Productive Oldgrowth

2nd Growth

Non-Forest

Forested, low productivity

Productive Young Growth

Productive Oldgrowth

2nd Growth

Non-Forest

Forested, low productivity

Productive Young Growth

VC4 = 8-20

VC5 = 20-30

VC6 = 30-50

VC7 = 50+

1980s Forest Inventory

0.0

5.0

10.0

15.0

20.0

25.0

30.0

35.0

40.0

45.0

50.0

VC4 VC5 VC6 VC7

Ne

t B

oa

rd F

oo

t V

olu

me

1980s Forest Inventory

1979 Timber Type Volume Classes

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

Low Medium High

Net

Boa

rd F

oot V

olum

e (1

,000

s)

1980s Forest Inventory

1997 TLMP Volume Strata

Productive Oldgrowth

2nd Growth

Non-Forest

Forested, low productivity

Productive Young Growth

Low

High

Medium

“Richest old-growth stands and less-valuable stands are lumped into one class, high

volume”

Wildlife Biologist, John Schoen

(Defenders 1998)

Crab Bay ( VCUs 232-234 )

Crab Bay

SE Chichagof Landscape Analysis

SE Chichagof Landscape Analysis

Timber harvest has been disproportionately concentrated on

alluvial/colluvial surfaces

N

Crab Bay

N

N

Crab Bay

N

Timber Type

N

VC 6

VC 6

VC 6VC 6

Crab Bay

N

Volume Class 4

Volume Class 5

Volume Class 6

Clear Cut

Crab Bay

Crab Bay

Volume Class 4

Volume Class 5

Volume Class 6

Clear Cut

Harvested

VC 6 & 7

Volume Class 4

Volume Class 5

Volume Class 6

Clear Cut

N

Volume Class 5

Volume Class 6

10

15

20

25

30

35

VC5 VC6

Qu

adra

tic

Mea

n D

iam

.

10

30

50

70

90

110

130

VC5 VC6

Tre

es

pe

r A

cre

(n=19)(n=25)

0.0

0.1

0.2

0.3

0.4

0.5

0.6

0.7

VC5 VC6% o

f p

lots

wit

h t

rees

> 4

0"

(n=19)(n=25)

Volume Class 5

Volume Class 6

Volume Class 5

Volume Class 6

Timber Volume?

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

VC5 VC6Tim

be

r V

olu

me

(1

,00

0s

)

(n=19)(n=25)

N

Volume Class 4

Volume Class 5

Volume Class 6

Clear Cut

Crab Bay

1994 Lawsuit

1994 - Timber Volume Paradigm

* Proportionality

* Wildlife Studies/Models

* Volume Distribution Pie Charts

* Allowable Sale Quantity (ASQ)

TLMP Volume Strata (1997)

L

M

H

Deconstructing the timber volume paradigm in the

management of the Tongass National Forest

(Caouette, Kramer, & Nowacki 2000. PNW GTR)

High Volume

High Density Forest

We need better quantifiable mapping objectives

(Caouette, Kramer, & Nowacki 2000. PNW GTR)

1980s Forest Inventory

1980s Forest Inventory

2

6

4

5

1 200’

3

1980s Forest Inventory

1990s Forest Inventory

V67V4

V4-N V4-S

AspectSouth**North*

V5

V5-H V5-S

AspectSouth**North*

V5

V4-H

Productive Old Growth

* North = 292.5 -- 57.5 + flat (no aspect)

** South = 67.5 -- 292.5 degrees

V67

Yes No Yes NoHydric Soils

V5-HV4-H V4

V5-N

V67

Hydric Soils

1980s Forest Inventory

1990s Forest Inventory

V4-HV4-NV4-SV5-HV5-NV5-SV67