2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Integrating Stand Density Management with
Fuel Reduction Treatments
Implementation of the Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment
Joseph W. Sherlock
Assistant Regional Forest Vegetation Program Manager
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
The Sierra Nevada … setting the stage.
• The
social and biological environment
• Increasing conflict
• Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Sierra Nevada Forest Plan Amendment
Supplemental EIS leads to January 2004 Record of
Decision
Habitat emphasis remains, but …
fuel treatment flexibility increased
and
density treatments validated.
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Fuel Reduction Projects Rapidly Increase
Broad public recognition of need … even some
support.
As long as you don’t want to remove trees …
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Can’t we just ignore tree removal?
1) Prescribed fire is like … natural.
2) Nobody cares if you shred brush.
3) Do you want to have your home burn down?
4) It’s too hard to play the NEPA game for timber sales.
5) Density reduction isn’t that important; no homes are
destroyed if a few trees die.
6) Everybody knows we do this just for the money.
7) Some of our own coworkers don’t like timber harvest.
8) They will just appeal anyway!
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Interested in …
sustaining valued wildlife habitat?
reducing adverse wildfire effects?
Fuel reduction alone may not be enough.
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
One fuel reduction strategy
1) Surface fuels reduced
2) Small ladder fuels reduced
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Summary Statistics
Year
TPA
1999
Hgt
Merch Ft3
Bd Ft
11794
10374
54060
8.1
12038
10536
55123
20.1
12373
11288
61903
BA
SDI
CCF
QMD
999
348
698
127
107
8.0
2000
989
353
703
128
108
2010
143
317
441
87
114
Ft3
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Another fuel reduction strategy
1) Surface fuels reduced
2) Ladder fuels reduced
3) Canopy fuel reduced
4) Intertree competition reduced
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Simulated Treatment – Thin to SDI 240
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Summary Statistics
Year
TPA
1999
Hgt
QMD
Ft3
Merch
Ft3
BA
SDI
CCF
Bd Ft
999
348
698
127
107
8.0
11794
10374
54060
2000
989
353
703
128
108
8.1
12038
10536
55123
2010
45
202
244
53
114
28.7
8531
7835
43881
2020
44
228
267
57
120
31.0
10081
9324
54182
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Accomplishing Multiple Objectives:
An effective strategy
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
• Treatment Unit Design
• Where and how
• Target Stocking Level
• How much
• Tree Selection
• Which ones
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
N-wind approach
Graduated Treatment Intensity
SW wind approach
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
N-wind approach
35%
45%
40%
55%
25%
50%
Graduated Treatment Intensity
45%
40%
35%
SW wind approach
55%
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
• Treatment Unit Design
• Where and how
• Target Stocking Level
• How much
• Tree Selection
• Which ones
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
600
500
400
300
200
100
0
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
40% of the basal area reserved
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
R5 Forest Inventory Data … a gold mine?
Over 23,000 points of data
- all ownerships
- most data from 1990 decade
- reflecting wide array of genetic and environmental conditions
- natural disturbances
- harvests
- climate variation
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Tentative Findings
Courtesy of …
Michael Landram, R5 Regional Silviculturist
Maximum Stand Density Index (Max SDI)
- depends on sample size used to derive it
- varies by species
- is independent of site quality variables
- mortality is positively correlated with SDI
- mortality correlated along a linear gradient
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Species
This Analysis at
Point Scale
Douglas-fir
California red fir
white fir
800
1050
900
Previous at
Cluster Plot
Scale
800
700
850
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Species
Max SDI
N
white fir
900
1,635
Douglas-fir
800
1,109
ponderosa pine
650
2,011
Jeffrey pine
600
1,816
California red fir
1050
804
incense cedar
700
255
canyon live oak
750
641
California black oak
550
378
lodgepole pine
850
560
sugar pine
400
123
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
MAX SDI is independent of site class
Pure (80%+ by BA) Ponderosa Pine
Scale of Individual Sam ple Point (vs. Stand or Cluster Plot)
100
Mean Diameter
Max SDI 650
G reen - Higher Site Class
Red - Low er Site Class
10
1
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Trees Per Acre
Lower Site Classes tend to reach maximum density at smaller diameters.
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
MAX SDI is independent of annual precipitation
Pure (80%+ by BA) Ponderosa Pine
Scale of Individual Sam ple Point (vs. Stand or Cluster Plot)
100
Mean Diameter
M ax SDI 650
G reen - Annual Precip > 40"
Red - Annual Precip < 40"
10
1
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Trees Per Acre
Lower Precipitation Zones tend to reach maximum density at smaller diameters.
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
MAX SDI is independent of aspect
Pure (80%+ by BA) Ponderosa Pine
Scale of Individual Sam ple Point (vs. Stand or Cluster Plot)
100
Mean Diameter
Max SDI 650
10
G reen - North and East Aspects (290-110 degrees)
Red - South and W est Aspects (110-290 degrees)
Black - Flat
1
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Trees Per Acre
Hotter aspects tend to reach maximum density at smaller diameters.
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
MAX SDI is independent of latitude
Pure (80%+ by BA) Ponderosa Pine
Scale of Individual Sam ple Point (vs. Stand or Cluster Plot)
100
Mean Diameter
Max SDI 650
10
G reen - Northern National Forests (Plum as north)
Red - Southern National Forests (T ahoe south)
Black - State, Private, other Federal
1
1
10
100
1000
10000
100000
Trees Per Acre
Lower latitudes tend to reach maximum density at smaller diameters.
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Mixed Conifer - Fir Type (CalVeg = MF)
2,865 sample points
100
SDI 200
Mean Diameter
GREEN X - points without mortality
RED BOX - points with mortality
10
1
1
10
100
Trees Per Acre
1000
10000
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Probability of Mortality
80%
red fir type
white fir type
70%
mixed conifer fir type
Frequency (Probabillity) of Mortality
60%
mixed conifer pine type
Douglas-fir type
50%
eastside pine type
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0
100
200
300
400
500
Running Average SDI
600
700
800
900
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Pure White Fir
100 Point Running Average
45
y = 0.017x + 19.071
R2 = 0.3632
40
Average
Dead Basal Area (ft2/acre)
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0
100
200
300
400
500
Average SDI
600
700
800
900
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Density
Density Threshold
Time
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
• Treatment Unit Design
• Where and how
• Target Stocking Level
• How much
• Tree Selection
• Which ones
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Prescription Strategy
• Increase individual tree vigor (in the neighborhood)
• Use crown class and fuel ladder concepts
• Remove trees … that shouldn’t be there
• Emphasize effectiveness
• Recognize link between volume and value
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Crown Class Differentiation
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Medium SDI Plot (profile view)
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region
Prescription Template
Primary Objectives:
• Reduce fuel hazards
– surface fuel
– fuel ladders (increase crown base height)
– crown fuel (reduce canopy bulk density)
• Reduce inter-tree competition
• Effective until next treatment
2005 National Silviculture Workshop
USDA Forest Service, Pacific Southwest Region