Studies in Forest Pathology: Vii. Decay in Western Hemlock and Fir in the Franklin River Area, British Columbia

Abstract

An investigation of decay in western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) and fir (mainly Abies amabilis (Loud.) Forb.) in the Juan de Fuca forest region of British Columbia has shown that the major organisms causing root and butt rots are the same in both species. These are Poria subacida (Peck) Sacc., Fomes annosus (Fr.) Cke., Armillaria mellea Vahl ex Fr., Polyporus sulphureus Bull. ex Fr., and P. circinatus Fr. Those organisms causing trunk rots of western hemlock, in decreasing order of importance, are Fomes pinicola (Sw.) Cke., F. Pini (Thore) Lloyd, Stereum abietinum Pers., Fomes Hartigii (Allesch.) Sacc. and Trav., and Hydnum sp. (H. abietis). These same organisms causing trunk rots of fir, in decreasing order of importance, are Fomes pinicola, Stereum abietinum, Hydnum sp. (H. abietis), Fomes Pini, and Fomes Hartigii. The logs of 963 western hemlock were analyzed in detail. Maximum periodic volume increment was reached between 225 and 275 years of age. Maximum periodic volume increment was reached between 275 and 325 years of age in the 719 fir that were analyzed. Scars were the most frequent avenue of entrance for infection. In 59% of the cases of infection studied the fungus had entered through wounds.

Development of wood decay in wounded western hemlock and Sitka spruce in southeast Alaska

“…Many environmental factors differ between old-growth and younger, even-aged forests. Results from this study and others (Bier et al 1946;Buckland et al 1949), however, do not suggest a different rate of decay in slow-growing trees, such as those in old-growth stands. Also, the fungi isolated from wounds in young trees in the current study yield a diversity of fungal species which is also the case in old-growth trees in southeast Alaska (Kimmey 1956).…”

“…Regional differences in the behavior of these fungi, however, suggest that results from studies on decay development from other portions of the range of these tree species might not be valid for southeast Alaska (Buckland et al 1949;Foster and Foster 1951;Hunt and Krueger 1962).…”

“…In other areas of North America, decay fungi are known to invade scars on living hemlock and spruce, colonize their wood, and initiate stain and then decay (Wright and Isaac 1956;Shea 1960;Hunt and Krueger 1962;Wallis et al 1971;Etheridge 1973;Wallis and Morrison 1975;Goheen et al 1980). Over 60% of the heart rot in old-growth western hemlock trees in forests sampled on Vancouver Island is associated with wounds (Buckland et al 1949). Several studies (e.g., Wright and Isaac 1956) indicate that wounds less than 900 cm 2 (1 ft 2 ) are usually not infected by fungi, but larger wounds are nearly always infected.…”

Modeling Historical Patterns of Tree Utilization in the Pacific Northwest: Carbon Sequestration Implications

“…II Data sources: (I) Bier et al 1948, Buckland et al 1949, Foster et al 1958 Meinecke 1916, (3) Aho 1977, (4) Hinds et al 1960, (5) Boyce 1920, (6) Etheridge 1958, (7) Bier et al 1946, Kimmey 1956 Weir and Hubert 1919, (9) Boyce 1932, Boyce and Wagg 1953, (10) Kimmey 1956, (II) Englerth 1942, Buckland et al 1949, Foster and Foster 1951, Foster et al 1954, 1958, Kimmey 1956 we used a nonlinear regression for that species to fit a logistic function:…”

Fomes annosus Root and Butt Rot: A Threat in Managed Stands in Coastal British Columbia

“…Sarg.) (Buckland et al, 1949;Foster and Foster, 1951). Annosus root rot is present in immature stands but the economic magnitude of the problem is not clearly defined.…”