Effects of precommercial thinning on tree growth and lumber quality in a jack pine stand in New Brunswick, Canada

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (4) ◽  
pp. 945-952 ◽  
Author(s):  
S Y Zhang ◽  
Gilles Chauret ◽  
D Edwin Swift ◽  
Isabelle Duchesne
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Modulus Of Rupture ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Bending Properties ◽  
Precommercial Thinning ◽  
Thinning Intensity

A naturally regenerated jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) trial established in 1966 in New Brunswick was studied to determine how three precommercial thinning intensities (1.22 m × 1.22 m, 1.52 m × 1.52 m, and 2.13 m × 2.13 m) and a control (154 trees in total) affected tree growth and lumber quality. Mild (thinned to 1.22 m) and moderate (1.52 m) thinning had a modest impact on tree growth after 34 years (stand age 59). However, intensive thinning (2.13 m, or 2212 stems/ha) increased tree height by 13.1% compared with the control, whereas tree diameter and merchantable stem volume per tree increased by >20% and >75%, respectively. Yields of No. 2 and Better increased slightly with increasing thinning intensity, but lumber bending properties decreased with increasing thinning intensity. There was, respectively, >20% and >15% difference in lumber strength (modulus of rupture) and stiffness (modulus of elasticity) between the mild (1.22 m) and intensive (2.13 m) thinnings. Intensive precommercial thinning (2.13 m) is recommended for increased volume growth, but rotation age (>59 years) should not be reduced if lumber bending properties are of concern.

Erratum: Effects of precommercial thinning on tree growth and lumber quality in a jack pine stand in New Brunswick, Canada

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (11) ◽  
pp. 2380
Author(s):  
S. Y. Zhang ◽  
Gilles Chauret ◽  
D. Edwin Swift ◽  
Isabelle Duchesne
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Precommercial Thinning

Critical period of interspecific competition for northern conifers associated with herbaceous vegetation

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 890-897 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G Wagner ◽  
Gina H Mohammed ◽  
Thomas L Noland
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Red Pine ◽  
Volume Index ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Herbaceous Vegetation

Using critical-period analysis, we examined the temporal effects of interspecific competition from herbaceous vegetation on seedlings of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) during the first 5 years after planting. The critical period is the time period during stand development when interspecific competition reduces tree growth. We found both similarities and differences in responses among tree species. Gains in stem volume index associated with increasing duration of vegetation control (expressed by weed-free curves) differed among species. In contrast, declines in stem volume index with increasing duration of competition after planting (expressed by weed-infested curves) were equal among species. Critical periods for stem volume index were shorter for shade-intolerant jack and red pine (1 and 2 years after planting) than for more shade-tolerant white pine and black spruce (1-3 years for spruce and 1-4 years for white pine). Intolerant species had greater absolute stem volume growth, but smaller relative declines from continuous association with herbaceous vegetation (85, 81, 78, and 67% for white pine, black spruce, red pine, and jack pine, respectively). Herbaceous vegetation did not affect survival and had a variable influence on height growth of all species.

Changes in understory vegetation with increasing stand age in New Brunswick forests: species composition, cover, biomass, and nutrients

1977 ◽  
Vol 55 (22) ◽  
pp. 2818-2831 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. MacLean ◽  
Ross W. Wein
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Pteridium Aquilinum ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Nutrient Pool ◽  
Shrub Layer ◽  
Age Sequence ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Understory Biomass ◽  
Fire Origin

Understory relationships were examined in 12 jack pine and 11 mixed hardwood stands representing a 7- to 57-year age sequence in New Brunswick. All stands were of fire origin. Percentage cover and frequency of vascular species and major mosses and lichens were presented for each stand. Accumulation of shrub layer and herb layer biomass and distribution of N, P, K, Ca, and Mg were also examined. The biomass showed maximum values in the 10- to 20-year period after fire: it then decreased and stabilized. Contribution of the understory biomass to the total ecosystem biomass ranged from 71–88% on 13-and 16-year-old jack pine stands to 1–6% on the older stands. Nutrient accumulation generally showed a similar pattern to biomass, but some differences occurred owing to variation in nutrient concentration. In particular, shrub layer K increased dramatically on the two oldest jack pine stands; this was postulated to be due to increased dominance of Pteridium aquilinum on these stands. Understory contribution to the total aboveground nutrient pool (tree + understory + forest floor) ranged from 25 to 65% on the younger stands and 5 to 31% on the older stands.

