Litterfall, growth, and turnover of arboreal lichens after partial cutting in an Engelmann spruce – subalpine fir forest in north-central British Columbia

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 2306-2320 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan K Stevenson ◽  
Darwyn S Coxson
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Standing Crop ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
North Central ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection

Dynamics of canopy lichens were investigated for 2 years after group and single-tree selection harvesting in a Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm. – Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt. forest in north-central British Columbia. Litter fall was collected in 1-m2 traps set on the forest floor and estimates of Alectoria sarmentosa (Ach.) Ach. and Bryoria spp. litterfall adjusted for decomposition in the snowpack. Growth rates of A. sarmentosa and Bryoria fuscescens (Gyeln.) Brodo & D. Hawksworth were measured by repeatedly weighing samples maintained in mesh enclosures in the canopy. Standing crop of canopy lichens was measured in concurrent studies. There appeared to be a small postharvest pulse of litterfall in the single-tree selection area, but it was largely masked by natural variation. Ninety percent of the lichen litterfall was deposited within 10 m of the nearest tree. Annual relative growth rates of A. sarmentosa and B. fuscescens ranged from 2.7% to 10.4% and from 2.4% to 9.1%, respectively. Growth rates of both species were as high in the single-tree selection area as in the unlogged control area but were reduced along the edges of group selection openings. Growth and turnover (annual litterfall as a percentage of standing crop) of Alectoria were approximately in balance, but growth of Bryoria exceeded turnover. In situ decomposition of Bryoria may account for the difference.

Short-term impacts of partial cutting on lichen retention and canopy microclimate in an Engelmann spruce – subalpine fir forest in north-central British Columbia

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (5) ◽  
pp. 830-841 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwyn Coxson ◽  
Susan Stevenson ◽  
Jocelyn Campbell
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Sampling Techniques ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
North Central ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Single Tree Selection

The retention of canopy lichens (Alectoria, Bryoria, and foliose) in group selection (GS) and single-tree selection (STS) partial cuts (30% removal) was studied within a subalpine spruce–fir forest (Picea englemannii Parry ex Engelm. – Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) in north-central British Columbia. Baseline canopy lichen loading (preharvest and immediate postharvest) was compared with lichen loading 2 years after harvesting, using both ground- and canopy-based sampling techniques. Additionally, canopy microclimate was compared between GS and adjacent stand areas with no harvest treatment (NT). Partial cutting did not have a significant effect on lichen loading in residual trees, although a trend of declining lichen abundance was observed in each of the GS, STS, and NT areas. Partitioning of lichen abundance data showed significant postharvest declines for upper canopy STS Bryoria and smaller, but significant, changes in foliose lichen abundance in the NT and STS areas. No significant changes in canopy microclimate were observed between treatments, with the exception of south-facing aspects in GS trees, which showed reduced duration of lichen hydration. Taken together, these factors suggest that although the placement of Bryoria in residual trees may shift towards lower canopy exposures, partial-cut harvest treatments can maintain short-term lichen loading and associated ecosystem values (e.g., caribou forage) in subalpine spruce–fir stands.

scholarly journals Arboreal forage lichens in partial cuts – a synthesis of research results from British Columbia, Canada

Rangifer ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 27 (4) ◽  
pp. 155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan K. Stevenson ◽  
Darwyn S. Coxson
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Rangifer Tarandus ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Physiological Data ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Winter Habitat ◽  
Dispersal Capability ◽  
Alectoria Sarmentosa

The mountain ecotype of the woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou) is highly dependent on the arboreal hair lichens Bryoria spp. and Alectoria sarmentosa during winter. In parts of British Columbia, partial-cutting silvicultural systems have been used in an effort to provide continuously usable winter habitat for mountain caribou, while allowing some timber removal. We reviewed available information about the changes in hair lichens after partial cutting in Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii) – subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) forests of British Columbian and Idaho. Generally, abundance of Bryoria spp. in the lower canopy of individual residual trees increases with increased exposure after partial cutting, until the new regeneration begins to shelter the lower canopy of the residuals. Heavy basal area removal, however, results in low lichen availability at the stand level for many years. Abundance of Bryoria on the regeneration is low, and appears to be limited largely by the structure of the young trees, not by lichen dispersal, although dispersal capability may be limiting in Alectoria. Both distributional and physiological data suggest that Bryoria is intolerant of prolonged wetting, and that increased ventilation, rather than increased light, accounts for enhanced Bryoria abundance in the partial cuts. Alectoria sarmentosa reaches its physiological optimum in the lower canopy of unharvested stands; its growth rates are somewhat reduced in the more exposed environment of partial cuts. Both genera are capable of rapid growth: over a 7-year period, individual thalli of A. sarmentosa and Bryoria spp. (excluding those with a net biomass loss due to fragmentation) in an unlogged stand more than tripled their biomass. Calculated growth rates, as well as dispersal potential, are influenced by fragmentation. Bryoria produces more abundant, but smaller, fragments than Alectoria, and fragmentation in both genera increases in partial cuts. In subalpine mountain caribou habitat, partial-cutting prescriptions that enhance exposure of residual trees while keeping basal area removal low will maintain forage best. Regeneration management should focus on maintaining ventilation in the lower canopy of the residual stand.

