Fire and substrate interact to control the northern range limit of black spruce (Picea mariana) in Alaska

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (12) ◽  
pp. 2480-2493 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea H. Lloyd ◽  
Christopher L. Fastie ◽  
Hilary Eisen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Acidic Soils ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Substrate Effects ◽  
Northern Range Limit

Black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) is a common treeline species in eastern Canada but rare at treeline in Alaska. We investigated fire and substrate effects on black spruce populations at six sites along a 74 km transect in the Brooks Range, Alaska. Our southern sites, on a surface deglaciated >50 000 years ago, had significantly more acidic soils, more black spruce, and higher seed viability than our northern sites, which were deglaciated approximately 13 000 years ago. Despite similar fire history at five of our six sites, postfire recruitment dynamics varied with surface age. Sexual reproduction was vigorous in both postfire and nonfire years in populations on the older surface. On the younger surface, vigorous sexual reproduction was restricted to postfire decades and clonal reproduction by branch layering predominated in nonfire years. At the northernmost site, which was unburned, black spruce reproduced almost exclusively by layering. The species’ northern range limit thus reflects an interaction between fire and substrate: on recently deglaciated surfaces, sexual reproduction is restricted to postfire years. This substrate-induced dependence on fire may restrict the range of black spruce to sites that burn sufficiently often to allow occasional sexual reproduction.

Invertebrate predation of postdispersal seeds and juvenile seedlings of black spruce (Picea mariana) in the boreal forest of eastern Canada

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (3) ◽  
pp. 674-681 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Côté ◽  
Jean Ferron ◽  
Réjean Gagnon
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Invertebrate Predation ◽  
Habitat Types ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Exclosure Experiment ◽  
Seedling Predation ◽  
Lichen Woodland ◽  
Abundance And Diversity

We used an extensive vertebrate exclosure experiment to evaluate black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) postdispersal seed and seedling predation by invertebrates in three boreal habitats of Eastern Canada: recent burn, spruce–moss, and lichen woodland. Between 9% and 19% of seeds were eaten by invertebrates. Seed predation was higher in recent burns than in spruce–moss and lichen woodlands. Abundance and diversity of potential invertebrate seed consumers sampled in pitfall traps also varied among habitat types. Among the invertebrate seed consumers sampled, Myrmica spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Pterostichus adstrictus (Eschscholtz, 1823) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were the most numerous; Formica spp. (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and Pterostichus punctatissimus (Randall, 1838) (Coleoptera: Carabidae) were also present. Between 2% and 12% of juvenile black spruce seedlings were eaten by invertebrates. The most important seedling consumers were slugs (molluscs). Invertebrate predation of seeds and seedlings was highest (19% and 12%) in recent burns, indicating that invertebrate predation may significantly influence black spruce regeneration in these sites.

scholarly journals Prediction Equations for Black Spruce Seed Production and Dispersal in Northern Ontario

1982 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-99 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Payandeh ◽  
V. F. Haavisto
Keyword(s):  
Seed Production ◽  
Nonlinear Regression ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Original Data ◽  
Regression Equations ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Solution Of Equations ◽  
Number Of Seeds

Nonlinear regression equations were developed to describe seed production and dispersal in black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.]B.S.P.)in northern Ontario. Solution of the equations can provide useful information beyond the range of the original data, because of the flexibility of the models used. For example, solution of equations 1-3 indicates that cones from intermediate crown class trees initially have about twice as many seeds as those of either the dominant or codominant trees, but disperse their seeds at a much faster rate. Average number of seeds per cone for all three crown classes is about 7 after 10 years. Older cones of the intermediate crown class trees have fewest seeds per cone. Solution of equation 4 indicates that average seed viability is about 53% and decreases only slightly during the first three years. It then decreases very rapidly up to 12 years to about 5%. Similarly, equations 6 and 7 may be solved to determine an optimum strip-cut width for sufficient seedfall across the strip to produce satisfactory regeneration.

scholarly journals Wood density and wood shrinkage in relation to initial spacing and tree growth in black spruce (Picea mariana)

2021 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Shu Yin Zhang ◽  
Haiqing Ren ◽  
Zehui Jiang
Keyword(s):  
Path Analysis ◽  
Wood Density ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Planting Density ◽  
Longitudinal Shrinkage ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Initial Spacing ◽  
Transverse Shrinkage

AbstractThis study has quantified basic wood density and various types of wood shrinkage in relation to initial spacing (or initial planting density) and tree growth based on a 48-year-old black spruce (Picea mariana) spacing trial in eastern Canada. A total of 139 sample trees were collected from four initial spacings (3086, 2500, 2066, 1372 trees/ha) for this study. Analyses of variance (ANOVA) show that initial spacing is the most important parameter affecting wood density significantly, followed by tree diameter at breast height (DBH) class. With increasing spacing, wood density, radial and volumetric shrinkage tend to decrease, whereas longitudinal shrinkage tends to increase gradually. The largest spacing has the lowest wood density, the smallest transverse shrinkage and the largest longitudinal shrinkage. Path analysis indicates that wood density is the most important parameter affecting transverse shrinkage, followed by the distance from the pith. Furthermore, much of the variation of the transverse shrinkage with wood density may be due to the initial spacing and tree DBH class. Path analysis also reveals that longitudinal shrinkage is mainly related to log height and tree DBH class. With increasing log height, longitudinal shrinkage tends to increase, and transverse shrinkage tends to decrease. With increasing DBH class, the trees tend to have an increasing longitudinal shrinkage and a decreasing transverse shrinkage. Overall, this study suggests that a large increase in the initial spacing (e.g., 1372 trees/ha) might lead to a significant reduction in both wood density and transverse shrinkage, and a significant increase in longitudinal shrinkage in black spruce.

