THE AUTHORS 



JOHN P. SLOAN is forester in the Ecology and 

 Regeneration 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. 



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 for- 

 estry 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. 



RESEARCH SUMMARY 



Three conifer species were planted and compared 

 on a large clearcut in central Idaho. Three scalp sizes 

 were also compared. The study site is harsh and has a 

 history of plantation failures due at least in part to a 

 heavy coverage of elk sedge (Carex geyeri F. Boott). 



Fifth-year results indicate that lodgepole pine (Pinus 

 contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) had the best survival 

 and height growth. Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa 

 Dougl. ex Laws.) was intermediate, while Douglas-fir 

 {Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca [Beissn.] Franco) 

 showed the poorest performance. On 2-ft (0.6-m) hand- 

 made scalps, tree survival was lower and total height 

 was less than on 4-ft (2.4-m) wide dozer strips. This 

 was especially true for the pines. 



It appears that on hot and dry sites where elk sedge 

 or other grasses are extremely competitive, 4-ft scalps 

 are the minimum site preparation required. Adequate 

 site preparation along with matching of proper species 

 to the site conditions as well as adequate control of 

 livestock and gophers can help ensure success in 

 reforesting these sites. 



June 1986 



Intermoumain Researcn Station 

 324 25th Street 

 Ogden, UT 84401 



