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ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES in rocky mountain coniferous ...

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WOODY MATERIAL IN NORTHERN ROCKY MOUNTAIN FORESTS:<br />

VOLUME, CHARACTERISTICS, AND CHANGES WITH HARVESTING<br />

Robert E . Benson , Research Forester<br />

Joyce A. Schl ieter, Mathematical Statistician<br />

USDA Forest Service, Intermounta<strong>in</strong> Forest and<br />

Range Experiment Station<br />

ABSTRACT<br />

In mature <strong>coniferous</strong> stands <strong>in</strong> the Northern Rockies, total volume<br />

of wood 3 <strong>in</strong>ches <strong>in</strong> diameter (7.6 cm) and larger, ranges from<br />

3,000 to 8,000 ft3/a (210 to 560 m3/ha). Typically about half of<br />

this volume is removed <strong>in</strong> logg<strong>in</strong>g, and the rema<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g residues<br />

<strong>in</strong>clude up to 50 percent or more sound wood, plus material <strong>in</strong><br />

various stages of decay. In Wyom<strong>in</strong>g, Montana, and Idaho over<br />

450 million ft3(13 mill ion m3) of residue may be left on site<br />

annually, but residue is be<strong>in</strong>g utilized to meet demands for wood.<br />

KEYWORDS: wood volume, wood biomass, logg<strong>in</strong>g residues<br />

INTRODUCTION<br />

Dur<strong>in</strong>g the past 5 years the Residue Research Program measured and described<br />

woody material at over 3,000 sample po<strong>in</strong>ts <strong>in</strong> mature forests and logged areas. This<br />

paper describes this effort, the woody material, and the changes <strong>in</strong> woody material<br />

that occur with harvest<strong>in</strong>g.<br />

Initially, the objective of the study was to exam<strong>in</strong>e woody material at specific<br />

sites before and after logg<strong>in</strong>g, as a basis for evaluat<strong>in</strong>g the potential for utiliz<strong>in</strong>g<br />

logg<strong>in</strong>g residues and the subsequent costs per unit of volume. It soon became ap-<br />

parent that with<strong>in</strong> the different discipl<strong>in</strong>es <strong>in</strong>volved <strong>in</strong> our research effort,<br />

researchers described the forest <strong>in</strong> various terms. The measurement job evolved <strong>in</strong>to<br />

a description of woody material before and after harvest activities. This paper<br />

summarizes these studies, and more detailed data are presented <strong>in</strong> forthcom<strong>in</strong>g<br />

publication^.^,<br />

I~enson, Robert E. and Joyce A. Schlieter. Forest residues <strong>in</strong> pr<strong>in</strong>cipal forest<br />

types of the Northern Rocky Mounta<strong>in</strong> area. USDA For. Serv. Intermt. For. and Range<br />

Exp. Stn., Research Paper (<strong>in</strong> process).<br />

2Benson, Robert E. and Joyce A. Schlieter. Volume and weight characteristics of<br />

a typical Douglas-fir/western larch stand, Coram Experimental Forest, Montana.<br />

USDA Intermt. Gen. Tech. Paper (<strong>in</strong> process).

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