1. No category

n
I
Hesearcn
Note
ISSN 0226-9368
No. 97
1984
Operational Direct
Seeding of Douglasfir and Lodgepole
Pine with Alternative
Foods in British
Columbia
Thomas P. Sullivan
and
Druscilla S. Sullivan
Province of
634.909711 Ish Columbia
BCMF
RE2
istry of
RN 97
ssts
I
1
1984
c. 2
/ '
Operational direct seedingof Douglas-fir
andlodgepolepinewithalternativefoods
in British Columbia
by
Thomas P. Sullivan
and
Druscilla S. Sullivan
Applied Mammal Research Institute
23523 47thAvenue, R.R. 7
Langley, B.C., Canada
V3A 4R1
Province of British Columbia
Ministry of Forests
.
'
2
Canadian Cataloguing in Publication Data
S u l l i v a n , Thomas P r i e s t l a y , 1951Operational direct seeding of Douglas-fir
and
lodgepole pine with alternative foods in British
Columbia
ISSN 0226-9368 ; no. 97)
(Researchnote,
Bibliography : p .
ISBN 0-7718-8458-3
-
-
1. Douglas fir
Seed.2.Lodge-polepine
Seed.3.
Douglas f i r - Diseasesandpests.
4.
Lodge-pole p i n e
Diseasesandpests.
5. Reforestat i o n - B r i t i s h Columbia. I . S u l l i v a n ,D r u s c i l l a
S h i r l e y , 195 311. B r i t i s h Columbia. M i n i s t r y
of F o r e s t s . 111. T i t l e . I V . Series:Researchnote
; no. 97.
( B r i t i s h Columbia. M i n i s t r yo fF o r e s t s )
-
.
SD403.S94 1985
634.91562109711
C85-092034-5
@ 1984 Province o f B r i t i s h Columbia
Published by the
Information Services Branch
Ministry of Forests
Parliament Buildings
V i c t o r i a , B.C.
vaw 3 ~ 7
Copies o f t h i s a n d o t h e r M i n i s t r y o f F o r e s t s t i t l e s may be purchased from
Queen's P r i n t e r P u b l i c a t i o n s , P a r l i a m e n t B u i l d i n g s , V i c t o r i a ,
B.C.,V8V
4R6
ABSTRACT
Direct seeding of cutovers
h e r i c a has often been
birds.
i n temperate coniferous forests
of North
hampered because o f seed predation by rodents and
However, t h e u s e o f a l t e r n a t i v e
foods i n directseedingprogramshas
been shown t o i m p r o v e t h e s u r v i v a l o f c o n i f e r
seed.
Seed p r e d a t i o n b y r o d e n t s
and b i r d s was greatly reduced when a l t e r n a t i v e foodswereused
i n experimental
seeding t r i a l s with Douglas-fir(Pseudotsugamenziesii(Mirb.Franco)and
lodgepolepine(Pinuscontortavar.latifolia
Canada.
Engelm.) i n B r i t i s h Columbia,
This technique may f u r t h e r t h e u s e o f d i r e c t s e e d i n g a s a n e c o n o m i c a l
solution to certain reforestation
problems.
The methods may be adapted for
b o t h a e r i a l and mechanized ground row-seeding applications on an operational
basis.
KeyWords
Seed p r e d a t i o n , r e f o r e s t a t i o n , f o r e s t r y , r o d e n t s , d i r e c t s e e d i n g , B r i t i s h
Columbia,Douglas-fir,lodgepolepine,deer
mouse, a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s .
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
We thank 3 . Walters and h i s s t a f f a t t h e U n i v e r s i t y o f B.C. Research
Forestfortheirco-operation.Forhelp
with t h e f i e l d work, we thank C.
Fleming, 0. Jahnke, W . K a i s e r , 0. Lancaster,and
grateful to the Research
L. Nordstrom.
and S i l v i c u l t u r e Branches o f t h e B.C.
Forestsforfinancialsupport,guidance,andassistanceprovidedby
L. Herring, W. M i t c h e l l , F. Pendl, and A. Vyse.
- iv -
We aremost
Ministry of
6. Brown,
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Abstract
............................
iii
........................
iv
.........................
vi
........................
vi
Acknowledgements
List o f Tables
List o f F i g u r e s
Introduction
..........................
