Growth Responses of Northern Hardwoods to Fertilization

1979 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 597-604
Author(s):  
R. Lea ◽  
W. C. Tierson ◽  
A. L. Leaf
Keyword(s):  
New York State ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
Cross Sectional

Abstract A 70-year-old thinned Fagus-Betula-Acer stand in the Adirondack Mountains of northern New York State was fertilized with varying amounts and combinations of N, P, K, and dolomitic limestone in the spring of 1976. Betula alleghaniensis, Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, and Fagus grandifolia growth data were obtained for two growing seasons after fertilization. Comparisons were made within species and among treatments, expressed as basal area and cross-sectional area (at 5.27 m height) growth, specific volume growth, and stem form ratio. The overall results indicate that 275 kg/ha N significantly increases radial growth with minor responses to 138 kg/ha P and lime. Potassium additions, on the whole, did not significantly alter growth rates, and individually fertilized trees grew slightly more than trees receiving entire plot applications. No changes in stem form induced by fertilization have been detected. Forest Sci. 25:597-604.

Long-term differential stem growth responses in mature eastern white pine following release from competition

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 511-520 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eddie Bevilacqua ◽  
David Puttock ◽  
Terence J Blake ◽  
Darwin Burgess
Keyword(s):  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Eastern White Pine ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
Allocation Pattern ◽  
Growth Allocation ◽  
Canopy Position ◽  
Volume Increment

The magnitude and duration of the growth response in residual trees following silvicultural release treatments are measures used to assess the success of silvicultural practices. Eighty-eight eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.) trees, representing three different dominance classes, were sampled destructively from stands from a single study site that included areas of both unharvested (control) and silvicultural release treatments. The study area consisted of several pine mixedwood stands with understory white pine growing in association with an overstory of predominantly intolerant hardwoods. Annual height, diameter, basal area, stem and sawtimber volume increment, pattern of stem increment allocation along the bole, stem form, and height–diameter ratio were reconstructed over a postrelease period of 23 years using detailed stem analysis. Within 3 years of release, white pine in all dominance classes showed significant increases in diameter, basal area, and volume increment compared with control trees. Differences in the volume increment between released and control trees varied with canopy position, with emergent trees showing the greatest increased volume growth, followed by dominant and intermediate classes, respectively. A temporary shift in the growth allocation pattern along the bole varied depending on crown class, suggesting a period of growth adjustment during which trees are acclimating to changes in resource availability and wind exposure. The shift in growth allocation contributed to increased stem taper, resulting in decreased form class and height–diameter ratios in the released trees.

Thinned Loblolly Pine Stand Growth Improved by Early Hardwood Suppression

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 (1) ◽  
pp. 22-27
Author(s):  
Terry R. Clason
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Taeda ◽  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Growth Data ◽  
Stand Growth ◽  
Pinus Taeda L

Abstract A hardwood suppression treatment applied to a 7-year-old, loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) plantation enhanced projected productivity through a 35-year rotation that included three commercial thinnings. By age 22, growth data showed that hardwood removal treatments had larger pines and smaller hardwoods than check treatments. Fifteen-year pine basal area and merchantable volume growth on hardwood removal plots exceeded the check plots by 25 and 27%. Projected growth between ages 22 and 35 indicated that 28 years after early hardwood removal thinned plantation merchantable volume yields improved by 840 ft³ per acre. South. J. Appl. For. 15(1):22-27.

Fertilization of Established Southern Pine Stands: Effects of Single and Split Nitrogen Treatments

1993 ◽  
Vol 17 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J. Jokela ◽  
Stephen C. Stearns-Smith
Keyword(s):  
Loblolly Pine ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Pinus Elliottii ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Southern Pine ◽  
N Application ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Pinus Taeda L ◽  
Nitrogen Treatments

Abstract Data from six fertilizer trials established in semimature southern pine stands (five slash pine, Pinus elliottii Engelm. var. elliottii; one loblolly pine, Pinus taeda L.) were analyzed to determine the efficacy of single vs. split fertilizer treatments. Both fertilizer treatments supplied an elemental equivalent of 200 lb nitrogen (N)/ac and 50 lb phosphorus (P)/ac; however, the first treatment was delivered as a single dose, and the second treatment was a split N application (i.e., 50 lb N and 50 lb P/ac (initial); 150 lb N/ac (2 yr later). Cumulative responses of fertilized plots were still significantly greater than the controls in five trials after 8 yr and averaged 43% (15.7 ft²/ac) and 39% (607 ft³/ac) for basal area and stand volume growth, respectively. In general, no significant differences in either the magnitude or duration of response were detected between the single and split N fertilizer treatments. This suggests that delaying a portion of the N application for 2 yr will not diminish the level of growth responses attained. Therefore, land managers have flexibility in using either application method when implementing midrotation fertilizer prescriptions. South. J. Appl. For. 17(3):135-138.

