tree mortality, allowing Douglas- 

 fir to persist in the overstory. 

 Covertype shifts to other shade- 

 tolerant species may be slower 

 over time as Douglas -fir remains 

 a component of the overstory 

 longer . 



AGE -CLASS DISTRIBUTION 



Current age-class distributions 

 within the project area and across 

 Swan River State Forest are 

 displayed in TABLE C-2 - AGE-CLASS 

 DISTRIBUTION BY ACRES AND PERCENT OF 

 TOTAL ACRES. This table is based on 

 the cumulative effects analysis for 

 age class in the Goat Squeezer 

 Environmental Impact Statement . 



TABLE C-2 - AGE -CLASS DISTRIBUTION BY 

 ACRES AND PERCENT OF TOTAL ACRES 



Direct and Indirect In^acts to Age 

 Class 



• IHrect and Indirect Effects qfthe J>Jo-%lcUon 

 Mtemative on Jlge Clas* 



Wind damage and disease mortality 

 are random events. While there 

 are large areas with little 

 damage or mortality, 1- to 2 -acre 

 patches of concentrated damage 

 and mortality are scattered 

 throughout the salvage area. On 

 average, approximately 7 or 8 

 trees per acre have blown down 

 and approximately 5 standing 

 trees per acre have died. These 

 stands still retain 100 to 150 

 live trees per acre. Because so 



few trees per acre have blown 

 down or died, the age-class 

 composition has probably not been 

 changed by these natural events. 



Unless a large disturbance, such 

 as a wildfire, occurs, the age- 

 class distribution is not likely 

 to change in the near future. 



As stands age over time, natural 

 forest succession and fire 

 suppression would reduce the 

 variability of age classes on the 

 landscape. 



IHrect and Indirect Ejects of the Jlction 

 Mtemative on Jige Class 



Since the trees planned for 

 removal were already killed by a 

 natural event, stand age classes 

 would not change beyond what has 

 occurred naturally. 



Cumulative In^acts to Age Class 



• €Junudative E^ffects qfthe JVo^ction and 

 taction Mtemative* on Jlge Clas* 



Cumulative effects to age class 

 are not anticipated. Mortality 

 caused by the Douglas- fir bark 

 beetle would not likely change 

 stand age-class distribution over 

 time. 



CANOPY COVERAGE 



The combination of overstory and 

 understory tree canopy coverage 

 averages 70 percent or greater for 

 stands older than 3 9 years within 

 the project area. 



Direct and Indirect In^acts to 

 Canopy Coverage 



• IHrect and Indirect In^acts qftAe JVo- 

 %/Iction tlltemative to Canopy Coverage 



Wind damage and disease mortality 

 are random events. While there 

 are large areas with little 

 damage or mortality, 1- to 2-acre 

 patches of concentrated damage 

 and mortality are scattered 

 throughout the salvage area. On 

 average, approximately 7 or 8 

 trees per acre have blown down 

 and approximately 5 standing 



Big Blowdown Salvage 



Page C-5 



