Stand 57: a stand-level climate adaptation silviculture demonstration

Abstract

Stand 57 is a 12-acre FDn33 forest community located at the UMN Cloquet Forestry Center. This treatment was established to demonstrate putting climate adaptation silviculture theories into action at a stand level. It was primarily occupied by 75+ year old even-aged and even-structured red pine of mixed natural and planted origin. The climate adaptation goals were to diversify structure and composition to support both tree- and community-level resilience and adaptability to modeled and unknown future weather and tree growth conditions. To diversify structure, we conducted an early-winter timber harvest in 2016 that created six half-acre clearcut gaps and thinned the matrix. This created growing space for extant and new trees and a range of understory light conditions. For tree composition, we used assisted natural regeneration. For natural regeneration, we retained red and white pine in the canopy and relied on paper birch, red maple, and balsam fir seed from surrounding stands. In 2020 we planted white and jack pine, tamarack, northern red and bur oak, and paper birch at a total rate of 450 trees per acre (tpa). We used a mix of individual and group herbivory protection at half-acre plot levels across light conditions. In 2022, we found an average of 2929 tpa for all tree species. Red maple had 789 tpa, followed closely by red pine and paper birch at 643 tpa. Seedling stocking was 79% for all species. Red pine had the highest stocking at 43%. All planted species were present but not as well represented as natural regeneration species. In 2023, we did a planted-species only survey and found an average of 767 tpa. Paper birch, jack pine, and white pine had natural regeneration on top of planted regeneration. Except for jack pine, all species preferred matrix to gap growing conditions. Resources used for climate adaptation treatment planning were the adaptation workbook and Tree Atlas models. They were both useful and clunky.