Transcript Western Larch: Secrets of Success

Western Larch
The Secrets of Success
Inland Empire Paper Company
Dennis Parent
Forest Operations Manager
Summary
1. Review silvics of larch
2. Review larch silvicultural treatments
3. My “Secrets” of growing larch
Silvics of Western Larch
 Western Larch: a “deciduous conifer in an
evergreen world”
Silvics of Western Larch
 Silvics of North America
Available on the Internet: “Silvics of North American Trees”
Silvics of Western Larch
 10 species total
 Three species in U.S.
 Western larch
 (Larix occidentalis)
 Subalpine larch
 (Larix lyallii)
 Eastern larch
 (Larix laricina)
 The tallest and the largest of the world’s larches
 A seral species
Comparative Shade Tolerance
of Northwestern Conifers
Species
Shade Tolerance
Ponderosa Pine
10
Western Larch
9
Lodgepole Pine
8
Douglas-fir
7
Western White Pine
6
Engelmann Spruce
5
Grand Fir
4
Subalpine Fir
3
Western Redcedar
2
Western Hemlock
1
Silvics of Western Larch
 Growth
 Fastest growing species in
Inland Northwest
 Diameter growth very
sensitive to stand density
 Develops into even-aged
stands
 Height growth both
predetermined and free
Silvics of Western Larch
 Fire resistant
 Wind firm
 Tolerates root rot
 Tolerates soils with poor nutrition
 Wood is hard, strong, and dense.
Silvics of Western Larch
Insects, Diseases, Etc.
Name
Species
Importance
Dwarf Mistletoe
Arceuthobium laricis
1
Larch Casebearer
Coleophora laricella
2
Needle Cast
Hypodermella laricis
3
Bears
Ursus americanus
4
Spruce Budworm
Choristoneura occidentalis
5
Root & butt rot
Phaeolus schweinitzii
6
Laminated Root Rot
Phellinus weirii
7
Flatheaded fir borer
Melanophila drummondi
8
Insects & Diseases
Mistletoe
Insects & Diseases
Larch casebearer
Insects & Diseases
Needle cast
Insects & Diseases
Bears
Insects & Diseases
Spruce budworm
Heart rot
Beetles, a recent phenomenon
Silvics of Western Larch
 Cones & seed
 Flowers very early
 One of the best seed
producers in northwest
Montana
 One of the worst seed
producers in northern Idaho
Silvics of Western Larch
 Genetics
 Seed transfer is relatively broad
 Adaptability intermediate between white
pine and ponderosa pine
Silvics of Western Larch
 Larch nutrition
 Little information
 High nitrogen use efficiency
 Effectively translocates nitrogen
Silvics of Western Larch
 Water use
 Less efficient than other conifers
 Avoids winter
desiccation
Silvics of Western Larch
 Carbon fixation
 Efficient crown architecture
 Small, short branches
 Photosynthetic rate similar on a leaf
area basis
 Photosynthetic rate greater on leaf
weight basis
 Result: Larch fixes the same
amount of carbon as other conifers
Silvics of Western Larch
 Watershed values
 Little snow interception
 Higher water yield
 Higher melt rates from ROS
Silvics of Western Larch
 Aesthetics
 Color diversity
 Beautiful landscapes
Special Problems of
Western Larch
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Needs adequate site preparation
Losses crown quickly if overtopped
Susceptible to herbicides
Poor seed yields
Foresters and loggers!
Special Strengths of
Western Larch
Fire resistant
2. Favored by wildfire
1.
Fire Resistance of Inland Species
Species
Rank
Western Larch
1
Ponderosa Pine
2
Douglas-fir
3
Western White Pine
4
Lodgepole Pine
5
Grand Fir
6
Western Redcedar
7
Western Hemlock
8
Engelmann Spruce
9
Special Strengths of
Western Larch
Fire resistant
2. Favored by wildfire
3. Resistant to root rot
1.
Relative Susceptibility of Inland Northwest
Conifers to Root Disease
Armillaria
Susceptibility
Laminated
Susceptibility
Western Larch
3
2
Ponderosa Pine
2
4
Lodgepole Pine
2
3
Western White Pine
2
3
Subalpine Fir
2
2
Western Hemlock
2
2
Engelmann Spruce
2
2
Western Redcedar
2
4
Douglas-fir
1
1
Grand Fir
1
1
Species
Special Strengths of
Western Larch
Fire resistant
2. Favored by wildfire
3. Resistant to root rot
4. Genetic adaptability
1.
Potential for Genetic Improvement
of Inland Species
Species
Rank
Western White Pine
1
Western Larch
2
Ponderosa Pine
3
Lodgepole Pine
4
Douglas-fir
5
Genetic Characteristics of Western Larch
1. Highest potential gain in volume through genetic improvement: 20-40 percent
2. Higher value species
3. Fastest growth
4. Poor natural seed yields
5. Easy to graft
6. Seed transfer is relatively broad
7. Responds to intensive management
Special Strengths of
Western Larch
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Fire resistant
Favored by wildfire
Resistant to root rot
Genetic adaptability
Strong wood
Specific Gravity of Inland Northwest Woods
Species
Specific Gravity
Western Larch
0.48
Douglas-fir
0.46
Western Hemlock
0.42
Ponderosa Pine
0.38
Lodgepole Pine
0.38
Western White Pine
0.36
Grand Fir
0.35
Engelmann Spruce
0.33
Subalpine Fir
0.31
Western Redcedar
0.30
Special Strengths of
Western Larch
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Fire resistant
Favored by wildfire
Resistant to root rot
Genetic adaptability
Strong wood
Fast juvenile growth
Wind firm
Resists snow and ice loading
Good long-lived snag species
Arabinogalactan
Silvicultural Treatments

