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California forest stewardship program
Fores t l and S t e w a r d
CDF & UC Cooperative ExtensionForest Stewardship Programc/o P.O. Box 162644Sacramento, CA 95816ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED
Presort StandardU.S. Postage
PAIDCOLOR TECH
Working TogeTher for healThy foresTs
fall 2006
Inside 2 Silviculture
5 Intermediatetreatments
6 Regeneration
10 Winter’scoming
12 Restoration
Forest Management Part III:
Managingexistingstandsoftrees Nomatterwhatyourforestgoals—improvedforesthealth,increasedhabitatforwildlife,incomefromtimber,etc.—youwillhavetodecidewhatstepstotaketoreachthosegoals.Themanagementpracticesdiscussedinthisissueincludemanyofthetoolsyou’llusetocreatetheforestyoudesire.Youwillfindthatthesamebasicmanagementtechniquescanbeusedtoachieveavarietyofobjectives. Forestlandmanagementisconductedoveraverylongtimespan,oftenexceedingthelandowner’slifetime.Theimpactsarefar-reaching.Yourdecisionsaffectyouandyourfamilyaswellasneighbors.Theyhaverepercussionsonnearbylandsandstreams,onwatersourceshundredsofmilesaway,onwildlife,firesafety,waterquality,andscenicvalues.Evenadecisiontodonothingwillimpactamultitudeofresources.
Inactivevs.activemanagementInactive management istheconsciousdecisiontobehands-offandletnaturetakeitscourse.Beaware,however,thatthistypeofmanagementcanhaveasprofoundanimpactontheforestasactivemanagement.
No,youdidn'tmissanissueDuetoaglitch,wehavebeenonhiatusforafewmonths.Wenowreturntoourregularlyschedulednewsletter,andcontinuewithPartIIIoftheseriesonforestmanagement.
FewforestsinCaliforniaareina“natural”state.Overtheyearstheyhavebeenharvested,grazed,bisectedbyroads,invadedbynon-nativespecies,andalteredinnumerousways. Inaddition,firesuppressionoverthelast100yearshashadaprofoundeffectonourforests,whichrequirefiretokeepthemhealthyanddiverse.Firesuppressionmayleadtoovergrownforeststhatarevulnerabletoinsectanddiseaseattacksaswellascatastrophicfires.Evenifyouchooseaninactivemanagementapproach,youshouldcarefullyconsiderfireissues.
Active managementcanincludeanumberoftechniques,ortreatments.Manyofthesearechosentomimicorspeedupnaturalprocesses.Forexample,thinningcanrelieveovercrowdedconditionsintheabsenceoffireandatthesametimeencouragespecificspeciestogrowmorequickly.Treatmentsmaybechosentoimprovethequalityoftimberforharvest,tochangethespeciescompositionforwildlifehabitat,todecreasetheriskoffire,orforahostofotherpurposes.
N O T E : This discussion includes terms defined in the two previous parts (Winter & Spring).
Forestland S teward
2 fall 2006
Forestland Steward is a joint project of the
CA Dept of Forestry and Fire Protection,
UC Cooperative Extension, and USDA Forest Service
to provide information on the stewardship of private forestlands in California.
California Forest Stewardship Program
P.O. Box 944246Sacramento, CA 94244
(916) 653-8286Fax (916) 653-8957
http://ceres.ca.gov/forest-steward
editorial CommitteeJeff Calvert, CDF
Richard Harris, UCHeather Morrison, SAFGary Nakamura, UC
editorLaurie Litman, InfoWright
governorArnold Schwarzenegger
secretary for resourcesthe resources agency
Mike Chrisman
directorCalif dept of forestry
& fire protectionRuben Grijalva
This newsletter was produced under a grant from the USDA Forest
Service.
In accordance with Federal law and U.S. Department of Agriculture policy, this
institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis
of race, color, national origin, sex, age or disability.
(Not all prohibited basesapply to all programs.)
Fores tl and S t e w a r d
Usingsilviculturetomeetyourforestgoals You’vecomeupwithyourforestmanagementgoalsandobjectives…nowwhat?Thisisthepointatwhichyouwilluseallyourknowledgeoftreesandforeststoplantheon-the-groundactivitiesnecessarytoachieveyourgoals. Theplanoftreatmentsforaforeststandoveritsentirelifeiscalledasilviculturalsystem.Silviculturalsystemsarenamedonthebasisoftheageclasses(whethertreesinthestandarethesameage[even-aged]orvaryingages[uneven-aged]),andtheregenerationmethodused(e.g.,clearcutting,seedtree,shelterwood,selection).Inaddition,thereareintermediatetreatmentsthatcanbedonewhileaforestisyoungtoimprovethematureforest. Eachsilviculturalsystemisuniqueanddesignedspecificallyfortheparticularpropertyandlandownergoals.Methodsareselectedbasedonthetypeandconditionofthelandaswellasmanagementobjectives.Inaddition,thesesystemsmustbedesignedandexecutedproperlytominimizelong-termdamagecausedbyanyentryintotheforeststands. Iftimberharvestisoneofyourgoals,you’llneedtoworkwitharegisteredprofessionalforester(RPF)tocomeupwithalong-termplanforyourforest.TheForestPracticeRulesareveryspecificonhowharvestingisdone. Commonsilviculturalsystemsarelistedbelow.
Even-agedmanagement Treesundereven-agedsystemsareroughlythesameageandmanagedasagroup.Inalargelandholding,even-agedunitsareoftenstaggeredoverthelandscapesotherearemanydifferentageclasses.InCalifornia,unitsgenerallycannotexceed20acresandtypicallyareregeneratedbyplantingseedlings.Typesofeven-agedmanagementincludeclearcuts,seedtree,andshelterwood.
