Prior to harvest in 2004, each reserve tree in the white pine reserve shelterwood area, plus a 50 foot wide road buffer on the east edge, was measured (no evidence could be found of a post-harvest cruise). This measurement totaled a basal area per acre of 52.7 ft2/ac. Of this, 77% was white pine, 17% red pine, and less than four percent each of balsam fir, aspen, white spruce, paper birch, and jack pine.
In 2017, twelve 20BAF variable radius plots for basal area were sampled. This cruise calculated a mean basal area of 95 ft2/ac (CV = 61%). Of this, 64.9% was white pine and 35% were other species (See Table 1). The relatively high coefficient of variation for both the stand basal area and regeneration illustrate the stand is quite variable with patches dominated by mature trees and patches dominated by regeneration.
Table 1. Basal Area of reserve trees calculated from twelve 20BAF variable radius plots.
|
White Pine BA
|
Other Species BA
|
Total BA
|
Mean (ft2/ac)
|
61.7
|
33.3
|
95
|
StdDev
|
56.9
|
54.8
|
57.9
|
CV (%)
|
92.2
|
164.6
|
60.9
|
% of total
|
64.9
|
35.0
|
|
In 2017, twelve 1/500th acre plots for were sampled for regeneration data (Seedlings > 12" tall and < 4"dbh). This sample calculated a mean stocking level of 2708 seedlings/ac (CV = 75%). Of this, 58.5% was white pine and 41.5% were other species (see Table 2). (Author’s note: a layer of heavy snow covered the ground and, likely, some seedlings. Thus these figures likely underestimate actual seedling stocking.)
A visit to the stand in December of 2015 revealed some lesions on many of the white pine seedlings’ limbs. It is thought that these were caused by a summer hail storm. They do not appear to be causing mortality though it is unknown whether or not these will limit growth.
Table 2. Seedling regeneration (in Trees per acre [TPA]) (Seedlings > 12" tall an < 4"dbh) derived from twelve 1/500th acre plots.
|
White pine
|
Other Species
|
Total
|
Mean (TPA)
|
1583
|
1125
|
2708
|
StdDev
|
1880.9
|
1150.6
|
2038.9
|
CV (%)
|
118.8
|
102.3
|
75.3
|
% of total
|
58.5
|
41.5
|
|