Stand structure and dynamics of Picea mariana on the northern border of the natural closed boreal forest in Quebec, Canada

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (12) ◽  
pp. 2307-2318 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sergio Rossi ◽  
Marie-Josée Tremblay ◽  
Hubert Morin ◽  
Valérie Levasseur
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Stand Dynamics ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Economic Potential ◽  
Structure And Dynamics ◽  
Northern Border ◽  
Ecological Importance

The boreal forest of higher latitudes constitutes a reservoir of trees of great ecological importance and unknown economic potential, but the stand dynamics in these regions still remain essentially unexplored. This paper examines the change in age and size structures during stand development on the northern border of the natural closed boreal forest in Quebec, Canada. Height, diameter, and age of trees were measured in 18 plots with stand ages between 77 and 340 years. The occurrence, size, and origin (layer or seed) of seedlings and saplings were assessed in subplots. Tree density ranged from 600 to 3750 trees·ha–1. Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP was the dominant species, mainly originating by layering. A cluster analysis segregated plots into even-aged and uneven-aged stands according to tree age, but size distribution of trees, saplings, and seedlings did not differ statistically between the two groups. Even-aged stands exhibited a 60% probability of assuming an uneven-aged structure between 120 and 200 years after stand initiation. At high latitudes, the closed boreal forest of P. mariana appears homogeneously sized, with similar distributions of diameter and height across all stages of stand development.

Residual-tree growth responses to partial stand harvest in the black spruce (Picea mariana) boreal forestThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Forum IUFRO 1.05 Uneven-Aged Silvicultural Research Group Conference on Natural Disturbance-Based Silviculture: Managing for Complexity.

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1563-1571 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Thorpe ◽  
S. C. Thomas ◽  
J. P. Caspersen
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Partial Harvest ◽  
Partial Harvesting

Variants of partial harvesting are gaining favour as means to balance ecosystem management and timber production objectives on managed boreal forest landscapes. Understanding how residual trees respond to these alternative silvicultural treatments is a critical step towards evaluating their potential from either a conservation or a wood supply perspective. We used dendroecological techniques combined with a chronosequence approach to quantify the temporal radial growth response pattern of residual black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) trees to partial harvest in northeastern Ontario. At its peak, 8–9 years after harvest, radial growth of residual trees had doubled. The growth pattern was characterized by a 2-year phase of no response, a subsequent period of increase 3–9 years after harvest, and a stage of declining rates 10–12 years after harvest. The magnitude of tree growth response depended strongly on tree age: peak postharvest growth was substantially higher for young trees, while old trees displayed only modest growth increases. Both the large magnitude and the time delay in postharvest growth responses have important implications for the development of more accurate quantitative tools to project future yields and, more generally, for determining whether partial harvesting is a viable management option for the boreal forest.

Effects of time since stand-replacing fire and overstory composition on live-tree structural diversity in the boreal forest of central Canada

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (1) ◽  
pp. 52-62 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian W. Brassard ◽  
Han Y.H. Chen ◽  
Jian R. Wang ◽  
Peter N. Duinker
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Coefficient Of Variation ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Diversity Index ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Stand Volume ◽  
Diameter At Breast Height ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Shaped Pattern ◽  
Mixedwood Stands

Stand structure diversity is hypothesized (i) to increase with stand development and (ii) to be greater in mixedwood stands than in conifer and broadleaf stands. We examined the effects of time since stand-replacing fire (TSF) and overstory type on stand volume, stand density, and tree-size variability, which is measured using Shannon’s diversity index (H′) and coefficient of variation, in fire-origin boreal forest stands. We sampled 36 stands representing conifer, mixedwood, and broadleaf overstory types, ranging in ages from 72 to 201 years TSF on upland mesic sites in northwestern Ontario, Canada. Stand volume decreased in older mixedwood and broadleaf stands, but followed a U-shaped pattern in conifer stands with TSF. Diameter-at-breast-height-based H′ followed an inverse U-shaped pattern with TSF for all overstory types. Height-based H′ decreased with TSF in conifer and mixedwood stands but peaked at the intermediate age class in broadleaf stands. Diameter-at-breast-height- and height-based coefficient of variation indices followed an inverse U-shaped distribution with TSF. Our results partially supported the two hypotheses, as (i) the 124- to 139-year-old stands were most diverse and (ii) mixedwood stands were more than or as equally diverse as conifer and broadleaf stands, depending on stand development stage and the diversity indices used.

scholarly journals Success Factors for Experimental Partial Harvesting in Unmanaged Boreal Forest: 10-Year Stand Yield Results

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1199
Author(s):  
Louiza Moussaoui ◽  
Alain Leduc ◽  
Miguel Montoro Girona ◽  
Annie Claude Bélisle ◽  
Benoit Lafleur ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Tree Mortality ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Partial Harvesting ◽  
Site Characteristics ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Stand Yield

Over the past two decades, partial harvesting has been increasingly used in boreal forests as an alternative to clearcutting to promote irregular stand structures and maintain a balance between biodiversity preservation and continued timber production. However, relatively little is still known about the silvicultural potential of partial harvesting in Canada’s boreal forest, especially in areas prone to organic matter accumulation (paludification), and most prior research has focused on biodiversity responses. In this study, we assess the effects of partial harvesting on stand development (recruitment, growth, and mortality) ten years after harvesting in previously unmanaged black spruce stands and quantify its effectiveness in reducing the impacts on ecosystem structures. Our analyses revealed that pre-harvest stand structure and site characteristics, especially initial basal area, sapling density, tree diameter, and organic layer thickness (OLT) were major factors involved in stand development ten years following these partial harvesting treatments. Depending on pre-harvest structure and site characteristics, partial harvesting can result in either an increase in post-harvest tree recruitment and growth or a loss of stand volume because of standing tree mortality. To increase the chances of partial harvesting success in ensuring an increase in decennial stand yield after harvest in black spruce forest stands, sites prone to paludification (i.e., where OLT >17 cm) should be left unharvested. This study illustrates the importance of taking into account pre-existing structure and site characteristics in the selection of management strategies to maximize the potential of partial harvesting to achieve sustainable forest management in black spruce stands.

