VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pseudotsuga macrocarpa | Bigcone Douglas-Fir 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
There is no current commercial market for bigcone Douglas-fir wood due
to limited distribution and access [18].  It is heavy, hard, and fine
grained but not durable.  There is less sapwood than heartwood, and the
latter contains pockets of resin.  In the past, the wood was used
locally for fuel and lumber [29].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Bigcone Douglas-fir stands provide habitat for black-tailed deer, black
bear, and various small animals.  These trees provide preferred spring
habitat for black bear in the San Bernadino Mountains [18].  The seeds
are eaten by various rodents and birds [10].


PALATABILITY : 
NO-ENTRY


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


COVER VALUE : 
NO-ENTRY


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
Bigcone Douglas-fir is used for watershed restoration.  Radke and
McDonald [18] reported that the Los Angeles County Department of
Forestry has extensively planted the tree over a 50-year period for that
purpose.  Survival rates are not detailed.  Bigcone Douglas-fir is
recommended for reforestation of north-facing slopes within its range.
Seed collecting and processing methods are detailed in the literature
[25].
 
Trees planted on road cuts are often illegally harvested for use as
Christmas trees [12].


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
NO-ENTRY


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Bigcone Douglas-fir populations are currently stable, with favorable
rates of reproduction [3].  The tree is being considered for more
extensive plantings in semiarid locales.  Its favorable qualities
include resistance to drought, fire, insects, decay, and damage from
ozone [18,20].  The needles of older trees sometimes fade to yellow,
drop, and trees appear dead only to sprout with renewed vigor within 2
years.  The reason is unknown, although drought or insects may be
possible causes [10].

Some bigcone Douglas-fir x Douglas-fir hybrids show promise for
outplanting on drier sites in the Douglas-fir region [10,18].  These
hybrids produce wood of comparable quality to that of Douglas-fir
and have the drought tolerance of bigcone Douglas-fir [6].

Related categories for Species: Pseudotsuga macrocarpa | Bigcone Douglas-Fir