Range of variability in boreal aspen plant communities after wildfire and clear-cutting

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 274-288 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Haeussler ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Plant Biomass ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Dead Plant ◽  
Live Tree ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest

Composition, structure, and diversity of vascular and nonvascular plant communities was compared 3 years after wildfire and clear-cutting in mesic trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests of the southern Canadian boreal forest. We examined mean response to disturbance and variability around the mean across four to five spatial scales. Four 1997 wildfires were located near Timmins, Ontario, and ten 1996–1997 clearcuts were located adjacent to the wildfires. We randomly located plots within mesic, aspen-dominated stands selected to minimize predisturbance environmental differences. Correspondence analysis separated wildfire and clearcut samples based on community composition: wildfires had more aspen suckers, Diervilla lonicera Mill., and pioneering mosses; clearcuts had more under story tall shrubs, forbs, bryophytes, and lichens. Live tree basal area averaged 1.7 m2/ha in wildfires and 1.8 m2/ha in clearcuts (p = 0.59), and understory community structure (the horizontal and vertical distribution of live and dead plant biomass) was not markedly different. Clearcuts had higher species richness with greater variance than wildfires across all spatial scales tested, but differences in beta and structural diversity varied with spatial scale. Generally, clearcut–wildfire differences were more evident and wildfire variability greater at larger analytical scales, suggesting that plant biodiversity monitoring should emphasize cumulative effects across landscapes and regions.

scholarly journals Creating boreal mixedwoods by planting spruce under aspen: successful establishment in uncertain future climates

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (10) ◽  
pp. 1217-1223 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kabzems ◽  
Philip G. Comeau ◽  
Cosmin N. Filipescu ◽  
Bruce Rogers ◽  
Amanda F. Linnell Nemec
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Severe Drought ◽  
Boreal Mixedwoods ◽  
Uncertain Future ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest

Planting white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) under established aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stands has substantial potential for regenerating mixedwood ecosystems in the western Canadian boreal forest. The presence of an aspen overstory serves to ameliorate frost and winter injury problems and suppresses understory vegetation that may compete with white spruce. Under future climatic regimes with more frequent and severe drought episodes, underplanting may be a cost-effective strategy for lowering the risk of mortality in mixedwood regeneration. We examine the growth of white spruce during the first 18 years after being planted beneath a 39-year-old stand of trembling aspen. Treatments included thinning from over 6000 stems·ha−1 to 3000, 2000, and 1000 stems·ha−1 and fertilization. Initial stimulation of understory vegetation by fertilization had no measureable effect on spruce heights or diameters at year 18. Aspen thinning treatments did not have a significant effect on spruce height growth rates after spruce crowns had emerged above the understory shrub layer due to rapid aspen basal area increases after thinning. Small, but significant, increases for spruce height and diameter were present in the 1000 and 2000 stem·ha−1 aspen thinnings. A much wider range of aspen stand conditions may be suitable for planting spruce to create mixedwood ecosystems than has been previously considered.

Plant community responses to mechanical site preparation in northern interior British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1084-1100 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Haeussler ◽  
Lorne Bedford ◽  
Jacob O Boateng ◽  
Andy MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Species Diversity ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Community Response ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Mechanical Site Preparation ◽  
High Severity

Ten-year response of plant communities to disk trenching, plowing, rotoclearing and windrow burning was studied on two contrasting sites to address concerns that mechanical site preparation reduces structural and species diversity. Cover and height of all species on randomly located subplots within 0.05- to 0.075-ha treatment plots were used to develop indices of volume, structural diversity, and species diversity; to ordinate the plots; and to correlate species diversity with crop-tree performance. At both sites, community response was strongly influenced by the severity of site preparation. On a boreal site dominated by willow (Salix L. spp.), green alder (Alnus crispa (Ait.) Pursh ssp. crispa) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), site preparation increased structural diversity and had little effect on species diversity. High-severity treatments increased non-native species abundance 10- to 16-fold while only marginally enhancing growth of planted white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) over medium-severity treatments. On a nutrient-poor sub-boreal site, species diversity declined with increasing treatment severity and with increasing lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm.) stem volume. Velvet-leaved blueberry (Vaccinium myrtilloides Michx.) was highly sensitive to mechanical disturbance. Moderate mechanical treatments appear to improve conifer performance while causing little change to plant communities, but high severity treatments can cause substantial change.

scholarly journals Natural Regeneration Following Partial and Clear-Cut Harvesting in Mature Aspen-Jack Pine Stands in Eastern Canada

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 741
Author(s):  
Kobra Maleki ◽  
Freddy Nguema Allogo ◽  
Benoit Lafleur
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Primary Concern ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Mixed Litter ◽  
Conifer Regeneration

