Grand Fir (Abies Grandis (Dougl.) Forbes) Forests of the Swan Valley, Montana
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1977 Grand fir (Abies grandis (Dougl.) Forbes) forests of the Swan Valley, Montana Joseph Avery Antos The University of Montana Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd Let us know how access to this document benefits ou.y Recommended Citation Antos, Joseph Avery, "Grand fir (Abies grandis (Dougl.) Forbes) forests of the Swan Valley, Montana" (1977). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 2473. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/2473 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate School at ScholarWorks at University of Montana. It has been accepted for inclusion in Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks at University of Montana. For more information, please contact [email protected]. NOTE TO USERS Page(s) not included in the original manuscript are unavailable from the author or university. The manuscript was microfilmed as received 80 This reproduction is the best copy available. ® UMI GRAND FIR (ABIES 6RANDIS (DOUGL.) FORBES) FORESTS OF THE SWAN VALLEY, MONTANA by Joseph Avery Antos B.S., Northern Illinois University, 1972 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts University of Montana 1977 Approved by: DecH ' Gradiiai'e ^cTiio^'' airman. Board of Examiners ((; 1^1? UMI Number: EP36552 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMT UMI EP36552 Published by ProQuest LLC (2012). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, Ml 48106-1346 ABSTRACT Antos, Joseph A., M.A. June, 1977 Botany Grand Fir (Abies grandis (Dougl.) Forbes) Forests of the Swan Valley, Montana Director: James R. Habeck Abies grandis (Dougl.) Forbes is abundant and potentially climax over much of the lower Swan Valley in northwestern Montana, between the valley bottom (900 m) and 1500 m elevation. A phytosociological study was done on these Abies grandis forests to determine species composition and the environmental or successional factors responsible for compositional variation. Species coverage and site parameters were ascertained from 56 natural stands representing a wide range of site conditions and stand ages. In addition, 13 clearcut forests were sampled to determine early vegetational development after this type of disturbance. The vegetation data were used to arrange the natural stands in a two- dimensional Bray-Curtis indirect ordination. Moisture status and successional development are the most important factors determining species composition among the Abies grandis forests. Water relations are influenced by many factors of which topographic position, seepage, and geographic location are most important. Temperature sets the upper elevational limits of Abies grandis, but does not contribute much to the variation.within the Abies grandis forests. Few, if any, stands have reached the climax status due to the occurrence of past fires. The natural landscape in the Swan Valley area is composed of a mosaic of various-aged stands. Although ground fires occurred, high intensity replacement burns were more significant and initiated most stands. Following hot fires, Larix occidental is Nutt. can become established and now forms the dominant layer in most stands. Pinus contorta Dougl. is important in most young stands, but is eliminated from many sites by the long time interval between fires. If Pinus contorta or Larix occidental is fail to establish after a fire, a mixture of Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirbel) Franco, Abies grandis, Pinus monticola Dougl., and Picea sp. slowly form a new stand. The major change in understory species composition occurs upon canopy closure. On wetter sites Thuga plicata Donn. is common and appears to be coexisting with Abies grandis. Early vegetational development on clearcuts bears many resemblances to that after natural burns although there are some important dif ferences. Management implications of the study are discussed. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would like to thank Dr. J. R. Habeck, my committee chairman, for his numerous helpful suggestions and for his thorough review of the poorly written and lengthy first draft of this thesis. Dr. S. F. Arno was an invaluable member of my committee. His advice and in depth review of this thesis is greatly appreciated. In addition, I am indebted to Dr. Arno for the use of U.S.D.A. Forest Service resources for the production of the stand dissimilarity matrices and to David Ondov for executing that work. I would also like to thank my other committee members. Dr. L. H. Harvey and Dr. T. J. Nimlos. A. J. Lukes reviewed the management part of the manuscript and made many