Pine Porests of California 



Profile of 



CENTRAL SIERRA NEVADA 



Showing Altitudinal Limits of the 

 Principal Forest Types 



Ponderosa pine is the mainstay of 

 the national forest management, with 

 sugar pine the favored species in re- 

 stricted, highly productive localities. 

 By good management the proportion 

 of these trees in the stands can be con- 

 siderably increased and serious insect 

 damage, diseases, and soil deterioration 

 common in single-species forests can be 

 avoided. But constant care is needed 

 to keep these two valuable pines from 

 being crowded out by the associated 

 firs and cedar, which are more easily 

 established by natural seeding. 



All the five native conifers can grow 

 rapidly and attain merchantable saw- 

 timber dimensions of 18 to 50 inches in 

 diameter in 75 to 150 years, according 

 to quality of soil. 



The problem of transforming the 

 wild natural forests for more efficient 

 timber growth has one highly favorable 

 aspect: The high values stored in the 

 large smooth stems of the old trees 

 that occasionally exceed 600 years in 

 age. Some of this reserve capital can 

 be reinvested in the forest to correct 

 the many deficiencies. Provision for 



this has been made through the Knut- 

 son-Vandenberg Act, which authorized 

 the planting of fail-places, removal 

 of undesirable trees and brush, prun- 

 ing crop trees, and other stand im- 

 provement. 



A notable deficiency of the virgin 

 forest is that the land is now stocked 

 with trees only to a little more than 60 

 percent of its capacity. Good manage- 

 ment aims to increase stocking by about 

 one- third. Accomplishing this is made 

 difficult by an excess of old trees. The 

 large, old trees contain from 60 to 95 

 percent of the stand's saw-timber vol- 

 ume. This is slow-growing or deterior- 

 ating timber ready for harvesting; it 

 should be replaced. Thus, growing 

 stocks must first be reduced before they 

 can be built up by natural regeneration 

 or planting into thriving forests that 

 contain young trees for future harvests. 



Reconstructing the stands by plant- 

 ing or seeding is made difficult by hosts 

 of aggressive shrubs manzanitas, cea- 

 nothus, and others growing between 

 the trees or waiting as seed to take pos- 

 session of the soil when trees are cut. 



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