Life Sciences Commons^™

Logging In Alaska's Boreal Forest: Creation Of Grasslands Or Enhancement Of Moose Habitat, William B. Collins, Charles C. Schwartz

Aspen Bibliography

Timber harvest in Alaska’s boreal forest can greatly enhance or severely reduce moose (Alces alces) habitat quality, depending on forest management objectives, timing and methods of harvest, and post-logging site preparation. Overstory removal associated with timely exposure of mineral soil favors establishment of early successional hardwoods important as moose browse. A combination of clear-cutting and soil scarification on mesic sites mimics fire, windfall, and fluvial erosion, important natural forces that drive regeneration of the boreal forest. When cut during dormancy, aspen (Populus tremuloides) and balsam poplar (P. balsamifera) Regenerate prolifically by root and stump …