The block has been divided into 2 areas, one receiving a group shelterwood, the second receiving uniform shelterwood.
AREA 1 - harvest:
This is a group shelterwood stand with a specified number of groups and sizes. The number of groups will be determined by the size of the groups (roughly 35x35 m=0.12 ha), the area to be managed with group shelterwood (90% of 34 ha=30.6 ha), and the number of cuts (3). So 30.6/3=10.2 ha divided by 0.122 ha/group=83 groups in total. The acceptable range of number of openings is 75 to 84. This allows some flexibility. These openings would be roughly square in shape. However, if by moving out to get one tree that has lots of major defect or is showing major decline, this is acceptable, as is moving in to allow an AGS pole to remain.
The licencee will identify the main skid trails to allow the groups to be oriented in a more logistical fashion. Groups will be separated by approx 75 m in a grid pattern. Slight shifting of a group may take place in order to have 1-3 cherry trees in the middle, or the northern portion of the group. This is not intended to take all the cherry out now, but rather, groups to be managed for cherry will be placed to maximize potential regeneration. At this stage the openings should be centered on at least one large cherry , with at least three cherry within the group. This is the ideal situation but will not always be possible to achieve this in placing 80 or so openings well spaced apart. It is not required to have black cherry on the edge of the opening but if this occurs it is acceptable. (NOTE: cherry in the opening will be harvested).
Openings will avoid groups of hemlock (ideally no hemlock should be in an opening but up to 1 hemlock per opening could fall in an opening [and would be harvested as well]. The calculation of number of openings allows for hemlock patches (found mainly near HornLake) to be avoided.
Not all openings will necessarily be managed for black cherry. If only one small cherry but abundant maple is in the opening then that opening will be identified on the marking report as not to receive any treatment. Similarly, there are some pockets of advanced yellow birch regeneration that can be released through openings. [These should be a priority for release in this harvest entry as leaving them much longer may put their ability to respond at risk. There are not many of these pockets so they should be identified now to be part of a group opening not to be treated for cherry management].
Openings must have a 4 corners marked with a unique plot number assigned. (i.e. P1, P2) and since the majority will be managed for cherry, those that will not, will have two blue horizontal lines above the plot number. This will make for easy identification in the field. In addition, all plots will be identified with a GPS location of approximately the center of the opening, and recorded. The openings on the reporting sheet will state black cherry, yellow birch, or other for black cherry that will receive vegetation management treatment, yellow birch release (no follow-up), or Other (no follow-up). The majority will be black cherry.
All trees will be harvested down to 6 cm dbh in the openings to be managed for cherry. This is to ensure that the smaller poles are harvested. Herbicide treatment will be able to deal with the smaller material.
Some individual trees may be marked along the main skid trail being laid in advance of marking. These should not be quality trees and preferably not cherry trees of medium size classes. This statement is to better allow access into the block with the main trail legitimizing the occasional removal of trees that obviously must be removed.
AREA 1 – follow up silviculture:
Each opening identified for cherry management (the vast majority of openings) will be site prepared using either a basal bark treatment (triclopyr) or ABS sprayer (Vision Max) with the basal bark treatment being the more likely treatment given the height of the understory (>4m) on the west wide of the road. This site preparation is planned preharvest (late summer 2006) prior to the fall harvest. As a backup plan, treatment could occur early in 2007 although some cherry regen would be lost in such a treatment.
Regeneration will be natural, relying mainly on the cherry seedbank as well as seeds to fall in 2006 as the area is not planned to be harvested until the fall 2006 after seedfall and there appears to be a heavy seedcrop given the amount of flowering noticed in late May 2006.
Tending is not anticipated given chemical site preparation work is planned.
AREA 2 - harvest:
This is a uniform shelterwood seeding cut, marking in blue. The stand should be marked to approximately 40-45% crown closure targets. Will be a two pass shelterwood, likely spaced approximately 10 years apart depending on stand response to the first harvest. Given that there is most of the seed in the seedbank already, this is not merely a thin from below approach. However, only very good quality maple poles should be retained in the pole size class. (All hemlock to be retained). The smaller cherry should be retained in order to provide more time to grow, even if it is only a relatively short period of time. Any cherry showing significant decline should be removed. Some larger healthy cherry (in the larger end of the small sawlog size class and medium sized sawlogs) may be removed while some should be retained. (40:60 i.e. 40 to remove, 60 to keep, ratio as a general guide only). This will allow release of the seedbank under those trees that are removed while retaining enough trees to provide mast for wildlife as well as providing enough volume to allow another harvest and provide for another release of the seedbank.
Species priority for retention is hemlock, black cherry, smaller sized sawlogs of good quality maple and yellow birch, beech (few present, secondary mast producer to cherry).
All balsam fir should be removed. Mark down to 6 cm dbh for stand improvement.
AREA 2 – follow up silviculture:
This area will be site prepared using either a basal bark treatment (triclopyr) or ABS sprayer (Vision Max) with the ABS treatment (likely preharvest) being the more likely treatment given the height of the understory (<4m).
Regeneration will be natural, relying mainly on the cherry seedbank as well as seeds to fall in 2006 as the area is not planned to be harvested until the fall 2006 after seedfall and there appears to be a heavy seedcrop given the amount of flowering noticed in late May 2006.
Tending is not anticipated given chemical site preparation work is planned.