SEED CHARACTERISTICS IN CONIFEROUS FORESTS 23 



are almost all in close proximity to seed trees. At a distance of one or 

 two miles from seed trees, the reproduction was in many instances much 

 more dense than it was near the trees, often reaching 20,000 to 30,000 

 seedlings per acre. The distance from the seed trees and the erratic 

 occurrence of the dense stands of seedlings, sometimes near seed trees 

 and sometimes at great distances from them, showed that the seed had 

 not been blown in by the wind since the fire. The areas of dense stands 

 of reproduction ending in very irregular edges, beyond which no repro- 

 duction occurred, were convincing evidence that the seed producing the 

 stands was present before the fire. These irregular edges showed where 

 the ground fire which consumed all the duff had died out. Where the 

 duff was left unburned the reproduction occurred. In all cases where 

 reproduction occurred in burns, the burned trees of the species comprising 

 the reproduction were found in the immediate vicinity. 



When the Yacolt fire occurred in the early part of September, 1902, 

 all of the timber was killed and the seed of that year's crop was badly 

 scorched or burned. This is shown by the fact that there were no unburned 

 cones or cone scales present on the burned-over areas, while charred cones 

 and cone scales, as well as seeds of all of the species burned, were found. 

 Also in the places where the surface of the litter and duff was charred, 

 but undisturbed since the fire, seeds were found buried in the duff, some 

 of which still had perfect wings. These facts are further strengthened 

 by the appearance of the clear-cut margins and abrupt endings of the 

 areas of good reproduction where 30,000 or more seedlings per acre occur, 

 showing that the seed was in the litter and duff, and lived through the fire. 

 That a large per cent of this seed germinated during the first season is 

 shown by the large percentage of eleven-year-old seedlings. The five to 

 ten year age class showed the distribution of the seedlings that came 

 from the seed which germinated some years after the fire. Those of the 

 older age classes at great distances from the seed trees, undoubtedly came 

 from the seed which had remained dormant in the litter or duff and escaped 

 the fire, as usually no seedlings under five years of age were found in these 

 localities. In the case of the western white pine, there were no seedlings 

 under five years old found during the entire study, although older white 

 pine seedlings were distributed over the entire area. This indicated that 

 the white pine seeds remained viable for six years under the conditions 

 to which they were exposed. White pine seeds were found in some of 

 the charred cones and also some in the litter and duff, but these undoubtedly 

 were killed by the fire or were not viable. 



The fire advanced before a southeast wind and the effects of it are 

 recorded in the sparse reproduction on the south and southeast slopes 

 where the fire was hottest and where all of the litter and duff was burned. 

 On these slopes there were no areas of reproduction, only occasional 



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