Height growth of jack pine (Pinushanksiana) in relation to site types in boreal forests of Abitibi, Quebec

1996 ◽  
Vol 26 (12) ◽  
pp. 2170-2179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Béland ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Soil Depth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Growth Delay ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Surface Deposit ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Volume Yield ◽  
Site Types

A combination of surface deposit and moisture regime class was used to investigate the utility of site type as a predictor of jack pine growth in northwestern Quebec. Height–age curves produced from stem analyses of dominant trees from 96 sample plots produced three jack pine (Pinusbanksiaina Lamb.) productivity classes. The low productivity class includes moderately dry shallow tills, shallow organic deposits over bedrock, and fluvioglacial sands with moisture regime classes moderately dry and fresh. Moderately dry to very moist deep tills and moderately dry to moist clays are classified as having high and very high productivity, respectively. The large difference in height growth between these latter two groups and the low productivity class precluded the definition of a moderate productivity class. The form of the height-growth curves was very similar among site types except for sandy, moderately dry sites, which showed a growth delay at young ages. On dry sites, particularly on well-drained tills, density and basal area were higher than on clay sites. Although volume yield of natural stands on tills and clays would thus be similar, it would likely be spread among a greater number of stems on tills. There was little difference in site index between natural jack pine growing on clays and tills. The low nutrient and moisture requirements and strong taproot of jack pine could explain why soil depth and bulk density are more important than soil richness. Although site type, expressed as a combination of surface deposit and moisture regime class, may be more detailed than needed, it provided an adequate prediction of potential jack pine productivity.

scholarly journals Aspects of ecological development in managed stands of jack pine and black spruce in northern Ontario: Understory vegetation and nutrient relations

2005 ◽  
Vol 81 (1) ◽  
pp. 61-72 ◽  
Author(s):  
S L Hunt ◽  
A M Gordon ◽  
D M Morris
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Understory Vegetation ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Nutrient Pools ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Stand Basal Area

This study investigated relationships between understory vegetation and nutrient pools in managed stands of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP) in the Lake Nipigon region of northern Ontario. The species composition, biomass, and nutrient pool sizes in the understory vegetation, as well as biomass and nutrient pools in trees and soils, were determined in 16 managed stands ranging in age from 10 to 53 years since establishment and one mature, natural stand. Patterns of above-ground biomass accumulation in understory vegetation varied with overstory tree species and general site type (dry, sandy soils, or mesic, finer-textured soils). Understory vegetation contributed little (0.3 to 2.6%) to total above-ground organic matter (live biomass plus forest floor) but accounted for higher proportions of total above-ground nutrient pools (e.g., 0.7 to 3.4% of N; 3.2 to 11.7% of K) and net primary productivity (1.2 to 21.2%). The species composition of the understory vegetation was strongly related to stand basal area as well as to concentrations of nutrients (N, P, K, Ca, Mg) in the forest floor and mineral soil. The greatest amount of change in vegetation community composition occurred from the pre-to post-canopy closure stages of stand development; fewer differences were observed among stands of a given species and site type 35 to 50 years after establishment. The effects of silvicultural practices were detected in certain stands 35 years after establishment; for example the most severely treated (bladed and thinned) jack pine stand differed from other stands of similar age and soils with its Cladina/Vaccinium-dominated understory, and large amounts of biomass in the moss/lichen stratum. The understory vegetation communities in other managed jack pine stands, by 35 to 50 years, were similar to that of the mature, natural stand, indicating resilience to silvicultural disturbances. Silviculture may have lasting effects on understory vegetation biomass and species composition through its effects on stand basal area, overstory species, and soil nutrients. This research serves as baseline information for further studies into the ecology of managed stands in northern Ontario. Key words: understory, nutrients, managed forests, jack pine, black spruce, canonical correspondence analysis

Effect of vegetative competition on regeneration of white spruce

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-8 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Eis
Keyword(s):  
Growing Season ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Rate Of Invasion ◽  
Site Types

The rate of invasion and height growth of vegetation in logged-over areas were studied on four forest site types in the white spruce – alpine fir (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss – Abieslasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) forests north of Prince George, B.C. On Cornus–Moss, Aralia–Dryopteris, and Devil's Club site types, which generally had full stocking, vegetation that grew under the canopy of trees was replaced after logging by aggressive pioneer species. Annuals were the first to invade the logged-over area, followed by biennials and perennials. The invasion of shrubs was the slowest. After logging, 6 or 7 years elapsed before vegetation became a serious hindrance to regeneration and, by that time, white spruce seedlings planted immediately after logging were tall enough to withstand competition. On the Alluvium site type, where stocking is usually open and shrubs and grasses that thrive in the logged-over areas are present, spruce seedlings were overtopped during the first growing season and eliminated as the density of shrubs increased.

