Early vegetation control for the regeneration of a single-cohort, intimate mixture of white spruce and trembling aspen on upland boreal sites

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (3) ◽  
pp. 549-564 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas G. Pitt ◽  
Philip G. Comeau ◽  
William C. Parker ◽  
Daniel MacIsaac ◽  
Scott McPherson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Spruce ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Tree Survival ◽  
Intimate Mixture ◽  
Survival And Growth ◽  
Single Cohort

In Canada’s boreal forest region, there is increasing demand for practical regeneration strategies that will recreate mixed stands of white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.). In 2002, we implemented an experiment in both west-central Alberta and northeastern Ontario to better understand the effects of herbaceous and woody vegetation control on crop tree survival and growth, within the context of prescription development for the regeneration of a single-cohort, intimate mixture of spruce and aspen. After five growing seasons, good spruce growth, health, and survival were observed with 2 m radial treatments consisting of herbaceous and woody (i.e., complete) vegetation control centred on trees planted at 5 m spacing. These spruce were 4%–64% taller and 68%–178% larger in stem diameter than untended trees, leading to 167%–1166% gains in stem volume, and were at least equivalent to the same stock grown at 2.5 m spacing and provided with complete, continuous relief from competition. Removing only the woody vegetation within treated radii stimulated herbaceous competition, resulting in reduced survival and growth of spruce and reduced height of surrounding aspen. Early results suggest that spot treatments that provide 2–4 years of relief from herbaceous and woody competition may offer a practical strategy for growing spruce with aspen.

scholarly journals Early vegetation control for the regeneration of a single-cohort, intimate mixture of white spruce and aspen on upland boreal sites – 10thyear update

2015 ◽  
Vol 91 (03) ◽  
pp. 238-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas G. Pitt ◽  
Philip G. Comeau ◽  
William C. Parker ◽  
Michael K. Hoepting ◽  
Daniel MacIsaac ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
White Spruce ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Intimate Mixture ◽  
Single Cohort

scholarly journals THE STORY OF A CUT-OVER

1954 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 158-182
Author(s):  
I. Kagis
Keyword(s):  
White Spruce ◽  
Decisive Factor ◽  
Cyclic Process ◽  
Third Wave ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Considerable Part ◽  
The Third

1. A considerable part of the mixed white spruce—trembling aspen stands in Saskatchewan appears to be forming itself in a cyclic process. After a fire, when poplar has established itself, the first wave of spruce comes in; the second follows in about 50 to 70 years. When the trembling aspen thins itself, the crest of the third wave comes and, together with the remaining apsen, the spruce of the first wave starts to deteriorate.2. This cyclic development of such stands seems to provide an opportunity to apply management on the basis of a permanent forest.3. Cutting by diameter limit in such stands results in windthrow and die-off, exceeding the increment of the residual white spruce.4. Crown quality is a decisive factor with white spruce in its response to release in these mixed stands.5. White spruce in these mixed stands responds to release even at the age of 100 years.6. Insufficient regeneration of white spruce in the examined area appears to be due to lack of seed; heavy sod, invasion of shrubs and weeds seem to be main obstacles to regeneration.

Survival and growth response of white spruce stock types to site preparation in Alaska

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 793-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Youngblood ◽  
Elizabeth Cole ◽  
Michael Newton
Keyword(s):  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Preparation Methods ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Survival And Growth ◽  
Stock Types ◽  
Bare Root

To identify suitable methods for reforestation, we evaluated the interacting effects of past disturbance, stock types, and site preparation treatments on white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seedling survival and growth across a range of sites in Alaska. Replicated experiments were established in five regions. At each site, two complete installations differed in time since disturbance: “new” units were harvested immediately before spring planting and “old” units were harvested at least 3 years before planting. We compared mechanical scarification before planting, broadcast herbicide application during the fall before planting, and no site preparation with 1-year-old container-grown seedlings from two sources, 2-year-old bare-root transplants from two sources, and 3-year-old bare-root transplants. Seedlings were followed for 11 years on most sites. Based on meta-analyses, seedling survival increased 10% with herbicide application and 15% with mechanical scarification compared with no site preparation. Scarification and herbicide application increased seedling height by about 28% and 35%, respectively, and increased seedling volume by about 86% and 195%, respectively, compared with no site preparation. Soil temperature did not differ among site preparation methods after the first 7 years. Results suggest that white spruce stands may be successfully restored through a combination of vegetation control and use of quality planting stock.

scholarly journals Ten Years of Vegetation Succession Following Ground-Applied Release Treatments in Young Black Spruce Plantations

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 123-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas G. Pitt ◽  
Robert G. Wagner ◽  
William D. Towill
Keyword(s):  
Foliar Application ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Good Control ◽  
Deciduous Tree ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Woody Vegetation ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Vegetation Removal

Abstract Responses of planted black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP] and associated vegetation were studied for 10 years after conifer release options on two northeastern Ontario sites. Six treatments were compared to untreated check plots, including directed foliar application of glyphosate herbicide, basal bark treatment with triclopyr herbicide, glyphosate capsule injection with the EZ-Ject system, spot-treatment with hexazinone herbicide, manual cutting with brushsaw, and five growing seasons of annual vegetation removal with repeat applications of glyphosate. Ten years after treatment, black spruce survival averaged 86% and varied little among treatments (P > 0.5). Annual vegetation removal treatments resulted in nearly complete domination by spruce, with treated trees exhibiting 16–55% gains in height and 112–476% gains in stem volume growth over untreated trees. Despite rigorous vegetation control on these plots, each of the vegetation groups studied were well represented at the end of the observation period, including deciduous trees, tall shrubs, low shrubs, forbs, ferns, and grasses/sedges. Directed foliar treatment provided good control of herbaceous and woody vegetation around individual crop trees, providing an 8–46% gain in height and a 43–246% gain in stem volume growth. Both spruce and hardwoods shared dominance on these plots. Spot treatments with hexazinone provided similar short-term reductions in herbaceous vegetation, but tended to release shrub species that had a negative net effect on spruce growth. The other release treatments provided only short-term reductions in woody vegetation, which ultimately led to young stands dominated by deciduous tree species. North. J. Appl. For. 21(3):123–134.

