4 BULLETIN 738, U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



of western larch (Larit occidentalis) . Most of the western yellow 

 pine stands are on ridges or southern exposures between 5,000 and 

 6,000 feet elevation; where western yellow pine occurs on other sites 

 it is usually scattered as individuals or groups in stands of other 

 species. Practically none is found above 6,500 feet. By volume, 

 approximately 40 per cent of the timber on this area is western 

 yellow pine, 30 per cent Douglas fir, 25 per cent lodgepole pine, and 



5 per cent other species. 



The virgin stand is more or less broken by old burns and insect- 

 killed areas, on most of which reproduction, especially of Douglas 

 fir and lodgepole pine, has become well established. Other openings 

 which have been occupied by dense brush contain only scattered 

 tree reproduction. Advance reproduction of all species is common 

 over most of the timbered area, though it is very unevenly dis-. 

 tributed and of slow growth. Except on rather limited areas, 

 western yellow pine reproduction is unsatisfactory in amount. At 

 the time the study was started (1912) there were very few seedlings 

 of this species under 10 years old, which indicates that years of 

 abundant reproduction are very infrequent at this altitude. There 

 were practically no saplings over 30 years old, probably on account 

 of extensive fires in the early 80's. On the sample plots (see p. 5), 

 which were located for the most part only where some western 

 yellow pine reproduction was present, only 38 per cent of the seed- 

 lings were western yellow pine, while 32 per cent were Douglas fir 

 and 30 per cent lodgepole pine. 



The undergrowth on the western yellow pine part of the allotment, 

 a varying mixture of grasses, weeds, and browse, is unevenly dis- 

 tributed and averages rather low in forage value. 1 



THE SILVER CREEK ALLOTMENT. 



The Silver Creek area, from 4,600 to 5,500 feet in elevation, is 

 fairly representative of the middle range of the western yellow pine 

 type. The timber is of much better quality than that on the Dead- 

 wood allotment, and a much larger proportion is western yellow pine. 

 Except on the moist flats along the creek, there is no lodgepole pine 

 in the stand. By volume, approximately 75 per cent is western 

 yellow pine, 20 per cent Douglas fir, and 5 per cent lowland white fir 

 (Abies grandis). 



1 Pine grass (Calamagrostis rubescens), arnica (A. cordifolia), geranium (G. incisum), lupine (Lupinus 

 spp.), huckleberry ( Vaccinium membranaceum and V. scoparium), spiraea (S. lucida), currant (Ribes 

 cerium), willow (Saliz spp.), and ceanothus( C. velutinus) are among the most widely distributed and char- 

 acteristic plants. Other very common species include elk grass ( Carex geyeri), blue grass (Poa spp.) 

 blue bunch grass ( Festuca idahoensis), silver dock (Baliamorrhiza sagiltata), fireweed ( Chamaenerion angus- 

 ti/nlium), yarrow (Achillea lanulosa), hawkweed (Hieracium scnuleri), paeony (Paeonia brownii), valerian 

 ( Valeriana sitchensvi), bluebell ( Mertensia sp.), meadow rue ( Thalictrum occidentalis), Indian paintbrush 

 ( Castilleja spp.), foxglove (Pcntstemon spp.), Indian t obacco ( Eriogonum spp.), choke cherry (Padus demissa), 

 fire cherry (Prunus ernarginata) rose, (Rosa spp.), mountain ash (Sorbus sambucifotia), snowberry (Sym- 

 phoricarpos rotundi/olius), buck brush (Kunzia tridentata), and sen-ice berry (Amelanchier alnifolia). 