Growth dynamics of black spruce in stands located between the 51st and 52nd parallels in the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (9) ◽  
pp. 1769-1778 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie-Josée Tremblay ◽  
Sergio Rossi ◽  
Hubert Morin
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
Stand Dynamics ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Insect Outbreaks ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Ecological Importance

Despite their ecological importance, the role and effects of insect outbreaks on stand dynamics of the northern boreal forests in North America have still to be demonstrated. The study was conducted between the 51st and 52nd parallels in Quebec, Canada, to identify mechanisms governing regeneration of high-latitude stands by investigating variations in growth of trees during stand development. Chronologies of tree-ring width and individual dynamics of growth in height and volume were assessed in black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P) of one even-aged and five uneven-aged stands. Uneven-aged stands contained trees up to 340 years old and representing almost every age class. Several growth reductions were observed that were synchronized between stands and were characterized by high amplitudes but different percentages of affected trees. These reductions were followed by marked growth releases. Even if the absence of nonhost species prevented the building of chronologies that could confirm the origin of growth reductions, the findings suggested that spruce budworm ( Archips fumiferana Clemens [syn.: Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens)]) outbreaks contribute to the formation and maintenance of the uneven-aged structure of older black spruce stands at high latitudes.

Root reinforcement in plantations of Cryptomeria japonica D. Don: effect of tree age and stand structure on slope stability

2008 ◽  
Vol 256 (8) ◽  
pp. 1517-1526 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marie Genet ◽  
Nomessi Kokutse ◽  
Alexia Stokes ◽  
Thierry Fourcaud ◽  
Xiaohu Cai ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Slope Stability ◽  
Cryptomeria Japonica ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Root Reinforcement

Responses of boreal conifers to climate fluctuations: indications from tree-ring widths and carbon isotope analyses

1998 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 524-533 ◽  
Author(s):  
J Renée Brooks ◽  
Lawrence B Flanagan ◽  
James R Ehleringer
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Tree Ring ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Annual Growth ◽  
Climate Change Scenarios ◽  
Southern Boundary ◽  
The North

Spatial distribution and species composition of the boreal forest are expected to change under predicted climate change scenarios. Current research indicates that water limitations control the southern boundary of the central Canadian boreal forest and temperature limitations control the northern boundary. As part of Boreal Ecosystem - Atmosphere Study (BOREAS), we examined this idea by comparing annual variation in tree-ring widths and carbon isotope ratios ( delta 13C) of tree-ring cellulose with annual climatic parameters in the northern and southern boreal forest. Contrary to expectations, climate correlations with ring widths at the northern and southern sites were similar in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP). Annual growth was favored by cooler and wetter conditions. For jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), increased temperature and spring precipitation favored annual growth at both sites. In the north, annual growth was negatively correlated with winter precipitation. The delta 13C - climate correlations in Pinus banksiana followed current distribution theories. In the south, potential evapotranspiration explained significant annual delta 13C variation, whereas in the north, winter and growing season precipitation influenced annual delta 13C variations. Our data support the concept that moisture limits the southern range of Pinus banksiana and cold soil temperatures limit the northern extent. However, colder, wetter conditions favored growth of Picea mariana throughout its range. These observations strengthen the concept that species respond individually to climate change, not as a cohesive biome.

scholarly journals Pan tropical biomass equations for Mexico's dry forests

2014 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 367-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
José Návar
Keyword(s):  
Specific Gravity ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Gravity Data ◽  
Theoretical Models ◽  
Tropical Dry Forests ◽  
Large Sample Size ◽  
Dry Forests ◽  
Wood Specific Gravity ◽  
Spatial Coverage ◽  
Ecological Importance

This study reports a set of robust regional M-tree allometric equations for Mexico's tropical dry forests and their application to a forest inventory dataset for the States of Durango and Sinaloa, Mexico. Calculated M data from 15 reported equations were fitted, applied and validated for regional and global models. Proposed theoretical models, empirically derived equations, as well as global and local reported equations were fitted and applied to calculated M-tree data using wood specific gravity, diameter at breast height, and top height as exogenous variables. Empirically-derived, computer-based equations assessed the M-tree evaluations slightly better than the theoretical, the global and the local models. However, the theoretical models projected compatible M-tree values and deserve further attention once wood specific gravity data are collected in the field. Using the best fit equation, mean M plot density values of 30, 41 and 35 Mg ha-1 were estimated from 57 plots (1,600 m2 each), 217 plots (1,000 m2 each) and 166 plots (1,000 m2 each) in the tropical dry forests of the States of Durango, Tiniaquis and Vado Hondo (Sinaloa), respectively. The large sample size, the richness of the tested allometric models, the economic and ecological importance of this data-source, and the spatial coverage of these equations made this dataset uniquely useful for biomass, charcoal, and other bio-energy estimations, as well as for understanding the inherent heterogeneity of the stand-structure in dynamic tropical forest environments.

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