Plantation Birch: What Works, What Doesn't

Abstract

Abstract In a 10-year pilot test of plantation management in the White Mountains of New Hampshire, fertilization and brush control caused small or no increases in height or diameter growth of yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis); mortality was 50 percent and a high proportion of the stems were of poor quality. In contrast, paper birch (B. papyrifera) showed increases of 16 percent in height over the control and 75 percent in diameter growth. As a result, basal-area growth of paper birch increased by 282 percent. Paper birch mortality was 10 percent, and all stems were of high quality. Estimates are that paper birch could average 52 feet in height and 13 inches in diameter at 30 years. The conclusion is that paper birch is well suited to intensive plantation management and that yellow birch is not.