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About Illinois Valley news. (Cave City, Oregon) 1937-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 20, 2003)
Page 7 Illinois Valley News, Cave Junction, OR Wednesday, August 20, 2003 Forest thinning good for old growth Tree-talking, pine trees according to OSU study gun-wielder A new study by for- estry researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) has found that old-growth pon- derosa pine, even trees more than 250 years old, can increase their growth, improve their health and respond quickly to thin- ning that provides the trees with more water. The research, just pub- lished in the professional journal Plant, Cell and En- vironment, may have im- portant implications for the management of old- growth pine forests in the western U.S., scientists said. Millions of acres of these forests are in very poor condition, suffering from a century of fire sup- pression that has led to vastly overcrowded condi- tions, inadequate water and nutrients, poor tree growth, catastrophic fire and huge epidemics of insects that prey on the weakened trees. The new study, which used a technical analysis of carbon isotopes to gauge tree water tree and photo- synthesis before and after thinning, showed that even trees which are hundreds of years old can increase their growth and presuma- bly their ability to resist insect attack if they are given a chance. “Some people believe that old-growth ponderosa pine forests are decadent, that they can’t really re- spond to the aggressive thinning that would restore conditions similar to those we had before fire was excluded from these for- ests,” said Stephen Fitzger- ald, an OSU extension sil- viculture specialist and expert on the types of pine forests that dominate much of the drier portions of the American West. “We found that simply isn’t true,” Fitzgerald said. “This research demon- strates we can restore the health and growth of these forests even with trees that are hundreds of years old. Most likely, we will need to use a combination of mechanical thinning and controlled fire or other techniques that are appro- priate to the site.” Such approaches have gained some interest and use in areas near the urban- ‘Blind spot’ troubles cured by adjusting your mirrors By properly adjusting your side-view mirrors and continuing to use your rear-view mirror, you can reduce the “blind spot.” For the driver-side mirror, place the left side of your face against the inside driver’s-side win- dow, and set the mirror to you can just see the left side of your vehicle. For the passenger-side mirror, sit on the center of wildland interface in parts of the West the researchers said, but very little use to date in vast areas of inte- rior old growth forests that re hugely crowded and in very poor health. This sets the stage fore uncharacter- istically intense stand- replacement fires or insect attack, particularly by mountain pine beetles, that will eventually kill the weakened old-growth stands, Fitzgerald said. Hi s t o r i c a l l y, fi re moved through many dry forest regions of the West as often as every 10-15 years, the OSU scientist said. In areas suitable for ponderosa pine, this “thinning by fire” resulted in a park-like setting of 12- 35 huge ponderosa pine trees per acre, with very little underbrush or other trees. Trees 300-500 years old thrived - with some trees living up to 800 years - and these healthy ecosys- tems supported a broad range of other plants, grasses and wildlife spe- cies that were associated with these park-like old- If we are to preserve civilization, we must first remain civilized. - Louis St. Laurent - the front seat. If your vehi- cle has bucket seats, lean to get your head as close to the center of the wind- shield as possible. Set the mirror so that you can just see the right side of your vehicle. If you have adjusted your mirrors properly, you won’t be able to see either side of your vehicle in the mirrors while driving. -State Farm Insurance in custody A gun-wielding man Brookings Police officers arrested recently had been arrested earlier the same day, but was turned loose because there was no room in Curry County Jail. Shad S. Erbinger, 32, had to be wrestled to the ground by officers arrest- ing him after he bran- dished a gun at another man during an argument, police said. Erbinger was charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of domestic menacing, har- assment, and pointing a firearm at another person. Erbinger had been ar- rested by officers earlier the same day for out- standing warrants; one from Josephine County and two from Jackson County. The first arrest fol- lowed an encounter a woman had with Erbinger while walking her dog in Brookings, police said. She said that Erbinger, who “had been talking to a tree,” jumped at her as she tried to walk around him, but was frightened away by her dog barking. -Brookings ‘Curry Coastal Pilot (541) 476-2127 Word of the Week Navigable: 1.Deep and wide enough to provide passage to ships. 2. Capable of being steered or guided, as a ship, aircraft, or missile. Webster’s College Dictionary Taylor’s Special: Taylor’s Hot or Sweet Italian Links - $2.19 lb. Pilsner Urquell - $14 per 1/2 case (plus deposit) ****August Events: 7-10 p.m.**** *Friday, Aug. 22 ‘Route 66’ - Hot Country Dinner Special - Spaghetti with Meatballs, Garlic Bread, Salad - $5.95 *Saturday, Aug. 23 Kathleen McKee - from Arcata *Friday, Aug. 29 - Sequoia - Bluegrass *Friday, Sept. 5 - IMBUS - Celtic Rock *Thursdays - UBA-Star open mic with Jake Thompson Come-one, Come-all Scrabble games *DINNERS SERVED* Thursday, Friday & Saturday - Starting at 5 p.m.