Tree size, biomass, and volume growth of twelve 34-year-old Ontario jack pine provenances

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (6) ◽  
pp. 1129-1136 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Magnussen ◽  
V. G. Smith ◽  
C. W. Yeatman
Keyword(s):  
Volume Growth ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Tree Size ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Strong Negative Correlation ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Volume Production ◽  
Branch Wood

Tree size and aboveground biomass in twelve 34-year-old Ontario jack pine (Pinusbanksiana Lamb.) provenances growing at Petawawa National Forestry Institute (Chalk River, Ontario) was negatively correlated with latitude of origin. The best provenance exceeded the local provenance in tree height and diameter by approximately 10%. The pattern of geographical variation was stable over time, making general and sound predictions of provenance growth based on juvenile performance feasible. Persistent differences among some geographically close provenances indicated the potential for genetic improvement by selecting the best populations within site regions. The results demonstrated have important implications for jack pine breeding and improvement strategies at the provenance level. The provenance averages of aboveground ovendry weight per tree ranged from 44 to 79 kg. The aboveground tree biomass was distributed as follows in seven analyzed provenances: stem wood, 78%; stem bark, 8%; branch wood, 8%; needles, 5%; cones, 1%. Variation in average stemwood mass among provenances was less than the variation in average stem volume because of a strong negative correlation on a single tree basis between stem volume and stem wood density. The mean annual volume and biomass accretion per hectare in the best provenances averaged 10 m3 and 4 t, respectively. Total stem volume production per hectare varied exponentially with tree height. Mean annual stem volume increment of the best provenances exceeded that of the slowest growing provenances by 22–40%.

Vertical patterns in specific volume increment along stems of dominant jack pine (Pinus banksiana) and black spruce (Picea mariana) after thinning

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (4) ◽  
pp. 733-748 ◽  
Author(s):  
Venceslas Goudiaby ◽  
Suzanne Brais ◽  
Frank Berninger ◽  
Robert Schneider
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Specific Volume ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Mass Density ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Volume Increment ◽  
Foliage Density

Jack pine ( Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) total stem volume increment and vertical growth distribution after thinning were quantified and related to foliage biomass, foliage density, and growth efficiency (GE) (stem to foliage biomass ratio). Significant positive stem volume increments were observed following thinning for jack pine (3 years after) and black spruce (4 years after). Both species reacted differently in terms of the distribution in specific volume increments (SVI) (annual stem volume increment to cambial surface ratio): (i) for jack pine, an increase in SVI was first observed at the base of the tree, with the increase moving upwards, showing that the taper was likely to increase following thinning and (ii) for black spruce, the vertical distribution of SVI was constant, leading to no modifications in stem taper. For jack pine, total stem volume growth was related to an increase in GE and a greater foliage biomass at midcrown, with foliage density staying constant. For black spruce, however, no changes in GE, foliage biomass, and foliage mass density were observed.

scholarly journals Examining Changes in Stem Taper and Volume Growth with Two-Date 3D Point Clouds

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ville Luoma ◽  
Ninni Saarinen ◽  
Ville Kankare ◽  
Topi Tanhuanpää ◽  
Harri Kaartinen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Point Cloud ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Strong Support ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Point Cloud Data ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Cloud Data ◽  
3D Point Clouds

Exact knowledge over tree growth is valuable information for decision makers when considering the purposes of sustainable forest management and planning or optimizing the use of timber, for example. Terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) can be used for measuring tree and forest attributes in very high detail. The study aims at characterizing changes in individual tree attributes (e.g., stem volume growth and taper) during a nine year-long study period in boreal forest conditions. TLS-based three-dimensional (3D) point cloud data were used for identifying and quantifying these changes. The results showed that observing changes in stem volume was possible from TLS point cloud data collected at two different time points. The average volume growth of sample trees was 0.226 m3 during the study period, and the mean relative change in stem volume was 65.0%. In addition, the results of a pairwise Student’s t-test gave strong support (p-value 0.0001) that the used method was able to detect tree growth within the nine-year period between 2008–2017. The findings of this study allow the further development of enhanced methods for TLS-based single tree and forest growth modeling and estimation, which can thus improve the accuracy of forest inventories and offer better tools for future decision-making processes.

scholarly journals Impact of initial spacing and precommercial thinning on jack pine tree growth and stem quality

2005 ◽  
Vol 81 (3) ◽  
pp. 418-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Q J Tong ◽  
S Y Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Stem Length ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Dbh Distribution ◽  
Stem Quality ◽  
Initial Spacing ◽  
The Impact

