Seedling recruitment and sapling retention following thinning, chipping, and prescribed fire in mixed Sierra Nevada conifer

Published source details Walker R.F., Fecko R.M., Frederick W.B., Johnson D.W. & Miller W.W. (2012) Seedling recruitment and sapling retention following thinning, chipping, and prescribed fire in mixed Sierra Nevada conifer. Journal of Sustainable Forestry, 31, 747-776.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use thinning followed by prescribed fire Action Link
	Thin trees within forests: effects on young trees Action Link
	Use prescribed fire: effects on young trees Action Link

Use thinning followed by prescribed fire

A before-and-after study in 2003-2005 in temperate coniferous forest in California, USA (Walker et al. 2012) found that prescribed fire following thinning increased seedling density and decreased sapling density of conifers. The change in density (after minus before individuals/ha) of seedlings <1.37 m tall (thinned and burned: -98; control: -2,303) was lower (more negative) in control plots. In contrast, the change in density of saplings >1.37 m tall and <10 cm diameter at breast height was lower in burned plots (burned: -740; control: 74). Data were collected in 2003 (before) and 2005 (after) in five plots (0.04 ha) in each of two thinned and burned (thinned to residual 30 m² basal area in June 2003 and burned in June 2004) and two control treatment units of approximately 1 ha each.
Thin trees within forests: effects on young trees

A before-and-after study in 2003-2005 in temperate coniferous forest in California, USA (Walker et al. 2012) found no effect of thinning on the density of conifer seedlings and saplings. There was no difference between treatments for the change in density (individuals/ha after minus before) of seedlings <1.37 m tall (thinned: -539; unthinned: -2,303) and saplings >1.37 m tall and <10 cm DBH (thinned: -222; unthinned l: 74). Data were collected in 2003 (before) and 2005 (after) in five plots (0.04 ha) in each of two thinned (thinned to retain 30 m²/ha basal area with slash mulching in June 2003) and two unthinned treatment units (~1 ha).
Use prescribed fire: effects on young trees

A before-and-after study in 2003-2005 in temperate coniferous forest in California, USA (Walker et al. 2012) found no effect of prescribed fire on the density of conifer seedlings and saplings. The changes (after minus before) in density were similar between treatments for both seedlings <1.4 m tall (burned: -735; control: -2,303 individuals/ha) and saplings >1.4 m tall and <10 cm diameter at breast height (burned: -222; control: 74). Data were collected in 2003 (before) and 2005 (after) in five plots (0.04 ha) in each of two burned (in 2004) and two control (unburned) treatment units (~1 ha).