358 Forestry Quarterly. 



an additional demand so created. It is not unreasonable then 

 to expect that the value of White fir may increase even more 

 rapidly than that of its associates. 



Sii*vicui.TuRAL Aspects. 



In the management of these stands the first point to be con- 

 sidered, as already mentioned, is the reduction of the White 

 fir volume in the next rotation. It is evident that the prime fac- 

 tor governing the distribution of Yellow pine and White fir in 

 the lower slope type is the difference in their requirements for 

 surface moisture. On south and west slopes it is ordinarily too 

 dry for White fir, although it comes in to some extent in the 

 shade of snowbrush, etc. Yellow pine will continue to form the 

 principal part of the stand in such localities and the present method 

 of management, namely a selection cutting with brush piled and 

 burned, is satisfactory. In moister situations, however, such as 

 in draws and on north and east slopes, conditions for White fir 

 reproduction are favorable and there is usually a good advance 

 reproduction of this species occurring both as scattered individuals 

 and in the clump form. On such sites the present system is not 

 eft'ective so far as reducing the future volume of White fir is con- 

 cerned. Under these conditions it is believed that a modified 

 system of clear cutting over limited areas, taking out all mer- 

 chantable timber, with the exception of necessary seed trees, and 

 followed by scattering and burning of the brush would be bene- 

 ficial. This would, of course, be a radical change from the 

 methods now used in handling Yellow pine, but the problem is 

 not simply one of Yellow pine, and cannot be handled on a strictly 

 Yellow pine basis- That the shade afforded by a selection cutting 

 is not always necessary is shown by the dense reproduction of 

 Yellow pine which frequently follows clear burning. Precipi- 

 tation in this region is such as to insure sufficient moisture for 

 the establishing of Yellow pine reproduction without special pro- 

 tection against evaporation, and it would seem, therefore, that 

 on selected sites, at least, the reproduction of Yellow pine should 

 be entirely satisfactory under such a system of management. 

 The clear burning would result in a drying of the surface soil to 

 such an extent as to make it unfavorable for White fir reproduc- 

 tion and the Yellow pine stand would be well established before 

 the return of the normal conditions which would allow White fir 

 to start. 



