PULP & PAPER PULPWOOD \Norld
I A1 BC PROT!:C EO '( /1 JI�T L.a',v (WLE 17, U.S CU l:) Shelterwood cutting
studied to see if young-growth hemlock can be regenerated by series of successive cuttings
Ie -Portland, Ore. Forest is owned by St. Regis Paper A report by A STUDY NOW UNDERWAY at the Hem Co. and leased to the U.S. Forest FRANCIS R. HERMAN lock Experimental Forest near Grays Service under a cooperative agree Pacific Northwest Forest and Harbor in western Washington is de ment to conduct research aimed at Range Experiment Station signed to test shelterwood cuttings as securing the greatest possible con U. S. Forest Service a means of regenerating coastal west tinuous yield. Logging on the experi Portland, Ore. S, ern hemlock. Hemlock Experimental mental forest is done by St. Regis and I. research is conducted by the Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experi o ment Station, Portland, Ore. In the U.S. Forest Service report,
I, "Timber Resources for America's Fu ture," we are told that more than 18$ u of the national pulpwood output is e produced in the Pacific Northwest. To ##M+m1#M#f�f#+#!tf continue to furnish this proportion of FOREST WITH CLOSED CANOPY PRIOR TO CUTTIN3 America's pulpwood requirements in I' the year 2000, Pacific Northwest for ests must produce perhaps as much as three and one-half times the pres ent output. Even so, an estimated na tt t!i ++++1 tional demand for 89 million cords of SELECTED TREES RETAINED TO SEED CUTOJER AREA pulpwood may require the United States to import nearly 15 million cords. Successful methods of obtain ing quick regeneration and maintain ing optimum stocking on all forest lands will assist in preventing possible LtAtltfl!.tU.t.U,U!.. U ...... hi.H .. t • • •u.i.H . ,!t.. 1 h .. shortages in wood products. LEAVE TREES AFTER SECOND CUT The wood of western hemlock is admirably suited for producing good pulp and lumber. Many mills in the Pacific Northwest look to hemlock to furnish at least a portion of their .LHHuUHlHh• • U.t!u.WH,•• l1Uhh. tU ..h .. !UU1H.U..h ••• t\i .. ..uh11o cordwood and sawlogs. Some mills ESTABLISHED REGENERATION AFTER THIRD CUT in western Washington are currently utilizing hemlock in preference to other species. Western hemlock is SHElTERWOOD MANAGEMENT SYSTEM, showing successive stages of regen blessed with many attributes that eration in western hemlock forest. make it a good candidate for man-
PULP & PAPER - June 11, 1962 61 tics is bci · . . shelterwood cutting o[ 2U to : ou cuttiug 7 acres ea tcrruption cuts on ; complettxl plan in t early 2,1 370,000 I moved in the shelt. second an partments complete
Shelten from clen the time \ cut over. moved b} SEED TRAP makes it possible to estimate amount, viability TRACTOR AND SULKY used for skidding tree-length logs ings inste. and distribution of hemlock seed for any of several shel from shelterwood compartment to roadside landing for a new cn terwood cutting intensities. bucking into pulpwood or sawlogs. surviving nifies, sh< ter or pre agement. It is a prolific producer of quick and abundant regeneration? Shelterwood cutting system trees shat seed and, when provided with its Early in this century, logging, for is being tested on the Hemlock Ex teet new proper environmental condition, est fires, and windstorms in western perimental Forest, 15 miles north of light an. grows rapidly, tall, and straight. Washington left some scattered old Hoquiam, Wash.-an "experimental extremes. hemlock trees and provided environ island" within a large area of young light also Clear cutting of old-growth mental conditions suitable for the es growth western hemlock. The original undesirab hemlock commonly has been accepted tablishment of extensive, even-aged forest was logged near the tum of the might dt as the only method that will provide stands of nearly pure young-growth century, and the bulk of the present young fOl coilditions conducive to reestablish hemlock. The exact nature of these stand is now about 60 years old. A Shelter ment of hemlock. Is it certain, how environmental conditions is unknown. few scattered, older western hemlocks esters to ever, that clear-cutting management These older trees provided seed and that escaped the early logging are trees for of young-growth western hemlock will some degree of shelterwood protec found throughout the area. The stand