Mosaic Burn Site on Jim Readdy Rd (MN DNR)

Stand Information

State or Province:

Minnesota

Nearest city or town:

Markham, MN

Describe the location:

Stand 240-21-22-14W on the Jim Readdy Rd, north of Duluth

Landowner:

State of Minnesota

Cover-type:

Pine

MN ECS Native Plant Community System:

Fire Dependent

Plant community or habitat classification and growth stage:

FDn43

Forest Health Threats:

N/A

Additional information about stand origin:

Unknown

Site Index:

feet

for species:

trembling aspen

Silviculture System:

Other Silviculture System

Brief silvicultural objective:

Convert a poor quality aspen / paper birch stand to pine.

Soils:

Aldenlake-Pequaywan complex pitted outwash plains

Stand area:

17 acres

Treatment area:

17 acres

Overview

Natural origin, poor quality aspen-birch stand clearcut harvested 2009 with intent to establish white and red pine regeneration via aerial seed after a prescribed burn. Burn was not intense enough to create good soil conditions for seeding, so decision was made to plant instead. White pine was planted into areas with more competition, red pine into more open areas with less competition. Site has been budcapped annually 2012-2015 and hand-released in fall 2014. Regeneration is well stocked.

Silviculture Objective(s)

Given the historic very high incidence of white rot in aspen in this area, the decision was made to convert the natural origin poor quality aspen-birch stand to native pines. Intent was to use aerial seeding to establish pine regeneration, but as site prep was not adequate to support that, the site was planted instead.

Pre-treatment stand description and condition

Stand establishment and management history:

Site was clearcut harvested (conventional equipment) in 2009.

Pre-treatment species composition:

No established advance regeneration on site.

Silviculture Prescription

The prescription initially was to conduct a prescribed burn, then use aerial seeding to establish red and white pine. However, burn conditions were a mosaic, leaving inadequate control of competing vegetation in some areas. Thus the prescription was revised to include planting, with white pine planted into areas less intensely burned (and thus with more competing vegetation) and red pine planted into areas with more complete vegetation control.

What actually happened during the treatment

in 2011, two years post-harvest, the site was planted with 605 white pine and 605 red pine per acre. The site was treated with Plantskydd in fall 2011 and budcapped annually in 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015. Site was hand-released in fall 2014 using a brushsaw to remove competing (mostly aspen) stems within 6 feet of planted seedlings. Aspen not within 6 feet of a planted seedling was left intact with the intent to create a mixed stand (see photos).

Photographs