..........................
Study Areas
Douglas-f i r
Lodgepolepine
Methods
........................
.......................
............................
............................
........................
.......................
Results
Douglas-fir
Lodgepolepine
L o g i s t i c Aspects
1
1
2
2
3
3
4
.............
7
.................
8
A p p l i c a t i o n i n R e f o r e s t a t i o n Programs
Economic
and
1
Discussion
...........................
10
Conclusion
...........................
12
........................
13
Literature Cited
- v -
TABLES
1
Costs o f seeding
Douglas-fir
seed
and
lodgepole
pine
seed
9
with a l t e r n a t i v e foods p e r h e c t a r e
FIGURES
1
The success odf i f f e r e nD
t ouglas-fir
seed t o sunflower
seed
(and oats 5:2:1 r a t i o ) r a t i o s ( b y
four, and
2
5
numbers o f seed) a t two,
s i x weeks a f t e r seeding.
with sunflowerseed
The success o f lodgepolepineseedmixed
(2: 1 r a t i o s u n f l o w e r t o p i n e ) a t t h r e e , s i x ,
after seeding at three study areas
and n i n e weeks
i n the interior of
B r i t i s h Columbia.
-
vi
-
6
u
l
y
’
INTRODUCTION
a c e n t u r y a s a method of
Direct seeding has been used for almost half
i n North America,
regenerating cutover forest land
It r e p r e s e n t s a v a l u a b l e
t h e same s c a l e a s p l a n t i n g o f n u r s e r y s t o c k .
reforestation technique, particularly
b u t has never been used on
when conditions warrant an economical
approach t o f o r e s t r e g e n e r a t i o n and l e s s emphasison
the attendant benefits of
planting.
C o n s i s t e n t l y good d i r e c t s e e d i n g r e s u l t s a r e o f t e n h i n d e r e d b y
one o f t h e
f o l l o w i n g : 1) seedbed c o n d i t i o n ; 2) seed damage byrodentsandbirds;and
3 ) moisture and temperature conditions during and immediately following the
germinationperiod.
Type o f seed, v i a b i l i t y , amount applied,andmethod
application w
l
l
ialso have a bearing on the success
Appropriate conditions
o f direct seeding.
f o r seed germination and seedling survival are always
necessaryforsuccessfuldirectseeding.
However, t h e f i r s t o b s t a c l e
a f f e c t i n g sown c o n i f e r seed i s predation by rodents.
done o n s e e d ( p a r t i c u l a r l y D o u g l a s - f i r )
B.C.,
**L*
of
as w e l l a s r e l a t e d a r e a s
Much researchhasbeen
i n coastal
damage b y r o d e n t s a n d b i r d s
o f thePacificNorthwest(Black
1969; Radwan
1970; Radvanyi 1973; Pank 1974; S u l l i v a n 1979a).
This paper summarizes research on a b i o l o g i c a l t e c h n i q u e u t i l i z i n g
alternativefoodstoreduceconifer
seed p r e d a t i o n b y r o d e n t s a n d b i r d s .
) Franco)
technique was developed for Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.
seed i n c o a s t a l r e g i o n s ( S u l l i v a n
contorta v a r . l a t i f o l i a
1979b)and
The
forlodgepolepine(Pinus
Engelm.) i n i n t e r i o r r e g i o n s ( S u l l i v a n a n d S u l l i v a n
1982) o f B r i t i s h Columbia.
I n a d d i t i o n ,t h ea d a p t a t i o n
o f t h i s method f o r
o p e r a t i o n a l u s e i n b o t h a e r i a l and mechanized ground seeding applications
i s
discussed.