Clearcuts.Alltreesinastandarecutatthesametimeinaclearcutsystem.Seedsfromsurroundingtrees,rootsproutsor,mostcommonly,nursery-grownseedlingsareusedtoregeneratethestand. Harvestingpracticesareespeciallyrestrictedinsensitiveareassuchasalongwatercourses,nearwetareas,andhabitatswiththreatenedandendangeredspecies. Clearcuttingprovidesanopenenvironmentwithplentyofsunlight,thusclearcuttingisbestforregeneratingshade-intolerantspecies.Site
preparation,theremovalofwoodyloggingdebrisandweedcompetitionpriortoplanting,isrequiredforsuccessfulregeneration. Besidesitsusefortimberharvest,clearcuttingcanbethemethodofchoiceforastandthathasbeenseverelyimpactedbypastpractices.Itisoftenprescribedwhenthecurrentstandhasdeterioratedduetohighgrading.Highgradingremovesthebiggestandbesttreesleavingpoorlydevelopedtreesbehind.Inthiscaseitmaybebettertocompletelyremovethedepletedstandandstartover. Clearcuttingalterswildlifehabitatandmaydisplacespeciesthatrequirematureforests.Theplants,shrubs,andseedlingsthatreplacethetreesarefavoredbyadifferentgroupofspecies,suchasdeerandelk.Asastandgrowsandmatures,thewildlifethatuseitwillchange.Inalargelandholding,aseriesofclearcutsovertimecanprovideavarietyofhabitattypesacrossthelandscapeincludingstandsofyoung,middle-aged,andoldertrees. Theadvantagetoclearcuttingisefficiency.Itisrelativelyeasytolayoutaclearcutblockandthereislittletonodangerofdamagingremainingtrees.Anotheradvantageisthattemporaryroadsystemsareclosed.Roadsareasignificantsourceofsedimentinstreamssoclosingroadsaftertheharvestdecreasesthelong-termproductionofsedimenttostreams. Thebigdisadvantagetoclearcuttingandothereven-agedmanagementsystemsisvisual.Theforestchangesabruptlyfromamaturestandtoaveryyoungone,andloggingdebrisisclearlyevident. Therearemanyvariationsofclearcuttingandnoteverytreehastoberemoved.“Fuzzyclearcuts”mayretainsmallerorunmerchant-abletreestoprovidesomehabitatand/orafewtreesthatwillbegintogrowquicklywhen
Clearcuts. All trees in the stand cut at the same time.
Forestland S teward
fall 2006 �
releasedfromthecompetitionofothertrees.Fuzzyclearcutswithislandsofmaturevegetationprovidecoverforwildlifeaswellasstructureanddiversityinthefuturestand.
Seed Tree. Intheseedtreesilviculturalsystem,thestandisremovedexceptforafewdesirabletreeslefttoproduceseed.Thequalityoftheseedtrees,theirdistribution,andthetimingoftheharvestareimportantconsiderationshere. Theseedtreesystemisappliedgenerallytoshade-intolerantspeciesthatregeneratebestinfullsunlight.Sitepreparationmayberequiredtoremoveloggingdebrisandcompetingplantsbeforethenewstandcanbecomeestablished. Usuallytheseedtreesareremovedafterregenerationiswellestablished.Ifyouwaittoolong,however,theyoungtreescanbedamagedwhentheseedtreesareharvested.Seedtreesilviculturehassimilaradvantagesanddisadvantagestoclearcutting.Naturalregenerationbyseedtreesoftenresultsinclumpydistributionofseedlings.Thinningtominimizecompetitionandadditionalplantingtoobtainallthedesiredspeciesmaybenecessary.
untilthefinalharvest.Aswithseedtrees,naturalregenerationbyshelterwoodcanresultinclumpydistributionofseedlings.Astheygrow,thinningmayhelpminimizecompetition.
Uneven-agedmanagement Anuneven-agedforesthastreesofmanyageandsizeclasses.Periodiccuttingsoccurtoestablishandmaintainthisstructure.Carefulloggingiscrucialtoprotectresidualtreesfromdamagefromrepeatedharvestingoperations. Adisadvantagetouneven-agedsilviculturalsystemsisthenumberofroadsthatareopenedandthefrequencywithwhichtheyareused.Unlikeeven-agedmethodswhereonlythosestandsbeingoperatedonneedopenroads,withuneven-agedsilviculturetheentireforestmaybevisitedeverycuttingcycle—typicallyevery10or20years—andtheentireroadsystemactivatedforeachharvest.Uneven-agedsilviculturalsystemsaremandatedforNon-industrialTimberManagementPlans(NTMPs).
Single-Tree Selection.Insingle-treeselection,aforesterevaluateseverytreeinthestandand,inaccordancewiththelandowner’sobjectives,individualtreesareremoved.Cuttingscanbemorefrequentthanwithothersystems,providingincometothelandowneronaregularbasisbutatalowerreturnperharvest. Single-treeselectionrateshighintermsofaesthetics.Totheuntrainedeyeitcanbedifficulttoknowthatharvestingwasconductedatall. Single-treeselectionsystemsaremoredifficulttomanagethaneven-agedsystems.Markingindividualtreesforharvesttakesconsiderabletime,andloggingmustbedonecarefullytoavoiddamagingtheremainingtrees. Singletreeselectioncanbeusedtoinfluencethemixofspeciesintheforestortoimproveoverallstandhealth.Seedlingsdevelopwherever
Silviculture: the science and art of producing, tending, and harvesting a forest.
Seed tree system. A few trees are left behind to produce seed. These trees are later removed.
Shelterwood.Theshelterwoodsystemisappliedwhenthespeciestoberegeneratedrequireprotec-tionfromdirectsunlighttoestablish.Speciesthatnaturallyregenerateintheshadearefavored. Treesareharvestedinstages.Dependingontheconditionofthestand,twoorthreecuttingscanbeused.Theinitialcuttingistoimprovethevigorandseedproductionoftheremainingtreesandtopreparethesiteforseedlings.Theremainingtreesprovideshadeandshelterfortheseedlings. Subsequentharvestsremovetheshelterwoodtreesandallowregenerationtodevelopasaneven-agedstand.Becausethematuretreesareremovedinstagesthereislessvisualimpact
Shelterwood. Trees are harvested in stages to provide shade to seedlings.
