ICMI'IRICAI. I'ORESTRV I X TIIK ADIKONDACKS 121 



to the severity of the cutting, and, as would he naturahy expected, is 

 even more marked and accentuated on hurned over spruce flat areas. 

 Raspherry bushes, the first ground cover on the site, leaf out so late 

 as to offer no shade necessary for the germination of the seedling. 

 Other reproduction is only established as a result of the growth of a 

 conversion forest of fire cherry and asi)en. Small burns of this type, 

 and under favoring conditions, apparently, of moisture soil and seed 

 trees may be expected to reproduce a conversion forest of pure yellow 

 birch in addition to and underneath the aspen, and these two form a 

 nurse crop under which more tolerant hardwoods and especially soft- 

 woods can enter. 



Height growth studies on spruce growing understands of this char- 

 acter show an annual height growth of tw^o-tenths of a foot. This is 

 relatively slow, but it is faster than that of spruce growing under the 

 cover of the virgin stand on the spruce flat type. Stands of this 

 character could undoubtedly be artificially thinned to advantage. This 

 will allow an increased growth in the spruce understory and undoubt- 

 edly shorten the period of conversion to the stabilized form. 



As a general conclusion regarding this type, it is believed that it 

 represents the most critical equilibrium between ecological factors on 

 one hand and resultant growth on the other, that we have in the Adiron- 

 dack forest, and that it reacts more quickly and more emphatically to 

 disturbance than do any of the others. A modified selection system 

 permitting of the removal of only the larger sized trees seems to be 

 indicated by the likelihood of such method afYecting the disturbance of 

 tliis equilibrium the least. The importance of management within the 

 type is also minimized by its relatively restricted area, but wdierever 

 met with to an extent justifying its separate consideration a carefully 

 and detailed study should be made and its results conservatively applied. 



Mixed Hardzcood Type. — The hardwood type is the major type both 

 in area and volume in our Adirondack forests, and its management pre- 

 sents many varied and difficult problems. The prior removal of hard- 

 woods in order to insure softwood reproduction is not to be advocated 

 due to the high degree of breakage to be experienced in the softwood 

 trees. The disposal of hardwood slash after logging is not one of the 

 least of the yet unsolved problems within this type. 



Considerable variation exists within this type due to difference in 

 soil moisture content, depth of humus, and the character of the main 

 stand. On some dry ridges where there were originally no softwoods, 

 nothing more than a pure hardwood stand can ever be expected. The 