Over the last three decades, the ecological basis for the generalized use of even-aged silviculture in boreal forests has been increasingly challenged. In boreal mixed-wood landscapes, the diminishing proportion of conifers, to the benefit of intolerant hardwoods, has been a primary concern, coupled with the general rarefication of old-growth conifer-dominated stands. In this context, partial cutting, extended rotations and forest renewal techniques that eliminate or reduce regenerating hardwoods have been proposed as means of regaining greater conifer cover. As a result, experimentation and industrial application of various forms of both variable retention and partial harvesting are occurring across the commercial Canadian boreal forest. In this study, we compared the effects of two harvesting intensities, clearcutting and low-intensity partial cutting (removal of 25–31% of tree basal area), on hardwood and conifer regeneration levels 7–19 years following treatments in aspen (Populus tremuloides)-dominated stands and verified whether regeneration differences existed between micro-sites on and off machinery trails. The abundance of aspen regeneration increased with percent basal area removal and was positively correlated to the abundance of mature aspen prior to harvesting. The abundance of fir (Abies balsamea) regeneration after partial cutting was similar to controls and higher than after clear-cutting and was positively correlated with ground cover of mixed litter (i.e., mixture of needles and leaves) and negatively correlated with ground cover of broadleaf litter. These results suggest that it is possible in boreal mixed-woods to control aspen abundance and promote or maintain conifer regeneration through silvicultural treatments that limit canopy opening and promote mixed forest floor litter.

Structure de sapinières aménagées et anciennes du massif des Laurentides (Québec) et diversité des plantes invasculaires

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (12) ◽  
pp. 2077-2093 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mireille Desponts ◽  
André Desrochers ◽  
Louis Bélanger ◽  
Jean Huot
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Uniform Structure ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Old Growth Forests ◽  
Mature Stands

This study was undertaken to determine the contribution of old-growth and senescent forest stands regenerated through clear-cutting to the biodiversity of wet boreal fir stands in eastern Quebec because overmature stands are becoming scarce in that region. The study area was located in the Laurentian Mountains north of the city of Québec. The structure and composition of nonvascular plant communities (mosses, hepatica, lichens, and saprophytic fungi) of old-growth forests were compared with those of mature or senescent fir stands harvested 60 years ago. Nonvascular plants have a more uniform structure and a lower diversity in mature than in senescent or old-growth forests. A variety of specialized soil- and wood-inhabiting species and many rare species not observed in mature stands regenerated through clear-cutting are found in the latter. Structural diversity of senescent second-growth fir stands becomes similar to that of old-growth stand because of mortality within the overstory. These structural characteristics favour the development of diversified nonvascular plant communities, especially wood-inhabiting species found on slightly decomposed woody debris and soil-inhabiting species that colonize disturbed soils.[Journal translation]

Natural dynamics-based silviculture for maintaining plant biodiversity in Populus tremuloides-dominated boreal forests of eastern CanadaThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Issue on Poplar Research in Canada.

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (12) ◽  
pp. 1158-1170 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sybille Haeussler ◽  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Suzanne Brais ◽  
Brian D. Harvey
Keyword(s):  
Plant Communities ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Fold Increase ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Experimental Stand ◽  
Tree Retention ◽  
Tall Shrub ◽  
Natural Dynamics

Southern boreal forests dominated by trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) are notable for the biological richness of their plant communities. We used 12 plant community and plant functional group indicators to test the hypothesis that natural dynamics-based silvicultural systems better maintain biodiversity in aspen plant communities than conventional clear-cutting. Using CA ordination, box-and-whisker diagrams, and ANOVA, we compared the range of variability of our 12 bioindicators among five experimental stand types of the sylviculture et aménagement forestier écosystémiques (SAFE) project: mature (78 years) uncut; mature 1/3 partial-cut; mature 2/3 partial-cut; young (3 years) unburned clear-cut; young burned clear-cut; and three closely matched aspen stand types of northwest Quebec and northeast Ontario: old (105 years) uncut; young unburned clear-cut; young wildfire. Burned clearcuts partially emulated wildfires by reducing tall shrub abundance and regenerating post-fire specialists, but snags were lacking. The dual disturbance also retarded aspen regrowth and caused a 7-fold increase in non-native plants. Partial-cuts retained most attributes of mature uncut stands, but after 3 years showed little evidence of accelerating development of old stand characteristics. We concluded that SAFE natural dynamics-based silviculture better recreated the range of variability of naturally disturbed aspen plant communities than conventional clear-cutting. Improvements, including alternative burn prescriptions and snag or green tree retention in clearcuts, are nontheless warranted.

scholarly journals Natural and anthropogenic extensive destruction of the spruce forest community of the European part of Russia: main trends of biodiversity dynamics

2021 ◽  
Vol 265 ◽  
pp. 01021
Author(s):  
Nina Ulanova ◽  
Andrei Kaplevsky
Keyword(s):  
Species Richness ◽  
Plant Community ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Structural Diversity ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
European Part Of Russia ◽  
The Difference

We analyzed the main trends of the change in the species richness of plant communities after catastrophic natural (beetle outbreaks, windfalls) and anthropogenic (clear cutting) disturbances. We examined the dynamics of the structural diversity of species richness of herb-dwarf scrubs layer with different reforestation technologies after the death of spruce stands. The study of similarity and ordination of vegetation showed the proximity of the undamaged forest to the unharvested stand, and the difference of these plant communities from clear-cut. The main determining factor of species richness was the intensity of plant community disturbance after catastrophes. We analyzed the reforestation dynamics of plant communities after catastrophic disturbances. Clear cutting led to the formation of grassy communities with a sharp increase in the species and structural diversity of plant community.