Managing Appalachian Hardwood Stands Using Four Regeneration Practice—34-Year Results

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 180-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. Clay Smith ◽  
Gary W. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Black Locust ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Yellow Poplar ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Future Management

Abstract Adjacent Appalachian hardwood stands in West Virginia established on excellent growing sites were managed for a 34-year period using four regeneration practices. These practices included a commercial clearcut, 15.5-in diameter-limit, and two single-tree selection practices. An uncut area was maintained as a control. Stand development, growth response, and some stumpage revenue data were summarized for each treatment. At 34 years after the initial treatments, the commercial clearcut stand had the greatest variety of tree species for future management. This stand was dominated primarily by yellow-poplar and black locust. Selection and 15.5-in diameter-limit treatments promoted sugar maple on these excellent sites. Stand quality improved through management. After 34 years, the control area was worth $1,554/ac, and an intensively managed selection area was worth $1,214/ac, but the control area contained twice the sawtimber volume. Other preliminary value comparisons indicate that landowners benefit from some type of management compared to doing no management. North. J. Appl. For. 4:180-185, Dec. 1987.

Partial and clear-cut harvesting of high-elevation spruce–fir forests: implications for small mammal communities

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (12) ◽  
pp. 2283-2296 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walt Klenner ◽  
Thomas P Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammal ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Mean Values ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
Peak Abundance

Subalpine spruce (Picea) – fir (Abies) forests occur throughout the Cordillera of western North America. A variety of alternative silvicultural systems to clear-cutting are being investigated in these high-elevation forests in terms of their impacts on ecosystem components. We tested the hypotheses that abundance, reproduction, and survival of populations of (i) southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi Vigors) will decline, (ii) long-tailed voles (Microtus longicaudus Merriam) and northwestern chipmunks (Tamias amoenus J.A. Allen) will increase, and (iii) deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner) will be similar, with respect to decreasing levels of tree retention. Small mammal populations were live-trapped from 1994 to 1998 in replicated sites of uncut forest, single tree selection, 0.1-ha patch cuts, 1.0-ha patch cuts, a 10.0-ha clearcut, and edges in an Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) – subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) forest near Sicamous, British Columbia, Canada. Clethrion omys gapperi dominated the small mammal community, reaching a peak abundance of 80 animals/ha with mean values ranging from 31 to 50 animals/ha. Over the 4 postharvest years, abundance, reproduction, and survival of C. gapperi populations were consistently similar among uncut forest, single tree selection, and patch cut treatments compared with clear-cut sites where this species declined to extirpation. Microtus longicaudus and T. amoenus occurred predominantly in clearcut sites, whereas P. maniculatus was present in low numbers on all sites. With respect to small mammals, partial harvesting systems appear to provide a means for combining timber extraction with maintenance of mature forest habitat in these subalpine ecosystems.

scholarly journals Six Decades of Growth and Yield and Financial Return in a Silviculture Experiment in Northern Hardwoods

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Maeve C Draper ◽  
Robert E Froese
Keyword(s):  
Financial Performance ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Long Term Results ◽  
Northern Hardwoods ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Upper Peninsula ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
Upper Peninsula Of Michigan

Abstract The Cutting Methods Study at the Ford Forest in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, USA, was established in 1956 and has been maintained continuously on a 10 year cycle. Methods consist of three diameter limits (DL; 13, 30, and 41 cm), single-tree selection to three residual basal area limits (STS; 11, 16, and 21 m2ha−1), and light improvement (LI) focused on improving tree grade. Long-term results show that the 41 cm DL produced the greatest managed forest value and cumulative sawlog production, followed by the STS to 11 m2ha−1 residual basal area. STS treatments and LI were uniformly superior at improving standing tree grade. In contrast, treatments that emphasize removal of large diameter trees while retaining moderate residual basal area (the 41 cm DL and 11 m2ha−1 STS) produced the largest harvest volumes of high-grade sawlogs, driving financial performance. Stand density has declined in all treatments except the 30 and 41 cm DL, where it has increased, and these two treatments have larger abundance of saplings and poles. Alternative partial cutting methods such as selection to lower residual basal areas and medium-intensity diameter-limit cuts thus may provide greater financial returns and higher average quality, and could have implications on regeneration and long-term sustainability. Study Implications: Long-term comparison of alternative partial cutting practices in northern hardwoods in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan over 60 years reveals that Arbogast-based single-tree selection is inferior using financial and volume yield criteria. Alternatives that remove more of the larger trees appear over time to increase regeneration and harvested tree quality, which in turn drives financial performance. However, treatments with extremely high volume removals perform poorly against all others, and have few, if any, redeeming financial, silvicultural, or ecological qualities.