Adapted from the UC Cooperative Extension Forest Landowner’s Curriculum. Special thanks to artist John LeBlanc for the graphics in this article.
Improve the species
diversity of your
forest stand by
planting desired
species in small
openings created by
clearcutting or group
selection harvesting.
(continued next page)
Forestland S teward
4 fall 2006
openingsareprovided.Shade-tolerantspeciestendtobefavoredovershade-intolerantonesinstandswithdensecover.Largeropeningsmustbeprovidedforshadeintolerantspecies.Itmaybetemptingtohighgrade(takeonlythebesttrees)butthisshouldbeavoided.Highgradingeventuallyreducesthequalityofthetreesonthesite.Awellmarkedsingle-treeselectionharvesttypicallyremovestreesfromawiderangeofdiameterswhilegivingconsiderationtospeciescomposition,standstructure,andhabitat.
Group Selection. Agroupselectionsilviculturalsysteminvolvesharvestofsmallgroupsratherthanindividualtrees.Theopeningsarelessthan2.5acresinsize.Becausetheopeningsaresmall,treesontheedgesofthecuttypicallyinfluencetheregenerationoftheentireopening.Thismethodissimilartosingle-treeselectioninthatharvestsarefrequent.Itsadvantageisthatitiseasierforloggerstoavoiddamagingtheresidualstand.Groupselectioncanbeusedtodevelopamixofspeciesincludingintolerantspeciesthatrequiremorelight. Keepinmindthatagroupselectioncutpermitssingle-treeselectionharvestofthestandsbetweenthegroups.Alsoregulatorslimittheareacoveredbygroupswithanysingleentrytono
morethan20percentofthetotalareaharvested.Soona100-acreparcelupto20acrescouldberemovedinsmallgroups,eachlessthan2.5acresinsize,andtheremainder(80acres)harvestedundersingle-treeselection.
Specialprescriptions SeveralspecialtreatmentsthatdonotfallintoanyofthesilviculturalsystemsabovearealsopermittedundertheForestPracticeRules.
Variable Retention. Thegoalofvariableretentionistoretainstandstructureelementsofthecurrentforestthatarevaluedbywildlife,thatareeasytoprotectyetdifficulttocreate.Oldertreesorgroupsofvegetationareretainedduringharvesteitherasindividualsoringroups.Oftenindividualtreesofloweconomicvaluebuthighwildlifeorscenicvalueareretained.Animals,plants,andfungihaveaplaceofrefugeintheharvestedunit.Generally,about10-15percentoftheoriginalforeststandisretainedunderthisprescription.Thisisanattractiveoptionformanylandowners.
Single-tree selection. Trees are chosen carefully and harvested singly.
Group selection. Trees are harvested in small groups less than 2.5 acres in size.
Special treatment area prescriptions: Methodstailoredforspecialareas.Forexample,anarchaeologicalsiteisaspecialtreatmentarea.
Rehabilitation of understocked areas: Usedinareasofcommercialtimberlandthatarebeingunderutilized.Theareacanbeharvestedifreplantedwithaspecifiednumberofseedlings.
Fuelbreak/defensible space.Usedtoreducethedangerofwildfire.Aspecifiednumberoftreesorseedlingsmustbeleftimmediatelyafterharvest.ARPFmustdescribespecificvegetationandfuelstreatmenttoreducefuelstomeettheobjectivesofthefuelbreakarea.
Variable retention. Valuable elements of the forest are retained to provide refuge for wildlife.
One way to retain
elements of the
forest needed by
wildlife is with
variable retention
harvesting. In this
system, trees or
groups of vegetation
are retained to
provide shelter and
refuge for a variety of
animals and plants.
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Asyourforestgrows,youmaychoosetodosomeintermediatetreatmentssuchasthinning,improvementcuttings,andpruningtohelpachievetheforestyouwant.Thesetreatmentsareusedtoincreasethehealthofastand,shiftspeciescomposition,andimprovetimberquality.Intermediatetreatmentsareconsideredeithercommercialorpre-commercialdependingonwhethertheharvestedtreesaresoldforrevenue.
Thinning. Treescompeteforsunlight,water,andsoilnutrients.Removingsomeofthetreesinthestandcanreducethecompetitionandaccelerategrowthinthosethatremain.Therearehighthinnings(thinningfromabove)wheredominantandco-dominanttreesareremoved,orlowthinnings(thinningfrombelow)wheresmallertreesbelowthedominanttreesareremoved. Howdoyoudecidewhichtreestotakeorleave?Theanswerdependsonyourobjectives,thespeciespresent,siteconditions,andotherfactors.Somerules-of-thumb:•Thinearlyinthelifeofastandratherthanlater.•Considerthinningwhentreecrownsbeginto
touch.•Removetreeswithpoorformorevidence
ofdamage,insects,ordiseaseareusuallyremoved.
• Rememberthattreeswithlessthanone-thirdtheirtotalheightinlivebranchesrarelyrespondwelltothinning.
Onewaytogaugethehealthofatreeisbyitscrownratio,thepercentageofthetotalheightofthetreethatisinlivebranches.Inthefigureabove,thedominanttreeshaveabouta50percentcrownratio,theco-dominantsabout40percent,intermediatesabout30percent,andthesuppressedtreesabout20percent.Largercrownratiosmeanatreecanproducemorefoodfromsunlightinaday.Treeswithlowcrownratiosaremoresusceptibletoinsectattacks.
Crownclassisjustonemethodusedtoselecttrees.Thetypeoftreeselectedfortreatmentdependsonlandowner’sgoals.Somespecies,likewhitefir,cansurviveassuppressedtreesandrespondifsurroundingtreesareremoved.Others,likeponderosapine,donotsurvivewellassuppressedtreesandoldertreesmaynotrespondtothinning.