and gro\\ provide the best conditions for stand tion for the young forest. We cannot averages 270 stems per acre in trees providin regeneration? Examination of recently turn back the pages of history and 6 to 30 in. in diameter, and volumes seed, the cutover young-growth hemlock forest conveniently look in upon acciden exceed 43,000 bd. ft. per acre. Here their rat. land reveals an abundance of weeds tally created growing conditions. on 68 acres in this nearly pure stand in quanl and brush but only a sparse co\·cr of !lowever, we can artificially create ef of young-growth western hemlock, rotations. new hemlock seedlings. Would some varied sets of conditions and measure fects of a wide range of shelterwood and sele. form of partial cutting, such as the resulting environmental influences cuttings on regeneration are being tained t sheltenvood systcm, prove more suc conducive to establishment of a new studied. managen cessful than clear cutting in providing forest. 12 intensi Comparison of cutting Unlike health b cure all a ment is' undoubt. ciated \' shelterw. poses of Foremos damage ing succ. establish damage< subs QU' should I of timb measurc tivc abl seedling Facto dance ( quality need to RESIDUAL SHELTERWOOD stand after initial cutting has AFTER INITIAL CUTTING this stand has 54 trees per acre. thev ar' 23 trees per acre. Research will show if this is lighter Second cut in 5 years will leave half these trees to pro scale 0 shelterwood stand than is desirable. vide seed and soil protection. vironml
PULP 62 PULP & PAPER - June 11, & ties is being made in residual stands tition from other plant species, light of 20 to 200 trees per acre. Logging intensity, aspect, slope, and seedbed on cutting compartments of from 5 to as well as the factors of seed fall, release 7 acres each began in 1960. After in germinative capacity, and seedling APA reviews terruption by winter weather, initial survival. cuts on all 12 compartments were In an effort to discover the quantity completed according to prescribed of seed that falls under each intensity For further information on publications plan in the late summer of 196!. of cutting, simple but effective seed described below, write: Nearly 2,000 cords of pulpwood and traps made of wire screen fitted into M1ElUCAN PULPWOOD ASSOCIATION 370,000 bd. ft. of sawlogs were re a wood frame are placed within each 220 E. 42nd St., New York 17, N.Y. moved in Ulis first cut. According to shelterwood-cutting compartment. A (Please identify by number in brackets) the shelterwood management plan, number of these traps scattered over second and third cuttings on all com a known area give an estimate of the pmtments at intervals of 5 years will available seed supply per acre. Con Experimental tractor complete thc cutting schedule. tents of Ule traps are collected and designed by a forest engineer at examined several times a year. Catawba Timber Co. (Bowaters Caro Shelterwood management differs lina) is a four-wheel, rubber-tired from clear cutting in that it delays Logging costs and returns unit for hauling pulpwood. Basic time when the forest is completely for the entire shelterwood manag the chassis is a Massey Ferguson model 65 ment cutting period are being kept. cut over. Seed-bearing trees are re diesel farm tractor, from which the moved by two or more successive fell Because work is less concentrated 09s front wheels have been removed. An ings instead of by single cutting. Thus under shelterwood than under clear integral pallet cart is attached to this for cutting management, logging costs a new crop establishes itself from the unit with a "wasp-waist" universal may be somewhat higher. Even extra surviving seed trees. As the term sig hjtch. A "Big Stick" mast and boom cost may be justified if healthy re nifies, shelterwood also provides shel loader (TR 59-R-30) have been fitted generation can be obtained more ter or protection. Crowns of retained on the basic unit. em trees shade the forest Aoor and pro quickly under one Ulan under an Ex- In operation, a cable is fastened to tect new seedlings from bright sun other cutting treatment. of pulpwood bolts, then moved by re light and detrimental temperature On other portions of the Hemlock Ital mote control to a position near the extremes. The limited intensity of sun Experimental Forest, periodic tbin ng machine, at which