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Influence of forest and rangeland management on anadromous fish habitat in Western North America: silvicultural treatments.

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Distribution of anadromous salmonids and coniferous forest coincides along much of the Pacific slope; consequently, the habitat of anadromous' fish is subject to a wide variety of silvicultural treatments required to establish and nurture young forests. Silvicultural treatments discussed in this report include cutting prescriptions, broadcast burning, mechanical site preparation, planting, and competition reduction. Timber harvest, and use of pesticides and fertilizers are discussed in other papers in this series. Broadcast burning and machine scarification and piling can increase sedimentation and thermal heating of streams and have the potential to damage habitat of anadromous fish. Habitat damage usually does not occur, however, because of the limited extent of treatments. The highest risk of habitat damage from silvicultural activities occurs in small streams in areas with erosive soils and high rain fall , or with high summer solarradiation and low streamflow. Silviculturalactivities discussed in this paper affect fish habitat far less than timber harves or road construction activities.

Keywords

Silvicultural treatments, fishhabitat, anadromous fish, salmonids

Citation

Everest, Fred H.; Harr, R. Dennis. 1982. Influence of forest and rangeland management on anadromous fish habitat in Western North America: silvicultural treatments. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-134. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Forest and Range Experiment Station. 19 p
Citations
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/7537