FORESTS OF ROCKY MOUNTAINS FOREST RESERVE 



21 



the beating down or scattering of moss or other ground-cover, which tends to 

 reduce the thickness and continuity of that covering: without actually laying bare 

 the soil. The dragging of logs to the skidway also spreads or uncovers considerable 

 rotten wood, on which spruce seeds may -Terminate. The density of the trees left 

 also affects the surface conditions. In spruce stands, ordinary logging nearly always 

 opens up the stand too much, leaving only scattered seed-trees, with the result that 

 material such as moss on the surface of the ground becomes dry and forms a loose, 

 dry covering, or the growth of grass or other unfavourable plants is encouraged. 

 In stands where there is a heavy ground-cover, only if sufficient trees are left to 

 partially shade the ground can effective reproduction be expected. In pine stands 

 a severe opening up of the crown-cover is favourable, not only because the seedlings 



Photo A. Knechtel. 

 Plate 6 Lumbered Area, showing Skidding Trail. Debris left in Dangerous Condition in Case of Fire. 



require a great deal of light for favourable development, but the removal of a large 

 proportion of the trees increases the amount of skidding, &c., on given areas, and 

 therefore lays bare more soil, and increases the area on which seeds are likely to 

 germinate. 



BRUSH. 



The chief interest in the condition of the brush after logging lies in its relation 

 to fire. Under ordinary logging conditions, the bole of the tree is cut into logs until 

 a diameter of about six inches in the top is reached. The top with its branches is 

 usually left lying as it fell. Before skidding the logs, however, swampers must 

 remove all the branches from them and these branches are thrown aside to clear out 

 skidding trails. In this way, rough piles are made. Few of these piles are in such 

 shape as to allow them to be burned economically and a large proportion of the 