Effects of Crown Thinning on Baldcypress Height, Diameter, and Volume Growth

1988 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 252-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen G. Dicke ◽  
John R. Toliver
Keyword(s):  
Volume Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Taxodium Distichum ◽  
Volume Increment ◽  
Crown Thinning ◽  
Epicormic Branching

Abstract Crown thinning a 63-year-old stand of baldcypress (Taxodium distichum [L.] Rich.) averaging 220 ft²/ac of basal area to 180, 140, and 100 ft²/ac resulted in 5-year diameter growths of 0.44, 0.51, and 0.77 in., respectively. The unthinned control was significantly less at 0.31 in. Six-year height growth averaged 3.1 ft and was not influenced by treatment. Thinning to 140 and 100 ft²/ac stimulated epicormic branching on many trees, which may lower log quality. All crown thinning treatments appeared to increase sawtimber volume increment and sawtimber volume/ac over the control 5 years after thinning. South. J. Appl. For. 12(4):252-256.

A Growth and Yield Model for Improved Eastern Cottonwood Plantations in the Lower Mississippi Delta

1991 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 213-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Quang V. Cao ◽  
Kenneth M. Durand
Keyword(s):  
Populus Deltoides ◽  
Mississippi Delta ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Yield Model ◽  
Eastern Cottonwood ◽  
Volume Yield ◽  
Growth And Yield Model

Abstract A compatible growth and yield model was developed based on remeasurement data collected from 183 plots on unthinned improved eastern cottonwood (Populus deltoides Bartr.) plantations in the lower Mississippi Delta. The Sullivan and Clutter (1972) equation form was selected for predicting cubic-foot volume yield and projecting volume from site index and initial age and basal area. Yield equations explained 97% and 94%, respectively, of the variations in total outside bark and merchantable inside bark volumes. Mean annual increment of merchantable volume culminated between 8 and 15 years, depending on site index and initial basal area. South. J. Appl. For. 15(4):213-216.

Changes in DOC and DON fluxes in response to harvest intensity of black-spruce-dominated forest ecosystems in northwestern Ontario

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave M Morris
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Clearcut Harvesting ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Forest Floors ◽  
Source Sink ◽  
Site Types

The current study was conducted to quantify and compare dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) fluxes through black-spruce-dominated forests, to compare the source/sink characteristics of sphagnum- versus feathermoss-dominated forest floors, and to identify changes in DOC and DON flow patterns occurring as a result of clearcut harvesting. After 2 yr of pre-harvest monitoring, replicated, experimental harvests of varying intensities of biomass removals were conducted followed by 4 yr of post-harvest sampling. Prior to harvest, the upland site type, dominated by feathermoss, was a significant source of DOC and DON, whereas, the wet-sphagnum-dominated sites exported minor amounts of these solutes. After harvest, DOC and DON fluxes peaked in the second year, but then dropped off significantly to at or below pre-harvest levels. On the upland site type, chipper debris appeared to be a major source of DOC and DON generating fluxes well above the pre-harvest levels. On the wetter site types, it appeared that microclimate differences between harvest treatments had a stronger influence on DOC and DON production than did the amount or type of harvest residue. Full-tree harvesting did not significantly alter the production of DOC and DON when compared with stem-only harvesting on the sites included in this study. Key words: DOC, DON, forest floor leachate, black spruce, harvesting response

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 Standortkartierung im Lehr- und Forschungswald der ETH in Sedrun | Site mapping in the ETH Research Forest of Sedrun

2009 ◽  
Vol 160 (2) ◽  
pp. 27-36
Author(s):  
Jacques Doutaz ◽  
Hans-Ulrich Frey ◽  
Harald Bugmann
Keyword(s):  
Classification System ◽  
Sustainable Forest Management ◽  
Structural Characteristics ◽  
Site Classification ◽  
Classification Methods ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Site Mapping ◽  
A Site ◽  
Site Types

