Summary of Ponderosa Pine (Pinus Ponderosa) Management Activities in the Lick Creek Drainage of the Bitterroot National Forest
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University of Montana ScholarWorks at University of Montana Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers Graduate School 1994 Summary of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) management activities in the Lick Creek drainage of the Bitterroot National Forest James P. Menakis 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 Menakis, James P., "Summary of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) management activities in the Lick Creek drainage of the Bitterroot National Forest" (1994). Graduate Student Theses, Dissertations, & Professional Papers. 3781. https://scholarworks.umt.edu/etd/3781 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]. Maureen and Mike MANSFIELD LIBRARY TheMontana University of Permission is granted by the author to reproduce this material in its entirety, provided that this material is used for scholarly purposes and is properly cited in published works and reports. ** Please check "Yes" or "No " arid.provide signature** Yes, I grant permission No, I do not grant permission M Author's Signature ) (cr Date: • (>* O. 'TH Any copying for commercial purposes or financial gain may be undertaken only with 'he author's explicit consent. • A SUMMARY OF PONDEROSA PINE (Pinus ponderosa) MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES IN THE LICK CREEK DRAINAGE OF THE BITTERROOT NATIONAL FOREST by James P. Menakis B. S., University of Montana-Missoula, 1985 Presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science in Environmental Studies University of Montana 1994 Approved by Chairman, Board of Examiners Dean, oictuuditj OUIIUUI* • f QbbcfiSX Date UMI Number: EP33973 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent on 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. Di&MftaAfori Piifeliahing UMI EP33973 Copyright 2012 by ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This edition of the 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 Menakis, James Peter, MS, September 1994 Environmental Studies A Summary of Ponderosa Pine (Pinus ponderosa) Management Activities in the Lick Creek Drainage of the Bitterroot National Forest Director: Hans Zuuring The objective of thesis was to summarize 80 years of changes associated with several cutting regimes in the Lick Creek Drainage. The Lick Creek Drainage was first selectively cut in 1906, followed by several commercial and precommercial thinnings occurring in the late 1950's through the early 1980's. Permanent plots were installed in 1948 and 1955 and remeasured throughout the 1950's and 1960's, with the last remeasurement occurring in 1991. Remeasurement data was summarized by stand structure, and growth and yield. The 1906 stand structure was reconstructed from back dating increment core measurements and stump measurements. The results showed that the pre-cutting stand structure of the Lick Creek area was composed of mostly park-like ponderosa pine stands consisting of large diameter trees that were fairly open spaced. By 1991, the basal area per acre of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) increased 20 percent, and the number of trees per acre increased about 3.5 times, with most of this increase in diameters less than 6 inches. Periodic annual diameter growth of survivor trees ranged from 0.11 to 0.19 inches per year, with an average of about 0-14 inches per year at around 11 inches dbh, over the last forty years. Cumulative volumes estimates ranged from 1,662 to 4,764 cubic feet per acre, with a few of the cutting regimes being comparable with Meyer's (1938) even-aged stand tables. The lack of intermediate measurements between several cutting periods prevented making definitive conclusions about the effects of varying cutting regimes on stand structure, growth and yields. ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to thank both Tom Roy and Hans Zuuring for their support, help, and patience in helping me get started and seeing the thesis through. I would also like to thank Clint Carlson for providing funding, Kelsey Milner and Carl Fiedler for their comments and criticisms, and Steve Arno and Bob Keane for keeping me focused in completing the thesis. I would also like to thank my patient and often wet field crew; Jennifer Carey, Moose McNulty, Steve Pratt, Joe Scott, Jim Doolittle, and Amy Colligan. And lastly I would like to dedicate this thesis to my father who unfortunately was not able to see the completion of this project. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract ii Acknowledgements iii Table of Contents iv List of Tables v List of Illustrations viii Introduction 1 History 5 Methods 14 Study Area 14 Procedures 15 Results . 