UNBURNED CUT-OVER LANDS IN THE ADIRONDACKS 387 



eral characteristics. The types recognized are : (i) swamp, (2) spruce, 

 flat or lower slope, (3) hardwood, and (4) upper slope. It becomes 

 necessary for any further silvical studies to draw the lines of boundary 

 quite sharply and any studies undertaken by the New York section 

 of the Society of American Foresters should make the delineation 

 of type boundaries its first task. 



The edge of the swamp type is marked by the disappearance of the 

 spongy forest floor and establishment of deeper drainage. Birch 

 and soft maple found in the next higher type also mark the edge. The 

 upper boundary of the spruce flat type was drawn where balsam 

 begins to disappear from the stand and where beech enters. The upper 

 boundary of the hardwood type was accepted as defined by the study of 

 Township 40^ with the qualification that small areas of typical upper 

 slope forests are found on ledges appearing within the hardwood type. 

 Where these areas are sufficiently large, they should be eliminated. 



THE MANAGEMENT OF THE SWAMP AND SPRUCE FLAT TYPES. 



Only a brief statement will be made with regard to this. The result 

 of studies, some data on which are presented in "Production of Pulp 

 on Balsam Lands, "^ makes it obvious that we may expect a future crop 

 of softwoods upon the two lower types within a comparatively short 

 rotation following present cutting, because of the excellent reproduc- 

 tion that occurs on swamps, and the comparatively good softwood 

 reproduction that occurs on flats. It will probably be necessary to 

 remove from the balsam flat type the larger hardwoods, and cutting 

 will probably reduce the area of the balsam flat type by favoring the 

 encroachment of hardwoods, especially yellow birch, from the hard- 

 wood lands toward the swamp. 



HARDWOOD TYPE 



Lumbermen and foresters are willing to admit that the chief problem 

 of management of the x\dirondack forest is centered in the hardwood 

 type and the data herein presented have to do largely with this type. 

 It has been observed by lumbermen that the hardwoods are inclined 

 to dominate the forest after the cutting of softwoods to a diameter 

 limit. It is a mistake for foresters to assume that the study made on 

 Nehasane Park has not influenced logging in the Adirondacks. because 



' Hosmer, R. S., and Bruce, E. S. : A Forest Working Plan for Township 40. 

 U. S. Forest Service. Bui.. 30, 1901. 

 * Paper, Vol. XXIII, No. 7, October 23, 1918, pp. 14-18. 



