Survival and growth of planted yellow-cedar seedlings and rooted cuttings (stecklings) near Ketchikan, Alaska.

The management of stock quality; control of competition from herbs, shrubs, and conifers; and protection from browsing will be important components in a successful regeneration program. Hennon (1992) conducted a small planting of yellow-cedar seedlings on Etolin Island in Alaska and reported good survival (>85%) and growth (heights of approximately 110 cm) after 5 years on productive, well-drained soils. Competing vegetation was noted as limiting survival and growth, particularly where planting was not performed promptly after harvest. There are no other reports in the literature of yellow-cedar planting results in Alaska; however, the T ongass National Forest did have an active yellow-cedar planting program in the 1990s. Research and operational experience with yellow-cedar artificial regeneration in British Columbia is probably applicable in southeast Alaska, Difficulty in collecting cones and low seed germination rate due to seed-coat-imposed dormancy (Pawlik 1993, Raimondi and Kermode 2004, Bonner and Karrfalt 2008) led to the development of yellow-cedar stecldings-planting stock produced by rooted cuttings rather than from seed (Karlsson 1974, 1981). Interestingly, vegetative reproduction is common for yellow-cedar in unmanaged forests. Parish and Antos (2006) contend that many mature yellowcedar trees in natural stands originate from layering, the rooting of lower branches. Antos and Zobel (1986) noted the occurrence of layering in natural stands of the Cascade Mountains in Oregon and Washington. Hennon et al. (1990) reported the same phenomenon in Alaska and suggested that vegetative reproduction occurred more • Paul E. Hennonl Michael H. McClellanl Sheila R. Sporesl and Ewa H. Orlikowska