CHARACTERISTICS AND PRODUCT POTENTIAL 



Utilization of mature lodgepole stands depends in part on the volume of sound wood 

 that could be recovered. About two-thirds of the mature lodgepole stands have 4,600 ft 

 or more of sound wood per acre. Some lodgepole pine stands in the Douglas-fir series 

 have over 10,000 ft^/acre, primarily because there are a few very large Douglas-fir 

 overstory trees mixed in with the mature lodgepole. At the other extreme, some stands 

 have less than 2,000 ft^/acre of sound wood. The area and volume class of sound wood 

 3 inches dia and over, including live and dead, standing and down, is: 



Yol/aove Area size 



(thousand ft^) (aores) 



<2.0 5,983 



2.0 to 4.5 10,100 



4.6 to 6.5 19,659 



6.6 and over 8,595 



All 44,147 



The total volume of wood in mature lodgepole stands averages about 4,100 ft^/acre, 

 (table 3). About half the volume is in standing green trees; about one-third is down 

 material, and the remainder is standing dead trees. 



Much of the down material has rot, but only about half of this is crumbly rotten. 

 About half the wood with rot in it is solid enough that it could be handled in logging 

 and would provide fiber for some uses. 



Standing trees have very little rot in them, even when they have been dead for 

 several decades as is common in the area. This is probably because wood-decaying fungi 

 do not thrive in the high-altitude, dry, cool climate where most of the lodgepole grows, 

 and are active primarily on material close to the ground. 



Total volume and conditions of wood varies somewhat among habitat type, but there 

 doesn't appear to be any particular pattern and are probably due to sampling error. 

 Therefore, we have used the average from all habitat types in the remaining analysis. 



Based on the condition of wood in table 3, about two-thirds of the total volume 

 would be suited for solid-wood products such as poles, posts, houselogs, and so on. 

 Another 20 percent is suited for fiber products. This includes pieces with sound defects 

 (excessive taper, crook, splits, etc.) and also pieces that have rot but are solid 

 enough to be handled and used for pulp, fuel, particleboard, etc. 



Size of pieces is an important factor in utilizing lodgepole pine, since handling 

 many small pieces usually increases handling costs all through the harvest and process- 

 ing procedures. Most of the volume is in trees 8- to 12-inch diameter (table 4). 

 Standing trees have over one-fourth volume in trees 12 inches d.b.h. and larger; down 

 materiajl has very little volume in 12-inch or larger pieces. 



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