Research Branch Staff Publications

A comparison of manual brushing treatments in the ICHdw at Redfish Creek: 10-year results from blocks 10-13.

Citation:

Harper, G.J., R. Whitehead, and C.F. Thompson. 1998. A comparison of manual brushing treatments in the ICHdw at Redfish Creek: 10-year results from blocks 10-13. Extension Note 20. B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C.

Abstract:

After harvesting, sites in the Interior Cedar-Hemlock Dry Warm subzone (ICHdw) frequently regenerate to rich, brush-dominated communities that can inhibit successful conifer establishment. Species common to these post-harvested areas include: paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.), Douglas maple (Acer glabrum Torr. var. douglasii [Hook.] Dipp.), redstem ceanothus (Ceanothus sanguineus Pursh), beaked hazelnut (Corylus cornuta Marsh.), ocean spray (Holodiscus discolor (Pursh) Maxim.), common snowberry (Symphoricarpos albus [L.] Blake), thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus Nutt.), and fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium L.). Located on the lower valley slopes of southeastern British Columbia, the ICHdw subzone also features other important land uses that make forest management complex and controversial. In addition to being the most diverse subzone in the province in terms of tree species (Braumandl and Curran 1992), this subzone often provides critical winter and spring ungulate habitat, and can be important as a source of domestic water. As a result of these resource uses and public pressure, herbicides are rarely used for controlling competition to tree regeneration.

The Redfish Creek Manual Brushing study was established in 1987 by Roger Whitehead of the Canadian Forest Service. The primary objectives of this research trial were to examine the cost effectiveness and productivity of motorized manual brushing treatments (Holmsen and Whitehead 1988) and to compare conifer and vegetation response to multiple motor-manual brushing treatments.

This extension note summarizes the 1997 remeasurement of conifer and vegetation response data collected from blocks 10-13 (Figure 1). These blocks are adjacent to each other and provide a field demonstration of a range of brushing treatments. The objectives of the 1997 remeasurement were to compare brushing treatment vegetation, stocking, and conifer response 10 years after trial establishment. A more detailed report summarizing results from blocks 1-9 can be found in Thompson et al. [1998].

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