| Show REFORESTATION PROVES PROBLEM Selecting of Sites in Region Denuded of Natural Timber Proves Perplexing FEDERAL EXPERT REPORTS Investigations Show Foreign Plants Sometimes Show Better Growth Special t in The Herald Republican I Ogden Sept I. I Foresters i. face a perplexing pr problem blem In the tho selection of ot sites suitable for planting In n a rc region lon lonthal that thal has hns been denuded denude of ot Us its natural timber according to Raphael Zen Zon on of or tho the department of or of or tho the Washington Washington Wash Wash- In ington ton offices of or the forest service who Is leaving Ica for Fla Flagstaff t Ariz having haying hay hav ing completed research work In the Ogden Ogden Og Og- den district t. t lie He said that experiments have shown that tree plants of ot a C species species cies des different from that originally original oc occupying cc- cc the ground recorded a more rapid growth on tracts that had been denuded either cither bv by fire or tho the woodman's woodmans woodmans woodman's wood wood- mans man's ax From I Flagstaff the tho tore forester ter will go to Albuquerque headquarters I for tor research work Officials of ot tho the Ogden Og district sa say that Mr Zon Is considered an nn throughout hout the thc service ser on sU I and nil all that pertains to It and today toda pave gave ao out a n report which Mr Zon Zen han had I prepared The Tho report deals with his In Investigations Investigations investigations In- In on oil the Mantl l forest t with headquarters at Sit Ephraim and Is entitled tied Native NaUvo Shrubs and Herbaceous Plants as ns Indicators of or Planting Sites It follows follows- Site Selection Perplexing The rhe selection of or sites suitable for tor planting In a region which has inns been denuded of ot Its natural timber Is la amon among tho the most perplexing problems which presents Itself to the tho forest service Where there Is a remnant of or the tho virgin forest still left It ma may servo as 35 a guide In selecting tho the species to plant on the given site Even then how- how over there Is a a. possibility of ot an nn error errOr error er er- er- er In tho the selection ReJection It ma may be bo almost n axiomatically stated that a given forest forest for for- est eat type when cut over clean clenn and burned forms torms In most cases a n. more fa favorable favorable fa- fa planting site Bite for tor tho the species forming the tho forest type below It than for tor the species which originally occupied occupied pied the ground bround In other wor words s it is 18 necessary that some species must first prepare the ground for tor another species thus If a Douglas fir stand Is cut and burn burned d. d the site Is more favorable for tor planting yellow pine than for tor Douglas fir Later on after the yellow ellow pine has been es established es- es an of or Douglas fI fir tI mo ma may prove pro successful Similarly the Engelmann spruce t type pe once cut cuter aver er and burned Is more frequently frequently fre fre- a better sito for tor lodgepole pine and Dou Douglas fir than thun It Is for Engelmann spruce The Engelmann spruce ma may however be later Introduced introduced Intro Intro- under tho tine shade hade of ot the species already planted With this as a guide ulde the tho old stumps or the few tew Individual trees the remnant of ot the lr virgin ln forest ma may servo ser ns as a safe sare and practicable In Indicator Indicator Indicator In- In of ot the species most roost suited to I. I the tho area Case III IN Cited When Then as In the case of or the Ephraim canyon and several other ether canyons on the Mantl Manti national forest the tho original virgin stand of ot timber has nearl nearly disappeared disappeared dis- dis appeared both as the thc result of or severe burns and grazing rC and has haa been re replaced replaced re- re placed b by shrubs herbaceous vegetation tion and wide stretches of or aspen Aspon cover coer extending over an area originally oc oc- oc occupied occupied cuple b by several forest t types pes the question of Qt deciding what species to plant on such sheh a a. site becomes vcr very difficult dif dif- t Indeed In uIn In cases of or this nature It Is found that the clew for solving the problem Is furnished b by the shrubs and herbaceous ous Owl vegetation as ns well as the tho aspen This vegetation which occurs throughout through through- out tho the canyon can be used to advantage advantage tage as an Indicator of the moisture content of the different sites and therefore for tor prognosticating the kind of ot timber Umber tho the site can best hest support The Tho native shrubs and herbaceous vegetation vegetation since the they are not merel merely forerunners forerunners forerunners fore fore- runners of ot the forest type that will eventually e develop on a given Iven site but butare butare are arc also associates and are arc characteristic characteristic character character- of the different types as their typical al undergrowth and are useful In deciding upon the species to plant not only onh where the original forest has hns entirely entirely en en- disappeared but also on sites where there are still somo traces of or the original stand but which because of ot the change chango In the tho ph physical condition of the site sito brought about b by cutting clear or burning ma may h better support a species species cies des which naturally grows at a n somewhat somewhat some SOme- what t lower elevation eJe Since the native natie vegetation Is thea the tho a ate aggregate effect of ot the tine climatic