Canadian Forest Service Publications
Decay in advanced alpine fir regeneration in the Kamloops District of British Columbia. 1970. Smith, R.B.; Craig, H.M. The Forestry Chronicle 46(3): 217-220.
Year: 1970
Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 28268
Language: English
Availability: PDF (download)
Abstract
The extent of decay in alpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) advanced regeneration in the Kamloops District varied greatly among individual trees, but there was an overall increase in the volume and incidence of decay with increasing diameter and age, even within the same diameter class. Decay was most serious in trees with suspect indicators, of which the most reliable were conks, scars, broken tops and large or numerous branch stubs. The most important decay-causing fungi were Echinodontium tinctorium and Stereum sanguinolentum.
Advanced regeneration in clear-cut areas was essentially decay free. This was attributed to the small size and young age of the understory at the time of release, and to the absence of injury from windfalls after logging. Where spruce (Picea engelmannii) — alpine fir stands are not cleanly logged, decay in residual alpine fir may be considerable. To reduce future decay losses, all residual trees over 6 inches dbh, and all smaller alpine fir with conks, broken tops, scars and large or numerous branch stubs should be felled after logging.