Tree Planting in California

California has a wide diversity of forest types and species involved in tree planting and subsequent management to maintain healthy and productive forests. California has over 31 million ac (12.5 million ha) of forests, approximately half of which is in parks, reserves, wilderness areas, or very low-productivity areas. California’s forests vary from the highly productive coastal forests dominated by fast-growing redwoods (Sequoia sempervirens [Lamb. ex D. Don] Endl.), to sparse ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Lawson & C. Lawson) forests on the dry side of the Sierra Nevada mountains, to extensive hardwood-dominated forests at lower elevations. California’s forests grow in climates with extreme hot and cold temperatures and a long, dry season. Wildfires have increased significantly in recent years resulting in a growing incidence of high-mortality crown fires. About half of forest acreage in California is classified as productive timberlands dominated by numerous conifer species. Most tree planting in California occurs in these timberlands. The three major ownership classes (large private owners, small private owners [concentrated on the north coast], and the U.S. Department of Agriculture [USDA], Forest Service) have historically practiced very different reforestation approaches. Around half of the large private owners practice even-age management and plant mostly conifer seedlings. Smaller private landowners mainly use uneven-aged management and plant relatively few seedlings relative to their land area. The USDA Forest Service manages more than half the timberlands in the State but has lower levels of timber harvesting compared with private landowners, mainly uses uneven-aged management, and has been less active in tree planting after wildfires. As California grapples with increasing tree mortality from wildfires and other mortality events, the importance for all landowners to apply lessons learned from local best practices will be more critical than ever if their respective forests are to remain productive into the future.

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Author(s): William Stewart

Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 65, Number 1 (2022)

Volume: 65

Number: 1