332 



AMERICAN FORESTRY 



TRAIL THROUGH A SPLENDID STAND OF YOUNG GROWTH 



Natural young stand of Douglas fir that followed a 1902 fire where a mature 

 forest had been destroyed. Rainier National Forest, South Central Wash- 

 ington. 



bed for seed and moisture. Young growth that may 

 have started in openings among the trees is destroyed 

 wholly or in part by surface fires. The recurrence of 

 such fires in the mature forest eventually destroys it, 

 and, with the young growth destroyed, there is no pro- 

 vision for replacement. 



The chances for young growth following a large fire 

 are best in a mature forest, and the next best conditions 

 are found in a growing forest that is producing seed. 

 This has been characterized as the second stage of forest 

 destruction. A forest 25 to 100 years old is producing 

 seed long before it is mature for cutting, but during its 

 younger stages the forest floor differs from that of the 

 mature forest in 

 that the duff is 

 shallow and the 

 conditions for 

 seed storage are 

 not so favor- 

 able. A fire 

 that destroys a 

 forest of this 

 type usually is 

 hot enough at 

 the surface of 

 the ground to 

 kill most of the 

 stored seed. 

 The result is a 

 scattered stand 

 of young 

 growth in place 

 of the dense 

 stands that fol- 

 low fires in 



mature forests. Surface fires caiiM- a great deal of 

 damage to forests during the younger stages because the 

 bark of the trees is still thin and the cambium layer 

 inside of the bark is easily killed. Fire scars result, 

 which cause serious defects in the butt logs as the trees 

 grow larger. A severe fire may cause the complete 

 destruction of the forest during this period and even 



THE LAST CHANCE DESTROYED 



The killed Douglas fir saplings were the future seed trees on this area. There were on an average 160 

 tree to the acre. All forest growth disappeared from this area because fire killed these trees before they 

 had reached seeding age. Crater National Forest, Southern Oregon. 



RESULT OF A SECOND FIRE IN YOUNG GROWTH 



A 1902 fire, which killed a mature forest, was followed by a good stand of 

 reproduction, as shown on the left. In 1910 a second fire killed parts of 

 the stand of young growth, and a barren area resulted, as shown on the 

 right. Oregon National Forest, Northern Oregon. 



light fires cause permanent damage to the present stand 

 as well as the destruction of young growth. 



The third stage is taken as that most critical period 

 through which the coniferous forest passes in perpetuat- 

 ing itself. This covers the time from the beginning of a 

 stand to the time it reacher seeding age. If it is destroyed 



during this per- 

 iod, there is no 

 provision left 

 for its renewal. 

 There has been 

 no seed pro- 

 duced, and the 

 seed that lived 

 through the 

 previous fire 

 has all germi- 

 n a t e d. T h c 

 well- stocked 

 stand of young 

 growth on the 

 "Yacolt burn" 

 is in this stage 

 at present, and 

 it must be safe- 

 guarded from 

 fire. There 

 are many such 





