Montane Moderately Warm Dry Coniferous Seeley, Swan, Flathead and Tobacco Valleys

Submodel

Description

Armillaria Root Rot State
2.1 Community Shrubland.
Metasedimentary Parent Material
Time=50yrs
If a stand sustains very high levels of roots disease mortality, then a forest stand could cross a threshold and become a shrubland, once all trees are gone (Kimsey et al., 2012). Persistent shrub fields may take a century or longer for the infected root mass to decline, which will return the root disease potential to background levels, and allow the reintroduction of resistant conifer species. Extensive management is needed to convert the resultant shrubland back to a forest community. The shrubs that would create the converted shrubland are from those already on the ecological site such as common snowberry, serviceberry, and white spirea. A mosaic of brushy openings, patches of dying trees, and apparently unaffected trees may cover large areas.

Description

Fire Excluded
3.1 Community
Multi-storied stands of Douglas fir/Ponderosa pine with dense understory of shrubs and/or young trees
This State has been shaped by fire exclusion in which the forest structure, species composition, patch patterns and fuel loading has been dramatically increased due to a dramatic reduction or elimination of fire from the ecological site. Tree density and fuel loading have reached a point in which fire if it did occur would be of very high severity. Dense multi-layered forests of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine now exist and is homogenous on the landscape. Intensive forest management practices can reduce the risk of severe fire. There has been a dramatic increase in the area of “Dry PVG” (Douglas fir dominated forests) that used to burn with low severity fires that now has a mixed severity of lethal stand replacing fire regime (Gautreaux, Russ. 1999). Forest stand composition changes with fire suppression as well. Douglas fir does not require a post-fire mineral bed for seedling development like ponderosa pine and will outcompete it when fire does not occur. There is also usually an increase in shrubs that become decadent with the lack of fire.
Plant Community 3.1
Multi-level canopy of mature Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine over sapling/pole/seedling stands of Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine. Eventually, Douglas fir outcompetes ponderosa pine completely with long-term fire suppression. These dense multi-storied Douglas fir forest can be more prone to and capable of supporting populations of western spruce budworm which results in severe defoliation and mortality (Gautreaux, Russ. 1999). As well, more continuous cover of Douglas fir can increase the area of Armillaria root disease of which Douglas fir is a primary host. Large areas of lodgepole pine can have high levels of bark beetle caused mortality. These increases in mortality change forest structure and allow for higher fuel build up and potential for severe stand replacing fire. In areas without tree regeneration dense stands of shrubs will occur, mainly serviceberry, white spirea or snowberry. Forest management practices which include selective overstory removal along with understory fuel load management, including prescribed fire, can transition the forest into a more drought, insect and fire resilient condition.

Description

Alternative State 4 Developed State (timber harvest, private development, roads)
4.1 Community
Development uses alter forest structure, patch size, dynamics, species composition significantly 
STATE 4 – Developed State

A portion of this ecological site has been developed for human uses including timber harvest, private development of houses or roads. This has occurred on the lower slope foothills and valleys. Additionally, other factors have changed forest structure including years of hygrading (harvesting largest best trees on site), prevalence of many roads which create fire breaks, and tree plantations. There are generally more early seral stands now due to the frequency and scale of timber harvest in recent decades on the Kootenai N.F. (Gautreaux, Russ. 1999). Timber harvesting and road development lead to changes in forest patch size.

Description

Alternative State 5 Invaded weedy understory/crop/pasture
5.1 Community
Understory dominated by weedy invasive species or forest converted to crop or pasture, tame grasses dominate.

STATE 5 – Invaded weed understory forest or Forest converted to crop or Pastureland

A portion of this ecological site has either been significantly altered by weedy species invasion or the forest has been converted to annual cropland or pasture. This has occurred on the lower slope foothills and valleys. Weedy or increaser species that may be a problem including: slender crupina, rush skeletonweed, musk thistle, leafy spurge, knapweed species, tansy ragwort, dalmatian and yellow toadflaxes, common St. John’s wort and sulphur cinquefoil (Gautreaux, Russ. 1999).