STUDY AREAS
Douglas-fir
A technique f o r d i r e c t s e e d i n g D o u g l a s - f i r
developedfrom1975
t o 1977ontwo
with a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s was
relatively flat clearcut blocks
U n i v e r s i t y o f B r i t i s h ColumbiaResearchForest,MapleRidge,
B.C.
i n the
The study
- 2 -
s i t e was located i n the Coastal Western Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone (Krajina
1965, 1969), Dry Subzone (Klinka 1976). One area was logged i n t h e f a l l of
1973 followed by slash burning i n 1974. T h i s b u r n was uniform i n some areas
b u t patchy i n others. Themain cover was burned or unburned slash w i t h
bracken (Pteridiumaquilinum),fireweed
(Epilobium augustifolium), and several
other less abundant successionalherbs.
The second area was a l s o logged i n
t h e f a l l o f 1973 b u t n o t burned. Cover included slash and a plant species
composition similar t o t h a t of the burn. There was, however, more red alder
(Alnus rubra), black raspberry
(Rubus leucodermis) , and salmonberry (Rubus
spectabilis).
"
Lodgepole p i n e
A technique for combining a l t e r n a t i v e foods w i t h lodgepole p i n e seed was
developed during 1979 a t t h r e e r e l a t i v e l y f l a t s t u d y areas i n t h e i n t e r i o r o f
British Columbia. The southernmost area was located 30 km northwest o f
Summerland adjacent t o the Okanagan Valley i n the Interior Douglas-fir
biogeoclimatic zone (Krajina 1965, 1969). The dominant treespecies,
lodgepolepine, was logged i n 1978. Ground coverincludedslash
with
pinegrass (Calamagrostis rubescens)
and lupine (Lupinus s p p . ).
The second s t u d y area was located 53 km west o f Williams Lake i n the
Douglas-fir - pinegrass Subzone (northern phase) o f the Interior Douglas-fir
biogeoclimatic zone (Annas and Coup6 1979). The forest was logged i n 1977 and
burned i n 1978. Ground coverincluded burned slash,pinegrass, and a variety
of early successional herbs.
The northernmost s t u d y area was situated 70 km southwest o f Prince George
i n the Sub-borealSpruce biogeoclimatic zone. The area was logged i n 1978.
Ground cover included slash and pinegrass w i t h sorne successional herbs.
METHODS
E i g h t checkerboard g r i d s were located on t h e two coastal clearcut blocks
and four g r i d s on the respective cut
block o f each i n t e r i o r s t u d y area.
Each
- 3 -
experimental grid, 91.2
m x 91.2 m, was s y s t e m a t i c a l l y d i v i d e d i n t o 3 6 (15.2 m
2
x 15.2 m = 231 m
p l o t s . I n each p l o t , a 0.61 m x 0.61 m quadrat was
located i n a suitable area for
seed sampling and recovery.
Before each experiment, seed
was weighed and packaged according
amount d e s i r e d p e r s q u a r e m e t r e o f g r i d ( a r e a o f g r i d
= 8317 m2
to the
).
2500 D o u g l a s - f i r ,
separatesamplesof
seeds,and1000
1000 lodgepole pine, 1000 sunflower
o a t k e r n e l s wereweighed
g i v e n number o f seeds.
with t h e mean v a l u e r e p r e s e n t i n g t h a t
T h i s v a l u e was usedas
number o f seeds by weight
a multipletodeterminethe
f o r each o f t h e 36 p l o t s on a g r i d .
I n a l l experiments, 25 quadrats were randomlychosen
grid.
Several
f o r samplingoneach
A known d e n s i t y o f seed was placed i n each o f f o u r (0.093 m')
o f one or moreseeds
i n a seed-samplingquadrat.Location
u n i t was marked b y wooden t o o t h p i c k s .
units
2
i n a 0.093 m
These markerswereplacedapproximately
0.5 cm fromeach seed. E q u a l d e n s i t i e s o f s e e d
were p l a c e d i n a d j a c e n t 0.093
2
m units,whichcontainedno
markedseeds.
The r e m a i n i n g a l l o t t e d seed was
rmf
spreadbyhandasuniformlyaspossibleovertherestoftheplotarea.
survivalsampling
Seed
was conducted a t two-week (three-week f o r p i n e ) i n t e r v a l s
f o r s i x weeks ( n i n e weeks f o r p i n e ) .
