Practical Forestry in the Pacific Northwest: Protecting Existing Forests and Growing New Ones, from the Standpoint of the Public and That of the Lumberman, with an Outline of Technical MethodsAllen, E. T. (Edward Tyson)
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Practical Forestry in the Pacific Northwest: Protecting Existing Forests and Growing New Ones, from the Standpoint of the Public and That of the Lumberman, with an Outline of Technical Methods
Allen, E. T. (Edward Tyson)
Pacific Coast -- Forestry
In a great majority of cases the approximate minimum diameter for
cutting which would be fixed by it forester would be somewhere
between 16 and 30 inches, but say it were 18 inches, for example,
it would not arbitrarily apply throughout the stand. Most trees with
yellow, smooth bark and small heavy-limbed tops, perhaps partially
dead, are mature regardless of their size. If small, they have
been crowded or stunted and may as well be cut. Trees with large,
healthy crowns composed of many comparatively small branches, and
with rough dark bark showing no flat scaling, are sure to be growing
rapidly, even if quite large. They are also less desired by the
lumberman, who often calls them black pine or black jack, so may
often be spared, without much sacrifice, for seed trees or in order
to continue their rapid wood production.
The seed tree problem in such a pine forest and under such a system
as has been described is comparatively simple, for there are likely
to be enough young trees of fruiting age left to fill up the blanks
between existing seedlings. The density of the latter determines
to a large extent the number and location of seed trees necessary,
but there should always be two to four to the acre, even if this
requires leaving some that would otherwise be logged.
Under this system recurring cuts may be made at periods of perhaps
30 or 40 years, taking out each time the trees which have passed
the minimum diameter since the last previous cut. It is obvious,
however, that if the process is to continue indefinitely, protection
must be absolute. Destruction of young growth will stop the rotation
at the time the surviving older material is harvested. At each
cut the brush should be disposed of with this end in view. If the
stand is very thin it may not add much to the danger of fire and,
especially if reproduction is difficult and requires shelter, may
best be left spread on the ground at some distance from remaining
trees. Otherwise, and this is the rule, it should be piled and
usually burned. In this process and in logging every effort should
be made to protect existing young growth from injury. Ground fires
should be prevented now and always hereafter.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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