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SECTION 4:TREE MONITORING RESULTS <br /> in tree survival is due to newg rowth recorded on trees previously assumed dead. In Year 4 <br /> (2010),one of the wind-damaged cottonwoods in this planting area that was recorded as <br /> dead in Year 3 (2009)formed new lateral branches next to the broken stem. Stump-sprouts <br /> (new growth arising from the ground) were noted in Year 4 (2010)next to the cottonwood <br /> that had been topped by beavers in Year 3 (2009). <br /> In Year 4 (2010),the average heath and vigor score was 2.3 (Appendix A). A score of 2.3 is ' <br /> slightly lower than in between"medium' and"high" ranks.Scores have varied little over <br /> the last four monitoring years. The Year 4 (2010)health and vigor score of 2.3 is slightly <br /> lower than the 2009 (2.5) and 2008 (2.4) scores,but is higher than the 2007 score of 2.2 <br /> (Table 4-2). <br /> Year 5 (2011) <br /> As shown in Appendix A,no trees were recorded as dead in this planting sub area in Year 5 <br /> (2011). The tree survivorship rate is 100 percent(Table 4-2).High tree survivorship (above <br /> 97%) was also noted in all previous monitoring years (Table 4-1). This planting sub area has <br /> the highest average survivorship rate of any of the six planting sub areas (Table 4-1). <br /> A small fire adjacent to Whiskey Slough Road during summer 2011 singed the foliage of a <br /> few trees in this planting sub area in Year 5 (2011).One trees was recorded as dead as a <br /> direct result of the fire,and the fire burned the lower branches of the trees located closest to <br /> the road. It is possible that these trees could die over the next few years, slightly increasing <br /> the overall tree mortality in this planting sub area. <br /> In Year 5 (2011),the average heath and vigor score was 2.0(Appendix A). A score of 2.0 <br /> corresponds to a medium rank. This vigor score is slightly lower than scores calculated in <br /> previous monitoring years (Table 4-2). The health and vigor score dropped slightly in Year 5 <br /> (2011) because one tree was recorded as dead and the lower branches of a few trees located <br /> next to the road were burned in the fire. Most of the vegetation is likely to re-grow next <br /> year.However,it is possible that the burned trees could later succumb to insects or <br /> pathogens,and these trees will be re-examined during future system checks or site visits. <br /> Year 6 (2012) <br /> The survivorship rate in this planting sub area in Year 6 (2012) is 98 percent(Table 4-1), <br /> slightly lower than that observed in Year 5 (100 percent) (Table 4-1).One cottonwood tree <br /> with a shade-suppressed growth form was recorded as dead this year;however,it is <br /> possible that the rootstock is still alive. If the canopy opens up, this tree may produce new <br /> lateral growth or might stump-sprout in future years. Over the 6-year monitoring period, <br /> the Addition to Area A planting sub area has had a very high survivorship rate (97 percent <br /> or higher) and survivorship varied only 3 percent across all 6 monitoring years (Table 4-1). <br /> In Year 6 (2012),the average heath and vigor score was 2.2(Appendix A),slightly higher <br /> than a"medium' rank. This vigor score is consistent with vigor scores calculated in all <br /> previous monitoring years except for a slight dip in the vigor ranks for this planting sub <br /> area in Year 5 (2011) (Table 4-2).The health and vigor score dropped slightly in Year 5 (2011) <br /> because foliage in one small part of the planting sub area was burned in the 2011 fire.The <br /> increase in the Year 6 (2012) vigor score compared with Year 5 (2011) is due primarily to the <br /> regrowth of burned tree foliage. <br /> 4-6 <br />