FUNDAMKNTAL SILVICULTURAL M K A S U K K S ll 



term "spruce flat" is a misnomer since the association of species in 

 this type in certain parts of the Adirondacks covers the slopes and 

 tops of ridges often well drained and of an elevation of 100 or more 

 feet. This type often carries with it also a deep humus covering of 

 the soil. Commonly the type includes knolls and narrow ridges which 

 are covered dep enough with humus to prevent the entrance of hard- 

 woods. 



The lower areas of the hardwood type varies enough to warrant 

 division into a group of its own and this especially from the stand- 

 point of reproduction. This portion of the hardwood type because 

 of topography or water seepage has a moister soil with resultant 

 increased percentage of soft maple and yellow birch. Softwoods also 

 reproduce beter and compete more effectively in growth. The upper 

 part of this type dift'ers in having a greater percentage of hard maple 

 and beech. Table 1 accompanying this paper shows this characteristic 

 persistence of the hardwoods in reproduction. 



HISTORICAL FACTORS AS INFLUEXCIXG PRESENT TYPES AND FUTURE 



TREATMENT. 



The type historically intermediate between that following fire and 

 the stabalized association may be defined or interpreted by three species 

 of trees now found in mature stands. These three, the white pine, 

 the yellow birch, and the black cherry are especially prominent because 

 of ability to make rapid growth in their early life and because they 

 must find places in the upper crown cover or perish under the shade 

 of the more tolerant species. Pine has very small representation in 

 the cut and burned lands of the Western Adirondacks because seed 

 trees are lacking. Black cherry is more plentiful in the cut and burned 

 land than it was in the original forest, while yellow birch is playing a 

 very prominent part in the recovery of all clear-cut lands whether 

 burned or not. 



The difference in treatment of various areas where fire has been 

 kept out will affect reproduction according to the extent of the destruc- 

 tion of crown cover and to a. lesser extent by the destruction of seed 

 trees. W'hile there are all gradations of forest removal in the Adiron- 

 dacks from heavy cuttings followed by excessive fires to stands where 

 pine only has been removed, it is within the past twenty years only 

 that logging of hardwoods has opened up the forest enough to give an 

 adequate idea of how the land will reclothe itself after severe cutting. 



It should be pointed out here that the cutting of spruce to a diameter 



