Forest Type: Jack pine (with aspen and paper birch component). DBH: 2", Height: 18 feet; Density: 3,480 TPA
Jack pine: moderate density, patchy distribution, 3” dbh, 18 ft. tall, 30% of composition
Quaking aspen: moderate density, patchy distribution, 2” dbh, 18 ft. tall, 30% of composition
Paper birch, moderate density, patchy distribution, 1” dbh, 14 ft. tall, 30% of composition
Choke/Pin cherry thickets (not crop trees, but the shrub is 20’ tall at this site) and brush, moderate density, patchy distribution, 2” dbh, 20 ft. tall, 5% of composition
White pine and balsam fir, low density, patchy distribution, 2” dbh, 12 ft. tall, 5% of composition.
Ecologically, current conditions are similar to a young FDn43 community at age 0-35 years old, but aspen would have dominated over jack pine. Under natural conditions, catastrophic fires would occur at regular intervals; the mechanical site preparation was a successful substitution for fire. Aspen and jack pine would have been the first cohort of trees to regenerate in this stand, similar to what is present, except the jack pine was planted at higher concentrations than likely would have regenerated naturally. Therefore, the prescription for this stand fits the Native Plant Community. However, the regenerating jack pine have had mortality of approximately 20% due to snow damage. Notes indicate 50% brush cover prior to treatment. The site continues to be brushy. An intermediate treatment that released the jack pine from deciduous competition may have prevented some of the snow damage. When heavy snow bent the brush and trees over the vegetation became tangled and remained bent over. If the brush had been absent or present in lower densities (from a tree release treatment) and the jack pine and other crop trees had been adequately spaced (from tree release) then the trees more likely would have reformed in an upright condition after a heavy snow event.