28 Predicted Past Radial Growth Rates 28 Stump Diameter-To-DBH Relationship 31 Stand Structure and Composition Analysis 34 Dry Habitat Group 34 Moist Habitat Group 37 White's 1923 Estimate 45 Diameter Growth Rates 46 Stand Volume Growth 55 Cutting Intensity Case Studies 61 Conclusion 74 Bibliography 78 iv LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1 -- Historical management activities by management regime of the study area 11 2 -- Number of Commercial and Stand Improvement Cuts, and Percentage of 1910 Residual Volume Removed By Management Regime 13 3 -- K coefficients by species that were used to convert stump diameter inside bark (dib) to stump diameter outside bark (dob) 21 4 -- Diameter classes definitions 24 5 -- Prediction equation and associated statistics for PARI1910 and PAR11906 28 6 -- Summary statistics of predicted and observed periodic annual radial increment (PARI) and periodic diameter increment (PDI), from Management Regimes A1, A2, and A3, for three growth periods by species 30 7 -- Average 1948 measured and 1910 projected diameters by 1910 diameter group and species (in inches) 31 8 -- Regression coefficients and associated statistics for DBH estimated from outside bark diameters measured at one foot bole height by species (equations 6) 32 9 -- White's 1924 estimate for predicting ponderosa pine DBH from average stump diameter outside bark (DOB) 32 10 -- Number of sample plots by habitat type group and habitat type 34 11-- Summary of average basal area and associated standard deviation by habitat type group, year, and species (square feet / acre) 35 12 -- Average trees per acre (TPA) for dry habitat type group by species and two inch diameter classes for four measurement periods 36 v Table Page 13 — Average trees per acre (TPA) for moist habitat type group by species and two inch diameter classes for four measurement periods 41 14 - Basal area in square feet/acre for White's 1923 data and reconstructed 1910 estimates 46 15 - Trees per acre (TPA) for White's 1923 data and reconstructed 1910 estimates 47 16 - Average periodic annual diameter growth (PADG), periodic increment diameter growth (PIDG), periodic annual BA growth (PABAG), and first (1952/1955) measurement period DBH of survivor trees by management regimes 49 17 — Average periodic annual diameter growth (PADG), periodic increment diameter growth (PIDG), periodic annual BA growth (PABAG), and first (1952/1955) measurement period DBH of survivor trees by management regimes and species 51 18 — Average periodic annual diameter growth (PADG), periodic increment diameter growth (PIDG), periodic annual BA growth PABAG, and first (1952/55) measurement period DBH of survivor trees by management regimes, species, and diameter classes 52 19 - Average periodic annual diameter growth (PADG), periodic annual BA growth (PABAG), and DBH at measurement period for survivor trees present in three measurement periods, by management regimes 54 20 - Average trees per acre and basal area for each measurement year by management regime 56 21 — Prediction equation and associated statistics for tree height estimated from DBH by species 57 22 — Volume table by management regimes (cubic feet/acre) 59 23 - Growth rates for stand volumes by management regime (cubic feet/acre) 60 vi Table Page 24 - Basal area and trees per acre for measurement year by cutting intensity 62 25 -- Trees per acre by cutting intensities, species and two inch diameter classes for three measurement periods 63 26 — Volume by cutting intensity from this study and Meyer (1938) even-aged stand table 70 27 -- Volume growth rates by cutting intensity from this study and Meyer's (1938) even-aged stand table 72 vii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS Figure Page 1 - A map of the Lick Creek Study Area with Management Regimes delineated 12 2 -- Average stand density distribution of trees cut during the 1906 Lick Creek timber sale 33 3 -- Average stand density distributions for dry habitat type groups by species and two inch diameter classes for years 1906 and 1910 38 4 -- Average stand density distributions for dry habitat type groups by species and two inch diameter classes for years 1948 and 1991 39 5 -- Average stand density distributions for moist habitat type groups by species and two inch diameter classes for years 1906 and 1910 43 6 -- Average stand density distributions for moist habitat type groups by species and two inch diameter classes for years 1948 and 1991 44 7 — Stand density distributions for the low cutting intensity by species and two inch diameter classes for years 1952, 1957 and 1991 65 8 -- Stand density distributions for the moderate cutting intensity by species and two inch diameter classes for years 1955, 1961 and 1991 66 9 -- Stand density distributions for the high cutting intensity by species and two inch diameter classes for years 1955, 1961 and 1991 67 viii INTRODUCTION The geographical extent and structural diversity of ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa) forests create many resource opportunities.