New silvicultural practices under ecosystem management

摘要

The Colville Study is a partnership between thre National Forests, three forest products companies, five universities, the USDA Forest Service Forest Products Laboratory, and the USDA Forest Service pacific Northwest Research Station. The objective of the study is to understand the potential role of wood removals in financing forest operations intended to change the growth trajectory of densely stocked small-diameter stands. We evaluated the long-term ecological implications of a range of silvicultural regimes intended to promote development of late-successional structure, wildlife habitat, reduce risk of insect attack and disease, and improve aesthetics of such stands. We also measured the productivity of a cut to length harvesting system and the product potential of treatment. To help forest managers understand the complex interactions between forest operations and value of smalldiameter trees we are developing a software tool for performing financial analysis of silvicultural treatments.