People have long valued mature
western redcedar for its strong,
lightweight wood that is rot-resistant.
The species has cultural importance
for Northwest tribes who use the
tree’s bark and roots as well as the
wood.
Redcedar is very shade-tolerant
and is often found in the understory
and midstory of Pacific Northwest
forests. It is also very adaptable
and can grow on a wide range of
site conditions in both single- and
mixed-species stands. In contrast to
Douglas-fir, the subject of countless
studies related to its growth potential
and response to management in the
region, very little has been reported
for redcedar.
A series of studies conducted over
30 years on the responses of younggrowth
redcedar to a wide range
of stand, site, and management
conditions has led researchers with
the Pacific Northwest Research
Station to conclude that redcedar is
very responsive to management. For
example, the species responded well
to both thinning and fertilization on a
nutrient-poor site, it didn’t experience
thinning shock when released from
overtopping competition, and in a
range-wide analysis, its growth rates
held up better under competition
than Douglas-fir. These findings
are helping land managers evaluate
opportunities for growing redcedar
to meet multiple economic and
ecological objectives.