228 SLASH DISPOSAL 



the litter and ground cover will kill small reproduction as 

 fast as it starts. 



In unevenaged stands the result would ultimately be the 

 destruction of the forest. In certain evenaged stands where 

 reproduction is not desired except in the regeneration period, 

 a temporary restriction of reproduction may be of benefit. 

 Light burning has been used with satisfactory results for this 

 purpose in management under shelterwood of chir pine forests 

 in India/" although not without the criticism that some other 

 agency than fire should be employed for the same purpose.^ 

 Such a case is an exception wliich but proves the rule. 



(c) Injury to Trees above Reproduction Size. — Surface fires 

 damage standing trees in ratio to their size and inherent 

 powers of resisting heat. Large trees and those with thick 

 corky bark may escape injury while small thin barked trees 

 are killed. The aggregate amount of the damage from even 

 a single Hght burn ^^ is serious and from repeated burns re- 

 sults in heavy inroads upon the growing stock. 



{d) Reduction in Density of Stocking. — As a consequence of 

 the injuries to reproduction and growing stock the density 

 of the stand is reduced, and the quahty and quantity of 

 production per acre lowered. 



In conducting a light burning operation a time is selected 

 when the material is dry enough to burn readily, but not so 

 dry as to threaten to ignite the forest itself, and with climatic 

 conditions favorable for controlling the fire. The advocates 

 of light burning minimize the damage done and state that it 

 can be avoided by raking the litter away from the larger 

 trees. It is impracticable to do this on a large forest area 

 and to carry on similar raking around the smaller trees and 

 reproduction is manifestly out of the question. If light 

 burning is conducted in such a careful manner as to save 

 reproduction and avoid injury to other standing trees, it 



