Pollen morphology and development of the pollination mechanism in Tsuga heterophylla and T. mertensiana

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (12) ◽  
pp. 3041-3048 ◽  
Author(s):  
John N. Owens ◽  
Margaret Dianne Blake

Pollen of Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg. (western hemlock) is nonsaccate and bears spines, whereas pollen of Tsuga mertensiana (Bong.) Carr. (mountain hemlock) is saccate and lacks spines. The pollination mechanism in western hemlock consists of a short funnel-like integument tip with a large micropyle. Pollen may enter the micropyle or germinate on the bract or ovuliferous scale and form long pollen tubes. The pollination mechanism in mountain hemlock consists of two large micropylar flaps which secrete minute droplets to which pollen adheres. A pollination drop is not formed in either species. These features are discussed in relation to the taxonomy of the genus and the reproductive biology of these two species.

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (1) ◽  
pp. 44-53 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna M. Colangeli ◽  
John N. Owens

The development and function of the pollination mechanism is described for hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.). Controlled pollinations at various stages following bud burst were used to define the period of maximum receptivity. Western hemlock has a pollination mechanism unlike that observed in other native conifers. The pollen grains were not taken into the micropyles; instead, the roughly sculptured pollen grains adhered to the long epicuticular wax covering the bracts. Seed cones became receptive to pollen soon after the bracts emerged from the bud scales and remained receptive until shortly before cone closure. Several days after the cones fully emerged beyond the bud scales, the ovuliferous scales elongated over the bracts, trapping the pollen between the bracts and scales. Several weeks after pollination, pollen germinated on the bracts and formed long pollen tubes which grew towards and into the micropyles.


1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1424-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mailly ◽  
J. P. Kimmins

Silvicultural alternatives that differ in the degree of overstory removal may create shady environments that will be problematic for the regeneration of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). Gradients of light in the field were used to compare mortality, growth, and leaf morphological acclimation of two conifer species of contrasting shade tolerances: Douglas-fir and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.). Results after two growing seasons indicated that Douglas-fir mortality occurred mainly at relative light intensity (RLI) below 20%, while western hemlock mortality was evenly distributed along the light gradient. Height, diameter, and biomass of the planted seedlings increased with increasing light for both species but at different rates, and maximum biomass accumulation always occurred in the open. Douglas-fir allocated more resources to stem biomass than western hemlock, which accumulated more foliage biomass. Increases in specific leaf area for Douglas-fir seedlings occurred at RLI ≤ 0.4 and red/far red (R/FR) ratio ≤ 0.6, which appear to be the minimal optimum light levels for growth. Conversely, western hemlock seedlings adjusted their leaf morphology in a more regular pattern, and changes were less pronounced at low light levels. These results, along with early mortality results for Douglas-fir, suggest that the most successful way to artificially regenerate this species may be by allowing at least 20% of RLI for ensuring survival and at least 40% RLI for optimum growth. Key words: light, light quality, leaf morphology, acclimation.


1987 ◽  
Vol 119 (12) ◽  
pp. 1109-1115
Author(s):  
W.P.L. Osborn ◽  
J.H. Borden

AbstractTo mitigate the effects of mosquitoes, settlers in the Revelstoke area of British Columbia reportedly burned the sporophores of the Indian paint fungus, Echinodontium tinctorium (Ell. & Ev.) Ell. & Ev., a pathogen of western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., and true firs, Abies spp. Larval and adult yellowfever mosquitoes, Aedes aegypti (L.), were exposed to aqueous extracts of smoke (smoke-waters) from E. tinctorium sporophores, and from western hemlock sapwood and heartwood. Smoke-waters were of approximately equal toxicity to larvae. Fungus smoke-water, but not sapwood or heartwood smoke-waters, lost 50% of its potency in 5 months. Vapors from fungus smoke-water were significantly more toxic to adult mosquitoes than those from sapwood or heartwood. Thus smoke from E. tinctorium sporophores and T. heterophylla wood apparently contain different water-soluble combustion products toxic to A. aegypti.


