4. 



Age of timber cut and remaining timber 



5. 



Species mixture on area 



6. 



Availability of sale records 



7. 



Degree to which residues represented post-logging conditions 



Study Area Descriptions 



The Danby Ridge sale near Rathdrum and the Lee Creek sale, east of Priest Lake, 

 were selected for study on the basis of similarities and differences, as follows: 



1. Similarities 



Terrain in both cases was gentle--10 to 15 percent. 

 Only sawlogs were removed in the harvesting. 

 Utilization standards were very similar. 



Both areas were harvested with small-to medium-sized mobile skidders. 

 Access was excellent on both sales. Two or more sides were roaded. 

 Sales records were good. 



Residue had been on the site for one year or less. 



The following stand descriptive criteria were in effect at the time of the 

 conventional harvest. Sawtimber was 11.0 inches (27.94 cm) d.b.h. and larger; 

 polesize was 5.0 to 10.99 inches (12.7 to 27.92 cm) d.b.h.; medium-stocked was 

 76 to 149 square feet (7.06 to 13.84 m 2 ) of net basal area per acre, or 40 to 

 70 percent by crown closure; poorly stocked was 20 to 57 square feet (1.86 to 

 5.30 m 2 ) of net basal area per acre, or 10 to 40 percent by crown closure. 



2. Differences 



A seed tree cut of Danby Ridge removed 160-year-old stems and most of the 

 volume (fig. 1). In contrast, a commercial thinning removed 100-year-old 

 stems and about 80 percent of the volume of Lee Creek (fig. 2) . 



The Danby Ridge sale, situated on a ridgetop exposed to frequent high winds 

 and thunderstorms, had a high percentage of cull and broken-top trees (fig. 1) . 

 In fact, the seed tree cut actually turned out to be a clearcut, with 

 scattered reproduction and 60- to 80-year-old poles. Lee Creek, located in a 

 draw and bordered by a creek, was a healthy stand before and after harvesting. 



Danby Ridge had no history of past logging on the study site, although parts 

 of the surrounding sale area had been previously harvested. Lee Creek had 

 been cut for cedar products in the 1950 's. Most of the dead, rotten pieces 

 came from this operation. 



Prior to harvesting, the timber overstory on Danby Ridge consisted of mixed 

 sawtimber, medium-stocked, 160 years old. The understory was mixed polesize 

 material, poorly stocked, 80 years old. Overstory on Lee Creek was mixed 

 sawtimber, medium- stocked , 100 years old. Understory vegetation was composed 

 of mixed polesize material, poorly stocked, 60 years old. 



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