Missoula Technology and Development Center: Reforestation Toolbox, Cone Collection

Rating the Collection

Use local (regional or forest) instructions for rating the cone crop. If local ratings are not available, use the following guide. Be sure to walk through the area of the collection to get a good feel for the volume of the cone crop on dominant and codominant trees. The rating is fairly subjective and requires knowledge of cone development. Do not include old cones that have already shed their seed. Be sure to adjust for trees along roadsides that tend to produce more cones because of the increased light.

All Species except True Firs
Rating Criteria	Seed Cone Crop Rating
1. No cone flowers in upper third of crown; few cones on less than 25 percent of the seed trees.	Nil
2. Few cone flowers in upper third of crown. Few cones on more then 25 percent of the seed trees.	Poor
3. Few cone flowers present in the middle third of crown, more abundant in upper third of crown. Pollen flowers abundant. Many cones on 25 to 50 percent of the seed trees.	Medium
4. Abundant cone flowers present in upper two-thirds of crown. Few to many flowers in lower third of crown. Pollen flowers abundant. More than 50 percent of the seed trees have many cones.	Heavy
(Consider only the portion of the trees where cones are normally produced.)

True Firs

It is difficult to see cone buds in true firs because they are in the upper crown. Assume there may be a collectable crop if you can see cone flower buds and abundant pollen cones from the ground. Once cone buds have elongated into flowers, they are easier to see, especially if you are on a hill looking down into the crown.

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