Title:

Effect of management activities on forest soil properties in the Rocky Mountains: II. Tree, stump, and downed woody debris data

Author(s):

Jain, Theresa B.; Sikkink, Pamela G.; Graham, Russell T.

Publication Year:

2021

How to Cite:

These data were collected using funding from the U.S. Government and can be used without additional permissions or fees. If you use these data in a publication, presentation, or other research product please use the following citation:

Jain, Theresa B.; Sikkink, Pamela G.; Graham, Russell T. 2021. Effect of management activities on forest soil properties in the Rocky Mountains: II. Tree, stump, and downed woody debris data. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2021-0063

Abstract:

Site preparation when applied (hand or mechanical methods) in the western United States often has two objectives: 1) modify the soil, litter, or surface vegetation to create microclimates that favor the establishment and growth of desired tree species and 2) to remove excess surface fuel to decrease the fire hazard. Between 1989 and 1992, data were collected from 11 national forests across the Rocky Mountains (Idaho, Montana, and Arizona) in moist and dry mixed-conifer and ponderosa pine forests. Depending on the forest, stands were treated with the following prescriptions over the five-year period (listed by treatment code): 1 = bole removed followed by broadcast burn, 2 = bole removed followed by dozer or grapple pile, 3 = control (undispersed), 4 = whole tree removal (only in 1990 Helena/Deerlodge Forest), and 9 = burned only. Not every treatment was used in each forest.

Each harvested stand was also paired with an adjacent untreated stand on a similar aspect, slope, and habitat type. For each stand in the study, the variable radius plots were used to collect characteristics on trees > 5 inches diameter at breast height (DBH) and to measure and tally stumps. The information gathered from the variable radius plot included tree species, diameter, and height. Brown’s transects (Brown 1971, 1974) were used to collect data on downed woody debris (dwd) and tree and stump density. The information gathered from the Brown’s transects included size and distribution of the sound and rotten wood currently laying on the ground and estimates of the total weights of sound and rotten wood. These data were intended to provide the general characteristics of live and dead wood for each stand after treatment.

The original intent of the study was to summarize the data to an individual stand so returning to each stand for additional sampling in subsequent years was not planned and plot locations were not permanently marked. However, written or diagrammed descriptions of the location of each sample site exist on the sample forms. These descriptions are included with these archived data in case there is a future need to return to the sample areas.

Keywords:

biota; Ecology, Ecosystems, & Environment; Forest & Plant Health; Botany; Soil; Brown's transects; canopy vegetation; coarse woody debris; downed woody debris; fine woody debris; fuels management; logs; rotten wood; stump measurements; stumps; tree measurements; variable plot; Arizona; Idaho; Montana; Boise National Forest; Helena/Deerlodge National Forest; Lolo National Forest; Nez Perce National Forest; Payette National Forest; Salmon National Forest; Targhee National Forest

Related publications:

• Graham, Russell T.; Harvey, Alan E.; Jurgensen, Martin F.; Jain, Theresa B.; Tonn, Jonalea R.; Page-Dumroese, Deborah S. 1994. Managing coarse woody debris in forests of the Rocky Mountains. Research Paper. INT-RP-477. Ogden, UT: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Intermountain Research Station. 12 p. https://doi.org/10.2737/INT-RP-477
• Jain, Theresa B.; Sikkink, Pamela G.; Graham, Russell T. 2021. Effect of management activities on forest soil properties in the Rocky Mountains: I. Understory vegetation. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2021-0062
• Jain, Theresa B.; Sikkink, Pamela G.; Graham, Russell T. 2021. Effect of management activities on forest soil properties in the Rocky Mountains: III. Soil core data. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2021-0064
• More (6 total)

Metrics:

Visit count : 151 0
Download count: 6
More details

Data Access:

• View metadata (HTML)
• View file index (HTML), which lists all files in this data publication and short description of their contents
• Download all files below for the complete publication:
  • RDS-2021-0063.zip (65.64 MB; Checksum)

Need information about Using our Formats?