2008-03-04_REPORT - M1977493 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

2007 Climax Mine Tree Planting Report Trees were counted as alive if they had any green needles at the end of the growing season. Twenty-one spruce trees showed elk damage the first year they were planted, of these 5 were dead after 1 year and another 6 were dead after 2 years. This constitutes a loss of 2.4% of trees to elk. Many of the transplanted willows showed some dieback the first year, with 7 showing significant dieback, of these all but 1 resprouted and are still alive after 2 years. After 1 year 11% of living trees had greater than 50% needle death (33% of firs and 8% of spruces) primarily due to sun scalding on the south side of the tree (Table 3). The average tree had 27% needle death (23% spruce, 42% fir). In 2007, 33% of trees (29% of spruces and 70% of firs) had greater than 50% needle death with the average tree increasing to 51% needle death (48% spruce, 75% fir). While none of these trees died the first year, it was expected that some may not survive their second growing season. Of those trees with greater than 50% needle death in 2006, 61% died in 2007 compared to only 11% of trees with less than 50% needle death (Table 4). The total tree death rate that can likely be attributed to sun scalding after 2 years is 7% overall, but 21 % for fir trees. Table 3: Needle Death by Species 2006 2007 Trees >50% <50% Average >50% <50% Average # % # % /Tree # % # % /Tree Engelmann 35 8% 395 92% 23% 110 29% 266 71% 48% Spruce Subalpine 22 33% 45 67% 42% 26 70% 11 30% 75% Fir Lodgepole 0 0% 2 100% 25% 1 100% 1 100% 63% Pine Total 57 11 % 442 89% 27% 137 27% 278 56% 51 % Table 4: Tree Death due to Scalding 2006 > 50% Needle Death 2006 < 50% Needle Death Death from Alive Dead % Alive Alive Dead % Alive Scalding Fir 8 14 36% 29 16 64% 21 % S nice 14 21 40% 363 32 92% 5% Total 22 35 39% 392 48 89% 7% The fir trees were likely more susceptible to scalding for two reasons. Primarily, the fir trees were taller than the spruces on average and scalding was most apparent in taller trees (Figure 2). Most scalding occurred above 6 ft off the ground on the south exposure. This is likely because the snow depth for most of the winter was around 5-6 ft and only trees that were significantly taller than the snow where susceptible to scalding. In every needle death class the taller trees were apparently more susceptible as in every case the average height of dead trees was greater than those that survived after 2 years (Figure 3). Habitat Management, Inc. 5 December 2007