Engelmann Spruce 



Subsequent regeneration of spruce was strongly influenced by site-preparation treat- 

 ments. Stocking to new spruce seedlings was greater than 50 percent on plots that were 

 burned and also on those given moderate to heavy scarification. Scarified plots 

 averaged over 1,000 seedlings per acre, distributed fairly well except on the lightly 

 scarified plots. The best distribution of spruce reproduction was obtained on the 

 burned areas where a stocking of over 50 percent was obtained with an average of 573 

 seedlings per acre. 



The ratio of spruce to subalpine fir reproduction was increased by site preparation. 

 Scarification was especially discriminative, producing from 5 to 12 times more spruce 

 seedlings per acre than subalpine fir. Spruce/fir ratios for control and burned areas 

 were 0.6 and 2.0, respectively. 



Subalpine fir 



On the control areas, subalpine fir was the most abundant and widely distributed 

 species in terms of both advance and subsequent reproduction. Advance seedlings of 

 subalpine fir outnumbered those of spruce by about 3 to 1. Subsequent subalpine fir 

 seedlings held nearly a 2 to 1 advantage. Site preparation generally resulted in 

 additional subalpine fir regeneration, but increases were smaller than vvith other species 

 and stocking levels were either reduced or remained constant. 



Western Larch 



As the intolerant nature of western larch would suggest, there was no advance 

 regeneration of this species. Following clearcutting , only 8 percent of the control 

 area became stocked with larch. Burning and light scarification resulted in larch 

 stocking of 20 percent, or more; moderate and heavy scarification gave further improve- 

 ment amounting to an additional 20 percent. This amount of larch regeneration, partic- 

 ularly on the burned area, was surprisingly small in comparison to that obtained on 

 similarly prepared areas in the western larch--Douglas-fir type in western Montana (Roe 

 1952). However, the good distribution and rapid growth of the larch seedlings have 

 added much to its importance. For instance, on the heavily scarified sites, larch was 

 the dominant tree on 37 percent of the stocked plots while constituting only 11 percent 

 of the total reproduction stand. 



Although burning did not result in as much larch reproduction as was produced by 

 other treatments, the larch seedlings were better distributed in relation to their 

 number. Four-milacre stocking on burned areas equaled that on light scarification areas, 

 but with about half as many seedlings per acre. 



Mountain Hemlock 



The mountain hemlock seed source was "patchy" and this caused considerable variation 

 in restocking results; however, it is evident that hemlock seedling establishment was 

 benefited by site preparation. Subsequent regeneration of this species was second only 

 to spruce except on the moderately scarified plots. Hemlock and subalpine fir together 

 constitute approximately 82 percent of the advance growth and 53 percent of the new 

 stand on the control plots. 



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