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| Project Title: |
Bush River Brushing Trial |
| Project Number: |
PFC-P36270 |
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| District: |
Columbia Forest District |
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| Location: |
112 km on Bush River Road
Lat. 51 55'N, Long. 117 21'W |
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| Principal Researcher: |
Roger J. Whitehead
Natural Resources Canada
Canadian Forestry Service
Victoria, BC. V8Z 1M5 |
Phone: (250) 363-0765
e-mail:
rwhitehead@pfc.forestry.ca |
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Objectives:
-
to compare effectiveness of four vegetation management treatments for control
of a Rubus-Epilobium brush complex;
-
to examine and compare the effects of four vegetation management treatments
on the survival and growth performance of Engelmann spruce seedlings; and,
-
to describe the effects of four vegetation management treatments on vegetation
community dynamics and on wildlife forage values.
Experimental Design:
The experiment is conducted in a randomized complete block design with three
replicates of four treatment levels. Plots were subsampled (after Herring
and Pollack, 1985) to follow effects of treatment on three target species
(thimbleberry, raspberry and fireweed), and Engelmann spruce crop trees.
One 20m X 20m macroplot was established in each treatment plot for monitoring
plant community composition and structure.
Treatments:
Treatment |
Date |
| Glyphosate herbicide (as Roundup) broadcast @ 1.8 kg a.i./ha |
21 - 23 August, 1986 |
| 2,4-D amine herbicide (as Forestamine) broadcast @ 3.5 kg a.e./ha |
22 - 23 August, 1986 |
| Manual Brushing - non-crop vegetation cut as low to ground as practicable |
19 - 27 August, 1986 |
| Untreated control |
|
Herbicides were broadcast applied in water carrier at 40 L total solution
per hectare using CP-3 backpack sprayers. Manual brushing was completed using
Husqvarna 165r clearing saws with MAXI 255 circular blades
Layout:
Treatments were applied to twelve 50m X 50m plots in a randomized complete
block design with three replicates of four treatments.
History:
The project was developed in the winter of 1985/6. Pre-treatment assessments
were conducted in July 1986 and treatments were applied in August 1986.
Re-measurements were conducted in 1987, 1988, 1989, 1991, 1993, and 1997.
Status: Dormant
Reports and Publications:
Whitehead, R.J. 1989. Comparison of four treatment options for weeding shrub
dominated spruce plantations. Agric. Can. ECW Western Canada Sect. Res. Rep.
Vol. 3.
Clement, C. and B. Keeping. 1996. Evaluation of forest vegetation community
dynamics on the Bush River brushing trial site. Can. For. Serv. and B.C.
Min. For., Victoria. FRDA Rep. 241.
Whitehead, R. and G.J. Harper. 1998. A comparison of four treatments for
weeding Engelmann spruce plantations in the interior cedar hemlock zone of
British Columbia: ten years after treatment. Information Report; BC-X-379.
Canadian Forest Service, Pacific Forestry Centre, Victoria, B.C.
Comments:
Existing experimental design for monitoring crop-tree responses to treatment
has outlived its usefulness (in that individual conifers selected for monitoring
in 1986 have not all turned out to be crop trees). It could be valuable to
establish and maintain permanent sample plots in the 20m x 20m central
macroplots, particularly in the control and glyphosate treatments, in order
to capture effects of brushing on growth and yield for timber supply analyses.
At present, there are no plans to do so.
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