White Pine Shelterwood on Jim Readdy Rd (MN DNR)

Stand Information

State or Province:

Minnesota

Nearest city or town:

Markham, MN

Describe the location:

Stand 211-16-55-14W, on Jim Readdy Rd near County Hwy 4

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:

Other forest health threats

Estimated year of stand origin:

1928

Additional information about stand origin:

Natural stand regenerated after fire in 1928

Site Index:

feet

for species:

white pine

Silviculture System:

Shelterwood

Brief silvicultural objective:

To naturally regenerate white and red pine under a shelterwood system using two site prep methods: prescribed burn and salmon blade.

Soils:

Aldenlake sandy loam and Aldenlake-Pequaywan complex.

Stand area:

15 acres

Treatment area:

15 acres

Silviculture Objective(s)

To use the shelterwood system to naturally regenerate white and red pine using two site prep methods: prescribed burn and salmon blade.

Pre-treatment stand description and condition

Stand establishment and management history:

Natural pine stand originating after 1928 fire.

Pre-treatment species composition:

Dominated by red and white pine.

Pre-treatment forest health issues:

Some white pine blister rust (1-10%) in the stand. Stand had been thinned several times previous to implementation of this treatment, and had also suffered some wind damage.

Silviculture Prescription

First cut shelterwood: Reduce canopy to 53 ft2/ac in 2009. Residual stand dominated by white pine. Conduct site prep using two methods: On the south side of the road, conduct a prescribed burn. On the north side of the road (11 ac), use a salmon blade to expose mineral soil. Regenerate using seed dropped from the shelterwood stand. Release regeneration using Glyphosate in August 2015.

What actually happened during the treatment

First-cut shelterwood implemented as planned in 2009. Underburn on south side was conducted in late September 2009. Salmon blade site prep not conducted until 2012 Stocking was good. Glyphosate release in August 2005 was primarily to control hazel on the south side of the road (burned) and both raspberry and hazel on the north side (salmon blade).

Post-treatment assessment

As of September 2015, stocking is acceptable.

Plans for future treatments

Overstory removal approximately 2024-2029 depending on stocking and seedling condition. Ideally this would be done requiring no more than 25% damage to seedlings, harvested using a carefully implemented herringbone pattern.

Other notes

Treatment was implemented by DNR forester Cory Skerjance, with input from Jim Kelley.

Photographs