• Start-up
  • Planning
  • Action
  • Evaluation
Cloquet Forestry Center (CFC) foresters used the Adaptation Workbook to devise several actions to diversify a 70-90 year-old, 12-acre red pine stand on the CFC land base (Stand 57). CFC staff devised the prescription at an adaptation workshop in 2014 and refined the idea into a final timber sale plan in 2016. Work continues in the stand, including follow-up planting and monitoring.
Clearcut gap perimeters were flagged with green flagging and all trees to be harvested from the gaps and matrix (cull trees) were individually marked with yellow paint. Bell Timber, Inc. purchased the sale and cruised the cull trees for potential utility poles and house logs. They marked the trees that met these specifications in a systematic way (i.e. two red circles) that communicates with how they want the operator to process those trees. Photo by Kyle Gill, CFC.
Merchantable trees to be harvested were marked with yellow paint by CFC staff. Bell Timber, Inc. staff followed up by systematically marking trees that met their specifications for utility poles (blue paint) or house logs (red paint). Merchantable trees not marked were reserved. The prescription called for a vast majority of the high-density understory trees, mostly balsam fir, to be cut by the feller-buncher operator to open growing space and reduce ladder fuels. Photo by Kyle Gill, CFC.
This image demonstrates 1) the variable light and growing space conditions that were created by the treatment, clearcut gap in the foreground and background bisected by a portion of the residual matrix, 2) the small crowns and low live-crown ratios (often < 20%) of the residual trees caused by very high pre-treatment tree density, and 3) the ability of red pine to self-prune lower branches and grow with minimal bole taper when grown in high-density communities. Photo by Kyle Gill, CFC.
The half-acre gap on the north side of the stand after it had been cut and before any of the matrix had been treated. When possible, gaps were placed next to canopy white pines, a couple of which are visible on the right-hand side of the image, to encourage natural regeneration. No slash treatments were specified in the prescription, though full-tree skidding was required. Photo by Kyle Gill, CFC.
Fence posts installed in a harvested gap in 2019. Note the vigorous shrub layer sprouting in the gap.
Balsam fir in the understory of the stand prior to treatment.
Understory of the stand following balsam fir removal.
A map of half-acre regeneration plots for Stand 57.

Project Area

The 12-acre red pine stand that was the focus of this adaptation project.
The Cloquet Forestry Center (CFC) in Cloquet, MN, was established in 1909 as an experimental forest designed to provide a well-managed forest serving the diverse research, teaching, and outreach programs of the College and other organizations. CFC manages roughly 2,700 acres of forest land at the Cloquet campus.
This 12-acre stand is typed as Northern Dry-Mesic Red Pine/ White Pine Woodland (FDn33a1), according to the Minnesota DNR Ecological Classification System. Prior to treatment, the overstory was dense and dominated by 70-year-old red pine, with small amounts of jack and white pine, paper birch, red maple, and spruce. Regeneration was very limited, and hazel dominated the understory.

Management Goals

This stand had relatively uniform stand structure, and a mix of tree regeneration and hazel in the understory./

Staff from CFC initiated this project to address current and future challenges to forest management including the effects of climate change. The primary goals were to: 

  1. Reduce competition among the overstory pines,
  2. Promote new mixes of native tree species, (red, white, and bur oak, and white pine),
  3. Retain large live and dead trees and sensitive plant communities,
  4. Decrease woody competition (hazel),
  5. Protect against herbivory, and
  6. Increase structural diversity (vertical and horizontal).

Climate Change Impacts

CFC foresters considered broad climate change trends that are expected for northern Minnesota and the site conditions on this particular stand. They identified several risks associated with climate change, as well as several opportunities. Some of these included:
The primary species in this stand aren’t expected to have large declines in suitable habitat (red and white pine).
The desired oak species may be suited to future conditions in this stand (red, white, and bur oak).
Drought stress could cause problems with growth and natural regeneration, particularly because of the sandy soils in this stand and the high stocking level.
Extreme heat and high nighttime temperatures may be more stressful for red pine in particular.
Wildfire risk could increase in the future, particularly in this stand because many ladder fuels are present.

Adaptation Actions

After considering the menu of adaptation strategies and approaches from the Adaptation Workbook, CFC staff generated several possible adaptation actions that could be implemented within Stand 57. The foresters opted for a blend of “resistance” and “transition” adaptation actions to improve the health of existing mature trees and promote development of a new cohort composed of currently present native species and native species on the edge of their northern range. Their ideas were further refined by CFC staff and faculty at the University of Minnesota. The final harvest prescription included the following adaptation ideas: 

Area/Topic
Approach
Tactics
5.1. Promote diverse age classes.
9.1. Favor or restore native species that are expected to be adapted to future conditions.
Create six half-acre gaps in the stand to promote regeneration.
Locate gaps near reserved white pine to promote natural regeneration of white pine.
2.3. Manage herbivory to promote regeneration of desired species.
Three of the regeneration gaps will have perimeter fencing to exclude deer.
5.2. Maintain and restore diversity of native species.
9.2. Establish or encourage new mixes of native species.
Plant an experimental mix of species in the stand, including white pine, tamarack, jack pine, northern red oak, bur oak, and paper birch.

Monitoring

CFC staff designed a monitoring plan to track the succession of the stand after harvest and to document the outcomes of the treatment related to structural and species diversity. The variables currently being monitored are listed below. As of 2023, the initial conclusions from monitoring are:

1. The mix of natural and artificial regeneration is sufficiently diversifying the tree regeneration.
2. Seedlings tend to prefer the matrix understory better than the clearcut gaps, with the exception of jack pine, which isn't showing a preference.

Monitoring Variables:
Seedling survival and growth of planted seedlings
Effects of deer browse protection (fencing and tree tubes)
Mature tree live crown ratio
Understory occupancy of non-tree species

Project Documents

Next Steps

The timber sale was purchased by Bell Timber, Inc. and was harvested by Berthiaume Logging, Inc. in the winter 2016-2017. Harvesting occurred in the winter of 2016-2017 in this stand, and forest managers took time to observe how the site responded to harvest while developing a follow-up planting plan.
Raspberry, hazel, and blackberry sprouted vigorously in the harvested gaps, and balsam fir was prevalent in the understory of the thinned matrix portion of the stand. CFC staff decided to use a brush mower to reduce this shrub competition prior to planting, and also to cut down the balsam fir. In 2019, CFC staff installed fence posts in the harvested gaps, and polymesh fencing will be installed following planting in 2020.
In the winter of 2019-2020, CFC staff revised the planting plan for the site and ordered seedlings. Planting occurred in 2020. A randomized species mix of six species was planted at around 400 trees per acre with a target SDI (stand density index) of 175 at 6" DBH. The six species included eastern white pine, jack pine, tamarack, northern red oak, paper birch, and bur oak. Tamarack and bur oak were novel additions to an FDn33 stand, and they were selected as a more conservative compromise over long-distance migrant species such as ponderosa pine and bitternut hickory.
Regeneration monitoring has continued through 2026. After 6 growing seasons, the deer fencing is expected to be removed in 2026 because it is in disrepair. The bud capping of white pine seedlings will continue until they are above browse height.

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Keywords

Assisted migration
Plantations
Planting
Upland conifers

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