Treesearch

It is well known that freezing and thawing of the surface soil and humus greatly affect their capacity to absorb water. Post and Dreibelbis (1) in Ohio reported that percolation was materially reduced or ceased entirely when the frost depth was three inches or greater. They also stated that "freezing of the surface soil undoubtedly has considerable influence on the base flow of streams." Lassen and Munns (2) concluded that the structure, penetration, persistence, and areal extent of frost are directly influenced by the vegetative cover, especially forest, and by snow, Observations in this...

In the past decade or two sustained yield management has been emphasized as never before in the Douglas-fir region. It would be difficult to cite all the economic and technological factors that have encouraged landowners to grow timber as a crop. But one of the most potent sources of encouragement is the fund of technical information on timber growth, silviculture, and fire control that has been assembled since foresters came into the western woods, The Douglas-fir yield table, the regeneration manual, systematic fire-danger measurement--these are but a fear of the improved tools available...

How long will the average ponderosa pine snag remain standing and thus contribute to greater rate of spread and resistance to control of forest fires? Are there any readily discernible characteristics that will enable us to predict which will fall soon and which will stand for a long time?

Seeding to perennial grasses is an effective method for stabilizing soil, preventing invasion by undesirable plants, and increasing forage production on ground denuded during logging. A survey in 1948 of 52 areas seeded between 1940 and 1946 found 80 percent of the seedings to be medium or better in success, and 45 percent good or very good in success. A careful check showed no evidence that these seedings decreased subsequent regeneration to ponderosa pine.

Pacific Northwest" and "great forests" are closely associated terms in the minds of most people. A great share of the regional income is derived from forest products, many towns in Oregon and Washington being established squarely on a base of forest harvests. A prosperous Northwest depends heavily on continued growth of trees on its large forest areas.

The evergreen forests of Washington and Oregon are the source of an interesting variety of so-called "minor products," Many of these forest sidelines are not well known. They are generally underestimated and quite often misunderstood. This is partly because the value and significance of these smaller, incidental products of the forest have long been overshadowed by the emphasis on timber production. The independent, unorganized harvesting methods have also contributed to the obscurity of these minor forest products. But even so, in 1948 they brought to the hundreds of local harvesters and...

There are some 2 million acres of lodgepole pine in eastern Oregon and Washington. Much of it was formerly classified as noncommercial; the trees were small, many were limby, and there was very little market for the low-value products. But the type has lately gained in commercial importance, and results of such little forest research as has been devoted to lodgepole pine stands in this region suggest that their value and growing capacity have not been fully appreciated. Increased demands for poles and sawlogs and the current prospects of a pulpwood market are now encouraging timber owners...

Pelletized seed for use in range reseeding has been given wide publicity and its merits have received much acclaim. Bring the past three years it has been used on several thousand acres of range land. Reports of results have been conflicting, with some claims of striking success and others of complete failure. Tisdale (1) has found poor germination results with pelletized seed similar to that used in this study. It is not known whether, under a given set of conditions, pelletized seed will produce a grass stand sufficiently superior to other methods to justify the added expense.

A news note has just announced a good seed crop this year for Douglas-fir and its associates. Foresters are asking; Can the crop be eaved for natural regeneration or must much of it be destroyed by slash burning?

There is much speculation about the competitive severity of the 1949 fire season. Forest fire protection agencies and sponsors of fire prevention campaigns wonder if the large or small acreage burned during the season is a valid measure of the success or failure of their efforts, or whether the burning conditions as influenced by weather were wholly responsible for any apparent change in the fire record from previous years. Fortunately, fuel moisture content measurements are a useful indicator of burning conditions.