Different nitrogen sources for fertilizing western hemlock in western Washington

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 155-162 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. A. Radwan ◽  
D. S. DeBell ◽  
S. R. Webster ◽  
S. P. Gessel
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Total N ◽  
Area Growth ◽  
Western Washington

Effects of different sources of fertilizer N on selected chemical characteristics of soils and foliage, and on growth of western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) were compared at three different sites in western Washington. Treatments were the following: untreated control (O), ammonium nitrate (AN), ammonium sulfate (AS), calcium nitrate (CN), urea (U), and urea – ammonium sulfate (US). Fertilizers were applied in the spring (April–May) at 224 kg N/ha. Forest floor and mineral soil, to a depth of 5 cm, and foliage were sampled periodically for 2 years. Height and diameter of selected trees were measured periodically for 4 years. Results are reported mostly for two sites, one in the Cascade Range and one in the coastal zone in western Washington. The pH of forest floor and mineral soil varied by treatment, and the two urea fertilizers caused substantial initial rise. Effects on soil and foliar nutrients varied by fertilizer, sampling date, and location. In general, all fertilizers increased NH4 N, N03 N, and total N in the forest floor and mineral soil, and total N in the foliage. Also, with some exceptions, especially with foliar P in the Cascade site, fertilization reduced foliar content of important nutrients. At the Cascade site, 4-year growth responses in height, basal area, and volume averaged over all fertilizers were 30, 34, and 32%, respectively. AN, AS, CN, and urea resulted in height growth significantly (P < 0.20) higher than that of the control. Significant basal area growth and volume-growth responses were produced by AN, CN, and US. No significant height-growth response to any fertilizer occurred in the coastal stand; basal area growth and volume-growth responses averaged 27 and 21%, respectively, and best response occurred with urea. These results suggest that the low and inconsistent response of hemlock to N fertilization cannot be improved by applying some N fertilizer other than urea. Factors limiting response to N fertilization may be associated with availability of native N and other nutrients or other characteristics of hemlock sites and stands.

Decennial growth and mortality following uniform partial cutting in yellow birch – conifer stands

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (3) ◽  
pp. 224-233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Prévost ◽  
Daniel Dumais
Keyword(s):  
Stand Structure ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Tree Survival

Estimating residual tree survival and growth is crucial for evaluating the overall merit of partial harvesting. In this case study, we present the effects of different cutting intensities (0%, 40%, 50%, and 60% of merchantable (diameter at breast height ≥ 9.1 cm) basal area (BA)) on the response of residual trees in two mixed yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) – conifer stands in eastern Quebec, Canada. Primarily aimed at promoting regeneration establishment, the experiment was conducted in two sites 90 km apart (Armagh and Duchesnay), each one containing four replicates of treatments in a randomized block design. Mortality after cutting decreased with increasing BA removal, but losses were two to three times higher at Armagh (62–138 stems/ha) than at Duchesnay (22–88 stems/ha). Loss of conifer stems involved primarily balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) under natural conditions (control), whereas fir and red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) were equally affected in partial cuts. Red maple (Acer rubrum L.) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) were lost regardless of treatment. As a whole, growth in merchantable BA increased with cutting intensity. Uniform partial cuts produced good BA growth response from conifers at Armagh (0.27–0.28 m2·ha−1·year−1) and from hardwoods at Duchesnay (0.16–0.25 m2·ha−1·year−1), whereas BA growth was negligible for both species groups in the control. We examine the role of species composition and stand structure before cutting in the response of residual trees.

Beyond oak regeneration: modelling mesophytic sapling density drivers along topographic, edaphic, and stand-structural gradients in mature oak-dominated forests of Appalachian Ohio

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (11) ◽  
pp. 1215-1227
Author(s):  
Don C. Radcliffe ◽  
Stephen N. Matthews ◽  
David M. Hix
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Active Management ◽  
Permanent Plots ◽  
Eastern United States ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
American Beech ◽  
Sapling Density

Shade-tolerant mesophytic tree species tend to dominate the understories of present-day oak–hickory and mixed-hardwood forests in the eastern United States. We quantified the sapling density associations with abiotic and biotic variables for three important mesophytic species: red maple (Acer rubrum L.), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), and American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) in southeastern Ohio. In this study, we sampled 165 permanent plots in oak-dominated, topographically diverse, mature (>90 years old), second-growth forests following a time span of 21–25 years (1993–1995 and 2016–2018) between samples on the Athens and Marietta units of the Wayne National Forest. Our models showed that sugar maple was strongly associated with high pH soils and red maple was strongly associated with low pH soils. Additionally, red maple was associated with upper slope positions and older stands, while American beech was associated with lower slopes, northeasterly aspects, and northeast-facing upper slopes. Basal area of competing species, solum depth, and management unit were not significantly related to sapling density for our focal species. American beech sapling density doubled between the two sampling periods, while densities of both maple species declined by half. Our results will help scientists and managers by providing insight into potential future composition of currently oak-dominated forests in areas without active management intervention.