Improvement cuttingsareprescribedtoremoveundesirabletreesandshrubstofavordesirableones.Thechoiceofspeciesdependsonlandowner’sobjectivesfortimber,wildlife,aestheticappeal,orrecreation.Manytreesthathavelittletonotimbervaluemaybeleftfortheseotherpurposes.
Pruning. Pruningisalabor-intensiveactivityusedtoimprovethehealthoftrees,toremovebranchesthatcouldcausepropertydamageorinjury,andtoincreasethevalueoftimber.Pruninglowerbranchescanresultinknot-freewood.However,thereisabalancebetweenlettingtreesdevelopfullcrownsandpruninglowerbranchestoproduceclearwoodinthelowerportionsofthetree. Itisveryimportantthatpruningbedonecorrectly.Thismeansknowingwhentoprune,whattopruneandhow,usingtheproperequipment,andaboveall,doingthejobsafely.
Adjustmentsalongtheway:intermediatetreatments
D=Dominant; C=Co-dominant; I=Intermediate; S=Suppressed; W=Wolf.Crown classes are used to describe these trees. Dominant trees are the largest in the stand; they receive full sunlight on all sides of their crown. Co-dominant trees are mixed with other trees and receive full sunlight on much of their crowns. Intermediate trees get full sunlight only on a small part of their crown. Suppressed trees receive almost no full sunlight. Mortality represents dead trees. A “wolf tree” has an unusually large crown.
The type of tree you
choose for treatment
depends on your
goals. For purely
timber production,
wolf trees use up
too much space.
But as they die and
decompose, wolf
trees can make
excellent snags for
wildlife.
Forestland S teward
6 fall 2006
Silviculturalsystemsarefirstandforemostthemeansbywhichforestsareregenerated.Rapidregenerationpreventserosionandspeedsupthetimefromstandestablishmenttoharvest. TheCaliforniaForestPracticeActrequiresthatlandownersregeneratetheirforestfollowingtimberharvestorleaveitinastockedconditionwithreservedtrees.TheForestPracticeRulesrequirethatastandhaveaminimumnumberoftreeswithinfiveyearsfollowingharvest,andcomplianceismonitoredbyaCaliforniaDepartmentofForestryandFireProtection(CDF)inspector.Theexactrulesvarybyregionandsite.Planningbeforeharvestwillgoalongwaytowardsreducingcostsandsecuringadequateregenerationquickly. Aforeststandcanberegeneratedintwoways:naturallyorartificially.
Natural regenerationgenerallycomesfromseedproducedbytreesleftintheharvestunitorborderingit.Sometrees,e.g.someoaksandredwoods,canberegeneratedbysproutingfromstumpsorroots.Manybrushspeciesandtreessuchastanoakandmadronearealsovigoroussprouters. Naturalregenerationistheleastexpensiveoptionforalandownerandshouldbeencour—agedwheneverpossible.Naturalregenerationrequiresseedproduction,successfulgermina—tion,andseedlinggrowth.Seedproductioninanygivenyeardependsonweatherandotherfactors.Ifyourharvestoccursinapoorseedyear,youmayneedtosupplementwithartificialregeneration.
Artificial regenerationinvolvessowingseedorplantingseedlingstoregeneratethestand.It
isusedtochangespeciescomposition,toestablishastandofgeneticallysuperiortrees,whennaturalregenerationfailsorisinadequatetoestablishastand,ortogiveyoungtreesabetterchanceofcompetingagainstbrush,grass,animals,drought,orthemyriadotherlivingthingsinthesoil.Artificialregenerationalsoreducestheriskofapoorseedyearorpoorgerminationconditionsbyusinghardy1-to2-year-oldseedlings. InCalifornia,seedisrarelysown.Experiencehasshownthatmostseedislikelytobeeatenbyanimalsordamagedbydisease.Themostsuccessfulartificial
regenerationmethodisplantingseedlings,whichallowsforbettercontrolofspacing,species,andgeneticcomposition. Thekeytoplantingsuccessisproperplanning.Thisshouldbeginaboutayearinadvanceoftheactualplanting.Seedlingstobeplantedinthewinterneedtobeorderedfromthenurseryinthefall.
GettingReady—SitePreparation Sitepreparationisvital.Neglectingthisstepcanleadtoseedlinglossesrangingfrom40tonearly100percent;yourentireplantinginvestmentmaybelost.Withgoodsitepreparationandproperplantingtechniquesalandownercanexpectlessthan20percentseedlingmortality. Aseedlingfacesagreatnumberofdifficultiesonitswaytobecomingatree.Thereistheconstantthreatthatrodentsorrabbitsmaygnawit,deerorlivestockbrowseortrampleit,orfrostactionheaveitfromthesoil.Seedlingsaresusceptibletobeingburned,drowned,shaded,orstarved.Whetherartificiallyplantedornaturallygerminated,seedlingsneedallthehelpyoucangive. Thegreatestchallengeofallismakingsureseedlingsgettheirfullshareofsoilmoistureandnutrients.ThisisespeciallycriticalinCaliforniawithitsMediterraneanclimatecharacterizedbylong,rain-freesummers.Soilmoistureisseverelylimitinghere.Allthemoisturethatseedlingswillhaveforsurvivalandgrowthisinthesoil. Sitepreparationcanlimitthedangersaseedlingwillfaceinitsfirst,mostcritical,yearsofsurvival.Considereverylikelythreattothenewstandandtrytominimizeit.Postthearea,fenceoutlivestock,andremovebrushpilesthatharborrabbitsandrodents.Youcanreducecompetitionbyremovingasmuchbrushandgrassaspossible.Managementofcompetingvegetationdoesnotnecessarilyendafterplanting.Whenbrushisespeciallyvigorous,youmayhavetorepeatsometreatmentseitherbyhand,herbicides,orwithmachinestoensureseedlingsurvival. Ifyouareusingnaturalregeneration,youwillneedtoprepareaseedbedthatfavorsgermination.Allsitepreparationtechniquesshouldbeplannedandcarriedouttominimizelossofvaluabletopsoil.