2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1496-1501
Author(s):  
G R Johnson ◽  
C Cartwright

Western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) families were grown under different levels of shade for 2 or 3 years at two nursery sites to determine whether families performed differently relative to one another in the different shade environments. Differences were found both for levels of shade and families, but no family × shade interaction was found. Results suggest that families selected in full-sun environments (clearcuts or farm fields) may be well suited for use in silvicultural systems where seedlings are planted in understory conditions.


2019 ◽  
Vol 433 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Matthew E. Hane ◽  
Andrew J. Kroll ◽  
Aaron Springford ◽  
Jack Giovanini ◽  
Mike Rochelle ◽  
...  

1990 ◽  
Vol 122 (3) ◽  
pp. 555-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.F. Shepherd ◽  
T.G. Gray

AbstractEggs of western blackheaded budworm, Acleris gloverana (Walsingham), are laid on the lower surface of western hemlock, Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg., needles. A comparison was made of the following measures of sample branch size as a basis for expressing egg density: fresh branch weight, branch area, total twig length, branch volume, and number of buds. The criteria for selection of these measures were as follows: correlations of branch size with dry needle weight, variances of egg density and their relative contribution to sample size, and ease of measurement. Fresh branch weight was the best choice. A sequential sampling system was developed on this basis and was related to a scale of predicted defoliation. In addition, a transformation was provided for use in data analysis.


1949 ◽  
Vol 27c (6) ◽  
pp. 312-331 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. C. Buckland ◽  
R. E. Foster ◽  
V. J. Nordin

An investigation of decay in western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) and fir (mainly Abies amabilis (Loud.) Forb.) in the Juan de Fuca forest region of British Columbia has shown that the major organisms causing root and butt rots are the same in both species. These are Poria subacida (Peck) Sacc., Fomes annosus (Fr.) Cke., Armillaria mellea Vahl ex Fr., Polyporus sulphureus Bull. ex Fr., and P. circinatus Fr. Those organisms causing trunk rots of western hemlock, in decreasing order of importance, are Fomes pinicola (Sw.) Cke., F. Pini (Thore) Lloyd, Stereum abietinum Pers., Fomes Hartigii (Allesch.) Sacc. and Trav., and Hydnum sp. (H. abietis). These same organisms causing trunk rots of fir, in decreasing order of importance, are Fomes pinicola, Stereum abietinum, Hydnum sp. (H. abietis), Fomes Pini, and Fomes Hartigii. The logs of 963 western hemlock were analyzed in detail. Maximum periodic volume increment was reached between 225 and 275 years of age. Maximum periodic volume increment was reached between 275 and 325 years of age in the 719 fir that were analyzed. Scars were the most frequent avenue of entrance for infection. In 59% of the cases of infection studied the fungus had entered through wounds.


2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1057-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda E Winter ◽  
Linda B Brubaker ◽  
Jerry F Franklin ◽  
Eric A Miller ◽  
Donald Q DeWitt

The history of canopy disturbances over the lifetime of an old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stand in the western Cascade Range of southern Washington was reconstructed using tree-ring records of cross-dated samples from a 3.3-ha mapped plot. The reconstruction detected pulses in which many western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) synchronously experienced abrupt and sustained increases in ringwidth, i.e., "growth-increases", and focused on medium-sized or larger ([Formula: see text]0.8 ha) events. The results show that the stand experienced at least three canopy disturbances that each thinned, but did not clear, the canopy over areas [Formula: see text]0.8 ha, occurring approximately in the late 1500s, the 1760s, and the 1930s. None of these promoted regeneration of the shade-intolerant Douglas-fir, all of which established 1500–1521. The disturbances may have promoted regeneration of western hemlock, but their strongest effect on tree dynamics was to elicit western hemlock growth-increases. Canopy disturbances are known to create patchiness, or horizontal heterogeneity, an important characteristic of old-growth forests. This reconstructed history provides one model for restoration strategies to create horizontal heterogeneity in young Douglas-fir stands, for example, by suggesting sizes of areas to thin in variable-density thinnings.


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