Examining 40-year stand development following vegetation control: white spruce planted in a trembling aspen dominated cutover

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (4) ◽  
pp. 728-739 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert L. Fleming ◽  
Allister D. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Mechanical Site Preparation ◽  
Age Shift

Many of the major questions regarding stand establishment practices involve implications for longer-term ecosystem development. We examined 41-year treatment effects on stand composition and dynamics using a white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) planting, mechanical site preparation (MSP) – herbicide (2,4-D plus 2,4,5-T) trial in a trembling aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) dominated mixedwood. Both barrel and blade MSP with planting increased total and white spruce year 41 stand-level biomass over that in untreated areas. Year 2 herbicide application reduced year 41 trembling aspen biomass without substantially increasing that of white spruce, resulting in total yields similar to those in untreated areas. Barrel MSP increased year 41 trembling aspen biomass over that of untreated areas whereas blade MSP reduced it. Herbicide-related declines in trembling aspen biomass persisted or increased with time whereas white spruce response to herbicide varied with time and MSP. By accounting for inherent growth patterns, age shift calculations gave more balanced temporal depictions of planted white spruce response than effect size or percentage gain calculations. With barrel MSP, stand composition demonstrated a degree of mixedwood homeostasis whereas with blading, trembling aspen composition declined unilaterally from year 20 to 41.

Development of a competition index for young conifer plantations established on boreal mixedwood sites

1991 ◽  
Vol 67 (4) ◽  
pp. 403-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. M. Morris ◽  
G. B. MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Accurate Estimate ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Competition Index ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Hemispherical Photographs ◽  
Bare Root

A competition index was developed, and then used to examine the relationships between perennial competition and plantation performance. Species included were white spruce, black spruce, and jack pine for both over-wintered containers and bare root stock. A total of fifteen four-year-old plantations were used in this study representing a range of soil textures located on boreal mixedwood sites in northern Ontario.Effective canopy cover, derived from vertical hemispherical photographs taken at the base of seedling leaders, provided an accurate estimate of the perennial woody competition affecting seedling diameter growth. Initial seedling size, defined by the stem volume at time of planting, proved to be an important covariate in the analysis.Using the relationship between effective canopy cover and seedling root collar diameter, the following questions regarding vegetation control decision-making were addressed: 1) jack pine was more sensitive to increased levels of competition, 2) over-wintered container stock were more sensitive than their larger bare root counterparts, 3) minimal differences occurred in the pattern of growth response to competition across the range of soil textures studied, and 4) early tending treatments should be concentrated on jack pine plantations or on spruce plantations with an effective canopy cover in excess of 60. Key Words: competition index, hemispherical photographs, boreal plantations, white spruce, black spruce, jack pine, tending guidelines.

scholarly journals Evaluating the impact of stand composition and competition on white spruce and aspen wood attributes in the boreal mixedwood

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Ryan Jackalin
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Aspen Wood ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Spruce Wood ◽  
Intimate Mixture ◽  
Volume Production ◽  
The Impact

I evaluated how intra- and inter-specific competition affects the development of eleven wood attributes of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) over 34 years. My analysis was conducted in a mixedwood trial site in Northern British Columbia, Canada, that included treatments consisting of 0, 1000, 2000, 5000, and 10000 stems per hectare of aspen. Competition was found to negatively influence wood attribute development in aspen and positively impact spruce (at low levels of competition). Plot level competition indices were the best predictor of variation in aspen wood attributes, while stand level competition (population density) best explained the majority of spruce wood attributes. Maintaining aspen at lower densities in intimate mixture can have a positive effect on spruce wood quality, while incurring relatively small reductions in spruce volume production and also retaining the ecological benefits associated with managing for mixed stands.

Structure and dynamics of trembling aspen – white spruce mixed stands near Fort Nelson, B.C.

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 384-395 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Kabzems ◽  
Oscar García
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Structure Type ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Mixed Stands

The trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) – white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) mixed woods near Fort Nelson are distinguished by the large size of individual trees, longevity, and the low occurrence of internal decay in trembling aspen. The development of these forest ecosystems has had limited documentation and may be significantly different than those described in other portions of the boreal forest. At five study stands, stem analysis techniques were used to examine the patterns of height and radial growth over time according to species and structure type. There were two patterns of species establishment that were consistent with the stand structure. In codominant stands, recruitment periods for trembling aspen and white spruce overlapped. The stratified stands were consistently associated with a 29- to 58-year lag in white spruce recruitment. Spruce that were codominant with aspen at the time of sampling had sustained periods of rapid height and diameter growth. White spruce that were later to establish on site had slower rates of height and diameter growth. White spruce ages indicated that a dominant recruitment episode was more common than continuous recruitment. Height and diameter growth of trembling aspen were similar in both stand types. The differences in trembling aspen growth patterns between stands were due to site quality. The white spruce in codominant stands did not appear to go through a period of suppression and then release associated with stand-level trembling aspen mortality, as commonly described for other boreal mixedwoods. The vigor and longevity of trembling aspen in Fort Nelson appear to prolong the period of trembling aspen domination of mixed stands well beyond the time periods observed in other boreal ecosystems.

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