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Forest Resources of the Clearwater National Forest

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Forest Resources of the Clearwater National Forest United States Department of Agriculture Forest Resources of the Forest Service Rocky Mountain Clearwater National Forest Research Station May 2011 Ryan P. Hughes About the author __________________________ Ryan P. Hughes is a Forester with the Interior West Forest Inventory and Analysis Program, Rocky Mountain Research Station in Grangeville, Idaho. He has also worked for the Bitterroot and Lolo National Forests. Contents ___________________________________ Page Description of the Clearwater National Forest .................................................1 Forest land highlights of the Clearwater National Forest ................................2 Nonreserved timberland highlights of the Clearwater National Forest ......9 Inventory methods................................................................................................11 Documentation ......................................................................................................13 For further information ........................................................................................13 Rocky Mountain Research Station 240 West Prospect Road Fort Collins, CO 80526-2098 Forest Resources of the Clearwater National Forest Ryan P. Hughes The Interior West Forest Inventory and Analysis Description of the Clearwater (IWFIA) Program of the USDA Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station, as part of our National For- National Forest est System cooperative inventories, conducted a forest The Clearwater National Forest administers 1,825,422 resource inventory on the Clearwater National Forest acres (USDA 1999) of which 95 percent is forest land, using a nationally standardized mapped-plot design (for and 5 percent is nonforest or water (fig. 1). This report more details see section “Inventory methods”). This describes the characteristics of the forest land sampled report presents the highlights of this 1999 inventory on the Clearwater. Forest land is land that is at least using commonly requested variables and summaries. 10 percent stocked (or formerly stocked) with live tally The data could be summarized in other ways for dif- tree species and is greater than 1 acre in size and 120 feet ferent purposes (see “For further information” on the wide. Based on tree species present, forest land is sub- inside back cover). The information presented in this divided into timberland, where most trees are timber report is based solely on the IWFIA inventory sample species commonly used for wood products (such as (USDA 1999). Supplementary documentation and inven- Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine), and woodland, where tory terminology can be located in USDA 2002. Addi- most trees often have a multi-stem growth form and are tional data collected by the Clearwater National Forest not typically used for industrial wood products (such and used separately or in combination with IWFIA data as Rocky Mountain Maple). Thirteen percent of the may produce varying results. Changes since the invento- total area on the Clearwater National Forest is reserved ry, such as the impact of recent disturbances on the for- designation in the Selway-Bitterroot Wilderness area. est, have not been incorporated into this report. Annual This report focuses on forest resources of all the forest inventories will soon replace periodic inventories to help land administered by the Clearwater National Forest. A monitor these changes at shorter intervals. subsequent section will address nonreserved timberland. 5% 13% Nonreserved forest land Reserved forest land Nonforest and water 82% Figure 1—Percent area by land class and reserved status, Clearwater National Forest, 1999. 1 Forest land highlights of the followed in abundance by Douglas-fir at 21 percent. The grand fir forest type comprises 19 percent of the forest Clearwater National Forest land area; lodgepole pine, 13 percent; western redcedar, 8 percent; Engelmann spruce, 4 percent; mountain hem- Forest type—Forest resources are often described lock and maple woodland 3 percent; and paper birch, using a forest type classification. Forest type refers to the western larch and ponderosa pine, 1 percent. predominant tree species in a stand, based on plurality of tree stocking. Stocking is an expression of the extent Tree and stand size—The size distribution of trees is an to which growing space is effectively utilized by live indicator of structural diversity. Figure 3 displays the dis- trees. tribution of the 730 million live trees, 1 inch diameter at Forest types are dynamic and can change slowly breast height or greater, on the Clearwater National For- through forest succession, or rapidly due to disturbances est by diameter class. Overall, this shows a typical diam- such as logging, fire, or insect and disease epidemics. eter distribution with a higher number of small trees than Figure 2 presents the distribution of forest land area large trees. Trees often reproduce prolifically, but thin on the Clearwater National Forest by forest type. The out naturally over time due to competition for resources. spruce-fir forest type is the most common at 26 percent, Spruce-fir Douglas-fir Grand fir Lodgepole pine Western redcedar Engelmann spruce Mountain hemlock Forest type Maple woodland Paper birch Western larch Ponderosa pine 0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% Percentage forest area Figure 2—Percent of total forest land area by forest type, Clearwater National Forest, 1999. 