4. Projections of future timber supply show that, if present removal 

 trends continue, hardwood removals will exceed growth within a few 

 years, and softwood removals will exceed growth before the turn of 

 the century. 



These observations illustrate an increased effort must be made to encourage 

 landowners to practice good forest management. These efforts must be directed 

 to hardwoods, particularly if growth is to keep pace with demand. 



SPRUCE-FIR TYPE 



Habitat Conditions 



Red spruce, white spruce, and balsam fir are the predominant species in the 

 spruce-fir type. Black spruce is also a minor component. Depending on site 

 conditions, stands (aggregations of trees occupying a specific area and 

 sufficiently uniform in composition, age arrangement, and condition as to be 

 distinguishable from the forest on adjoining areas) may contain only spruce 

 and fir or spruce-fir in various combinations with other conifers and 

 hardwoods. Other conifers include northern white cedar, eastern hemlock, 

 eastern white pine, and tamarack; and the hardwoods include red maple, paper 

 birch, the aspens, white ash, American beech, sugar maple, and yellow birch 

 (Hart 1964). Red spruce, white spruce, and balsam fir will grow on a variety 

 of soils, including those that are poorly drained (McLintock 1954). The soils 

 where spruce-fir grow are mostly acid podzol with a thick mor humus and well- 

 defined A2 horizon, characteristics commonly associated with abundant 

 rainfall, cool climate, and coniferous cover. Black spruce is generally 

 confined to bogs and muck soils. 



The shade tolerance of spruce and fir and the multiple-aged condition of the 

 stands in which they normally occur make the identification of "good" and 

 "poor" growing areas difficult. Westveld (1941) devised a system whereby the 

 ireas can be classified either as primary softwood sites or secondary softwood 

 sites. These classes are meaningful in terms of potential stand composition, 

 growth, and reproduction. 



Primary softwood sites usually occur in areas with poor or impeded drainages 

 in the so-called spruce-fir swamps, flats, and other lower topographic 

 positions. Spruce-fir also is common on the thin soils of upper slopes. 

 Characteristic shallow rooting on these soils makes open stands susceptible to 

 windthrow. These sites are composed mostly of softwood species. Hardwoods 

 comprise less than 25% of the stands and are mostly paper birch, yellow birch, 

 aspen, red maple, and an occasional beech or sugar maple. 



Secondary softwood sites occur on the better-drained areas of higher 

 topographic elevation and on medium-elevation ridge lands. Hardwoods may 

 comprise from 25% to as much as 70% of the stands on these sites, often 

 competing sharply with spruce-fir. The tolerant red spruce and balsam fir may 

 become established in the understory, responding to release if the overstory 

 is removed. On such sites, the hardwoods usually are beech, sugar maple, and 

 yellow birch. Herbaceous vegetation is less common than shrubs such as witch 

 hobble, striped maple, and mountain maple. 



19-4 



a 



