Of Blowndown Timber Experiment Station General Technical Report and Potential Problems PNW-167 April 1984 Associated With
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United States Departmen t of Agriculture Deterioration Rates Forest Service Pacific Northwest Forest and Range of Blowndown Timber Experiment Station General Technical Report and Potential Problems PNW-167 April 1984 Associated With Product Recovery EDITOR'S Paul E. Aho and James M. Cahill FILE COPY This file was created by scanning the printed publication. Mis-scans identified by the software have been corrected; however, some errors may remain. Authors PAUL E. AH0 is a research plant pathologist at the Forestry Sciences Laboratory, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, 3200 Jeffer- son Way, Corvallis, OR 97331. JAMES M. CAHILL is a research forester at the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, P.O. Box 3890, Portland, OR 97208. Contents Abstract 2 Introduction Aho, Paul E.; Cahill, James M. Deterio- ration rates of blowndown timber and Factors Affecting Rate of Decay 3 potential problems associated with 4 Deterioration Rate by Tree Species product recovery. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-167. Portland, OR: U.S. Depart- Western Redcedar 5 ment of Agriculture, Forest Service, 6 Douglas-Fir Pacific Northwest Forest 2nd Range Experiment Station; 1984. 11 p. 7 Western Hemlock 7 Pacific Silver Fir This paper summarizes published reports of deterioration and product recovery 9 Product Recovery From Dead limber studies conducted on dead timber. Decay 9 Product Degrade and Volume Loss rates experienced in blowndown timber are presented for western redcedar 9 Scaling Problems (Thujaplicata Donn ex D. Don), Douglas- 10 Other Utilization Problems fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), western hemlock (Tsuga Setting Priorities for Salvage Operations 10 heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.), and Pacific 10 Age and Species of Timber silver fir (Abies amabilis (Dougl.) ex Forbes). Results from product recovery 10 Geographic Locat ion studies conducted on insect-killed west- 10 End Products ern white pine(Pinus monticola Dougl. ex D. Don), grand fir (Abies grandis (Dougl. 11 Metric Equivalents ex D. Don) Lindl.), Engelmann spruce 11 Literature Cited (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.), and insect-damaged Douglas-fir are also presented. Keywords: Blowdowns, decay (wood), deterioration (wood), dead timber, sal- vage timber, lumber recovery, lumber value. 1 Summary The Pacific Northwest periodically experi- Volume and grade recovery of products The May 18,1980, eruption of Mount St. ences catastrophic events that kill large manufactured from dead timber can be Helens killed an estimated 2 billion board volumes of timber over extensive areas. affected by the presence of sapwood feet of old-growth and second-growth One such event occurred on May 18, decay, stains, weather checks, and commercial timber on public and private 1980, when Mount St. Helens erupted in insect borer damage. Timber blown down forest lands in southwestern Washington. southwest Washington, killing an esti- by the eruption of Mount St. Helens may Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga rnenziesii mated 2 billion board feet of commercial also suffer from compression failures. (Mirb.) Franco), western hemlock (Tsuga timber. Salvaging dead timber may The amount of degrade resulting from heterophyla (Raf.) Sarg.), Pacific silver require several years; hence, resource these,defects is influenced by the type of fir (Abies amabilis (Dougl.) ex Forbes), managers need information on deteriora- end products to be manufactured from and western redcedar (Thuja plicata tion rates and product recovery to help the timber. In general, grading rules used Donn ex D. Don) are the major commer- plan salvage operations. This paper for high quality lumber and veneer are cial species in the blast-damage area. summarizes published results of deterio- less tolerant of defects than are low Large amounts of this timber are thought ration and product recovery studies quality grades. to be salvageable, but harvesting this conducted on dead timber. resource may be interrupted or prevented Published results of product recovery for many years by intermittent volcanic In general, sapwood of all coniferous studies on dead timber have shown that activity. species deteriorates at about the same Scribner log scale deductions for weather rate and faster than heartwood deterior- checks in dead timber can be excessive. The purpose of this paper is to present ates. Second-growthtrees and trees with Such deductions result in low net scale decay rates published on blowndown greater sapwood-to-heartwood ratios estimates and create confusion regarding timber for the commercial softwood such as western hemlock (Tsuga the product potential of dead timber. species in western Oregon and heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) and Pacific Washington. Also, several product recov- silver fir (Abies amabilis (Dougl.) ex Maximum timber volume can be salvaged ery studies conducted on insect-killed Forbes) deteriorate fastest. The major from recently damaged trees by first timber are reviewed to point out problems difference in rate of decay occurs in the cutting small, young-growth trees, then associated with utilizing dead timber. heartwood. Heartwood of western hem- mature hemlock and silver fir, followed by Although the information is intended to lock and Pacific silver fir deteriorates Douglas-fir, and finally, western redcedar. help resource managers plan salvage fastest, followed by that of Douglas-fir Salvaging high quality, mature stands operations on Mount St. Helens, it would (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), first may result in greater economic gains also be useful when considering and then western redcedar (Thuja plicata than cutting young stands that will decay windthrow and other catastrophic events Donn ex D. Don). more rapidly. that occur periodically in the Pacific Northwest. Conditions resulting from or existing prior to the eruption of Mount St. Helens may cause deterioration rates to be slower than usual. These conditions include: (1) reduction of fungal inocula, (2) lack of vegetative cover, and (3) high moisture content of the sap during the time of the eruption. 2 Factors Affecting Rate of Decay Factors that influence the growth and thinner, rockier, and thus drier. Russell Unique conditions resulting from the development of wood decay fungi or (1983) noted that deterioration rates were volcanic blast at Mount St. Helens will host-resistance to fungal attack deter- affected by shading and whether or not undoubtedly influence the rate of deterio- mine the rate of wood decay. These the trees were uprooted when blown ration of the killed timber. Because factors have been reviewed by Aho down. He found slower decay rates than studies have not been previously made (1974) and will be discussed here. In expected in western hemlock and Pacific under such conditions, we can only general, the decay process is regulated silver fir because trees shaded or not speculate how the conditions will affect by temperature, moisture, oxygen, and uprooted contained excessive moisture. deterioration. Reduced fungal inocula environmental conditions that influence and insect populations, excessive heat these factors. Differences in natural resistance to decay from the blast, deep ash cover, and lack has been noted among various tree of ,vegetation cover over the exposed Wood dried to less than 20-percent genera and even among species within dead timber will all probably slow the moisture content is unsuitable for most a genus. In western Washington, western deterioration rate. decay fungi. Soil type can influence redcedar deteriorates slowest followed humidity around downed timber and by Douglas-fir, and finally, Pacific silver The time of the year that the damage affect its moisture content, particularly fir and western hemlock which decay at occurred may also have an important when in contact with the ground. For about the same rate. Regardless of effect on deterioration of the timber blown instance, sandy and pumice soils are species, sapwood generally decays down by thevolcanic eruption. Damage usually dry on the surface and may have faster than heartwood. Small logs de- occurred in the spring (May) when sap less groundcover that provides shade. teriorate faster than large logs, and top was flowing in the trees. The moisture Wood in contact with these soils dries logs faster than logs lower in a tree. This content of the sapwood was probably quickly, retarding decay. Clay-type soils is mainly because large logs and butt logs high, high enough to retard decay de- generally retain moisture and have dense have smaller ratios of sapwood to velopment at least during the first year vegetation. Yet increased moisture heartwood than do small or top logs. after blowdown. This effect may be longer content of woody material in contact with Large and butt logs, especially from lasting for old-growth trees of all species these soils may reduce the availability of certain tree species such as Douglas-fir, and for species with thick bark. oxygen for fungi, which may also retard have thicker bark, which retards drying of decay. the sapwood. The high moisture content slows the decay rate. Small and top logs Elevation influences decay of forest with thinner bark and greater surface-to- residues in several ways. Precipitation- volume ratios dry faster, allowing decay much of it snow-increases with eleva- to develop sooner. On dry sites at higher tion, the sun's rays have a stronger effect elevations, however, decay of top logs is at higher elevations, and day and night impeded because they become too dry. temperatures are more extreme. In general,