Performance of planted Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir seedlings in British Columbia's southern mountains

2006 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
C C Lajzerowicz ◽  
A. Vyse ◽  
M. Jull ◽  
T. Newsome
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Soil Temperatures

We compared survival and growth of planted seedlings of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir across a range of harvest opening sizes (> 10 ha, 1 ha, 0.2 ha, 0.1 ha, 0.03 ha and individual tree selection) from three silvicultural systems trials in high-elevation spruce – subalpine fir forests in south-central British Columbia. Climatic patterns and growing season air and soil temperatures were similar across sites. Seedling survival decreased with opening size. Local site climates, influenced by aspect and moisture and air drainage, were more influential than elevation. Seedling growth was best in large openings and similar in opening sizes from 1 ha to 0.1 ha. Smaller openings created by group selection and individual tree selection methods were not favourable for successful planting at elevations close to timberline. The two species had similar absolute and relative growth rates but spruce responded more strongly to better growing environments. Key words: planted seedlings, Engelmann spruce, Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm., subalpine fir, Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt., opening size, elevation effects, silvicultural systems, British Columbia, mountain forests

Relative growth rates and secondary compounds in epiphytic lichens along canopy height gradients in forest gaps and meadows in inland British Columbia

Botany ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 93 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-131 ◽  
Author(s):  
Massimo Bidussi ◽  
Yngvar Gauslaa
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Growth Rates ◽  
Secondary Compounds ◽  
Epiphytic Lichens ◽  
Lobaria Pulmonaria ◽  
Relative Growth ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Forest Gaps ◽  
Inland Valley ◽  
Species Specific

We explore relative growth rates (RGRs) and carbon-based secondary compounds (CBSCs) in epiphytic lichens along height-above-the-ground gradients. The chlorolichen (Letharia vulpina (L.) Hue), the cephalolichen (Lobaria pulmonaria (L.) Hoffm.), and the cyanolichens (Lobaria hallii (Tuck.) Zahlbr., Nephroma helveticum Ach.) were attached to branches at 0.5–3.0 m heights of young spruce trees transplanted for 1 year in forest gaps and in old meadows of an inland valley in British Columbia. Cephalolichen and cyanolichen RGRs were highest in forest gaps, whereas the chlorolichen grew faster in meadows with twice as much light as forest gaps. Transplantation height did not influence lichen temperature or RGRs, despite height-dependent light increases. CBSCs were highest in the chlorolichen (13%), followed by the cephalolichen (5%) and the cyanolichens (1% and 0%). CBSC concentrations increased with thallus size, and were significantly higher in forest gaps mainly for L. pulmonaria. Only one minor CBSC in each species varied with height. The slow growth of cephalolichen and cyanolichens in meadows is consistent with these lichens’ preferences for forested habitats. Cold air ponding from snow-capped mountains was probably strong enough to form enough nocturnal dew to support reasonable lichen growth at all heights. The high species-specific and the low habitat-specific CBSC variations are consistent with constitutive CBSC defense levels in studied lichens.

scholarly journals Twenty years of community dynamics in a mixed conifer – broad-leaved forest under a selection system in northern Japan

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1363-1375 ◽  
Author(s):  
Toshiya Yoshida ◽  
Mahoko Noguchi ◽  
Yukio Akibayashi ◽  
Masato Noda ◽  
Masahiko Kadomatsu ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Long Term Study ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Broad Leaved Species

Single-tree selection has been employed widely in northern Japanese mixed forests, but management-induced changes in forests are not well understood. This study examined demographic parameters of major tree species during a 20-year study of a 68 ha stand in which single-tree selection has been conducted since 1971. Results showed that growth and survival of conifers (mostly Abies sachalinensis (Fr. Schm.) Masters) was the most strongly positively affected by the treatment. Nevertheless, recruitment of conifers was not sufficiently improved, suggesting their decreased dominance over the longer term. Instead, shade-intolerant broad-leaved species (mainly Betula ermanii Cham.) will gradually increase because of their higher recruitment rates after the treatment. Shade-tolerant broad-leaved species (mainly Acer mono Maxim. and Tilia japonica (Miq.) Simonkai) appeared to experience the most distinct negative effects, especially on survival. These trends differed markedly from those reported in previous papers concerning partial harvesting systems, which predicted an increase in dominance of shade-tolerant species. The results shown here should be generalized carefully because we have investigated only one stand without repetition of the control area. Nevertheless, trends described in this large-scale, long-term study could provide a basis for simulating stand dynamics. We discussed possible reasons for the observed patterns and provided implications for sustainable management in the region.

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