FIR SELECTION FELLINGS 83 



p. 89) is a light-demanding species and considerable openings in the 

 stand must be made. With cembric pine, or mountain pine, the openings 

 can be much smaller and the removal of a single tree is sufiEicient. With- 

 out question the tendency in France, as in other European countries, is 

 away from the original tree selection. Instead, especially with somewhat 

 intolerant trees, the practice is now to cut in groups so that, preferably, 

 there are clumps of even-aged trees ah over the forest which can be 

 thinned. 



Fir Selection Fellings. — In theory, at least, the fir should be treated 

 under selection fellings except for the difficulty of lumbering all over a 

 forest and the danger on the other hand of compressing fellings into too 

 small an area and thereby maldng too gi*eat openings. Consequently, 

 in fir forests, selection fellings run over the same area on an average of 

 every eight years, removing about 12\ per cent of the stand. For this 

 reason, even in fir stands, the selection assumes the character of a group 

 or hole selection system. At high altitudes, in theory, the per cent re- 

 moved at one time should be small, but in practice as high as 18 or 20 per 

 cent may be cut in order to make logging feasible. For example, in the 

 communal forest of Cette-Eygun (p. 17 of the working plan) the method 

 of exploitation is as follows: 



"These two working groups will be treated by the selection method; the high altitude, 

 the severe climate, the danger of avalanches, the slowness of reproduction at the higher 

 elevations, the control of water flow, the obligation in a country habitually and essen- 

 tially pastoral to keep stands open for grazing so far as possible, necessitates maintaining 

 a dense forest on all areas and slopes, and ratifies the choice of this selection method for 

 all regulated mountainous forests." 



About 18 per cent of the stand is cut at one time. 

 Mathey argues (Societe de Franche-Comte et Belfort) that to obtain the 

 regeneration of spruce in the Alpine forests, the following are necessary: 



1. Maintain shelter belts and groups of trees as a precaution. 



2. Encourage the mixture of broadleaf trees and conifers so that the 

 former comprise at least 12 per cent of the upper story and 13 per cent of 

 the lower story, or 25 per cent in all. 



3. Remove the sod in spots where it is desired to favor the develop- 

 ment of seedhngs. 



4. Cut conservatively. In the lower working gi'oup cut every 6 or 8 

 years over the same area. In the average working group (4,000 to 5,000 

 feet altitude) cut every 10 to 12 years, and in the upper working gi'Oup 

 (5,000 to 6,000 feet altitude) cut only every 14 to 16 years. Areas above 

 6,000 feet should be considered zones of protection solely. It is abso- 

 lutely essential to be conservative in the treatment of these forests. 



For the best management of a selection forest it is necessary for the 