R a t i o s i n numbers o f sunflower seed t o Douglas-f i r seed were 7 :1, 5 : 1,
3:1,
and 0:l ( c o n t r o l ) .
The combination o f t w oa l t e r n a t i v ef o o d s
r a t i o o f 5:2:1 (sunf1ower:oats:Douglas-fir).
lodgepole pine seed were
was i n a
The r a t i o s o f sunflower seed t o
2 : l and 0 : l ( c o n t r o l ) .
RESULTS
Douglas-fir
Results from experimental seeding
(sunflowerseedsandoats)are
o f D o u g l a s - f i r with a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s
summarized i n F i g u r e 1.
These d a t a were
compiled from spring 1977 seeding experiments and from similar trials
l a t e f a l l o f 1976and
1977.
i n the
The f a l l seeding t r i a l s produced v a l i d r e s u l t s o n
c o n i f e r seed predation which may b e a p p l i e d t o s p r i n g c o n d i t i o n s b e c a u s e o f
the similar responses and occurrence
o f s m a l l mammal species during these two
- 4 -
seasons.For
example,chipmunks
seed-eatingbirdsarerare.
areusuallyhibernatingatthesetimesand
The development o f t h i s d i r e c t s e e d i n g t e c h n i q u e
with r e s p e c t t o p o p u l a t i o n s o f s e e d - e a t i n g r o d e n t s
and b i r d s i s discussed by
S u l l i v a n (1979b).
5:2:1 (sunflower t o o a t s t o
The 7 : l (sunflower t o D o u g l a s - f i r ) a n d
seed ( F i g u r e 1).
Douglas-fir) ratios produced excellent survival of conifer
These r e s u l t s a r e a l s o e x p r e s s e d
(assuming t h e c u t o v e r a r e a
as t h e p o t e n t i a l number o f germinants per ha
i s direct-seeded with 0.11 k g D o u g l a s - f i r seed/ha,
and t h a t 80% o f t h e seeds successfully) germinate.
Lodgepole p i n e
Results from experimental seeding
food(sunflowerseeds)are
with l o d g e p o l e p i n e a n d a n a l t e r n a t i v e
summarized i n F i g u r e 2.
These d a t a were compiled
from seeding experiments undertaken during the spring
o f 1979.
A t each o f t h e
three study areas, control (pine seed by itself) survival of pine seed
compared with the experimental (pine seed
with s u n f l o w e r ) r e s u l t s
t r i a l s onareas
o f rodents.
with comparabledensities
p i n e seed a t b o t h t h e C a r i b o o a n d P r i n c e
thelowerpopulationsofrodents
f o r seeding
The h i g h e r s u r v i v a l o f
George study areas
i n theseareasthan
was
was l i k e l y due t o
i n t h e Okanagan.
Details
regarding the development and testing of this sunflower-lodgepole pine seed
technique and
i t s i n t e r a c t i o n with p o p u l a t i o n s o f seed-eating rodents are
discussed by Sullivan and Sullivan
(1982).
The 2 : l (sunflower t o p i n e ) r a t i o p r o d u c e d e x c e l l e n t s u r v i v a l o f c o n i f e r
seed a t a l l t h r e e s t u d y a r e a s ( F i g u r e
2).
A l o w e r amount ofsunflowerseed
reduced seed damage by rodents i n t h e s e p i n e s e e d i n g t r i a l s p o s s i b l y
because
o f t h e much greater size difference between pine and sunflower seeds than
between Douglas-firandsunflower.Rodents
showed p r e f e r e n c e f o r l a r g e r
perhapsbecause t h e i r f o o d v a l u e r e t u r n p e r
u n i t e f f o r t i n g a t h e r i n g seeds i s
much g r e a t e r .
I n addition,rodentssuchasthedeer
mouse may p r e f e r
Douglas-fir seed over pine (Douglas-fir would then require larger
an a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d ) a l t h o u g h t h i s h a s n o t
seeds
amounts o f
been experimentally verified.
