Canadian Forest Service Publications
Guideline to Collecting Cones of B.C. Conifers. 1976. Dobbs, R.C.; Edwards, D.G.W.; Konishi, J.; Wallinger, D. Environment Canada, Canadian Forestry Service, Pacific Forest Research Centre, Victoria, BC. Joint Report No. 03, co-published by the BC Ministry of Forests. 98 p.
Year: 1976
Issued by: Pacific Forestry Centre
Catalog ID: 4926
Language: English
Availability: PDF (download)
Abstract
In order for a provincial reforestation program to progress rapidly, a continuous supply of high quality seeds of selected provenance is required. It is also critically important that the staff be familiar with cone collection methods and procedures. To this end, the B.C. Forest Service and the Pacific Forest Research Centre (Canadian Wildlife Service) established a joint committee which produced an up-to-date guide to the various aspects of seed production, collection and preparation.
The publication, entitled "Collecting Cones of B.C. Conifers", is intended primarily for B.C. Forest Service personnel. However, given that most of the information is of general interest, the guide can also be useful to foresters and technicians outside the designated region.
The guide is divided into two sections. The first section provides an overview of the various operations involved in cone collection, with a discussion of the following topics: cone and seed formation and development; obstacles to cone crop development and periodicity; determination of cone and seed requirements; crop forecasting and rating; preparation of collection areas; equipment, transportation methods and labour; collection methods and supervision of cone collectors; and cone handling, which includes identification of seedlots, registration and tagging, forms and shipment of cones to the drying facilities.
The second section provides specific cone collection information and recommendations for 20 major conifer species of British Columbia. It also contains appendices respecting provincial cone collection regulations, cone collection permits, and the physical characteristics of the cones and seeds of the major conifer species. One of the appendices provides detailed guidelines on cone forecasting for Douglas fir and white spruce.
The guide is abundantly illustrated with black-and-white and colour photographs, line drawings and distribution maps.