VALUE AND USE
SPECIES: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii | Coast Douglas-Fir 



WOOD PRODUCTS VALUE : 
Coast Douglas-fir is one of the worlds best timber producers and yields
more timber than any other tree in North America [5,19].  The wood is
used for dimensional lumber, timbers, pilings, and plywood [71].
Creosote-soaked pilings and decking are used in marine structures [33].
The wood is also made into railroad ties, mine timbers, house logs,
posts and poles, flooring, veneer, pulp, and furniture [71].


IMPORTANCE TO LIVESTOCK AND WILDLIFE : 
Coast Douglas-fir seedlings are not a preferred browse of black-tailed
deer or elk, but can be an important food source for these animals
during the winter when other preferred forages are lacking [12,14].

Douglas-fir seeds are an extremely important food for small mammals.
Mice, voles, shrews, and chipmunks consumed an estimated 65 percent of a
Douglas-fir seed crop following dispersal in western Oregon [26].  The
seeds are also important in the diets of the winter wren, pine siskin,
song sparrow, golden-crowned sparrow, white-crowned sparrow, red
crossbill, dark-eyed junco, and purple finch [5,10].

The Douglas squirrel harvests and caches great quantities of Douglas-fir
cones for later use [5].  They also eat mature pollen cones, developing
inner bark, terminal shoots, and tender young needles [49].

Mature or "old-growth" coast Douglas-fir is the primary habitat of the
red tree vole and the spotted owl.  Home range requirements for breeding
pairs of spotted owls are at least 1,000 acres (405 ha) of old-growth
[13].  Red tree voles may also be found in immature forests if
Douglas-fir is a significant component.  This animal nests almost
exclusively in the foliage of Douglas-fir trees.  Nests are located 6 to
157 feet (2-48 m) above the ground.  The red vole's diet consists
chiefly of coast Douglas-fir needles [49].

In many areas coast Douglas-fir needles are a    staple in the spring diet
of blue grouse [38].  In the winter, porcupines primarily eat the inner
bark of young conifers, especially Douglas-fir [49].



PALATABILITY : 
Coast Douglas-fir is a poor livestock browse and is generally avoided.
In the Oregon Coast Range it was most palatable to herded domestic sheep
in the spring soon after bud break but never comprised more than 3
percent of their diet [42].

New growth of seedlings and saplings is highly palatable to black-tailed
deer in the spring and early summer.  Douglas-fir palatability to deer
is low during the rest of the year [9].


NUTRITIONAL VALUE : 
Winter protein content of Douglas-fir browse averaged 7.25 percent in
western Washington [9].


COVER VALUE : 
Douglas-fir snags are abundant in forests older thatn 110 years and
provide cavity-nesting habitat for numerous forest birds [48,65].


VALUE FOR REHABILITATION OF DISTURBED SITES : 
NO-ENTRY


OTHER USES AND VALUES : 
Coast Douglas-fir is used extensively in landscaping.  It is planted as
a specimen tree or in mass screenings.  It is also a popular Christmas
tree [40].


MANAGEMENT CONSIDERATIONS : 
Silviculture:  Coast Douglas-fir is regenerated using even-aged
silviculture. The seed tree method is the only even-aged method not
applicable because the residuals are susceptible to windthrow.
Clearcutting followed by planting is the most widely used method.
Forest laws require prompt regeneration following timber harvest.  To
ensure compliance, clearcuts are typically planted with Douglas-fir
nursery stock because natural or artifical regeneration from seed is
unreliable [31,76].

Animal damage:  Browsing by deer, elk, and rodents can be a major
problem in plantations.  Browsing stunts Douglas-fir seedling growth and
increases mortality rates.  Most damage occurs within 4 years after
planting; thus measures to reduce browsing damage should occur at this
time.  Control measures include (1) planting palatable forbs to reduce
browsing pressure, (2) using physical barriers such as seedling
protectors, and (3) applying repellents [11,12,46].

Site quality:  Site quality for Douglas-fir growth in the western
hemlock zone is related to understory species.  The fastest (1) to
slowest (5) growth occurs with the following understories [21]:  

        1.  western swordfern (Polystichum munitum)
        2.  western swordfern-salal (Gaultheria shallon)
        3.  salal
        4.  salal-pale green lichen (Parmelia spp.)
        5.  bearded lichen (Usnea spp.)

Diseases and insects:  Shoestring root rot (Armillaria mellea) and
laminated root rot (Phillinus weirii) can cause significant damage in
plantations.  Infected trees are killed or weakend and blown over by
wind.  Red ring rot (Phillinus pini), a heart rot, causes more damage
than any other decay.  The Douglas-fir beetle is the most damaging
insect and often attacks fire-killed or fire-weakened trees [31].

Related categories for Species: Pseudotsuga menziesii var. menziesii | Coast Douglas-Fir