International Symposium on Western Redcedar and Yellow-Cedar
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United States Department of Agriculture A Tale of Two Cedars: Forest Service Pacific Northwest International Symposium Research Station General Technical on Western Redcedar Report PNW-GTR-828 October 2010 and Yellow-Cedar _____________________________ U.S. Department of Agriculture Pacific Northwest Research Station 333 S.W. First Avenue P.O. Box 3890 Portland, OR 97208-3890 Technical Coordinator Constance A. Harrington, research forester, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98512- 9193 Credits Cover photography by Constance A. Harrington and Joseph M. Kraft, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, 3625 93rd Ave. SW, Olympia, WA 98512-9193. Artwork on inside title page and section dividers by Jodie Krakowski, BC Ministry of Forests and Range, Research, Knowledge and Innovation Management Branch, Cowichan Lake Research Station, Box 225, Mesachie Lake, B.C. V0R 2N0 Papers were provided by the authors in camera-ready form for printing. Authors are responsible for the content and accuracy. Opinions expressed may not necessarily reflect the position of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The use of trade names or firm names is for information only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. Pesticide Precautionary Statement This publication reports on operations that may involve pesticides. It does not contain recommendations for their use, nor does it imply that the uses have been registered. All uses of pesticides must be registered by appropriate provincial, state or federal agencies, or both, before they can be recommended. CAUTION: Pesticides can be injurious to humans, domestic animals, desirable plants, and fish or other wildlife – if they are not handled or applied properly. Use all pesticides selectively and carefully. Follow recommended practices for the disposal of surplus pesticides and pesticide containers. A Tale of Two Cedars International Symposium on Western Redcedar and Yellow-cedar U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Portland, Oregon General Technical Report PNW-GTR-828 October 2010 ABSTRACT Harrington, Constance, A., tech. coord. 2010. A tale of two cedars – International symposium on western redcedar and yellow-cedar. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-828. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 177 p. From May 24-28, 2010, an international symposium on western redcedar (Thuja plicata) and yellow- cedar (Callitropsis nootkatensis [syn. Chamaecyparis nootkatensis]) was held at the University of Victoria on Vancouver Island in British Columbia, Canada. The symposium was entitled “A Tale of Two Cedars” and brought together local, regional, national, and international experts to present cultural, biological, management and economic information on the two species. Although some papers or posters focused on just one of the cedars, many of the presenters covered both species and discussed the similarities and differences between them. This proceedings includes abstracts or short papers from all of the formal presentations or posters presented at the symposium. KEYWORDS: Western redcedar, Thuja plicata, yellow-cedar, Callitropsis nootkatensis, Chamaecyparis nootkatensis, Alaska yellow-cedar, cultural use, ecology, soils, nutrient cycling, physiology, forest health, climate, genetics, wood properties, silviculture and forest management. PREFACE From May 24-28, 2010, an international symposium on western redcedar and yellow-cedar was held at the University of Victoria, on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The symposium was sponsored by the Centre for Forest Biology, University of Victoria; British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range; and U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. The Organizing Committee consisted of: Paul Hennon, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Juneau, AK; John Russell, British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range, Research, Knowledge and Innovation Management Branch, Cowichan Lake Research Station, Mesachie Lake, BC; Constance Harrington, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Olympia, WA; Barbara Hawkins, Centre for Forest Biology, University of Victoria, Victoria, BC; Diane Douglas, British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range, Tree Improvement Branch, Victoria, BC; and Jodie Krakowski, British Columbia Ministry of Forests and Range, Research, Knowledge and Innovation Management Branch, Cowichan Lake Research Station, Mesachie Lake, BC. We also acknowledge the support and helpful suggestions of Charles Peterson, U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station, Portland, OR, in the initial planning stages for the meeting. Canadian and U.S. scientists and managers have accumulated substantial knowledge and experience with western redcedar and yellow-cedar but there have been few opportunities to exchange this information. The primary goal of the meeting was to bring together experts in a broad range of fields to share information and experience and, where possible, to synthesize knowledge on these two species. Both of these cedars are culturally, economically, and biologically important, but they have been relatively poorly studied compared to other species of comparable importance. In addition, by addressing only two tree species, we hoped to delve deeply into various scientific disciplines— ethnobotany, ecology, soil science, physiology, entomology and pathology, climate, genetics, wood science, and silviculture. Many of the individual presentations in the sessions at the symposium addressed both cedar species and were multidisciplinary. We posed two related questions several times during the symposium: how are these two cedars similar, and how are they different? The 4-day meeting began with 4 keynote speakers to set the stage for the rest of the meeting -- one each on cultural roles of the cedars, nomenclature and relatedness within the Cupressaceae, and two on wood properties and market opportunities. Dr. Nancy Turner shared her understanding of the traditional knowledge and use of cedars by First Nations people. Many First Nations peoples living in western North America have access to one or both of the cedars. They recognized that each cedar has unique properties for various cultural and daily necessities of life, and they used them accordingly. Dr. Damon Little covered the evolutionary history, taxonomy, and nomenclature of yellow-cedar and western redcedar and outlined key taxonomic changes in the Cupressaceae. The two cedars may look similar, but their descendants emerged from different branches of an ancient plant family long ago and are actually only very distantly related. The taxonomic classification of western redcedar is stable, but not so for yellow-cedar: it is in considerable flux. Drs. Chris Gaston and Ivan Eastin rounded out the keynote presentations by discussing the wood properties and commercial value of the two cedars and their different domestic and international markets. Both cedars are consistently the most commercially valued wood where they grow, but their woods have distinct properties, and very different North American and Asian market niches. Our keynote speaker session was followed by others which were organized around several broad themes. The ecological sessions built a foundation of where on landscapes the two cedars could be conserved or actively managed. Information on habitat preferences, soils and nutrient cycling, physiology, forest health, genetics, and wood properties gave guidance on where cedars are best- adapted, both currently and in the future with a changing climate. This guidance came in the form of broad-scale patterns, such as physiological adaptation, climate envelopes, and the movement of populations to help ensure current and future adaptability. Speakers also addressed fine-scale features such as physiological plasticity in response to local climate, and ecological adaptation to wet soils through calcium and nitrogen uptake. Durable wood products from young-growth forests through silvicultural and genetic management are vital to the economic stability of our regions. Scientific information from related sessions outlined the progress that has been made to date as well as future research initiatives. These talks set the stage for the Friday management session which provided examples through field testing and operational experience of how cedars could be, and are being, managed with different silvicultural strategies and examined growth rates of these species with and without management. Our field trips reinforced many of the same themes. We experienced the beauty of old-growth forests and discussed the role of these cedars in forest management in areas within driving distance of Victoria. Population adaptation of the two cedars was witnessed first-hand, as were operational silvicultural successes and both ecologically rich and stressful environments. We thank: (1) Western Forest Products for providing staff to talk about their practices and for allowing access to multiple sites on a field trip where participants could view research installations, operational plantations, and natural stands of the species, and (2) Capital Regional District Watershed for allowing access to an exceptional old-growth stand. The symposium included a poster session (abstracts or mini papers are included from that session