ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES in rocky mountain coniferous ...

Complete removal of residues, as done in this study, definitely retards
es tabl ishment and early development of tree seed1 i ngs . However, reasons
for this detrimental effect are not totally clear at this point, and it is
doubtful that this particular study can shed much more light on the
reasons.
Five years is a small segment of a tree's life on these cold subalpine
si tes , but lodqepol e pine es tabl i shment and growth trends apparent 5
years after treatment discourage use of the chips-spread and complete
residues-removal treatments.
Lodgepole pine is a true pioneer species, capable of capitalizing on
highly disturbed conditions such as those following scarification or
burning. These "raw" condi tions may be the very thing that helps
lodgepole pine maintain its competitive advantage over many of its
associates .
A1 1 of the natural and artificial regeneration treatments that were tested
here are acceptabl e and productive methods of regenerati ng lodgepol e
pine forests. With natural regeneration, the key lies in timing site
preparation wi th anticipated seed crops. \Ji th artificial regeneration,
the key lies in proper site preparation for both seeding and planting
and proper handling of stock from the nursery through the planting
process.
Even if residue treatment effects on lodgepole pine tree and stand
development do not persist beyond the juveni 1 e stage, a number of
important management objectives are affected. Included are: getting
trees large enough to resist rodent and livestock damage, providing a
stand tall enough to provide hiding cover for game, restoring a forested
appearance, and the obvious goals of increasing wood production and
shor teni ng rota ti ons .
LITERATURE CITED
A1 exander, Robert R.
1966. Es tabl ishment of 1 odgepol e pine reproduction after different slash disposal
treatments. USDA For. Serv. Res. Note RM-62, 4 p. Intermt. For. and Range Exp.
Stn., Ft. Collins, Colo.
Babalola, O., L. Boersma, and C. T. Youngberg.
1968. Photosynthesis and transpiration of Flonterey pine seed1 i ngs as a function
of soil water suction and soil temperature. Plant Physiol. 43:515-522.
Baker, Frederick S.
1944. Mountain climates of the western Uni ted States. Ecol . Monogr. 14:223-254.
Bate-Smith, E. C.
1962, Simple polyphenol ic constituents of plants. In Wood extractives and their
siqnificance to the pulp and paper industry. W. E.Hillis, ed. p. 133-158.
cad. Press, New York.
Benson, Robert E.
1974. Lodgepole pine logging residues: management a1 ternatives . USDA For. Serv.
Res. Pap. INT-160, 28 p. Intermt. For. and Range Exp. Stn., Ogden, Utah.