This guide will help forest management personnel in northwestern Ontario to select and use mechanical site preparation equipment in order to produce growing conditions suitable for germination and growth of seedlings. Information in the guide has been subdivided into three sections, starting with the fundamental principles underlying site preparation and progressing to practical application and results from use of various implements.
Section A
Planning for site preparation requires a basic understanding of the biological requirements for and constraints to tree seedling growth and seed germination. To serve as a review of these processes, Section A discusses six of the more important microclimatic variables and outlines the positive and, in some cases, negative effects of mechanical site preparation on each of them.
Section B
Site preparation equipment is represented by a variety of implements, most of which are capable of producing several types of soil disturbance. To assist with the proper selection and use of equipment, Section B presents a breakdown of the disturbance patterns by category (microsite conditions) produced by implements used in northwestern Ontario. Using cross-sectional schematic profiles, six categories are defined, and the most common of these (i.e., screefing, trenching, and inverting) are presented using silvicultural requirements for the four major coniferous crop species in northwestern Ontario. Recommended and nonrecommended planting and seeding locations are identified.
Section C
Numerous site-related factors can influence the performance of site preparation equipment. Harvesting method and degree of utilization, as well as soil and terrain features, are examples of factors that can affect the trafficabil ity and effectiveness of site preparation equipment. To provide the reader with representative examples of postharvest site conditions and site preparation results achieved, Section C presents a photo-series of typical site preparation case studies from across northwestern Ontario. This section employs many of the conventions used in the Field guide to the forest ecosystem classification [FEC] fornorthwestern Ontario(Sims et al. 1989) and the Northwestern Ontario forest ecosystem interpretations (Racey et al. 1989). Each photo set, identified by an FEC vegetation type and treatment unit designation, documents pre- and post-site preparation conditions after harvesting and includes a rating of the site's plantability and receptivity achieved by the site preparation implement.