point wood is light also controls the development of nings have been carried out since nal manually controlled onto the pallet. undesirable brush and weeds that 1950. These thinnings are designed Pallets that are carried to unloading Ule might delay the establishment of a to remove the least desirable mem ent area, dumped and reloaded on the young forest. bers of the stand and promote d unit, can carry up to n cords of pulp A Shelterwood cutting permits for velopment of the better members of cks wood. Release is illustrated. (TR-62 esters to select and retain certain the crop. The thinnings are stimulat R-9) are trees for their seed-bearing ability ing good crown development that will md and growth potential. In addition to produce good seed crops later on. "Ergonomics" oos ' providing an abundant supply of These stands are being groomed for in forestry is defined as measur nes seed, the released trees win increase application of the best management ment of work in terms of the quantity ere their rate of wood production-both -be it she1terwood or some other r of heat to which it is equivalent. In l1ld in quantity and quality. Shortened generation cutting method. Swedish forestry, for the past 20 years, ef rotations, improved yield volumes, It is from thinning experiments that a basic tool for determining labor lod and selected auality all may be ob we get an inkling of the growth ca capability has been physiological re 'ng tained through careful shelterwood pacity of young-growth western hem search. This release states what differ management. lock. The net mean annual increment ent ergonomic methods can do, how Isi Unlike the claims made for many to date has been 158 cu. ft. or 828 they do it and results from their ap health tonic elixirs that purportedly bd. ft. per acre. The experimental for plication. Although ilie Swedish find cure all ailments. sheltenvood manage est is growing rapidly, however, and ings are spelled out in word and by ,. ment is not said to be perfect. There the thinned stands show a current net graph, the APA comments that "the undoubtedly will be problems asso periodic yearly increment of 179 cu. need for determining physiological ciated with the apolication of the ft. or 1,490 bd. ft. per acre. and psychological demands on forest shelterwood system. One of the pur Time is not far off when young workers seem very remote." (TR 62 poses of the studv is to evaluate these. growth westell1 hemlock stands will ' R-I0) Foremost is the possihility of logj:(ing be called upon to bear a major por damage to established seedlings dur tion of the rapidly increasing demand Nylon safety pads ing successive cuttin)!s. Young growth for cellulose. Some of these stands, for knees of work pants have been established after a first cut may be though only 40 to 60 years old, even demonstrated to cut lost-time acci damaged by felling and skidding in now furnish pulpwood to the ever dents from chain-saw injuries 10-20% subsequent cuts. Amount of damage increasing capacity of pulp and paper at one company, while reducing them should be associated with the amount mills. Foresters must learn to man almost 35% at another, according to of timbl'r cut each time. The final agc this young crop of wood to main this release. Chain saw "ccidcnts ;\rL' IlwaSUl"(' of snccess will hc the rela taill wood growth at least cqual to e e I r port d to have increasc>cJ from ] 6 tivc abundance of healthy hemlock that of demand. Studies at Hemlock of all injuries in 1957 to 31% last year. \ secdIinl!s. Experiment:ll Forest are designed to Many companies report that chain Fad rs conh'ibnting to an abun provide foresters with management saw accidents are primarily in the r dance of well-distributed and high guides. If shc1terwood management klH.'e :lrca. quality western hemlock seedlings provides the key to quick, adequate An Eastern Canadian company is es ern need to he' known and evaluated if regeneration of w t hem lock, a marketing tlwse knee pads at a rea e. the'v an' to 1)(' C'ncol1raged in large shelterwood l'utting guide will be sonable price; a U.S. l'ompany is )- scal(, operations. These include en available for :lpplication hy the end contemplating their manufacture if yironn1C'nt:ll innucnees sllch as compc- of tIl{' stl1dy period. • there is illterest shown. (TR 62-H-12)
PULP & PAPER June 11, 1962 63