Stepstogrowinganewforest
Planning planning planningThe key to planting
success is proper
planning. This should
begin about a year in
advance of the actual
planting.
Dr. Robert Thomas and Margaret Orr © California Academy of Sciences
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fall 2006 �
Mechanical Preparation isaccomplishedwithvariousdevicesattachedtoabulldozerortractor.Beawarethatsoilcompactioncanbeanissuewhenusingheavyequipment.However,wheresoilcompactionexists,deeprippingcanactuallyimprovesoilproductivitydependingonsoiltype. Brushyareasmayrequirecrushing,chopping,orbrushraking.Loggingresidue(slash)mustbeclearedfromthesitetofacilitateplantingandweedcontrol,andtominimizefuelloadsandfirerisk.Brushrakes,aspecializedblade,canuprootandpushbrushandloggingdebrisintopiles,orwindrows,wheretheyrotorareburned.Acarefuloperatorwillscrapeupverylittlesoil,whichisimportantforsoilproductivity. Unburnedwindrowsmayserveashabitatforsmallanimals.Dependingonlandownerobjectives,thiscanbeanassetoraliability.Landownerswhowishtoencouragewildlifesuchasquailorrabbitsmightwanttoleavethewindrows.Thisislikelytoresultinsomeseedlingloss,mainlyfromsmallrodents.
Controlled Fire.Usedwithcare,controlledfirecanbeaneffectivewaytoreduceslashorlargebrushpilesandprovidebetterplantingconditions.Controlledburningalsoreducesfirehazardbyconsumingfuel.Burningalonemaynotachievecompletesitepreparation,inpartbecausefirecanencouragetheregenerationofsomecompetingshrubspecies.Post-plantingtreatmentofbrushmaythereforebenecessaryonsomesites. Inaddition,cool,lowintensityfiresarebestsinceintensefiremayhaveundesirableeffectsonphysicalandchemicalsoilproperties.Iffiresburntoohot,soilnutrientsmaybelostandthesoilbecomelesspermeabletowater,causingerosionaswaterrunsoffthesurfaceratherthanbeingabsorbedintothesoil.This,combinedwithalackofplantstoholdthesoil,increasesthechanceforseriouserosionandlessensthechanceforaplantation’ssurvival. Aprofessionalforesterandlocalfireofficialsmustbeconsultedbeforeattemptingcontrolledburning.Controlledburnsrequireafirepermitandaplantocontrolthefireshoulditescape.YoumayberequiredtosubmitawrittenSmokeManagementPlanorAirPollutionControlPlan.Insomeareas,theAirResourcesBoardmaycollectaper-acrefeeforburning.Ifthefireescapes,thelandownermaybeheldlegally
liableforallsuppressioncostsanddamagesrelatedtothefire. Whiletherearesomedisadvantagestousingfireasasitepreparationtool,itcanbehighlyefficientandcosteffectivewhenusedcarefully.Fireisthetoolofchoiceforsitepreparationinmanycommercialoperationswheresteepslopesprecludeuseofmechanicalsitepreparationandheavyslashrequirestreatment.
Chemical Site Preparation.Herbicidesareoftenusedtoreducecompetitionfromweeds,especiallyinfollow-uptreatments.Herbicidescanbesprayedoverlargeareasquicklyfromtheairormoreslowlybutunderclosercontrolfromtheground.Someherbicidesareinjecteddirectlyintothestemsofunwantedplants. Itiscriticallyimportanttousethecorrectherbicide,attheproperrate,andattherighttime.ByFederallaweveryherbicidemustberegisteredwiththeEnvironmentalProtectionAgency.InCalifornia,pesticidesmustalsoberegisteredbytheCaliforniaDepartmentofPesticideRegulation.Theregulationsrequirethatallherbicidesbelabeledwithproperuseandwarninginformationthatexplainshowtosafelyandeffectivelyapplytheproduct.Youarerequiredbylawtoreadandfollowtheinstruc-tionsonthelabel.YourCountyAgriculturalCommissionercanprovideinformationontheregistrationofdifferentchemicalsusedintheforestandanylegalconsiderationsthatmayapply.Lawsvarybycounty.Somecountiesdonotallowaerialapplication.
Selectingtheseedlingstock Seedlingsurvivaldependsonhowwelltheseedlingisadaptedtothecharacteristics(elevation,aspect,moisture,soilconditions,etc.)ofthesiteitisplantedon.Ifpossible,contractwithanurserytogrowseedlingsfromseedcollectedonyourland.Thetreescurrentlygrowingtherearebestadaptedtotheuniqueconditionsofyourproperty. Ifyouarenotabletousestockfromyour
A seedling faces a
great number of
difficulties on its way
to becoming a tree.
Rodents may gnaw
it, deer or livestock
browse or trample
it, or frost heave it
from the soil. It is
susceptible to being
burned, drowned,
shaded, or starved.
Whether planted or
naturally germinated,
seedlings need all the
help you can give.
© 2005 Christopher L. Christie
Forestland S teward
8 fall 2006
land,trytofindseedlingsfromthesameseedzone.TheCaliforniaDepartmentofForestryandFireProtection(CDF)hasestablishedtreeseedzonestohelpmatchseedandseedlingstolocalconditions.Checkthismapandmatchascloselyaspossibleyourseedlingswiththesametreeseedzoneandelevationasyourplanting
site. Choosefromtwotypesofseedlings—
barerootandcontainerized.Barerootseedlingsaregrownoutdoors
inanurserybedandareharvestedbycarefullylifting
theseedlingfromthenurserywhentheir
rootregenerationcapacityisatitsmaximum.Thebarerootsoftheseedlingsmustbekeptmoistandcoldandmustbe
plantedwhiledormanttoavoiddamagetotheroots.
