Abies lasiocarpalOplopanax Horridum h.t. 



tial cutting or harvesting of adjacent stands by 

 even-aged systems will accelerate windthrow 

 of large trees, especially Picea engelmannii 

 (Engelmann spruce), in residual stands. Re- 

 moval of decadent, old growth trees, leaving 

 younger, wind resistant species often leaves the 

 Streamside Management Zone in better condi- 

 tion to withstand winds following logging. 

 However, this may directly conflict with some 

 agency management objectives; if retention of 

 old growth for fish (woody debris recruitment) 

 and wildlife habitat (including nesting and roost- 

 ing trees) is an objective, prescriptions must be 

 designed to minimize blowdown, or losses to 

 water quality (fisheries habitat) may result 

 (Pfister and Sherwood 1989). If large numbers 

 of uprooted trees lead to water quality degrada- 

 tion, then removal may be appropriate. Silvi- 

 cultural prescriptions must be clearly defined, 

 objectives should be obtainable, and proposed 

 treatments should be carefully evaluated against 

 their chances for success. 



These sites may need to be regenerated 

 quickly to avoid losses to competing vegeta- 

 tion; recommended species are Picea engel- 

 mannii (Engelmann spruce), Larix occidentalis 

 (western larch), and Pseudotsuga menziesii 

 (Douglas fir). While natural regeneration of 

 these sites is known to be a problem, in some 

 parts of the Rathead National Forest, planting 

 of Larix occidentalis (western larch) has been 

 successful following clearcutting (Pfister and 

 Sherwood 1989). 



Wildlife — Forage productivity for deer and 

 elk is probably low. This habitat type, along 

 with other moist old growth communities, is 

 rare in Montana. Many wildlife species, such as 

 chestnut-backed chickadees and goshawks, are 

 partially to strongly dependent on huge old 

 growth trees for forage, cover, and nesting sites. 



Fire — Fires are rare on these sites due to the 

 high water tables. 



Soil Management and Rehabilitation Op- 

 portunities — Due to the high water tables, any 

 development (road constructions, trails, site 

 development, etc.) has a high potential for prob- 

 lems. Proposed timber management activities, 

 especially road layout, design, and construc- 

 tion, may require consultation with specialists 

 (hydrologists, soil scientists, engineers, etc.) to 

 minimize on-site and off-site impacts. Heavy 

 equipment operation should be restricted to 

 those times of year when soils are frozen and 

 snow covered. 



Recreational Uses and Considerations — Old 



growth stands with large diameter trees have 

 high recreational and aesthetic values, but site 

 development should take into account the diffi- 

 culty of managing sites with high water tables. 



Other Classification Systems 



U.S. Fish and wildlife Service Wetland Clas- 

 sification (Cowardin and others 1979) — 



SYSTEM Palustrine, CLASS Forested Wet- 

 land, SUBCLASS Needle-leaved Evergreen, 

 WATER REGIME (NONTIDAL) Seasonally 

 Flooded to Saturated. 



Other Studies 



Similar habitat types were described by 

 lUingworth and Arlidge (1960) for eastern Brit- 

 ish Columbia and by Ogilvie (1962) for south- 

 western Alberta. 



Page 194 



Flathead Basin Cooperative Program Final Report 



