RECOMMENDATIONS
STAND #1Since the balsam fir and aspen are nearing the end of their expected life span, they should be harvested. Because the stand is even-aged and less than 40 percent is shade tolerant and long-lived, a clearcut system to encourage more natural regeneration establishment is suggested.
A strip cut may be better than a patch cut because of the uniform species distribution. Since the fir and spruce have shallow, lateral roots, narrow strips are recommended to reduce chance of blowdown. The strips should run in a north-west to south-east direction to reduce sun exposure - if practical. If aesthetics are a major concern, small patch cuts should be considered.
Consider leaving any healthy red maple to reduce problems with sprouts from the cut stumps. Similarly, to avoid suckers from roots consider leaving any healthy aspen.
It would be a good idea to mark off small clump(s) of trees that contain the longer-lived red spruce and aspen and maple. Choose trees that are sheltered with deep crowns to ensure that the clump(s) is windfirm
Since the red spruce and yellow birch are still young, they should be left to grow to saw log diameter. The stand can be left to develop on its own. Or because it is well drained and moderately exposed, it can be commercially thinned (see page 10 or module 3 in this series), by removing the balsam fir and red maple. As well, some of the poorer quality spruce and birch can be removed to ensure that the remaining trees have enough room to grow.
In another 20 to 30 years the stand should be considered for a shelterwood cut, once the spruce and birch are consistently producing seed.
Wildlife clumps should contain yellow birch and maple to develop into cavity trees, and spruce and fir for cover.
Unless the budworm attack is stopped, the stand should be clearcut to use the trees before they die. If the site requires planting, the heavy slash will have to be crushed or redistributed to make planting easier. Therefore, be sure to save some income from stumpage for these costs.
Try to leave red spruce and aspen in the wildlife clumps. If the cut is to be more than 50 hectares (125 acres) be sure to leave uncut strips to provide cover for wildlife travel. Also, try to keep the cut edges irregular to provide better habitat for wildlife.
Because regeneration is established, the stand can be clearcut. It should not be partially cut, because of the high risk of blowdown.
A minimum 20 m (66 foot) special management zone should be left along the stream.
Make it wider if there is more than 10 degrees of slope. Any partial cutting along the stream would be very risky. Wildlife clumps should contain at least one yellow birch which makes very good cavity trees.
This stand gives us lots of options.
The mature red spruce and yellow birch can be regenerated by a shelterwood cut. Since the species are uniformly distributed throughout the stand, a uniform shelterwood cut should be carried out, removing 30 percent of the volume. Most of this cut will be comprised of balsam fir and red maple.
A second option would be to do a single tree selection cut. Like the initial cut of the shelterwood, the first cut would allow light to reach the forest floor to stimulate regeneration. Future cuts would further thin the overstory, but would not remove it.
Small patch cuts should also produce acceptable regeneration.
Regardless of the option chosen, it would be a good idea to do the first cut during the summer with a machine that drags the wood to mix the organic and mineral soil layers. This is vital to obtain yellow birch regeneration. A machine that carries the wood would probably be more appropriate for future cuts.
Make sure that the wildlife clumps contain yellow birch or leave a few scattered yellow birch for cavity trees.
The balsam fir should be harvested before it deteriorates. A clearcut is necessary to economically harvest the area. A comparison between height and age indicates slow growth in the stand. Because the site is dry and best suited to pines, or other species with deep rooting systems, the stand should be clearcut and planted with pine. It would probably be difficult to regenerate naturally.
Wildlife clumps should contain the longer lived red spruce. The clumps should be large to reduce risk of blowdown. Some seeding may result from these clumps.
The clumped, uneven-aged balsam fir and black spruce lends itself to group selection. It may regenerate to predominantly balsam fir but the stand also contains longer-lived red spruce. The younger red spruce, white birch, and red maple patches should be thinned while harvesting.
If the patches are larger than 0.2 ha (0.5 acres), clearcutting in patches might be the best option.
Because it is poorly drained, it should be harvested in winter. Wildlife clumps should contain several species, if possible.
This stand should be replaced by a stand of similar species. Because the stand is highly exposed to the wind, a white pine seed tree cut might work best. Red spruce and hemlock are more susceptible to blowdown than white pine.
Wildlife clumps should be left around the white pine seed trees