400 350 300 250 200 150 Million trees 100 50 0 23+ 1.0-2.9 3.0-4.9 5.0-6.9 7.0-8.9 9.0-10.9 11.0-12.9 13.0-14.9 15.0-16.9 17.0-18.919.0-20.9 21.0-22.9 Diameter class Figure 3—Number of live trees on forest land by 2-inch diameter class, Clearwater National Forest, 1999. 2 Stand-size class is a classification of forest land based Figure 5 shows the area of forest land by forest type on the dominant diameter-size of live trees that contribute and stand-size class on the Clearwater National Forest. to stand stocking. Large trees are timber-type softwoods The two most common forest types in the large (9 inches and all woodland tree species 9.0 inches diameter and or greater) tree class are the spruce-fir and Douglas-fir greater, and timber-type hardwoods 11.0 inches diameter forest types, which together make up 46 percent of the and greater; medium trees include timber-type softwoods large tree stands. Forty-two percent of the stands in the and all woodland tree species 5.0 to 8.9 inches diameter, medium (5-8.9 inches) tree class are the lodgepole pine and timber-type hardwoods 5.0 to 10.9 inches diameter; forest type. and saplings/seedlings comprise all trees under 5.0 inches Number of live trees—Another way to assess forest diameter. Nonstocked stands are typically those that diversity is by examining the composition of forest land have been recently disturbed by tree cutting, forest fire, by tree diameter and species. Figure 6 shows the 730 mil- or other large-scale change. For tree stocking, fewer lion live trees by species in three diameter-size classes. large-diameter trees compared to small-diameter trees Sixty-five percent of all live trees on the Clearwater Na- are required to fully stock a site. Figure 4 shows a break- tional Forest are from 1.0 to 4.9 inches diameter, 17 per- down of forest land on the Clearwater National Forest cent are from 5.0 to 8.9 inches diameter, and 18 percent by area and stand-size class. Seventy-one percent of the are 9.0 inches diameter and greater. Grand fir makes up stands have a majority of stocking from large trees, while 22 percent of the total number of trees; subalpine fir, 4 percent are nonstocked. 19 percent; western redcedar, 14 percent; Douglas-fir, Large diameter Saplings/seedlings Medium diameter Stand-size class Nonstocked 0 200 400 600 800 1000 1200 1400 Thousand acres Figure 4—Area of forest land by stand-size class, Clearwater National Forest, 1999. 350 300 Large diameter 250 Medium diameter 200 Saplings/seedlings 150 Nonstocked 100 Thousand acres 50 0 Grand fir Spruce-fir Douglas-fir Paper birch Western larch Lodgepole pine Ponderosa pine Maple woodland Western redcedar Engelmann spruceMountain hemlock Forest type Figure 5—Area of forest land by forest type and stand-size class, Clearwater National Forest, 1999. 3 120 100 1"-4.9" 5.0"-8.9" 80 9.0" and greater 60 Million trees 40 20 0 Grand fir Paper birch Subalpine fir Douglas-fir Pacific yew Western larch Lodgepole pine Whitebark pine Ponderosa pine Western hemlock Western redcedar Engelmann spruceMountain hemlock Black cottonwood Western white pine Rocky Mountain maple Species Figure 6—Number of live trees 1.0 inch diameter and greater on forest land by species and diameter class, Clearwater National Forest, 1999. 11 percent; lodgepole pine, 10 percent; Rocky Mountain distinct elevation patterns in tree distribution: white- maple, 9 percent; Engelmann spruce, 8 percent; moun- bark pine and subalpine fir do well at higher elevations tain hemlock, 4 percent; paper birch, 1 percent; and the (above 6,000 feet), while grand fir is a dominant species remaining species in figure 6 comprise the final 1 percent. at both lower (below 4,000 feet) and mid elevations Species that are scarce may not be encountered with the (4,000-6000 feet). Lodgepole pine is most common at extensive sampling strategy used for this inventory. the middle elevations. Figure 7 shows the number of live trees by species and Number and weight of dead trees—Standing and down elevation class. Elevation is closely correlated with varia- dead trees are important for wildlife and in fire ecology, tions in local climate. Precipitation generally increases as well as acting as nutrient sinks and erosion controls. with rising elevation, while temperature decreases. Approximately 44 million standing dead trees (snags) Aspect complicates this general rule; allowing relative- and 40 million down dead trees 5.0 inches diameter and ly warmer- and drier-site species to grow at higher ele- greater are on forest land on the Clearwater National vations on south- and west-facing slopes. These factors Forest.
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