helpful suggestions. The field work was in part supported by Mclntire-Stennis funds and this assistance is greatly appreciated. During the course of this study I have talked with many people about various aspects of this work. Although they are too numerous to mention here, I wish to thank all of them for their cooperation and helpful suggestions. Finally, I wish to thank my fellow graduate students at the University of Montana Botany Department for their advice and encouragement. ii i TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ABSTRACT ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS iii LIST OF TABLES vii LIST OF FIGURES viii Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE STUDY AREA . 5 Geography 5 Climate 7 Geology 13 Soils 19 General Vegetation of the Region 21 III. LITERATURE REVIEW 24 IV. METHODS 33 Field Procedures 33 Methods of Data Analysis 36 V. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 39 Ordinations 39 Trees and Understory Separately 43 Midpoints Compared to Coverage Class Values .... 47 Multiple Plots 47 Direct Gradient Analysis » 50 iv V Chapter Page Moisture 50 Elevation 55 Stand Age 55 Moisture-Age Pattern 56 Habitat Types 60 Clearcuts 67 Similarity Between Cut and Uncut Pairs 68 Species Changes 70 Trees 74 Redcedar Sites 79 Environmental Factors 81 Moisture 81 Temperature 87 Geology and Soils 89 Successional Patterns 92 Fire 92 History 92 Intensity 94 Frequency 95 Replacement Burns 96 Partial Burns 113 Windthrow 116 Insects and Disease 117 Gap Phase Regeneration 120 The "Climax" 122 vi Chapter Page Clearcuts 130 Species Responses 131 Trees 131 Shrubs 148 Herbs 163 Geographical Relationships 184 VI. SOME MANAGEMENT IMPLICATIONS 191 VII. SUMMARY 202 REFERENCES CITED 204 APPENDIX A 212 APPENDIX B 214 LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Precipitation data for weather stations in and near the Swan Valley 10 2. Temperature data for weather stations in and near the Swan Valley 12 3. Average number of days between the occurrence of various temperatures for locations in and near the Swan Valley 14 4. Percent dissimilarity values for multiple plots on two stands 49 5. Dissimilarity values between stands greater than 150 years old which represent the three phases of the Abies grandis/Clintonia uniflora habitat type ... 65 6. Summary of the average dissimilarity values between the phases of the Abies grandis/Clintonia uniflora habitat type for stands greater than 150 years old. 66 7. Dissimilarity values between clearcut stands and paired uncut stands on the Abies grandis/Clintonia uniflora habitat type 69 8. Presence and average coverage (calculated from coverage class midpoints) of species present in three or more of the 11 clearcut or paired uncut stands representing the Abies grandis/Clintonia uniflora habitat type 71 2 9. Density of tree species on the 375 m plot for the clearcut stands on the Abies grandis/Clintonia uniflora habitat type 75 10. Species changes between paired plots 103 11. Species changes between stands less than 90 years old and greater than 150 years old which have resulted from replacement burns 109 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1. Ranges of tree species occurring in northwestern Montana which are related to the Pacific climatic influence 2 2. Map of Swan Valley 6 3. Moisture patterns in the Swan Valley region 8 4. Geologic map of the Swan Valley 17 5. Geological west-east cross section of the northern Swan Valley south of Swan Lake 18 6. Idealized tree species distribution along a hypothe tical south-north transect across a side stream valley of the Mission and Swan Mountains in the region of the northern Swan Valley 22 7. Main ordination using all species 42 8. Herb-shrub ordination 45 9. Tree ordination 46 10. Coverage class verses midpoint values for the x-axis of the main ordination 48 11. The x-axis of the main ordination versus the topographic-moisture index 52 12. Stand age versus the y-axis of the main ordination ... 57 13. Direct gradient diagram of stand age (time since last known burn) verses the topographic-moisture gradient 58 14. Habitat types and phases plotted on the main ordination 62 15. Elevation and average annual precipitation plotted on the main ordination 83 viii ix Figure Page 16. Slope aspect and angle plotted on the main ordination 84 17. Bedrock and volcanic ash layer depth plotted on the main ordination 90 18. Stand ages plotted on the main ordination 98 19. Stand characteristics: total basal area and density of stems>3 dm in diameter plotted on the main ordination 99 20. Stand characteristics: density of stems 1 to 3 dm in diameter and <1 dm in diameter 101 21-23. Ordination patterns of tree species (Pinus contorta and Larix occidentalis) 132-134 24.