soil sell topo topographic and antI other physical characteristics characteristics char char- of or the tine site It Is b by far a safer criterion than a single Individual factor If It a certain vegetation which contains contain water requirements Is found I It t ma may bo ho taken as ns a n safe In Indicator of or the thc moisture content of ot the planting site sUe Irrespective of what Its Us exposure soil or other features may be o Dl tiled Into luto Beit For the purpose of or artificial reforestation reforestation refer refer- Ephraim canyon canon mar map may may- maybe be di divided divided dl- dl I vided f d Into five ve vegetation belts Tine The upper tipper and lower Jower limits of ot these belts vary of course on tho tIne southern and arni northern exposures on the tine southern slopes the thin upper limit will wUl extend to toa toa toa a hl higher elevation than on the northern northern north north- cm ern slopes but wherever a certain e vegetation vegetation vege vege- c- c tation Is found It ma may be he Indicative of ot ono or another natural timber Umber hel belts ts Irrespective of the altitude or exposure These fI five vo belts bett mn ma may be ba classed 1 l I the lower Jower belt 2 the yellow yel ye- ellow el low pine pino belt 3 the tIre Douglas fir belt 4 I toe En Engelmann elmann spruce belt helt and 5 tho the upper belt or above e timber tim Um- tier ber line lino The Tine lower belt Is characterized characterized characterized char char- b by sa sage e brush rabbit brush wild wilt apple cheat brome and pinyon cedar hero these species form torm the dominant cover planting of or timber trees tree should never be attempted TIne The yellow ellow pine belt at Its lower Jower limit Is characterized b by rosebush June Juno berry and antl deer brush at Its Ita middle ex extension extension ex- ex tension by manzanita birch and bar barberry barberry berr berry and at Its Ug upper limit b by gambell Jam gain bell 0 oak mountain mahogany and sumac which Is a ver very ery dear clear Indication Indi cation that wherever these species form torm the tine dominant cover cr western yellow yellowpine pine may be planted even though there b be no other ether Indication of or Its natural occurrence Specie uTile Tho lower limit of ot the tine Dou Douglas las fir belt IB is characterized b by a greater reater abundance abundance dance of or bar berry berrr deer brush hrush and mountain elder At the tine middle the tine aspen aspen aspen as as- pen and mountain myrtle ar are tho the most characteristic species while the upper limit Is characterized by tine the diminishing diminish diminish- ing in- amount of or mountain myrtle mrtle and anti anda a aspen aMpen pen These species when found In abundance indicate a suitable area for tor forthe forthe I the planting 0 of Douglas fir lr spruce coincides largely large large- e- e ly Jv with the limit of ot the Douglas I fir belt bea and is characterized b by the occurrence of ot deer deor brush and a no medium stand tand of ot aspen and mountain myrtle mrtle The Tho optimum of or the Engelmann spruce t typo PO Is characterized b by the tee abundant occurrence of ot cone flower and antI mountain currant At the upper limit the tho cone coneflower coneflower coneflower flower great rent diminishes but the mountain mountain moun mourn tain lain elder eJder Is still abundant and arid Alpine fir Is very much In evidence Whore Where the these e species les are arc common Engelmann spruce will also grow grew row The upper belt In is characterised characterized char char- b by yellow vello brush limber Umber pine and dwarf dwart willow wilow nil all of ot which Indicate that the tho bolt belt Is such that solid bodies of or forest OI st are no longer possible Scattered Scat Scat- groups of or Engelmann spruce and aDd Alpine fir ma may occur here anti and there timers In sheltered places but on en tho the whole hoJe this I entire belt Is characterized by Alpine meadows In which several species of ot aro are timothY wheat grasses and wild most mostly found round Commercial planting of or forest orest trees tress i IB 18 not n-not recommended for tor this bolt belt but for the prevention of erosion protection planting of ot species like elder eldor gooseberry and several of ot the Alpine grasses could bo be tried I Pine Belt DeU In addition to tho the five belts mentioned mentioned mentioned men men- above there is a a. pinebelt pine belt This type docs does not occur naturally naturally all ally In Ephraim canyon and were an any planting of or this species attempted It would properly belong belon to a n transition belt between the Douglas fir anti and Engelmann Engelmann En En- gelmann spruce belts The same is true of or yellow pine nine There Is hardly an any western yellow pine In this canyon which t ma may bo due to the tine prevalence of ot limestone formation but there are Indications indications In Indications In- In from the low lower l vegetation so characteristic of ot yellow pine and so much In evidence that tho the possibilities of ot establishing this species are very cry strong While these belts were est cst v- v In Ephraim cnn canyon on the they are arc undoubtedly undoubtedly un un- un- un equally characteristic of ot the theether theother oth other ether or canyons of ot the west slope of the tho Wasatch range and possibly bl of even a much wider range Tho The main point to remember Is that the native natIe shrubs and herbaceous species really hold the tine key Icey to tho the solution solution tion of at the problem What hat species to plant and where |
