Graduate Thesis Or Dissertation
 

Forage production and utilization in a mixed conifer forest in the Wallowa Mountain foothills

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  • This investigation was undertaken to characterize and evaluate the forage production and utilization of the successional vegetation of the mixed conifer forest. Field studies were carried out during the summers of 1962 through 1964 at the Eastern Oregon Experiment Station Hall Ranch which is located 12 miles southeast of Union, Oregon. The mixed conifer forest is an assemblage of serai vegetation within the ecologic potential of a grand fir (Abies grandis) topo-edaphic climax. One hundred and forty-one 1/100-acre macroplots, each containing four 4.8-square-foot microplots, were used to determine dominance and successional trends and the relationship of herbage and browse production to other vegetation layers in the mixed conifer forest. Forage utilization by cattle was estimated on each macroplot and an average utilization estimate was made for each stand in the mixed conifer forest of the Hall Ranch. Tree overstory cover was found to be negatively associated with herbage production. The coefficient of determination of this relationship was .254. Overstory cover accounted for more of the variation in herbage yield than either basal area or stems per acre. Mean shrub weight was estimated at 8,000 pounds per acre plus or minus 1,750 pounds and shrub current annual growth production was estimated at 85 pounds per acre plus or minus 10 pounds both at the 95 percent confidence level. Sunspots, intermediate shade and heavy shade areas contribute about equally to the total herbage production of the mixed conifer forest. Sunspots are about four times as productive as heavy shade areas, but make up only 20 percent of the total forest area. A sanitation logging in 1960 modified the over story cover, but may have contributed to grand fir dominance of the logged mixed conifer stands. This logging of mixed conifer forest stands was both beneficial and detrimental to herbage production. Herbage production was increased where old sunspots were enlarged or new ones created, but some areas were taken out of production by heavy soil disturbance and slash accumulations. The difference in herbage production of logged and unlogged mixed conifer forest stands was highly significant when selected plots were used to reduce disturbance variability. There was no significant difference between the crude protein yield of logged and unlogged stands. Through the use of facilitating physical improvements, proper class of livestock, improved livestock distribution and proper season of use the forage resource of the mixed conifer forest was effectively utilized by cattle. The percent of non-use is positively related to the amount of overstory crown cover in the mixed conifer forest. Suitable forest and range management practices should enable an ingenious land manager to more fully realize the potential grazing resource of the mixed conifer forest.
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