Treesearch

To quantify the benefits and costs of modifying forest management for additional climate benefits, Cal Poly's Swanton Pacific demonstration forest was used to test the Climate Action Reserve's protocol and identify management strategies for both wood and carbon markets. Residing in the Southern Sub-district with its clearcutting restrictions, Swanton offers an ideal test site for landowners transitioning from even-aged to uneven-aged management. However, the increased minimum baseline condition for the region effectively precludes joint production of wood and additional carbon. The much...

For more than 30 years, Redwood National Park has been working to establish a Forest Restoration Program to rehabilitate its impaired, second-growth forests. This case study outlines the Park’s history of using silviculture as a restoration tool, which began in 1978 after the Park's expansion. The most recent effort was the 1,700 acre South Fork of Lost Man Creek Forest Restoration Project where two silvicultural prescriptions were used. Low thinning on ridge-top sites reduced basal area by 40-percent, and wood generated was sold as forest products. Crown thinning on steep mid-slope sites...

Multi-decadal studies of commercial and precommercial thinning in redwood stands are rare and consequently of value. The Whiskey Springs study at Jackson Demonstration State Forest has a data set spanning 35 years. In addition to growth and yield response to commercial thinning, the results provide important information for evaluating regeneration and alternative silviculture treatments. In 1970, the original treatment thinned a 40 year-old redwood forest from below to densities representing 25, 50, and 75 percent of the initial basal area (approximately 400 ft2/ac). Three 0.2-ac plot...

Redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) a valued species for use in appearance grade applications, such as decking, exterior siding and interior paneling, because of its dimensional stability. It is also valued for certain exterior-use applications because of its natural decay resistance. Studies have found that young-growth redwood is less resistant to decay fungi, and also exhibits greater shrinkage and swelling than old-growth redwood. Differences in natural decay resistance and dimensional stability between old-growth and young-growth could be accounted for by changes in the extractives found...

A standardized, interactive, interview process was used with practicing Registered Professional Foresters asking a suite of questions to ascertain their management approaches to coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens [D. Don] Endl.) stands that could best be transferred to other projects and lands interested in recruiting older forest characteristics. The assimilated results provided management insights that provide comparisons of similarities and vagrancies between properties, management styles and approaches. The survey included the properties and practitioners along the north-south...

Carbon sequestration is an emerging forest management objective within California and around the world. With the passage of the California's Global Warming Solutions Act (AB32) our need to understand the dynamics of carbon sequestration and to accurately measure carbon storage is essential to insure successful implementation of carbon credit projects throughout the State. As the leader in forest carbon credit projects within the U.S., California's forest carbon protocols are being looked to as templates for successful carbon credit accounting. Coast redwood (Sequoia sempervirens) stands...

Variable-density thinning (VDT) is an emerging thinning method that attempts to enhance stand structural heterogeneity by deliberately thinning at different intensities throughout a stand. VDT may create stands with dense areas, open areas, and other areas that may be intermediate in density. Subsequent stand development forms a more varied structure than is common in many even-aged forest stands. VDT is becoming a treatment of choice in many restoration efforts where even-aged stands are being directed on trajectories towards old forest stand structure conditions because: 1) VDT enhances...

The Scotia Plantation was established in 1982 on the large alluvial flat south of Scotia and adjacent to the Eel River. Seedlings, from local "woods run" seed sources, were planted on a 3.1 x 3.1 m (10 x 10 ft) grid. Site quality was very high, with site index averaging greater than 45 m (50 yr base). In 1997, the area was divided into blocks and a series of thinning treatments were randomly assigned to these blocks. Thinning treatments included alternate row, diagonal row, every-third row, a double-alternate row, and a low density treatment. Plots were established and measured in the...

A large-scale pruning study was established in the winter of 1999 to 2000 at seven different sites on Green Diamond Resource Company forestlands in Humboldt County. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of pruning on increment, epicormic sprouting, stem taper, heartwood formation, and bear damage on these young trees. Pruning treatments varied pruning severity and were usually applied in conjunction with thinning treatments. Trees were assessed six years after pruning. Basal area increment decreased with increasing pruning severity but results were inconsistent from one...

Swanton Pacific Ranch in northern Santa Cruz County has been owned and managed by California Polytechnic State University (Cal Poly) Foundation since 1987. The California Forest Practice Rules specific to Santa Cruz County limit harvest rate and opening size. Cal Poly forest managers are implementing uneven-aged forest management on 1,182 acres of 80 to 110 year old, second-growth coast redwood forests using a modified BDq approach. The Lockheed Fire spread into most of the managed forest area during the summer of 2009 causing significant mortality in lower diameter classes. Little...