RECONNAISSANCE: ITS RELATION TO FOREST PLANS 



SUB-ALPIXK TYPE OF JEFFREY PINE AND RED FIR. MT. LASSEX, io,40U FEET ELEVATION, 



IN THE DISTANCE. 



siderably. The density and age of the 

 stand, the distribution of the age 

 classes, the species, and the topography 

 of the country all materially affect the 

 inflammability of a forest type. The 

 reconnaissance map shows also the old 

 burns that exist. By plotting these 

 burns for the entire forest an idea of 

 the relative fire hazard, based on past 

 experience, is secured and the protective 

 tmits can be established with this in 

 mind. 



A complete map of this kind is of in- 

 estimable value to the lookout. When 

 he discovers a fire this map enables him 

 to determine its exact location in regard 

 to topography, timber, type, ownership, 

 whether it is in a bad place or not, and 

 how to get men to it most expeditiously. 



A matter of importance, also, is the 

 question of how much timber we are 

 protecting and what is the value of it? 

 Also, how much more money can be 

 put into fire protection? If the 'rough" 

 reconnaissance methods employed in the 

 past show that a forest possesses five 

 billion feet of timber and an intensive 

 reconnaissance of a good portion of the 

 forest shows approximately two and 

 one-half times as much timber, it is 

 very evident that the funds allotted to it 



to protect five billion feet were actually 

 spread out to cover two and one-half 

 times that amount. 



Protection against insects and fung- 

 ous diseases is an essential part of effi- 

 cient forest protection. The greatest 

 loss sustained by insects is in the sus- 

 tained annual loss of scattered mer- 

 chantable trees rather than by sudden 

 serious outbreaks. Although only a 

 few trees are killed here and there, the 

 killed timber which accumulates year 

 by year soon mounts to a surprising 

 total. Proper control work can be in- 

 stituted much more effectively if the 

 centers of infestation have been located 

 by a reconnaissance, either especially 

 for insect control, or in connection with 

 ordinary timber reconnaissance. How- 

 ever, no better opportunity is afforded 

 for the discovery and location of in- 

 fested areas than by recomiaissance. 

 It has been the practice to tally insect- 

 killed trees separately from those killed 

 by other causes. In ordinary yellow- 

 pine stands this amounts to from 5 to 

 ^0 per cent of the merchantable stand. 

 In connection with the regular timber 

 reconnaissance work, the lodgepole in- 

 festation on the Lassen was estimated 

 and mapped without any additional cost. 



