Pacific Southwest

Title: Damage from wind and other causes in mixed white fir-red fir stands adjacent to clearcuttings

Author: Gordon, Donald T.

Date: 1973

Source: PSW-RP-90. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 22 p

Station ID: RP-PSW-090

Description: Damage to timber surrounding clearcuttings and in one light selection cutting in mixed white fir-red fir stands was monitored for 6 years in northeastern California. In some years, bark beetles apparently killed more trees than did wind damage, but in two of the study years, severe wind storms caused much damage. One storm produced mainly breakage, apparently influenced by snow load. The other, a hurricane, produced mainly wind-throw. Relation of damage to tree size, crown class. and relative location reveals some trends. Study of height of breaks suggests that a mechanical stress point is influenced by tree size and crown class and other factors. Snow was the third most prevalent cause of damage, but applied only to smaller trees. Sonic indications for management of fir stands can he found in study results.

Keywords: Abies magnifica, Abies concolor, wind damage, wind stability, clear-cutting, snow damage, insect damage

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Citation

Gordon, Donald T.   1973.  Damage from wind and other causes in mixed white fir-red fir stands adjacent to clearcuttings.   PSW-RP-90. Berkeley, CA: Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station, Forest Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture; 22 p.