Ecology, Silviculture, and Management of the Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir Type in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains

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Ecology, Silviculture, and Management of the Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir Type in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains Utah State University DigitalCommons@USU Quinney Natural Resources Research Library, The Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Fire Bibliography S.J. and Jessie E. 1987 Ecology, Silviculture, and Management of the Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir Type in the Central and Southern Rocky Mountains Robert R. Alexander Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/barkbeetles Part of the Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Commons, Entomology Commons, Forest Biology Commons, Forest Management Commons, and the Wood Science and Pulp, Paper Technology Commons Recommended Citation Alexander, R. (1987). Ecology, silviculture, and management of the Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir type in the central and southern Rocky Mountains. USDA Forest Service, Agriculture Handbook No. 659, 144 pp. This Full Issue is brought to you for free and open access by the Quinney Natural Resources Research Library, S.J. and Jessie E. at DigitalCommons@USU. It has been accepted for inclusion in The Bark Beetles, Fuels, and Fire Bibliography by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@USU. For more information, please contact [email protected]. United States Department of Agriculture Ecology, Silviculture, and Forest Management of the Engelmann Service Agriculture Spruce-Subalpine Fir Type in the Handbook No. 659 Central and Southern Rocky Mountains Robert R. Alexander Chief silviculturist Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station Ft. Collins, CO March 1987 Alexander, Robert R. Ecology, silviculture, and management of the Engelmann spruce-subalpine fir type in the central and southern Rocky Mountains. Agric. Handb. No. 659. Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service; 1987. 144 p. Summarizes and consolidates ecological and silvicultural knowledge of spruce-fir forests. Describes the biological and environmental values, stand regeneration, stand management, and growth and yield. Keywords: Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, silvics, silviculture, forest damage, regeneration, stand development, silvicultural systems and cutting methods, growth and yield. ii Preface The ecological, silvieultural, and managerial knowledge of and physiological requirements. Since 1935, research has Engelmann spruce (Picea engetmannii Parry ex. Engel.)­ broadened to include (I) silvicultural practices and other subalpine fir (Abies tasiocarpa (Hook.) NutL) forests in the cultural trea!!nents required to regenerate and grow Engelmann central and southern Rocky Mountains is summarized and con­ spruce and associated species, (2) seed production and disper­ solidated in this publication, which updates and expands a sal, (3) the relationship of environmental and biological fac­ previous summary paper on subalpine forests (Alexander tors to regeneration, (4) growth and mortality, (5) volume and 1974). This publication is largely based on past research in site determination, (6) stand growth and yield, (7) artificial the central and southern Rocky Mountains conducted by the regeneration, (8) plant community classification, (9) develop­ Rocky Mountain Forest and Range Experiment Station. While ment of understory vegetation, and (10) plant-water relations. much of the research was done on the Fraser Experimental In recent years, efforts have been expanded to include the ef­ Forest in central Colorado, other important studies were con­ fects of cultural treatments on other resource requirements. ducted on permanent and temporary plots on National Forest This publication presents a detailed summary of the (I) System Regions 2 and 3. This research was supplemented by ecology and resource, and (2) the silvies, silviculture, and research done elsewhere, mostly research done in the northern management of spruce-fir forests. Major emphasis is placed Rocky Mountains by the Intermountain Forest and Range Ex­ on the silviculture and management of old-growth and the periment Station, and in Alberta and British Columbia by the establishment of new stands. While not all questions can be Canadian Forestry Service. answered, this publication provides the comprehensive body Past research has been directed at perpetuating Engelmann of knowledge available for managing spruce-fir forests. It is spruce, the most valuable species in the spruce-fir type. In­ intended to guide land managers and land use planners who itial studies, started by C. C. Bates and later J. Roeser, Jr., are responsible for prescribing and supervising the applica­ in the early 1900's, focused on methods of cutting required tion of cultural treatments in the woods. to establish regeneration, natural succession, seed production, iii Contents Page Page Introduction . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. I Natural Regeneration Requirements . .. 18 Distribution ................................ Seed supply................................. 18 The resource ............................... Flowering and fruiting ........... .. .. .. ... 18 Area, volume, and age-class distribution ...... Cone-bearing age. .. 18 Properties and uses of wood ................. 3 Time of seedfall. .. 20 Seed and COne crop predictability .. .. 20 Tree and Forest Descriptions . 4 Production and periodicity ..... .. .. .. .. .. ... 20 Tree characteristics. 4 Seed soundness ............................ 21 Engelmann spruce .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 4 Seed collection and extraction ... .. 22 Subalpine fir .............................. 5 Storage of seed ... .. 22 Reaction to competition .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 6 Seed viability and germinative capacity ........ 22 Stand conditions ............................. 7 Seed source .................... .. .. .. .. ... 23 Plant-water relations. 8 Seed dispersal .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 23 Habitat types . .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 9 Seed losses. .. 25 Timber types ................................ 9 Factors affecting germination. .. 25 Factors affecting initial survival and Habitat Conditions . .. 10 establishment. .. 26 Climate. .. 10 Initial root growth. .. 27 Altitudinal range .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... II Seedbed type .. .. 27 Geology and relief . .. II Climate. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 29 Soils and landforms .......................... 12 Insolation ............................... 29 Damaging agents. .. 12 Temperature. .. 29 Wind...... ......................... ...... 12 Moisture . .. 33 Insects. .. 14 Aspect. .. 33 Diseases ... .. 15 Soil. .. 33 Fire ...................................... 17 Diseases .................................. 34 Animals............................ ...... 17 Animal damage .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 34 Ground vegetation .. .. .. .. .. .. .. 34 Seed:seedling ratio ........................... 35 Artificial Regeneration. .. 36 Direct seeding . .. .. .. .. .. .. ... 36 Planting .................................... 36 Bare-root or container stock. .. 36 Physiological requirements. .. 36 Light ................................... 36 Water .................................. 36 Temperature. .. 37 Need and timing ................ .. 37 Site preparation . .. 37 Planting stock ............................. 38 Type of container .......................... 38 Planting season ............................ 38 Storage. .. 38 Spot selection. 39 Planting method. 39 Plantation protection . .. 39 Records. .. 39 iv Page Page Past Cutting History . ......................... ' 41 Growth and Yield. .. 70 Site quality. 70 Old-Growth Management ..................... ' 44 Height and age. .. 70 Regeneration silvicultural systems. .. 44 Soil and topography ........................ 70 Even-aged cutting methods .................. , 44 Volume tables. .. 70 Management with advanced regeneration ..... 44 Growth of natural stands ...................... 71 Management for regeneration after cutting ... ' 46 Seedlings and saplings ...................... 7 I Uneven-aged cutting methods ................ ' 59 Immature stands. .. 72 Individual-tree selection cutting ............ , 59 Mature to overmature stands ... .. 73 Group selection cutting ................... ' 60 Managed even-aged stands. .. 74 Stand structure goals ..................... ' 60 Diameter growth . .. 75 How to determine residual stand structure .... 61 Height growth . 75 Determining threshold diameter ............ , 61 Basal area growth .. 78 Marking trees ........................... , 62 Volume increments. 78 Cutting cycles. .. 62 Total cubic-foot increment ........ .. 78 Recommendations for selection cutting ...... , 62 Board-foot increment. .. 80 Protecting the residual stand ............... ' 63 Maximizing board-foot yields. .. 80 Costs of sale administration and logging ....... ' 63 Tradeoffs to increase value of other resources. 82 Multiple-use silviculture ...................... , 63 Soil and water resources .................... , 63 Literature Cited 85 Water yield ............................. ' 63 Soil erosion and water quality .............. 65 Appendixes Nutrient losses and stream temperature A. Habitat types, community types, and plant changes ......................... , 66 communities ...... , . 92 Wildlife and range resources ................ ' 66 B. Summarized data on selected climatic factors. 118 Game animal habitat ..................... ' 66 C. How to determine residual stand structure for Nongame animal habitat .................. ' 66 selection cutting . .. 124 Livestock grazing ........................ , 68 D. Selected Engelmann spruce volume tables. .. 132 Recreation and esthetic resources ............. 68 E. Selected tables .......................... 140 Comparison of cutting methods
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