An Ecosystem Management Strategy for Sierran Mixed-Conifer Forests

More documents

Recommendations

Info

3. How should social and economic issues be addressed in applying the concepts presented in the GTR? The GTR does not address social or economic issues. We recognize that providing socioeconomic benefits, including the provision of a sustainable supply of timber, is part of the mandate of the USDA Forest Service. We also recognize that the economic viability of a project can affect whether the project will be implemented. We have not attempted to address these issues that are best resolved in the public arena. National forest staff, including interdisciplinary teams, which typically prepare National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) documents for projects, are better qualified to address these issues. 4. How should the concepts presented in the GTR be applied to the management of plantations? Some of the general principles outlined in the GTR can be applied to stand-level plantations, especially the ideas of increasing spatial heterogeneity. The high uniformity of plantations (both spatially and temporally) makes them vulnerable to catastrophic change from fire, insects, and disease (single-species plantations are the most vulnerable). Both precommercially thinned and unthinned plantations can experience high mortality in most wildfire conditions (Stephens and Moghaddas 2005b, Kobziar et al. 2009). Modifying plantation tree density will not reduce the probability of mortality unless surface fuel loads are reduced and height to the base of the live crown is increased. Once a plantation reaches the stem-exclusion phase (Oliver and Larson 1996), silvicultural activities that produce gaps, increase the height to live crown (i.e. pruning, mastication, prescribed fire), and reduce surface fuels will increase plantation resiliency and resistance to fire. 5. Are there situations where thinning intermediate-size pine trees would have ecological benefits for Sierra Nevada mixed-conifer forests? Yes. We overstated the need to avoid thinning pine trees, particularly larger pines (p. 24 “Thinned intermediate-size trees should only be fire-sensitive, shadetolerant species…”; p. 31 “silvicultural prescriptions would only remove intermediate-size trees when they are shade-tolerants on mid or upper slope sites.”). In general, leaving pine and thinning white fir, Douglas-fir, and incense-cedar will help restore historical species composition and increase the forest’s fire resilience. There are forests, however, where removing pine can reduce fuels, decrease the risk of drought or insect induced mortality, and accelerate the growth of the residual pine trees. We encourage thinning prescriptions that can be adaptable to existing stand structures and site conditions. iv
6. What characterizes a “defect” tree that can provide wildlife habitat? Although the importance of “defect” trees for wildlife habitat is widely acknowledged amongst managers, these trees are still marked for removal in many of the stands we’ve seen. Some silviculture technician classes may still be teaching thinning marks based on stand improvement with an emphasis on removing “defective trees.” Unfortunately, we are not aware of any quantitative or visual guide to identify tree sizes and defects associated with wildlife use (i.e., platforms, mistletoe brooms, forked tops and cavities) for the Sierra Nevada. Research is needed to determine the size and number of “defect” trees that may be required to maintain or improve wildlife habitat. We plan to develop such a guide shortly. In the interim, managers may wish to examine the Bull et al. (1997) guide to identifying important wildlife trees in the interior of the Columbia River basin. 7. How is ecological restoration defined in the GTR? In the face of changing climate conditions, our focus is on increasing ecosystem resiliency. This focus is consistent with that described in USDA Forest Service Manual 2020.5, which defines ecological restoration as: “The process of assisting the recovery of resilience and adaptive capacity of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged, or destroyed. Restoration focuses on establishing the composition, structure, pattern, and ecological processes necessary to make terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems sustainable, resilient, and healthy under current and future conditions.” 8. In the face of changing climate conditions, how can managers improve forest resiliency? One measure of resilience is that disturbance produces mortality patterns consistent with the dynamics under which the forest evolved. Mixed-conifer resilience might be best ensured by (1) reducing fuels such that if the forest burned, the fire would most likely be a lowseverity surface fire (Hurteau et al. 2009, Stephens et al. 2009b) and (2) producing a forest structure that keeps insect and pathogen mortality at low, chronic levels. In some fire-suppressed forests, mortality from bark beetles has shifted to large-scale, episodic occurrences (Fettig et al. 2008). One method of changing this pattern is to reduce tree moisture stress and subsequent bark beetle activity by reducing stand density with mechanical thinning and prescribed fire (Negron et al. 2009). Evidence suggests tree dieoffs may be increasing in some forests (Breshears et al. 2009, Lutz et al. 2009, van Mantgem et al. 2009). The mechanisms behind such die-offs are complex, v
Page 1 and 2: United States Department of Agricul
Page 3 and 4: Abstract North, Malcolm; Stine, Pet
Page 5: Several specific issues have been r
Page 9 and 10: 9. When is cutting 20- to 30-inch d
Page 11 and 12: Gower, S.T.; Isebrands, J.G.; Sheri
Page 13 and 14: Youngblood, A.; Grace, J.B.; McIver
Page 15 and 16: An Ecosystem Management Strategy fo
Page 57 and 58:
An Ecosystem Management Strategy fo
Page 59 and 60:
Page 61 and 62:
Page 63:
show all

An Ecosystem Management Strategy for Sierran Mixed-Conifer Forests

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?