Excerpt from Large Scalps Improve Survival and Growth of Planted Conifers in Central Idaho Elk sedge is a fibrous-rooted species that produces a greater number of roots and penetrates the soil to a greater depth than its grass and herb associates (spence It is a perennial that tolerates unfavorable condi tions such as high moisture stress (sampson The root system of elk sedge is much more extensive than the aboveground foliage (fig. Although the plant diagrammed in figure 1 is only 12 inches (30 cm) tall and 10 inches (26 cm) Wide, the roots spread 56 inches (142 cm) and reach a depth of 75 inches (190 cm). Because of elk sedge's extensive root systems and its ability to compete for soil moisture, the spaces com mouly found between sedge plants are often occupied below ground and may not be good spots to plant trees. Elk sedge is present in most inland Douglas-fir and ponderosa pine forests. Of 49 central Idaho forest habi tat types that have Douglas-fir either as a climax spe cies or a major seral species, 44 have elk sedge in the undergrowth (steele and others In 10 habitat types, elk sedge was found in every stand sampled. Canopy coverage of elk sedge was estimated as high as 43 percent. Moreover, because of its extensive root sys tems, the effective site occupancy of elk sedge was much greater. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.