Development of a Shrub-Fern-Ponderosa Pine Community Eleven Years After Site Preparation and Release

Author： McDonald Philip M. Abbott Celeste S. Fiddler Gary O.

Publisher： Society of American Foresters

ISSN： 0885-6095

Source： Western Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol.14, Iss.4, 1999-10, pp. : 194-199

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Abstract

Vegetation management can direct trends in early plant development and species succession and through various treatments achieve specific combinations of species desired by the ecosystem manager. Density and development of several plant species were studied in an area in northern California that was planted with 1-yr-oldponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa var. ponderosa) seedlings in 1986 and treated with three herbicides (Velpar L, Garlon 4, Escort) in fall 1986 and spring 1987. Abundant species in the new plantation were bush chinquapin (Chrysolepis sempervirens) that regenerated from root crowns, greenleaf manzanita (Arctostaphylos patula )from seed, and bracken fern (Pteridium aquilinum var. pubescens )from rhizomes. After 11 growing seasons, chinquapin sprouts in the control averaged more than 15,900/ac, manzanita seedlings over 16,400/ac, and bracken fronds 11,400/ac. Mean ponderosa pine diameter (5.1 in.), height (12.9 ft), and crown diameter (7.6 ft) were significantly greater in the Velpar treatment than in the control. Additional information is presented on plant diversity, the onset of statistically significant differences among treatments for pine, and the makeup of the plant community in the near future. West. J. Appl. For. 14(4):194-199.