scholarly journals Complete Chloroplast Genome Sequence of a Black Spruce (Picea mariana) from Eastern Canada

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (39) ◽  
Author(s):  
Theodora Lo ◽  
Lauren Coombe ◽  
Diana Lin ◽  
René L. Warren ◽  
Heather Kirk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chloroplast Genome ◽  
Genome Sequence ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Genetic Basis ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Complete Chloroplast Genome ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Chloroplast Genome Sequence

ABSTRACT Here, we present the chloroplast genome sequence of black spruce (Picea mariana), a conifer widely distributed throughout North American boreal forests. This complete and annotated chloroplast sequence is 123,961 bp long and will contribute to future studies on the genetic basis of evolutionary change in spruce and adaptation in conifers.

Use it or Lose it: How Sexual Reproduction and Range Limits Interact in Decodon verticillatus

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
Corrina Thomsen
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Reproduction ◽  
Aquatic Plant ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Arbitrary Point ◽  
Range Limits ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Evolutionary Potential ◽  
Viable Population ◽  
Northern Range Limit ◽  
Physical Boundary

Why do most species live in a range that does not have a physical boundary? Mountains and oceans present obvious boundaries to range expansion, but most species’ range limits lack such obstacles, and end at a seemingly arbitrary point in space. These ranges generally represent a species’ niche, or the environments in which the species can grow, survive, and reproduce. Outside of this niche, individuals are poorly adapted to the environment and fail to create a viable population. Individuals at the range limit, however, exist in an environment that is similar to that outside of the range, and one might expect that they gradually adapt to these conditions and slowly expand their niche.  The fact that this does not commonly occur could indicate a failure to adapt in these individuals. Adaptation is largely driven by sexual reproduction, which recombines genes and can generate new genetic combinations. However, environmental conditions and population dynamics at the range limit could prevent sexual reproduction and cause populations to become asexual or clonal. Given enough time, this could lead to loss of reproductive traits, impacting the future evolutionary potential of range limit individuals. In this study, I investigate whether sexual reproduction is lost and the effect on key reproductive traits in the aquatic plant Decodon verticillatus at its Ontario northern range limit.

scholarly journals Sugar maple (Acer saccharum) at its northeastern range limit: a fire-resilient tree species

Botany ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 96 (6) ◽  
pp. 411-423 ◽  
Author(s):  
Serge Payette ◽  
Mathieu Frégeau ◽  
Pierre-Luc Couillard ◽  
Vanessa Pilon ◽  
Jason Laflamme
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Fire History ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Fire Disturbance ◽  
Small Scale ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Frequent Site ◽  
Sapling Bank

The long-standing hypothesis that sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall) communities are maintained at equilibrium by present climate and small-scale disturbances is questioned because empirical evidence is accumulating about the ability of the species to withstand several stand-scale disturbances. The fire history of a sugar maple site at the northeastern range limit of the species (Gaspé Peninsula, eastern Canada) was documented to test the hypothesis that this forest type is resilient to fire disturbance. The fire history was reconstructed using radiocarbon-dated soil macrocharcoals. Two main fire periods were recorded during the Holocene. The oldest period occurred between 9055 and 8265 cal. years BP, and was characterized by the presence of conifers, including spruce. After 6900 years of fire-free activities, the second period covered the last 1335 years, and was characterized by the presence of sugar maple in the charcoal assemblage. The dominance of sugar maple after more than 1000 years of recurrent fires underlines the species resilience to frequent site disturbances. The soil of the forest stand was heavily disturbed by earthworms. However, the dense seedling and sapling bank of sugar maple suggests that earthworms do not affect negatively the regeneration and survival of the species.

Predicting the seasonal development of the yellowheaded spruce sawfly (Hymenoptera: Tenthredinidae) in eastern Canada

2007 ◽  
Vol 139 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-377 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jacques Régnière ◽  
Dan Lavigne ◽  
Alain Dupont ◽  
Nelson Carter
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Adult Emergence ◽  
Seasonal Development ◽  
Data Sets ◽  
Pheromone Traps ◽  
Degree Days ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Larval Stages ◽  
Degree Day

AbstractDegree-day phenology models for the yellowheaded spruce sawfly, Pikonema alaskensis (Rohwer), were developed from data sets collected in infested plantations of black spruce, Picea mariana (Mill.), and white spruce, P. glauca (Moench) Voss, in New Brunswick and Quebec, Canada, between 1995 and 1999. The models describe the relationships between degree-day accumulation (above −1 °C, from 1 April) and cumulative adult emergence, capture in pheromone traps, the dates of appearance of first adult, egg, and larva, and the relative frequency of successive larval stages. The models predict adult emergence with a precision of ±2 days and male catch in pheromone traps with a precision of ±1.6 days. The first adult, first egg, and first larva occurred after 527 ± 42, 660 ± 52, and 725 ± 18 degree-days above –1 °C, respectively, and the dates of these events are predicted within ±1.8 days. The dates of 50% occurrence of the successive instars are predicted within 4.5 days of observed dates, and the date of peak 2nd instar is predicted within ±3.6 days.

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