172 Forestry Quarterly 



The species is intolerant of any considerable degree of overhead 

 shade, such as produced by its more tolerant associates, Douglas 

 fir, Engelmann spruce, and Alpine fir. Under dense, pure stands 

 of Lodgepole very little reproduction is found. However, when 

 Lodgepole does get a start either at the beginning or later in the 

 life of a fairly pure stand of its own species, it is extremely persis- 

 tent and is able to survive for almost indefinite periods in a very 

 badly suppressed condition. Furthermore, it is very frequently 

 able to recover and greatly increase its rate of growth when re- 

 leased from suppression. 



Lodgepole is a prolific seeder, producing a fair amount of seed 

 each year, and unusually large crops at frequent intervals, proba- 

 bly from three to five years apart. Seed production begins at 

 an extremely early age ; in a few cases cone-bearing trees only 5 

 years old have been observed. Seed has been collected from trees 

 less than 10 years old, and tests of this seed have shown a germi- 

 nation per cent as high as that of seed from mature trees. Some 

 Lodgepole cones open at maturity and discharge their seed ; on 

 the other hand, very many cones remain sealed indefinitely, retain- 

 ing the seed, which slowly deteriorates in quality, although a 

 surprisingly large amount of it remains viable, as has been defi- 

 nitely proven, for 75 or 80 years. In some cases the cones become 

 imbedded in the wood as the result of the growth of the tree. 

 These sealed cones open from time to time, as the result of the 

 drying of the cone scales, which may happen following the 

 breaking of the pedicel of the cone due to the growth of the tree, 

 following the death of the tree, through the action of fire, or when 

 the cone is left lying on the ground exposed to the sun after it 

 has been knocked from the tree, as often happens when a tree is 

 cut. Hence a dead Lodgepole may be a good seed tree. Seed 

 disseminated by the wind seldom falls farther than two hundred 

 feet from the parent tree in sufficient quantities to restock open 

 areas satisfactorily. Well lighted mineral soil, with plenty of 

 warmth and moisture, forms the best seedbed. Such a condition 

 is found under the partial shade of recently fire-killed stands. A 

 mineral seedbed prepared by fire is not a necessity, however, for 

 seedlings do start satisfactorily on unbumed areas in small patches 

 of mineral soil, or in tufts of grass. 



Owing to the great persistence of Lodgepole the characteris- 