Bare root seedlings. Nurserycatalogslistbarerootplantingstockas1-0,2-0,2-2orsomeothercombinationoftwonumerals.Thefirstnumeralreferstothenumberofyearsthetreespentintheseedbed.Thesecondisthenumberofyearsspentinatransplantbed.Therefore,2-2stockis4yearsoldandquitelarge.Treesthatcomedirectlyfromaseedbed(1-0,2-0,3-0)arecalledseedlings.Thosethatcomefromatransplantbedarecalledtransplants.Aruleofthumbistousetransplantsonharshsitesandseedlingsforeasiersites.Transplantscostconsiderablymorebecausetheytakemoretimeandlabortoproduce.Yourparticularsiteconditionsdeterminethestocktypeyouneed.Typically2-0or1-1areplantedtoregeneratemoststands. Plantingstockshouldbeevaluatedwhenreceivedfromthenursery.Treesmustbedormant,andthebudsfirmwithnoevidenceofnewgrowthorshootelongation.Whiteroottipsshouldbelessthan1/4inch.Ifyoustripbackthebarkofthestemandrootsystemonacoupleoftrees,theinnerbarkshouldbemoistandglisteningwhite.Moldorasourodorsuggestsimproperstorage.Iftheyareyellow,brown,orhavebrownspots,thestockisbadlydamagedandhaslittlesurvivalpotential. Propercareofyourplantingstockwill
increasetheirchancesforsurvival.Keeptherootsmoist,thetreescool(between32ºand36ºF)andoutofthesun.Plantassoonaspossibleafterreceivingyourseedlings.Ifyoumuststorethemformorethan3days,heelinyourseed-lingsbyplantingthemtemporarilyinatrenchinacool,shadedplace.Youcanstorethetreesthiswayfor7to10days.
Containerized seedlings. Containerizedseedlingshavebeengrownfromseedinaplasticcontainerfilledwithaspecialsoilmixture.Containerizedseedlingsareusuallyproducedinagreenhouseunderacarefullycontrolledenvironment.Theseseedlingscanbeplantedduringthegrowingseasonbecausetheirrootsremainencasedinthegrowingmedium. Containerizedseedlingsareusuallymoreexpensivethanbarerootstock.However,theycanbegrowninashortertime,4to8months,thusreducingtheleadtimeinvolvedintheplanningprocess.Containerizedseedlingsmaybeeasiertoplantinrockysoilswhereitisdifficulttoopenaholeforlargerbarerootseedlings.Evaluationofcontainerizedstockissimilartobarerootstockexceptthatcontainerstockdoesnotneedtobedormant.
Timingforplanting Thebesttimetoplantdependsonthetypeofplantingstock,soilcondition,climate,andyourlocationinthestate.Beforeplanting,thesoilmoistureshouldbeatfieldcapacity(themaximumwaterthesoilcanstoreagainsttheforceofgravity)toadepthofatleast12inches.Thiswillrequireabout2to4inchesofrainfallformostsoiltypes.Thesoiltemperatureat3˝depthshouldbe40ºForhigherandonawarmingtrendwithadditionalrainexpectedintheseason.Thesemoistureandtemperaturerequirementsareessentialforrootgrowth. Manylandownersreportbestsurvivalwhenseedlingsareplantedduringalightrainordrizzle.Avoidplantingduringextendedwarmanddryperiods,orwhenfrostorextremewindsarelikely.Athigherelevations,plantwhenthesnowisgoneandthechanceoffrostisminimal. IntheSierraNevada,NorthernCalifornia,andtheeasternsideoftheCoastRange,plantingconditionsareusuallyoptimalinlatewintertoearlyspring.OnthewarmerwestsideoftheCoastRangeplantingcanbeginasearlyaslatefall—oncetherainshavesaturatedthesoil—andcancontinuethroughtolatewinter.
Seed Map of California Use caution in introducing seed from outside your planting zone or within 500 foot elevation of your planting location.
Seedlings are
available from
numerous private
nurseries and the
CDF Nursery—call
530-872-6301.
Generally, these
nurseries can supply
appropriate stock
by knowing the
county, nearest
town, and elevation
of your planting site.
Large orders can be
contracted 1 or 2
growing seasons in
advance of planting.
Forestland S teward
fall 2006 �
Plantingtechniques Varioushandtoolsandmachinesareusedforplanting.Plantingbars,hoe-dads(westernplantingtool),andmattocksareusedwitheasilyworkedsoil.Thehoe-dadisgenerallythemosteffectiveinroughterrainwithrockysoils.Power-drivenaugerscandigholesincompactedorhardpansoils.Plantingmachinesarelimitedtofairlylevelsiteswithcarefulsitepreparationandarecosteffectiveonlyforlargeareas. Whichevertechniqueisused,careofseedlingsisofparamountimportance.Alwayskeeptherootsmoist,withnomorethanonehourworthofstockintheplantingbagatonetime.Eachseedlingshouldbeplantederectatthedepthitwasplantedinthenursery.Therootsmustbeproperlyplaced,pointingdownwardintheplantinghole.Kinkedrootsorrootsplantedina“J”shapewillstrangle
themselvesinafewyears.Airpocketsaroundtherootsshouldbeeliminatedbyfirmingthesoil. Everyplantingeffortshouldbefollowedbyregularregenerationsurveys.Todothis,alandownervisitsnewplantingsitesasoftenaspossibletocheckseedlingsurvival,planforanyreplacementtrees,andassesstheneedforreleasingtreesfromcompetingvegetation.Ataminimum,thesiteshouldbeinspectedatleastonceayearforthefirstthreeyears,andeveryotheryearuntilyear10.TheForestPracticeRulesrequirestockingreportsfollowingaharvestthatuseseven-agedsilvicultureuntiltheharvestedstandsachieverequiredstockinglevels.
Plantingsuccess Plantingrepresentsalargeinvestmentthatiscarriedoverthelifeofastand.Itisinyourbestinterestto:1.Planregenerationoperationscarefully.2.Prepareyourplantingsite.3.Takepropercareofyourplantingstock.4.Closelysupervisetheplantingcrew.5.Followthroughwithregenerationsurveys
thatindicatewherereplantingandbrushmaintenanceisnecessary.
