scholarly journals Radial growth response of black spruce roots and stems to commercial thinning in the boreal forest

2009 ◽  
Vol 82 (5) ◽  
pp. 557-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Vincent ◽  
C. Krause ◽  
S. Y. Zhang
2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1563-1571 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Thorpe ◽  
S. C. Thomas ◽  
J. P. Caspersen

Variants of partial harvesting are gaining favour as means to balance ecosystem management and timber production objectives on managed boreal forest landscapes. Understanding how residual trees respond to these alternative silvicultural treatments is a critical step towards evaluating their potential from either a conservation or a wood supply perspective. We used dendroecological techniques combined with a chronosequence approach to quantify the temporal radial growth response pattern of residual black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) trees to partial harvest in northeastern Ontario. At its peak, 8–9 years after harvest, radial growth of residual trees had doubled. The growth pattern was characterized by a 2-year phase of no response, a subsequent period of increase 3–9 years after harvest, and a stage of declining rates 10–12 years after harvest. The magnitude of tree growth response depended strongly on tree age: peak postharvest growth was substantially higher for young trees, while old trees displayed only modest growth increases. Both the large magnitude and the time delay in postharvest growth responses have important implications for the development of more accurate quantitative tools to project future yields and, more generally, for determining whether partial harvesting is a viable management option for the boreal forest.


Forests ◽  
2016 ◽  
Vol 7 (12) ◽  
pp. 240 ◽  
Author(s):  
Miguel Montoro Girona ◽  
Hubert Morin ◽  
Jean-Martin Lussier ◽  
Denis Walsh

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Lemay ◽  
Cornelia Krause ◽  
Alexis Achim

Careful logging around small merchantable stems (CLASS) is a partial cutting treatment that consists of the harvest of 70%–90% of the merchantable volume of an irregular coniferous stand. In this treatment, regeneration, saplings and small merchantable stems (DBH < 15 cm) are preserved and can continue to grow and develop into the dominant layer of the new stand. The aim of this project was to examine the effects of CLASS on the primary and secondary growth of branches, as well as on branch diameter in black spruce and balsam fir trees in the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. Primary and secondary growth were measured on five branches per tree while branch diameter was analysed from 15 whorls distributed within the crown of the 48 black spruce and 48 balsam fir trees sampled. Branch primary and secondary growth significantly increased after CLASS in the lower part of the crown in both species, and both types of growth increased proportionally. These findings suggest that CLASS may delay crown recession as the lower branches tend to survive and grow for a longer period. However, although radial growth increased in the years post-CLASS, this did not significantly influence the final branch diameter and should not lead to lumber downgrade.


2010 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 711-731 ◽  
Author(s):  
JIANGUO HUANG ◽  
JACQUES C. TARDIF ◽  
YVES BERGERON ◽  
BERNHARD DENNELER ◽  
FRANK BERNINGER ◽  
...  

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 501-508 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ambroise Lycke ◽  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Pierre Drapeau

Partial cuts are increasingly proposed to maintain habitats for species negatively affected by clearcutting, even if their benefits on nonpasserine birds and large mammals are still poorly documented. Our main objective was to evaluate effects of commercial thinning (CT) on spruce grouse ( Falcipennis canadensis L.), a game bird of the boreal forest. Because this species is known to be associated with a dense vegetation cover, we hypothesized that habitat use would be lower in treated sites. In spring 2006, we evaluated site occupancy in 94 forest stands (50 CT and 44 uncut stands) in Quebec by visiting each on three occasions during the breeding season (March–May). Additionally, during the molting period (May–July), we used radiotelemetry to monitor habitat use by 19 males. As compared with uncut stands, results show that a lower proportion of CTs were used in spring (39% versus 60%, after accounting for detection). During the molting period, CTs were also used less than expected according to their availability. The significant reduction of lateral and vertical forest cover in CT may explain these results. We conclude that even if CT is perceived beneficial for wildlife, it does not completely fulfill the needs of species associated with dense understory vegetation, such as spruce grouse.


Author(s):  
Andrei Lapenis ◽  
George Robinson ◽  
Gregory B. Lawrence

Here we investigate the possible<sup></sup> future response of white spruce (Picea glauca) to a warmer climate by studying trees planted 90 years ago near the southern limit of their climate tolerance in central New York, 300 km south of the boreal forest where this species is prevalent. We employed high-frequency recording dendrometers to determine radial growth phenology of six mature white spruce trees during 2013-2017. Results demonstrate significant reductions in the length of radial growth periods inversely proportional to the number of hot days with air temperature exceeding 30 oC. During years with very hot summers, the start of radial growth began about 3 days earlier than the 2013-2017 average. However, in those same years the end of radial growth was also about 17 days earlier resulting in a shorter (70 versus 100 day), radial growth season. Abundant (350-500 mm) summer precipitation, which resulted in soil moisture values of 20-30% allowed us to dismiss drought as a factor. Instead, a likely cause of reduced radial growth was mean temperature that exceeded daily average of 30<sup> o</sup>C that lead to photoinhibition.


2018 ◽  
Vol 45 (5) ◽  
pp. 1140-1152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrés Holz ◽  
Sarah J. Hart ◽  
Grant J. Williamson ◽  
Thomas T. Veblen ◽  
Juan C. Aravena

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document