Effects of an introduced pathogen on resistance to natural disturbance: beech bark disease and windthrow

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1832-1843 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael J Papaik ◽  
Charles D Canham ◽  
Erika F Latty ◽  
Kerry D Woods
Keyword(s):  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Species Coexistence ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Natural Disturbance ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Direct Result ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Beech Bark Disease ◽  
Composition And Structure

In forests of eastern North America, introduced pathogens have caused widespread declines in a number of important tree species, including dominant species such as American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.). Most studies have focused on changes in forest composition and structure as a direct result of mortality caused by a pathogen. Our field studies of windthrow resistance in forests of northern New York and northern Michigan demonstrate that resistance of beech trees to windthrow is severely reduced by beech bark disease (BBD). This reduced resistance was primarily due to the increase in the probability of stem breaks of moderately and highly infected beech trees. The severity of BBD infection on individual trees has a significant negative effect on resistance to windthrow. We tested potential consequences of this for long-term composition and structure in these forests by using a simulation model, SORTIE. We found that species such as yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) and eastern hemlock (Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carr.) increased in basal area primarily because of the effect BBD had on the creation of new seedbed substrates. Our results highlight the indirect effects that host-specific pathogens can have on community dynamics and species coexistence in forests.

Analysis of stand basal area development of thinned and unthinned Acer rubrum forests in the upper Great Lakes region, USA

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (5) ◽  
pp. 645-655 ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin L. Pszwaro ◽  
Anthony W. D’Amato ◽  
Thomas E. Burk ◽  
Matthew B. Russell ◽  
Brian J. Palik ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Mean Squared Error ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Climatic Conditions ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Wide Range

Red maple (Acer rubrum L.), historically a common but not abundant tree species in North America, has increased in abundance throughout its range over the last several decades; however, it has received little attention in growth and yield studies. The objectives of this study were to (i) evaluate the effects of stocking level and stand density on overall patterns of red maple stand productivity and (ii) quantify these relationships across a wide range of stand age, site quality, geographic location, and climatic conditions. We used long-term measurements from 52 sites in Wisconsin and Michigan to examine growth responses of even-aged red maple stands to various levels of thinning. Using linear, mixed-effects modeling, future stand-level red maple basal area was modeled as a function of stand and plot characteristics and climatic variables. Growing season precipitation and its interaction with initial red maple basal area were significant predictors; however, they only collectively reduced the mean squared error by 2.1% relative to a base model containing solely stand and plot factors. Model projections indicated there was little difference in predicted future basal area for the range of climate conditions experienced by these stands highlighting red maple’s wide tolerance of environmental conditions across the region.

Foliage and stand growth responses of semimature lodgepole pine to thinning and fertilization

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (12) ◽  
pp. 1794-1804 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C Yang
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Dry Mass ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Fascicle Length ◽  
Stand Growth

The aim of this study was to quantify the interactive response of lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) to thinning and nitrogen (N) fertilization in midrotation stands by assessing foliar and stand growth response relationships and determining the optimum fertilizer regime. The experiment design was a factorial arrangement of treatments with two thinning intensities (thinned and unthinned control) and four N levels (0, 180, 360, and 540 kg·ha-1). Foliage was sampled annually from trees in buffers for 4 years following treatment and plot trees measured at a 5-year interval. Results indicated that the effect of fertilization on fascicle length and needle dry mass disappeared 2 years after N treatment, while thinning effects on foliage emerged 3 years after fertilization. Both first year fascicle length and dry mass were reliable predictors (r2 = 0.87 and 0.82, respectively) of subsequent stand volume growth. Applications of N at 360 kg·ha-1 to thinned and unthinned plots, respectively, improved 10-year periodic height increment by 20 and 19%, diameter at breast height by 29 and 34%, basal area by 21 and 36%, and total volume by 25 and 28%. Fertilization of N at this level appears to be optimal based on foliar and mensurational responses. High N loadings increased tree mortality and accelerated stand development and so it could be advantageously used as a tool for managing overstocked stands.

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