Natural Regeneration
1. Good site preparation
Silvicultural Treatments

Natural
Regeneration
2.
Predict cone crop
Silvicultural Treatments

Natural Regeneration
3.
Enhance seed production by girdling
Silvicultural Treatments

Artificial Regeneration
1. Good site preparation = good survival
Silvicultural Treatments

Artificial Regeneration
2. Plant seedlings as large
as you can afford.
Silvicultural Treatments

Artificial Regeneration
3.
Spring vs. fall plant
Silvicultural Treatments
 Vegetation control
 Do it before planting!
For this
Instead of this
Silvicultural Treatments
 Vegetation control
 Oust herbicide may work
Silvicultural Treatments

Density control
 Principles of thinning
1.
2.
3.
4.
Concentrate growth on fewer stems
Decrease total stand growth
Increase merchantable stand yield
Total stand cubic foot yields are not increased.
Silvicultural Treatments

Precommercial thinning

Watch out for:
1. High costs = poor investment
Silvicultural Treatments

Density control
Thinning Costs Compounded
$600
Cost/Acre
$500
$400
$300
$200
$100
$0
10
20
Year
30
40
Silvicultural Treatments

Density control

Precommercial thin but watch for:
1. High costs = poor investment
2. Trees getting too big
3. Thinning too late => crown loss
Silvicultural Treatments

Density control

PCT conclusions
1. Thin early
2. Thin from below
3. Select spacing
carefully
Silvicultural Treatments

Density control

Commercial thinning – some problems
1. Opens up stand to brush competition
2. Stand growth loss
3. Larger trees are not worth more money today.
Silvicultural Treatments

Density control

Other objectives for commercial thinning
1. Growing large diameter trees
2. Structural and vegetation diversity
3. Aesthetics
4. Earlier income generation
5. Perpetuate culmination of MAI
Silvicultural Treatments

Density control
 Affect of thinning on wood strength

Not ring width, but summerwood/springwood ratio

Thinning can increase summerwood/springwood ratio

Thinning does not decrease wood strength

Young, managed larch has similar wood density levels
as those found in natural stands.

This is not true for other western conifers!
Silvicultural Treatments

Pruning

Not necessary and probably a waste of money
1. Natural self-pruning
2. Epicormic branching
3. Dimension lumber; 1-2” knots acceptable
Silvicultural Treatments

Nutrition & fertilization

Little information available
 Castille, 1983: Two-year growth
 Filip and Oester, 2002: Ten-year growth
 Graham, 1986: Effect on cone and seed
production
 IFTNC: Field trials on Boise Cascade lands
 No firm conclusions for larch
Harvest Systems




Selection – NO!
Shelterwood – less than 40 sq. ft. BA/acre
Seed Tree - OK
Clearcut - OK
Harvest Systems
 Clearcut
 Minimum opening
size: 15-20 acres
 Cut hard to
regenerate western
larch
Larch –
The “Secrets” of Success
Look for seed
Adequate site preparation
Realize importance of planting
Control density
Heavy harvest for regeneration
Larch is Tough
1 Year Old
2 Years Old
Larch Grows Rapidly
Western Larch
3 Years Old
4 Years Old
Larch is “Queen”
Western Larch
6 Years Old
6 Years Old
Opportunities for Larch
4 Year Old Plantation
13 Year Old Plantation
Thank You
Acknowledgements:
Carl Fiedler – Univ. of Montana
Joel Fields – Wilbur-Ellis
Kennon McClintock – Forest Capital
Terri Jain -- RMRS
Russ Graham – RMRS
Russ Hudson – retired forester
Terry Shaw – IFTNC