Western hemlock 



Needles absent 



Branchlets half gone 



Secondary branches half gone 



Primary branches partly gone 



Bark Intact 



Bole largely intact, considerable top break 



Sitka spruce 



Needles absent 



Branchlets half gone 



Secondary branches half gone 



Primary branches partly gone 



Bark partly gone 



Bole largely intact, some top break 



Western redcedar 



Needles absent 

 Branchlets nearly gone 

 Secondary branches half gone 

 Primary branches partly gone 

 Bark intact 

 Bole intact 



Fluting of Western Hemlock 



Fluting of western hemlock may become a serious problem in young-growth 

 stands in Southeast Alaska. Fluting is sometimes so pronounced that no 

 merchantable sawtimber can be obtained and even pulping would be dif- 

 ficult if not impossible (fig. 12). All of the hemlock in a stand may 

 be affected and it appears that the most vigorous stems are most severely 

 fluted. Stands such as the one shown in fig. 13 offer little incentive 

 for harvesting, are producing little merchantable volume, but often oc- 

 cupy highly productive sites. 



The cause of fluting in western hemlock in this region is not known. An 

 exploratory study is being started in an attempt to establish a relation- 

 ship between fluting and anatomical characteristics, such as branch gaps 

 or early growth suppression. It is hoped that an early understanding of 

 the cause of fluting may lead to silvicultural practices which can 

 largely eliminate it in future stands. 



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