Thesuccessofyourplantingeffortdependsoneachofthesesteps.Itcanonlybeassuccessfulastheweakestlinkofthesefivesteps.
—Adapted from the Forest Landowner’s Curriculum
Planting represents a
large investment. It is
your best interest to:
1. Plan regeneration operations carefully.
2. Prepare your planting site.
3. Take proper care of your planting stock.
4. Closely supervise the planting crew.
5. Follow through with regeneration surveys.
Your planting
operation can only
be as successful as
the weakest link of
these five steps.
Howmanytrees? Determinethenumberofseedlingstoplantbythesizeoftheplantingareaandthespacingyouwilluse. Spacingisafunctionoftheproductsyouexpecttoharvest(landowner’sobjectives).Timberisusuallygrownatspacingsfrom8x8feet(680treesperacre[tpa])to12x12feet(300tpa).Closerspacingisnecessaryifpoorsurvivalisexpected.Christmastreesareplantedcloser,commonly5x5feet(1240tpa)or6x6feet(1210tpa).Eucalyptusforfirewoodisplantedat6x6feet(1210tpa)to7x7feet(890tpa).
Planting technique
Forestland S teward
California Stewardship Helpline 1-800-738-TREE; ncsaf@mcn.org
California Dept of Forestry & Fire Protection ForestLandownerAssistancePrograms JeffreyCalvert 916-653-8286;jeff.calvert@fire.ca.gov
Forestry Assistance Specialists
JillButler(SantaRosa)707-576-2935
GaryWhitson(Fresno-King)485-7500x107
EdCranz(Placer)530-889-0111x128
MaryHuggins(S.LakeTahoe)530-541-1989
PatrickMcDaniel(Ama/ElDorad)530-647-5288
DaleMeese(Butte)530-283-1792
AlanPeters(Calav/Tuol)209-754-2709
RickCarr(Yuba/Nevada)530-265-2661
JimRobbins(Fortuna)707-726-1258
HerbBunt(RedBluff)530-528-5108
BrookDarley(TGU)530-538-5199
California Association of RCDs 916-447-7237 staff@carcd.org
Many agencies
are available to
provide technical
assistance, referrals,
information,
education, land
management plan
assistance, and
advice.
TechnicalAssistance
10 fall 2006
California Dept of Fish & Game MartyBerbach 916-327-8839;mberbach@dfg.ca.gov
Natural Resources Conservation Service JerryReioux 530-792-5655;jerry.reioux@ca.usda.gov
U.C. Cooperative Extension Advisors/Specialists MikeDeLasaux,Plumas-Sierracounties 530-683-6125;mjdelasaux@ucdavis.edu
GregGiusti,Mendocino-Lakecounties 707-463-4495;gagiusti@ucdavis.edu
RichardHarris 510-642-2360;rrharris@nature.berkeley.edu
GaryNakamura 530-224-4902;gmnakamura@ucdavis.edu
YanaValachovic,Humboldt-DelNortecounties 707-445-7351;yvala@ucdavis.edu
USDA Forest Service SandraStone 707-562-8918;sstone01@fs.fed.us
seasonal stewardship
Forestland S teward
Eachyearatthistimeitisvitallyimportantthatyouprepareforthecomingrains.Dothemaintenanceanderosionworknecessarytoprotectyourpropertyandwaterways.
Roads Beforetherainscome,inspectalltheroadsonyourpropertyandmakesuretheyarereadyforwinter.Winterizingincludesallthenecessaryactivitiesneededtoprotectwaterwaysfromexcesssediment.•Makesureroadsurfacesdraincorrectly,and
thatditchesandculvertsareopenandfreeflowing.
•Constructwaterbarswherenecessaryonunsurfacedroads.
•Cleantrashbarriers,culvertinletbasins,andpipeinletsofdebrisandsediment.
•Clearpluggedditchesandtrimheavyconcentrationsofvegetationthatimpedesditchflow.
•Excavateallpotentiallyunstablefillsandsidecastthatcouldbedeliveredtoawatercourse.
•Closeseasonalandtemporaryroads.•GettheHandbook for Forest and Ranch Roads by
WilliamWeaver,DannyHagans,andPacificWatershedAssociatesformoreinfo(see sidebar).
Winteriscoming…getreadyHazards•Developahazardplanbeforeamajorstorm
strikes•Identifyhazardoustrees,unstablesoilsorrock
faces,orflashystreamcrossings.•Whenthesoilissaturatedwithwater
landslidescanoccur,especiallydrainageheadwallzonesabovesteepgradientsandlargestreaminnergorgeareas.
•Consideralternatetransportationroutesincaseofroadfailuresorflooding.
The Handbook
for Forest and
Ranch Roads and
the Forest and
Ranch Roads DVD
or video are all
available for sale
from the Mendocino
County Resource
Conservation District
at http://mcrcd.
org/pubs.html or
707-468-9223.
These are invaluable
resources for all
forest landowners.
Forestland S teward
For more information
on these events call
the number provided
or the Forest
Stewardship Helpline,
1-800-738-TREE.
To submit an event,
contact Sherry
Cooper, 530-224-
4902; slcooper@
nature.
berkeley.edu. Find a
more comprehensive
calendar at the Forest
Stewardship website
http://ceres.ca.gov/
foreststeward.