- 5 -
Douglas-fir
8000
80
7000
70
60
50
2
s
J
(D
v)
C
c
0
G
n
$C
c
4000
.40
$
E
2
0
(D
3000
.30
2000
20
1000,
10
0)
c
2
L
0
0:l
3:l
5:l
0
7:1
5:2:1
t
Ratio of sunflower to Douglas-fir seed
FIGURE 1.
The success o f d i f f e r e n t D o u g l a s - f i r
(oats)
seed t o sunflowerseed(and
o a t s i n 5 2 : 1 r a t i o ) r a t i o s (bynumbers
o f seed) a t two,four,and
s i x weeks after seeding.
Theopen
bars represent survival of Douglas-fir
seed by i t s e l f
and t h e c l o s e d b a r s r e p r e s e n t s u r v i v a l o f D o u g l a s - f i r
when seeded with a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s .
germinants per ha
seed
The p o t e n t i a l number o f
i s also i l l u s t r a t e d for a seeding density of
0.11 k g (12 500 seeds) Douglas-fir seed per ha and
assuming
80% germination.
Errata:
Bars f o r 0:l r a t i o o f sunflower t oD o u g l a s - f i r
been 'open' and separately labelled
periods.
seedshould
have
f o r t h e 2, 4 , and 6 week
- 6 -
Lodgepole pine
Okanagan
Prince George
Cariboo
8000
7000
m
r
-
6000
u)
c
.$ 5000
H
G
m
B
5
4000
5
-C
a"
K
3000
a
2000
1000
C
c]
pine seedby itself
3
6
9
Weeks after seeding a 2 : 1 ratio sunflower to pine
FIGURE 2.
The s u c c e s so fl o d g e p o l ep i n e
seed mixed w i t h s u n f l o w e r seed ( 2 : l
r a t i o s u n f l o w e r t o p i n e ) a t three, s i x , a n d n i n e weeks a f t e r
s e e d i n g a t three s t u d y areas i n the i n t e r i o r o f British Columbia.
The open bars r e p r e s e n t s u r v i v a l o f l o d g e p o l e p i n e
seed by
i t s e l f and t h e c l o s e d bars r e p r e s e n t s u r v i v a l o f l o d g e p o l e p i n e
seed when mixed w i t h sunflower. The p o t e n t i a l number o f
g e r m i n a n t s p e r ha i s a l s o i l l u s t r a t e d f o r a s e e d i n g d e n s i t y o f
0.04 kg (12 500 seeds) l o d g e p o l e p i n e seed p e r ha andassuming
80% germination.
- 7 -
APPLICATION I N REFORESTATION PROCRAMS
i n the late
D i r e c t s e e d i n g with a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s s h o u l d b e u n d e r t a k e n
w i n t e r t o e a r l y spring (March-April, depending on local
theyearafteranarea
i s logged.Olderclearcutareaswhichareheavily
overgrown with shrubs and herbaceous
weeds should have some degree o f
o r c h e m i c a l( h e r b i c i d e )s i t ep r e p a r a t i o n .
m e c h a n i c a l( s c a r i f i c a t i o n )
with w i n t e r snow cover, most
commences.
I n areas
o f t h i s snow should be gone before seeding
This helps ensure the necessary
paramountimportance
snow c o n d i t i o n s ) i n
seedbed moisturewhich
f o rg e r m i n a t i o n( A r n o t t1 9 7 3 ) .
is of
A s i t ep r e p a r a t i o n
technique should be selected which provides adequate mineral soil for
germination and seedling establishment.
For Douglas-fir sites
Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic
0.11kg(12
w
w
'
i n t h e C o a s t a l WesternHemlockand
zones, t h e f o l l o w i n g m i x t u r e
500) D o u g l a s - f i r , 46 kgsunflower,
Coastal
i s recommended:
5.5 kgwholeoats;
or 0.11 k g
Douglas-firand 64 k g s u n f l o w e r p e r ha. F o r l o d g e p o l e p i n e s i t e s , t h e
f o l l o w i n g i s recommended: 0.04 kg(12
500) l o d g e p o l ep i n e with 1 8 k gs u n f l o w e r
p e r ha.
