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Re-planting in spruce forest decimated by spruce beetle: best species to plant?

Started by 1ricky1955, July 17, 2017, 04:21:00 PM

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1ricky1955

I am in South-Central Alaska and the spruce bark beetle is working it's way up my valley. I am going to harvest mature trees for lumber before they all die. I would like to re-plant but am un-sure of best type of evergreen to plant. This is my first inquiry and will be seeking local advice as well.

BradMarks

By all means, "go local".  That said, what else is growing (native) well and is there a market for it? Therein probably lies your answer.  For example, in this area Industry planted a lot of Valley Ponderosa Pine in wetter areas unsuitable for other species (high water table winter - bone dry in summer).  Well guess what? - no mills for the P.Pine on the west side, trucking costs too high for a low value wood to go east or south. Something is growing now on those sites which is better than nothing, but there is no $ return on the expense. Obviously not thought out well on the financial (bean counters), but good for the ground (foresters).

Corruption Logs

We're in the Collegiate Peaks of Colorado in a valley almost totally comprised of Engelmann & Blue Spruce. The local station of the Colorado State Forest Service recommends Douglas Fir. Not sure if that would work for your area. We are at treeline, about 11,500 feet, and get about 12 feet of snow on the ground in winter.

Have you tried anything since your post?

saskatchewanman

What species grow nearby or regionally under similar climate and soil conditions?

thecfarm

Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

barbender

My guess for his area is that his options include spruce. When it dies, more spruce grows.
Too many irons in the fire

Corruption Logs

Sorry about not getting back.
We aren't on the internet much up here, and it's been a busy season for us.

Like @barbender said, when our spruce dies, more spruce grows in its place. Just a little lower down elevation in the valley there are some aspen groves, doug fir, & ponderosa.

wisconsitom

You might try to encourage aspen.  As it matures, it will become an ideal nursery stand for a new generation of spruce, now isolated by perhaps 15 to 20 years (or more, depending on growth rate of aspen in your area) from bark beetle outbreak.  I'm not sure I'm right about this but in general, if we can rotate into different types of stands-all within the same general forest community type-I think we may give trees a bit of a break from insect/pathogen issues.
Ask me about hybrid larch!

Corruption Logs

We have been talking about trying to plant some aspens next spring. Since we have them just down the road from us, I would think they would take hold just fine. A little diversity in the stand would be great! Plus some fall colors would be a nice addition to all the evergreens.

livemusic

I don't have much of an answer for you other than a comment. And that is that if you take heed of whatever is selling today, that does not mean it will be selling decades from now. I have seen this happen over and over on these forums where people relate what happened in their local area. It got me thinking... the only way to 'beat' this would be to be a large forestry company that has a diversified land base with thousands of acres. We have such enterprises around here but with land prices these days, it's not like somebody could achieve this from scratch. A few hundred acres is dreamable and that is if one has quite a bit of money! An ideal would be to have a forest all contiguous of several hundred acres that was both upland and bottomland. Then again, one could worry about a fire or disease wiping it all or most of it out. Which would mean, you'd be better off having it in multiple tracts scattered about.
~~~
Bill

Brandon1986

I live in the same area, replant spruce saplings.  The Spruce beetle leaves the saplings alone and only goes for the more mature trees.  If memory serves it has something to do with the sap in the young trees not being palatable for them for one reason or another.  After these past 2 years of decimation to our local spruce stand we need to be on planting more of them IMO..  

SwampDonkey

Insects usually take the weaker trees, ones suppressed from low light for years, real old with little leader growth happening and so on. We have spruce bud worm in this part of the continent that kills millions of acres of spruce and fir. They are usually the old stuff and will likely be this umbrella shaped fir with stem rot already where the overstory was removed that some mills want thinned out for no benefit down the road. :D We continue planting and thinning spruce after the budworm roll through. We have not had a 'big one' for a couple decades, but it is at the door nibbling. ;)
"No amount of belief makes something a fact." James Randi

1 Thessalonians 5:21

2020 Polaris Ranger 570 to forward firewood, Husqvarna 555 XT Pro, Stihl FS560 clearing saw and continuously thinning my ground, on the side. Grow them trees. (((o)))

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