“But we have to be careful, because the more birch removed, the more firs die from root disease,” I said. “Cutting and girdling stresses the birch and makes them vulnerable to root infections. As soon as we cut the birch, the infection overwhelms their roots and spreads to the roots of the firs, causing seven times the infection rates of untreated stands. I’m worried that we’re trading increased early growth for lower survival in the long run.”