The number (12 500) o f c o n i f e r seeds i n t h e recommended m i x t u r e s
r e p r e s e n t s t h e minimum number o f t r e e seeds r e q u i r e d b y t h i s t e c h n i q u e f o r
s u c c e s s f u ls t o c k i n g .
The amount may bevarieddependingonseedsupply
factors or d e s i r e d stocking l e v e l .
However, t h e amounts o f a l t e r n a t i v e foods
should remain fixed to maintain adequate protection from rodent predation.
To promote prompt germination and vigorous seedling growth, the conifer
seed should be stratified for at least three
s u i t a b l eg r o w t h
hormones.
weeks and perhaps treated
with
Seed t h u s t r e a t e d may germinate within a two- t o
four-week p e r i o d a f t e r s e e d i n g . T h i s i n t e r v a l
i s w e l l within t h e l e n g t h o f
weeks) i n which Douglas-fir seed
showed e x c e l l e n t s u r v i v a l when
time (four
mixed with a l t e r n a t i v e foods ( F i g u r e 1). S i m i l a r l y ,l o d g e p o l ep i n es e e d
sunflower survived very well up
t o n i n e weeks a f t e r s e e d i n g ( F i g u r e
2).
with
- 8 -
ECONOMIC
AND
The c o s t s o f s p r e a d i n g c o n i f e r
reforestationtechniqueare
seed and a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s
shown i n Table 1.
c a l c u l a t e d p e r 1000 v i a b l e seeds.
considered as phases
LOGISTIC ASPECTS
Costs o f s e e d s u p p l i e s a r e
S t r a t i f i c a t i o n and hormone t r e a t m e n t a r e
i s negligible i n
o f seed preparation; therefore the cost
o r nursery sowing.
these calculations whether for direct seeding
The c o s t o f d i r e c t s e e d i n g D o u g l a s - f i r
and f o r l o d g e p o l e p i n e
i n this
i s $249/ha.
with a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s
These c o s t s i n c l u d e t h e
i s $303/ha
expenses
associated with s i t e p r e p a r a t i o n b u t a r e s t i l l l e s s t h a n o n e - h a l f o f t h e r a n g e
o f expenses f o r p l a n t i n g ($69&846/ha).
average values and
These t o t a l p l a n t i n g c o s t s a r e
assume t h a t 1150 t r e e s a r e p l a n t e d p e r h a .
Aerial a p p l i c a t i o n o f t h e s e e d m i x t u r e b y h e l i c o p t e r w o u l d c o s t $ 2 8 / h a
assuming s e v e r a l 50 t o 100 h a c l e a r c u t b l o c k s
wereseededand
o f t h e s e b l o c k s was approximately 1000 h a ( C o n a i r A v i a t i o n
communication).
the total area
Ltd.,
This c o s t e s t i m a t e assumes t h e h e l i c o p t e r b a s e
i s nearby
I
t a l s oi n c l u d e st w oh e l i c o p t e rp a s s e s :
(minimum o f t h r e e h o u r s f e r r y i n g ) .
one f o r t h e a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s
personal
and a second t o d i s t r i b u t e t h e c o n i f e r seed.
The a p p l i c a t i o n c o s t may v a r y i f the dimensions o f one or more c l e a r c u t b l o c k s
increasethetimetodispense
seed.
used f o r d i s t r i b u t i n g t h e c o n i f e r
A Brohm seeder (Worgan 1973)wouldbe
seed and a Chadwick spreader would disperse
thealternativefoods(sunflowerseeds).
This spreaderhasbeenused
dispensing large quantities of fertilizer at various sites
Columbia.
for
i n British
I n a d d i t i o n ,t h ed i s t r i b u t i o no ft h ea l t e r n a t i v ef o o d si s
relatively simple logistically,
compared with the sowing o f c o n i f e r seed
(ConairAviationLtd.,personalcommunication).
Because o f t h e s m a l l q u a n t i t y
and s i z e o f t h e c o n i f e r seed, i t c a n b e v e r y d i f f i c u l t t o o b t a i n
distribution over the area of
a uniform
a clearcut block.
