Long-term effects of mechanical fuel treatments, Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado: First-year results

Peter Marchand; Samuel Johnson; Howard Drossman

Treesearch

Long-term effects of mechanical fuel treatments, Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado: First-year results

Formally Refereed

Authors:

Peter Marchand, Samuel Johnson, Howard Drossman

Year:

2006

Type:

Miscellaneous

Station:

Rocky Mountain Research Station

Source:

Research Joint Venture Agreement 04-JV-11221616-298. Woodland Park, CO: Catamount Center for Geography of the Southern Rockies. 29 p.

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Abstract

The purpose of this study is to assess the long-term ecological effects of mechanical fuel treatments in a mixed Ponderosa pine-Douglas fir forest following two different thinning strategies: (a) chip-harvesting with all biomass retained on-site, and (b) whole-tree harvesting with all thinned material removed from the site. Changes in forest community structure under each of the above treatments are being tracked and compared with unthinned control plots over a 10-year period by monitoring the following parameters: (1) soil chemical properties, including ammonia and nitrate-N pools, net mineralization, nitrification, and total C:N ratios, (2) understory plant composition, (3) small mammal population dynamics, and (4) insect emergence patterns.

Keywords

mechanical fuel treatment, thinning strategies, chip-harvesting, whole-tree harvesting, soil chemical properties, understory

Citation

Marchand, Peter; Johnson, Samuel; Drossman, Howard. 2006. Long-term effects of mechanical fuel treatments, Manitou Experimental Forest, Colorado: First-year results. Research Joint Venture Agreement 04-JV-11221616-298. Woodland Park, CO: Catamount Center for Geography of the Southern Rockies. 29 p.