The objective of this paper was to investigate the impact of initial spacing and pre-commercial thinning (PCT) on tree growth, characteristics and stem quality in plantation-grown jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) after 58 years of growth. Four spacings including three initial spacings without PCT treatment, i.e., 1.52 × 1.52 m (5 × 5 ft), 2.13 × 2.13 m (7 × 7 ft) and 2.74 × 2.74 m (9 × 9 ft) and one initial spacing with PCT treatment (5 × 5 ft thinned to 7 × 7 ft at age 14), were chosen to analyze diameter at breast height (DBH) distribution, survival, and various tree and stem quality characteristics (e.g., DBH, total tree height, stem volume, crown size, branch, taper, sweep and wobbling). Tree mortality during the first 25 growth years was quite low for all four spacings, while after 25 years, survival for the four spacings rapidly declined. The decrease in survival for spacing 5 × 5 was the steepest, followed by spacings 7 × 7, 9 × 9 and finally the PCT-treated stand. DBH distributions for all four spacings were significantly different from each other, and five years after PCT, the 5 × 5 to 7 × 7 spacings had a similar DBH distribution to that of the constant 7 × 7 spacing. Mean DBHs differed significantly among the initial spacings. The 5 × 5 spacing produced significantly smaller trees than did the other three spacings through the years, and the 9 × 9 spacing produced significantly larger trees. PCT had positive effects on DBH growth, and yielded longer merchantable stems and better stem quality. PCT had little effect on crown development. Initial spacing significantly affected diameter growth, crown width and branch development, commercial stem length and volume, stem taper and stem deformation. Narrower spacing produced smaller but better quality stems. Spacing 7 × 7 had the worst stem quality in terms of overall sweep and wave-like transversal deformation (wobbling). A narrow initial spacing followed by a PCT treatment may provide a compromise solution for both tree growth and stem quality. Key words: Initial spacing, thinning, survival, tree growth, stem quality

scholarly journals Growth and form responses to pre-commercial thinning regimes in aerially seeded jack pine stands: 5th year results

1994 ◽  
Vol 70 (6) ◽  
pp. 780-787 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Morris ◽  
S. C. Hills ◽  
C. Bowling
Keyword(s):  
Block Design ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Reduced Form ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Stem Taper ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Four Blocks ◽  
Individual Trees ◽  
Crown Dimensions

In 1986, a thinning trial was established in a 9-year-old jack pine stand near Dryden, Ontario. Four blocks consisting of five thinning regimes (1 m × 1 m, 1.5 m × 1.5 m, 2 m × 2 m, 2.5 m × 2.5 m, 3 m × 3 m) and a control plot were established using a randomized complete block design. Once thinned, a series of measurements were taken in 1986 and repeated in 1991 to determine growth and form responses. Results identified highly significant responses for DBH growth and individual stem volume growth. Height response did not vary among the spacing levels. Changes in crown dimensions and stem taper were used to evaluate form responses to thinning. A highly significant decline in all form variables was found in response to increased spacing. Although the increased growth in individual trees provides an opportunity to produce a wider array of products, it appears to be at a cost of reduced form characteristics. Specific management implications for the Dryden Crown Forest are discussed. Key words: jack pine, pre-commercial thinning, growth and form responses

Canopy structure, light penetration and tree growth in a slash pine (Pinus elliottii) silvo-pastoral system at different stand configurations in Florida

1991 ◽  
Vol 67 (3) ◽  
pp. 263-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Sequeira ◽  
H. L. Gholz
Keyword(s):  
Soil Temperature ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Pinus Elliottii ◽  
Slash Pine ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Light Penetration ◽  
Pastoral System ◽  
Structure Light

Canopy structure, light penetration and accumulated stem volume were studied for a one-year-period in an 18-year-old slash pine/native understory silvo-pastoral system at the Withlacoochee State Forest, central Florida. Trees were planted in six different single and double row configurations at a constant stand density. Below-canopy photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and soil temperature were monitored along transects within the plots on a monthly basis. Above-canopy PAR was continuously recorded as reference. Tree stem dimensions (height, diameter) and crown dimensions (height, width) were measured on trees adjacent to the transects and stem volumes estimated. Results showed that tree crown area and stem volume were highly correlated, and both were also significantly related to light penetration (below-canopy PAR: above-canopy PAR ratio). Soil temperature and light penetration were also correlated. The results suggest that canopy geometry can be significantly managed to optimize both tree growth and light available to an understory. Key words: Canopy, configuration, Florida, light, silvopastoral, slash pine, stem volume growth, understory, PAR

Crop Tree Release of a Scarlet-Black Oak Stand

1988 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert J. Mitchell ◽  
John P. Dwyer ◽  
Ralph A. Musbach ◽  
Harold E. Garrett ◽  
Gene S. Cox ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stand Age ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Precommercial Thinning ◽  
Tree Thinning ◽  
Black Oak

Abstract In 1953 and 1954 a series of crop tree thinning and pruning studies were initiated in 30- to 35-year-old stands composed predominantly of scarlet oak and black oak. Growth of the crop trees was monitored until the average stand age was 61. Removal of all trees whose crowns were within 8 ft of the 50 crop trees resulted in significantly increased diameter growth and cubic volume of wood produced. The moderate and heavy 50-crop-tree thinning treatments produced the highest net cubic volume per acre. Crop tree thinning also tended to reduce mortality during the study period. Yield increases due to thinning in this study were comparable to those previously determined to economically justify a precommercial thinning of the scarlet and black oak type in Missouri. North. J. Appl. For. 5:96-99, June 1988.

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