declining red alder woods: Regeneration Principles 7

8 Artificial regeneration planting seedlings Douglas-fir modified seed transfer zones: Successful reforestation requires: 1) seedlings that are healthy and adapted to the climate and site 2) seedlings that have been handled, stored, and planted correctly 3) a favorable planting micro site or spot, and 4) minimal or no competition from other vegetation during the early stages of development Red alder modified seed transfer zones: Tree seedling types Bareroot Container Plug P-1 Right plant in the right place How to plant Micro-site Amount of sun/shade; soil moisture Depth of soil Ease of establishing Availability Rooting ability Mature height Natural groupings Adequate spacing for vigorous growth 8

9 Common mistakes Tools of the trade: You can take actions to improve your forest: Intermediate Treatments Light + Water + Nutrients + Diversity = a healthy forest Silviculture and forest health Light + Water + Nutrients + Diversity = a healthy forest Seedling Support brush control 9

10 Tackling the Tough Spots restoration PCT Thinning Commercial Thinning keeps trees and understory plants healthy and vigorous and sometimes less vulnerable to crown fires: Firewise Top 5 Tips for maintaining a wildfire safety zone in the 30 feet around your home: Use fire-resistant construction materials Keep blowing embers out of house Remove dead plant material around home Take out "ladder fuels Use fire-resistant plants in landscape In a nutshell, we capture the capability of the site and allocate it to selected trees: Tree growth reductions and other loss of vigor characteristics: Hopefully when the trees are of this size and continuing throughout their life time Photo courtesy of Peter Kolb, Montana State University. 10

11 Height/diameter ratio Total tree height divided by diameter expressed in feet. Example 80 foot high tree with 10 inch DBH: = height diameter ratio of 96 Example 100 foot high tree with 20 inch DBH: = height diameter ratio of 60 Pre-commercial thinning Commercial thinning Diameter breast height rule Stand density diagram 11

12 Tree spacing for various stocking levels Trees per acre Spacing between trees 681 8x8 ft x9 ft x10 ft x11 ft x12 ft x14 ft x16 ft x17 ft x19 ft x20 ft x25 ft x30 ft. Thinning guidelines based on your goals Red alder thinning strategies Red alder stand density after thinning Pruning Removal of tree s lower branches : generally 8 foot lifts never more than 1/3 of live crown at a time prune when small (4 to 6 inch DBH) More tools of the trade: Photo courtesy of Bailey's Photo courtesy of Bailey's Photo courtesy of Bailey's Photo courtesy of The Extractigator Photo courtesy of Bailey's Company 12

13 Take home messages: Northwest forests historically established by major disturbances and managed by tribes Most are even-aged at least within stands and patches that result from the disturbance Larger trees are not necessarily older trees if they are growing side by side Strive to allocate resources to trees meeting desired objectives Increase diversity and structure To wrap it up: Forests should be managed for those trees and plants adapted to the site Avoid introducing exotic plants Diversity of northwest tree species can help prevent spread of disease and ensure a healthy future forest Doing nothing is not doing nothing the woods you have today will not be the woods you get tomorrow you cannot preserve it as it is. Forests change over time The forest starts here 13