100 Forest Club Annual 



Natural reproduction of Western Yellow Pine occurs nor- 

 mally in scattered groups throughout the mature stands. In 

 areas that have not been heavily logged the natural reproduction 

 has usually come up in fairly dense stands, especially on the 

 rocky malpais ridges. 



The factors affecting natural reproduction in this region 

 are as follows : 



1. Old and New Logging Methods. 



2. Fire. 



3. Tree Disease. 



4. Insects. 



5. Grazing. 



6. Climate. 



7. Soil. 



LOGGING METHODS. 



Under the old methods of logging, areas on the limestone 

 soil type were nearly clear cut, only the non-merchantable trees 

 being left, and many of these blew down ; while the few that 

 remained were not sufficient to restock the partly denuded areas. 

 Many of the seedlings that came up either succumbed to drought 

 or frost as they were afforded very little protection. Forests on 

 the malpais soil were generally not as heavily logged as those 

 on the limestone soil. Natural reproduction is much better on 

 these areas because of more seed trees and the fact that the 

 rocks protect the seedlings to some extent from grazing, drought, 

 the drying winds, and from the direct rays of the sun. 



Under the present methods of logging the practice is to 

 leave all the young trees, except those that are diseased, and 

 to cut all mature trees, except those needed as seed trees. Var- 

 ious silvicultural treatments have been tried to secure natural 

 reproduction and careful marking is being practiced in order to 

 secure the best conditions possible. On one of the timber sale 

 areas brush scattering after logging was tried in order to de- 

 termine its effect on the growth of seedlings and soil-moisture. 

 It was found that seedlings growing under the brush which had 

 been lopped from the trees felled in logging were not frost 

 killed as readily as seedlings growing out in the open with no 

 protection whatever. Soil-moisture determinations also showed 

 a greater percentage of moisture in the brush covered soil. 



