Aspen Bibliography

Document Type

Report

Source

Cooperative Projects the the Boise and Sawtooth National Forests

Publication Date

9-2009

Abstract

This Case Study is prepared for revalidation as a certified silviculturist in the Intermountain Region. When I first began working on this study, I anticipated that prescribed fire would produce variable degrees of aspen crown-kill and that differences in aspen sprouting would exist across the project area. What I observed was that although variable degrees of aspen crown-kill do exist, their distribution and relative amounts is more a function of prescribed fire ignition than of vegetation conditions. Very nearly full aspen crown-kill occurs with any fire that sustains itself enough to carry through the vegetation. Where prescribed fire is employed, fire is typically sustained by on-going ignition, particularly strip firing, thereby permitting ignition personnel to control or manage the degree of fire intensity produced or more simply put amount of aspen crownkill achieved. Ultimately, I observed that full aspen crown-kill is not necessary to achieve aspen restoration oriented objectives where aspen sprouting levels in the roughly 5,000 to 15,000 stems per acre are desired or considered adequate.

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