THE AUTHORS 



RESEARCH SUMMARY 



JOHN P. SLOAN is a forester in the Ecology and Regener- 

 ation of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and Ponderosa Pine 

 research work unit at Boise, ID. He received a B.A. degree 

 in biology from Wartburg College and an M.S. degree in 

 forestry from the University of Minnesota. He joined the 

 Intermountain Station in 1984. 



LEWIS H. JUMP is currently a silviculturist on the Green- 

 horn Ranger District, Sequoia National Forest. During the 

 term of this study he was forest silviculturist on the Dixie 

 National Forest (1979-85). He received a B.S. degree in 

 forest land management from Northern Arizona University 

 in 1971. He joined the Forest Service in 1976 after serving 

 5 years with the Soil Conservation Service, U.S. Depart- 

 ment of Agriculture, in Washington and New Mexico. 



RUSSELL A. RYKER was project leader of the Ecology 

 and Regeneration of Rocky Mountain Douglas-fir and 

 Ponderosa Pine research work unit at Boise, ID. He is now 

 retired. He received B.S. and M.S. degrees in forestry 

 from the University of Missouri and conducted research in 

 the silviculture of hardwoods for the North Central Forest 

 Experiment Station prior to joining the Intermountain 

 Research Station in 1963. 



Bareroot and container-grown ponderosa pine (Pinus 

 ponderosa Dougl. ex Laws.) seedlings were planted on five 

 different habitat types in the Dixie National Forest of 

 southern Utah. After five growing seasons, seedling 

 survival, height, and root form were compared. 



Container-grown seedlings survived and grew better 

 than bareroot stock on the harshest sites, but there was 

 little difference between the two on sites more conducive 

 to seedling growth. Although the shapes of container- 

 grown and bareroot root systems were different, the root 

 system coverage in the upper 12 inches of soil was 

 similar. 



Container-grown seedling survival ranged from 78 to 98 

 percent. Bareroot stock survival averaged from 64 to 91 

 percent. After 5 years since planting, seedling mortality 

 continues on the two harshest sites while leveling off on 

 the better sites. Likewise the mean height-growth rates of 

 container grown seedlings continue to increase over the 

 bareroot trees on the poorest sites but stay even on the 

 best sites. 



The report includes a summary of other field tests 

 wherein bareroot and container-grown seedlings of North 

 American conifers were compared. 



The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for 

 reader information and does not imply endorsement by the 

 U.S. Department of Agriculture of any product or service. 



October 1987 

 Intermountain Research Station 

 324 25th Street 

 Ogden, UT 84401 