Mechanical ground application could be
scarifier-seeder which scalps the ground
done u s i n g t h e B r a c k e k u l t i v a t o r n
with l a r g e d i g g i n g t e e t h a n d t h e n
drops seed from an integral hopper onto the prepared seedspot (Parker
1972;
- 9 -
TABLE 1.
Costs of seeding Douglas-fir seed
a l t e r n a t i v e foods per hectare
and Lodgepole p i n e seed w i t h
Direct seeding
DouglasLodgepole
fir
pine
Coniferseed
( 1 2 500/ha)
$
40.75
Sunflower seed
($1.37/kg)
63.02
(46 k g )
Oats
($0.32/kg)
1.76
(5.5 kg)
$
26.67
Planting
(1150 trees/ha)
0
5.99
24.66
(18 k g )
S t r a t i f i c a t i o n andhormone
treatment
application
Helicopter
preparation
Site
Actual p l a n t i n g
27.63
170 .OO
170 .OO
170 .OO
-
-
320.00
201 .oo345.00
Range o f average
stock costs
Range o f transportation
costs
Totals
-
27.63
0.925.29
303.16
248.96
697.91846.28
The range of planting costs
assumes t h a t an average o f 1150 trees are planted
per hectare. Site preparation cost
i s an averagevalue and i s considered t o
be representativefor bothseeding and planting.Information(1984)
on seed
and planting costs provided b y the B.C. Ministry of Forests.
-
10
-
Winstonand Schneider 1977). The Brackekultivatorn may be pulled by a skidder
o r caterpillar tractor. Conifer seed
may be dispensedautomatically a t each
seedspot o r may beplacedmanually.
I n term of operational use
with
alternative foods, lodgepole p i n e (or white spruce) w i t h sunflower seed could
beadapted for mechanical ground seedingviatheBrackekultivatorn.
A
modifiedseedingapparatus
may be requiredtodispensesunflower.
However,
the quantity of sunflower
(18 kg/ha) i s a reasonably small amount t o be
distributed compared w i t h t h a t (46-64 kg/ha) recommended for mixture w i t h
Douglas-fir i n coastal areas.
The obviousadvantage o f u s i n g t h i s machine is
its a b i l i t y t o p r e p a r e t h e s i t e and dispense seed i n one operation.
The furrow seeder is another mechanical method by which seed may be
o p e r a t i o n a l l yd i s t r i b u t e d( G r a b e ra n d
Thompson 1967, 1969).
Thismodified
beet planter i s coupledbehind a f i r e l i n e plowwhich i s pulled by a small
tractor. The t r a c t o r andplow produce a mineral s o i l seedbed and work well i n
stony, wooded lands. The seeder on t h i s machine may a l s o beadapted f o r t h e
distribution of sunflower seeds, particularly
i n interior regions where lower
amounts of a l t e r n a t i v e food are required. Furrow seedinghas proven t o be an
e f f i c i e n t one-pass method well-adapted t o f o r e s t t e r r a i n i n the northeastern
United S t a t e s (Graber 1973). T h i s machine prepares a suitable planting spot
w i t h minimum disturbance to t h e surrounding environment.
DISCUSSION
The ability to direct-seed lodgepole p i n e and Douglas-fir would be most
advantageous on large areas burned naturally o r intentionally, inaccessible
areas which a r e t o o c o s t l y t o p l a n t or have had plantation failure; and i n
areas where natural regeneration may notbeadequate.
I n addition, the
a l t e r n a t i v e foods technique could be adapted
to species other than the
lodgepole pine and Douglas-fir already tested.
Direct seeding has generally failed as
a reliable reforestation practice
i n most of North America.
Perhaps one of the most important problems i s the
- 11 -
#,"
time of year when seeding has been done and how t h i s r e l a t e s t o p o t e n t i a l
germination and populationsofsmall
mammals and seed-eating b i r d s . Waldron
(1973) reported that the majority
o f direct seeding i n Canada has been done i n
the fall.
However, sowing i n A p r i l , May, and Junehasyielded,
on the
average, higher stocking than either
autumn or early winter seeding.
