FORESTS OF KOCKY MOUNTAINS FOREST RESERVE 37 



disturb the compact ground-cover sufficiently. Volunteer growth is, therefore, sparse, 

 in most stands, and thickest on the upper slopes where the ground cover is thinnest, 

 and where, on account of the low average height and small crowns of the trees, the 

 light intensity beneath the trees is greatest. Even where pine forms 90 per cent of 

 the stand the majority of the volunteer growth is composed of spruce or balsam. 



The various forms of damage that may affect the stand usually promote repro- 

 duction, but none except fire is productive of great results in aiding the starting of 

 pine seedlings. A light ground fire will usually afford an opportunity for seedlings 

 to start under the old trees, and the heavier the fire, the closer does the result approach 

 the formation of a dense second-growth stand. The next most effective agent is 

 snow-slides, but the area passed over by them is often covered more readily by spruce 

 and alpine fir (' balsam ') reproduction. 



Detailed observations of pine reproduction under various conditions were made 

 in the same way as with spruce. With pine, useful figures were obtained only on 

 burned-over areas. The connection between the detailed conditions described here 

 and the general character of the fires and the burned stands have been discussed in a 

 previous section. 



TABLE 11. 



PINE REPRODUCTION. 



Seedlings per acre. 



Strips representing average conditions. 



380 Too heavy fire ; in small second-growth timber ; crowns and most of seed burned ; 



seed-bed good. 



500 ! Light fire at edge of burned area ; soil not sufficiently exposed for pine repro- 



duction and also parent stand largely spruce ; . 12,000 spruce seedlings per 

 acre on account of sped-bed favourable to them, and of proximity of spruce 

 seed-trees. 



832 Double burn in pine and spruce type ; fires 7 and 14 years ago ; present repro- 



duction from seeds in cones left lying closed on ground after first fire. 



2.3> Continuation of strip having 500 seedlings further away from edge of burned 



area ; fire heavier, exposing more soil ; only 700 spruce seedlings on account 

 of greater distance from seed- trees. 



4,600 After fire in pine slope type : 50 per cent ground gr.-u^-covered. 



5,850 Continuation of strip with 832 seedlings. More pine in parent stand. 



7,280 After fire in pine slope type ; 25 per cent ground grass-covered. 



Seedlings per acre. 



Plots representing maximum conditions. 



740 Too heavy fire in small second-growth ; most of seed burned. 



.'i.iiOi Light ground fire ; 60 per cent humus unburned ; large timber. 



i'i.40" Thin moss on area burned 7 years age, leaving part of humus unburned. 



fi. "i M Loose grass under same conditions. 



15.000 Heavy ground fire ; 40 to 50 per cent humus unburned ; small timber. 



15,600 Crown tire ; 30 per cent humus unburned ; large timber. 



29,600 Crown fire ; 30 per cent humus unburned ; small timber. 



60,000 Crown fire ; ground burned bare ; small timber. 



Lodgepole pine is a tree with many points in its favour. The enormous quan- 

 tity of it in the present stands, especially in the immature ones, and the readiness 

 with which it reproduces on areas burned over necessitates a careful consideration 

 of its qualities. It produces a very good quality of lumber, and on account of its 

 very rapid growth in early life, it is the tree to be counted on to produce the smaller 

 classes of materials, such as posts and mine props. Its individual characteristics 

 demand for it different silvicultural treatment than for spruce, but it is a tree which 



show good results under proper management. 



