Pacific Southwest

Title: Manual release in an "old" Douglas-fir plantation increases diameter growth

Author: McDonald, Philip M.; Fiddler, Gary O.; Tucker, Richard A.; Colaninno, Andrew

Date: 1989

Source: Res. Note PSW-RN-405. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 3 p

Station ID: RN-PSW-405

Description: Twelve-year-old Douglas-fir saplings on the Mad River Ranger District, Six Rivers National Forest, California were released by cutting competing vegetation in a 9-foot radius to test the timing and efficacy of this method in plantations older than those in which such work traditionally is done—the first 5 years. Nine years after release, the average stem diameter (3.60 inches or 9.14 cm) of released Douglas-fir saplings, taken at 12 inches (30 cm) above mean groundline, differed significantly from that of control saplings (2.98 inches or 7.57 cm) (p<0.05), although the average height did nor differ (p>0.05). In spite of this finding, the stem diameter of released saplings was 40 percent less than that needed to comply with regional Forest Service growth objectives. Cost of release averaged $428 per acre or $1058/ha in 1978 dollars.

Keywords: manual release, cost, growth, Douglas-fir, northern California

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Citation

McDonald, Philip M.; Fiddler, Gary O.; Tucker, Richard A.; Colaninno, Andrew  1989.  Manual release in an "old" Douglas-fir plantation increases diameter growth.   Res. Note PSW-RN-405. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 3 p.