Pacific Southwest

Title: Windthrown trees on the Kings River Ranger District, Sierra National Forest: meteorological aspects

Author: Fosberg, Michael A.

Date: 1986

Source: Res. Note PSW-RN-381. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 4 p

Station ID: RN-PSW-381

Description: Blowdown in shelterwood, sanitation cuts, and other partial cuts on the Kings River Ranger District, Sierra National Forest, are due to Mono winds. Both winter storm and Mono winds were considered as causes of winter blowdown. All evidence, e.g., direction of tree-fall and occurrence of high wind events, point to Mono wind events as the cause of blowdown. Only 12 percent of Mono wind events cause blowdown. Windspeed during a Mono wind (northeast winds) blowdown averages 50 mi/h with gusts to 100 mi/h. The probability of a blowdown occurring is about once per year, with some years having multiple blowdowns and other years having none.

Keywords: windthrow, silviculture, Mono winds, Kings River Ranger District, Sierra National Forest, California

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Citation

Fosberg, Michael A.  1986.  Windthrown trees on the Kings River Ranger District, Sierra National Forest: meteorological aspects.   Res. Note PSW-RN-381. Berkeley, CA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 4 p.