fall 2006 11
Calendar
January9–11,2007California Board of Forestry MeetingLocation: SacramentoContact: 916653-8007Notes: Foranagenda,gotohttp://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/board/board_current_docs.aspx
January31–February2,2007California Forestry Assoc. Annual Meeting"The Role of Managed Forests in Meeting California's Clean Air and Renewable Energy Needs"Location: Monterey,CASponsor:CaliforniaForestryAssociationContact:EleanorAnderson,(916)444-6592,eleanora@cwo.comCost:TBANotes:RegistrationdeadlineTBA
February7–8,2007California Board of Forestry MeetingLocation: SacramentoContact: 916653-8007Notes: http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/board/board_current_docs.aspx
February8,2007Oak Woodland Planner’s WorkshopLocation:SanLuisObispo,CASponsor:UCIntegratedHardwoodRangeManagementContact:SherryCooper,530-224-4902;slcooper@nature.berkeley.eduCost:$20duebyFeb2.Notes:http://danr.ucop.edu/ihrmp/
February13–14,2007Forests, Carbon and Climate Change ConferenceSponsor: OregonForestResourcesInstituteLocation: Corvallis,ORContact:OFRI971-673-2944Notes: http://www.oregonforests.org
March5–9,2007Sudden Oak Death Science SymposiumHyattVineyardCreek,SantaRosa,CaliforniaCost:$250Notes:http://nature.berkeley.edu/comtf/sodsymposium/index.html
March7–8,2007California Board of Forestry MeetingLocation:SacramentoContact: 916653-8007Notes: http://www.bof.fire.ca.gov/board/board_current_docs.aspx
March26–29,20072007 California Interagency Prevention/Mitigation/Education ConferenceLocation:RanchoCordova,CAContact: JeffTunnellat(707)275-1443(jtunnell@fs.fed.us);MartyO’Tooleat(805)370-2364(marty_o’toole@nps.gov)Notes:http://www.fs.fed.us/r5/fire/management/prev_conf/.YoumustregisternolaterthanMarch1.Limitedtothefirst200registeredpersons.
March26–30,2007Fire Behavior and Fuels Conference: Fire Behavior Fundamentals and ApplicationsLocation:SanDiego,CASponsor: InternationalAssoc.ofWildlandFireContact:650-890-2348,jawf@iawfonline.orgCost:TBANotes: http://www.iawfonline.org/conferences.shtml
Forestland S teward
January8,10am–1pmSonoma-Lake-NapaCDFUnitOffice,1199BigTreeRoad,St.Helena
January9,10am–1pmSierraNationalForestSupervisor'sOffice,1600TollhouseRoad,Clovis,CA
January12,10am–1pmSanJuanOaksGolfClub,3825UnionRoad,Hollister,CA
January13,10am–1pmSilveradoCommunityCenter,27641SilveradoCanyonRoad,Silverado,CA
January15,10am–1pmVenturaCountyFireTrainingCenter,102DurleyAve.,Camarillo,CA
GrantWritingWorkshopsTheFireSafeCaliforniaGrantsClearinghouseoffersaone-stopshopthatsimplifiestheprocessoffindingandapplyingforgrantstoimproveCalifornia'scommunitywildfirepreparedness.Theyarecurrentlysponsoringworkshopsongrantwriting.Formoreinformationgotohttp://www.grants.firesafecouncil.org/.
Interestedinaforeststewardshipworkshopinyourarea?
ForestStewardshipworkshopswillbeofferedthroughoutthestatebyUCExtensionForestrythisyear.Timesandlocationsarenotyetavailable.PleasecontactSherryCooperifyouareinterestedinattendingoneoftheseexcellentworkshops,530-224-4902.
How can Forestland Steward newsletter serve you?I’d like to see more information on _____________________________
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q To save on printing costs and paper, we encourage you to get the internet version of Forestland Steward. Check here for an email copy of each issue instead of a hard copy.
Send to CDF, Forestry Assistance, P.O. Box 944246, Sacramento, CA 94244-2460. Phone: (916) 653-8286; Fax: (916) 653-8957; email: jeff.calvert@fire.ca.gov
12 fall 2006
Restorationisanimportantgoalformanylandowners.Butrestorationisaveryopen-endedconceptthatmeansdifferentthingstodifferentpeople.Bespecificindefiningyourforestrestorationgoals.Yourgoalmaybe:•ahealthierforest•aforestwithaspecifictypeofwildlifehabitat•apre-Europeanforestcondition•anativeforestwithoutexoticspecies Thebetteryoucandefineyourvisionofrestoration,thebetteryouwillbeabletomeetyourgoals.Herearesometypesofrestoration
projects:
Forestry restoration.Ifyouhavelandsthathavebeenheavilycut,yourfocusmightbeestablishingahealthy,matureforest.Youmightdothisthroughaseriesofselectioncutsorthinningsthatallowtheforesttoincreaseinvolume.
Riparian restoration. Thiscouldincludeanumberofoverlappingprojects.Somemight
focusonkeepingstreamtemperaturedownbyplantingtreestoprovideshadecanopy.Thosetreescanalsohelpimprovebankstability.Insomecases,youmightputlargewoodydebrisorlargerocksinstrategiclocationstoprotectbanksfromerosionortohelpcreatepoolsforfish.Bioengineeringprojectsuselivingmaterial,suchaswillows,tostabilizestreambanksandfiltersediment.
Erosion control.Projectstoreduceerosionoftenfocusongettingwaterintoitsoriginaldrainage.Waterisoftendivertedbyroadsorskidtrails.Erosioncanalsooccuronareasdenudedofvegetation.
Oak-woodlands restoration.Thiswouldincludeprojectssuchaspreventingconiferencroachmentandplantingoaks.
Control of exotics.Thistypeofactivityaimstoreduceoreliminateaspeciesthatisnotnativesuchasstarthistle,broom,etc.Youmightaimtoeliminatetheexoticsonyourentirepropertyoraportionofit.
Habitat manipulation for a particular species,type,orgroupofspecies.Youmightwishtoencouragecertainspecies(suchasdeerandelk)oraspecifictypeofspecies(waterfowl)toutilizeyourland.Oryoumightwishtodiscouragecertainspeciesforecologi-calorpersonalreasons.Thiscanbedonebymanipulatingthekindsoftreesandshrubsintheforest,theavailabilityofsnags,downedwoodydebris,year-roundwater,orothercriticalhabitatelements.
Recovery after wildfire.Thiscouldincludearangeofprojectslikeplantingtrees,spreadinggrassseed,erosioncontrol,etc.
Ifrestorationisyourgoal
(below) Revegetating with seedlings. (below right) Bioengineering project using living willows to stabilize the streambank.
Recommended