Live tree species basal area of the contiguous United States (2000-2009)

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barry T. Wilson ◽  
Andrew J. Lister ◽  
Rachel I. Riemann ◽  
Douglas M. Griffith
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Live Tree

scholarly journals Deriving Tree Size Distributions of Tropical Forests from Lidar

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 131
Author(s):  
Franziska Taubert ◽  
Rico Fischer ◽  
Nikolai Knapp ◽  
Andreas Huth
Keyword(s):  
Size Distribution ◽  
Spatial Scales ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Tree Size ◽  
Diameter Distribution ◽  
Forest Inventories ◽  
Allometric Relations ◽  
Lidar Measurements ◽  
Derived Data

Remote sensing is an important tool to monitor forests to rapidly detect changes due to global change and other threats. Here, we present a novel methodology to infer the tree size distribution from light detection and ranging (lidar) measurements. Our approach is based on a theoretical leaf–tree matrix derived from allometric relations of trees. Using the leaf–tree matrix, we compute the tree size distribution that fit to the observed leaf area density profile via lidar. To validate our approach, we analyzed the stem diameter distribution of a tropical forest in Panama and compared lidar-derived data with data from forest inventories at different spatial scales (0.04 ha to 50 ha). Our estimates had a high accuracy at scales above 1 ha (1 ha: root mean square error (RMSE) 67.6 trees ha−1/normalized RMSE 18.8%/R² 0.76; 50 ha: 22.8 trees ha−1/6.2%/0.89). Estimates for smaller scales (1-ha to 0.04-ha) were reliably for forests with low height, dense canopy or low tree height heterogeneity. Estimates for the basal area were accurate at the 1-ha scale (RMSE 4.7 tree ha−1, bias 0.8 m² ha−1) but less accurate at smaller scales. Our methodology, further tested at additional sites, provides a useful approach to determine the tree size distribution of forests by integrating information on tree allometries.

Development patterns in two hemlock–hardwood stands in southern New England

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 885-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Kelty
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Northern Red Oak ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Hardwood Species ◽  
Constant Rate

Two forest stands, composed primarily of northern red oak (Quercusrubra L.), red maple (Acerrubrum L.), and eastern hemlock (Tsugacanadensis (L.) Carr.), were studied by stand-reconstruction techniques to determine the pattern of development of canopy structure. One stand had originated following clear-cutting 87 years ago; the other, following catastrophic windthrow 44 years ago. Juvenile height growth of the hardwood species was much greater than that of hemlock and a stratified canopy developed by age 30 years, with hardwoods forming an overstory canopy above hemlock. Hemlocks maintained overstory positions only if they were 3 m or more in height immediately following canopy disturbance. In the older stand, hardwood height growth was about twice that of the tallest understory hemlocks during the first 30 years. The hardwood overstory slowed after that and grew at the same rate as the tallest understory hemlocks, which maintained a constant rate of height growth, and a constant to accelerating rate of basal area growth for much of the 87-year measurement period. The height growth of the tallest understory hemlocks was apparently limited in part by breakage of terminal shoots, caused by abrasion against branches of overstory hardwood crowns.

scholarly journals Developmental Trends of Black Spruce Fibre Attributes in Maturing Plantations

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter F. Newton
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Microfibril Angle ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Temporal Correlation ◽  
Wood Formation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
Cambial Age ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest ◽  
Crown Closure

This study assessed the temporal developmental patterns of commercially relevant fibre attributes (tracheid length and diameters, wall thickness, specific surface area, wood density, microfibril angle, fibre coarseness, and modulus of elasticity) and their interrelationships within maturing black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) plantations. A size-based stratified random sample procedure within 5 semimature plantations located in the Canadian Boreal Forest Region was used to select 50 trees from which radial cross-sectional xylem sequences at breast-height (1.3 m) were cut and analyzed. Statistically, the graphical and linear correlation analyses indicated that the attributes exhibited significant (p≤0.05) relationships among themselves and with morphological tree characteristics. Relative variation of each annually measured attribute declined with increasing size class (basal area quintile). The transitional shifts in temporal correlation patterns occurring at the time of approximate crown closure where suggestive of intrinsic differences in juvenile and mature wood formation processes. The temporal cumulative development patterns of all 8 of the annually measured attributes varied systematically with tree size and exhibited the most rapid rates of change before the trees reached a cambial age of 20 years. At approximately 50 years after establishment, plantation mean attribute values were not dissimilar from those reported for more mature natural-origin stands.

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