Similarly, i n the Pacific Northwest of the United States, seeding has been
mainly carried out i n the fall (Gartz 1955;Carmichael 1957; andLavender
1958). Why has most direct seeding been attempted i n t h e f a l l a t a time when
populations o f deer mice, chipmunks, and seed-eating b i r d s are highest
(Sullivan 1978, 1979c)?Coniferseed
sown i n t h e f a l l undergoes natural
s t r a t i f i c a t i o n during the winter and i s then able to germinate
i n the spring.
Laboratory stratification prevents seed from being exposed t o small mammal
depredations i n t h e f a l l and winter.Latewinter
and early spring seeding
programs i n North America, although few i n number, have proved t o be more
s u c c e s s f u l , a t l e a s t compared w i t h those a t other seasons o f the year
(Carmichael 1957; Waldron 1973). Graber (19691, working i n thenortheastern
s t a t e s , found t h a t more thanone-half o f pine seeds sown i n t h e f a l l were l o s t
a f t e r t h r e e weeks. He concluded that seeding s h o u l d beavoided when small
mammals a r e abundant and seeds a r e l e f t exposed to predation. Similarly,
Clark (1969) andRadvanyi (1971, 1973) concluded that late winter seeding
with
adequate snow c o v e r f o r t h e c o n i f e r
seed would reduce rodent predation
and
provide suitable conditions f o r germination i n t h e s p r i n g .
The b e s t r e s u l t s f o r direct seeding i n North Pmerica have been obtained i n
the pine regions o f the southeastern United States. One reason for t h i s
success i s reduction o f seed predation w i t h endrin and arasan which a c t a s
repellents (Derr and Mann 1971). T h i s provides a c l a s s i c example o f how
direct seeding can be very successful i f seed losses t o rodents and b i r d s a r e
controlled. I n addition, aerial row seedinghas been developed i n t h i s p a r t
of t h e U.S. (Mannand Taylor 1969) and,along w i t h ground row seeding, i s a
technique which would use l e s s c o n i f e r seed and provide s u i t a b l e d i s t r i b u t i o n
o f t r e e s (Vyse 1973).
12
-
As o u t l i n e d f o r t h e B r a c k e k u l t i v a t o r n a n d f u r r o w
seeder, alternative foods could also he incorporated into this latter
method
of seeding.
CONCLUSION
The u s e o f a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s
i n direct seeding operations can
significantly improve the survival of conifer
seed.
weeks i n seeding t r i a l s
and b i r d s hasbeen g r e a t l y r e d u c e d f o r a t l e a s t s i x
with Douglas-fir and lodgepole pine
seed.Coupled
establishment, t h i s technique o f seeding offers
as p l a n t i n g t r e e s .
quickly reforest large areas by aerial
with promptgerminationand
a p r a c t i c a l and economical
with a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s
approach t o r e f o r e s t a t i o n . C o s t o f s e e d i n g
g e n e r a l l yh a l fa se x p e n s i v e
Damage t o seedbyrodents
i s
I n addition, the a b i l i t y t o
and mechanical ground seeding could
save much t i m e , t h e r e b y a v o i d i n g c o s t l y r e g e n e r a t i o n d e l a y s .
Smaller amounts o f c o n i f e r seed may be used with t h i s technique than have
beenused
i n p r e v i o u sd i r e c ts e e d i n go p e r a t i o n s .
distributed over the clearcut area and rodent
o f o b t a i n i n g a uniformcoverofseedlings
success of
I f theseed
damage i s c o n t r o l l e d , t h e
i s significantlyincreased.
chance
The
i s related to the quality of site
any d i r e c t s e e d i n g p r o j e c t
p r e p a r a t i o n and the technique described
i n t h i s paper i s no exception.
Adequate m i n e r a l s o i l and some degree o f shade-producing slash
v e g e t a t i o n must be available
i s properly
o r minor
for successful germination and seedling
establishment.
These techniques o f a e r i a l and ground row seeding
couldhaveanimportantroletoplay
with a l t e r n a t i v e f o o d s
i n reforestation.Successfuldirect
seeding w
l
l
icomplement p l a n t i n g a s a n o t h e r t o o l t o e f f e c t i v e l y r e g e n e r a t e
cutoverforestland.
-
13
-
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I