ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES in rocky mountain coniferous ...

More important for maple is the trend between year two and four. As shown in
figure 8, maple volume was on an upward swing on all three intensively treated areas
(burned or intensively u ti 1 i zed), but it was gradual ly decl i n i ng on the understory-
protected treatment. This is likely due to vigorous resprouting from root crowns in
the intensive treatments. Many shrubs in the understory-protected treatment remained
re1 ati vely intact and root sprouting was 1 ess pronounced.
Ninebark, a medium-size shrub, behaved much differently than maple (fig. 9). It
accounted for only about 5 percent of the preharvest shrub volume. However, it rapidly
increased its relative position regardless of treatment, accounting for as much as 13
percent 2 years after harvesting on the conventionally-utilized-and-burned treatment.
However, its moment of glory appears short-lived because its relative importance
declined between year two and four after harvesting, with the most pronounced decl ine
in the all-residues-removed treatment.
15
10
5
0
- PHYSOCARPUS
- Conventional Utilization and Burned
-
1 I I
0 2 4
YEAR
1 ntermediate Utilization and Burned
Understory Protected
*4 All Residues Removed
Figure 9.--ReZative voZwne response of ninebark to four residues management treatments
2 and 4 years after harvesting.