Phytosociology has advanced in various respects since the fundamental groundwork was laid, which was mainly concerned with developing a classification system of vegetation units. Current site classification methods for forests consider not only floristic aspects, but also pedological, topographic and structural characteristics of forest stands. During the summer of 2007, a site mapping was carried out in the ETH Research Forest near Sedrun (Switzerland). This paper describes the methods employed, and it evaluates the applicability thereof based on case studies. Site mapping is based on expert opinion, and as such it includes a certain degree of generalization and subjectivity in the evaluation of stands and their assignment to a site type. However, we propose that site classification constitutes a suitable tool for describing and characterizing the complexity of forest sites. The accurate description of site types strongly facilitates the interpretation and the applicability of a classification system in decision support for sustainable forest management.

Genetic resistance to western gall rust in jack pine and its relationship with tree height growth

2015 ◽  
Vol 45 (8) ◽  
pp. 970-977 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.H. Weng ◽  
P. Lu ◽  
Q.F. Meng ◽  
M. Krasowski
Keyword(s):  
Growth Traits ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Progeny Testing ◽  
Gene Effects ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Improvement Programs ◽  
Heritability Estimates ◽  
Tree Height Growth

Developing resistance to western gall rust (WGR) is important for maintaining healthy and productive jack pine plantations. In this study, we estimated genetic parameters of resistance to WGR and its relationship with tree height growth, based on data collected from three second-generation full-sib progeny testing series of jack pine planted in New Brunswick, Canada. Results indicated that (i) resistance to WGR in jack pine was controlled by both additive and dominance gene effects, with the latter playing a greater role; (ii) narrow-sense heritability estimates for resistance to WGR were low (mean = 0.05; series range = 0.00∼0.09), and broad-sense heritability estimates were moderate on an individual-tree basis (mean = 0.53) and considerably higher on the full-sib family mean basis (mean = 0.87); (iii) additive genetic correlation between tree height growth and WGR incidence was low (≤0.06) in two series and only slightly higher and favorable (–0.19) in one series, suggesting that selection on growth traits would not negatively affect WGR resistance; and (iv) mid-parental additive genetic and dominance effects on WGR were empirically correlated (>0.65), indicating that incorporating breeding for WGR resistance into current jack pine tree improvement programs with a seed orchard approach could partly capture the benefit from dominance effects. Although genetic gains in WGR resistance could be realized through various breeding and deployment schemes, it appeared that rapid improvement could be achieved through backward selection on full-sib family means.

scholarly journals Mechanisms by Which Pre-Commercial Thinning Increases Black Spruce Growth in Different Climates and Soil Types

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 599
Author(s):  
Amy Wotherspoon ◽  
Robert L. Bradley ◽  
Daniel Houle ◽  
Stéphane Tremblay ◽  
Martin Barrette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Soil Moisture Availability ◽  
N Fertility ◽  
Competition For Resources ◽  
Site Types

In the province of Québec (Canada), pre-commercial thinning (PCT) is a common silvicultural practice applied to young black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands. PCT removes some of the competing vegetation and smaller black spruce stems, in order to improve growth rates and reduce forest rotation intervals. It is uncertain whether this positive response in black spruce growth is primarily due to lower competition for resources or to other mechanisms, which may vary according to climate or edaphic conditions. We sampled soils and black spruce needles in PCT-treated and non-treated control plots occurring in two climate regimes, as well as on two contrasting soil parent materials within one of these two climate regimes (i.e., three “site types”). We performed our sampling approximately 20 years after treatment. Paired treatment plots (i.e., PCT vs. control) were replicated at four independent sites in each of the three site types, for a total of 24 plots. Over two consecutive years, we measured stand structural characteristics, indices of soil N fertility, soil microbial activity, indices of soil moisture availability, canopy openness, and foliar characteristics in each plot. In each site type, PCT decreased total basal area but increased radial growth of individual trees. Across all plots, soil N mineralization rates measured in 2016 were positively related to foliar N concentrations of one-year-old needles collected in 2017. Annual precipitation, drainage class, potential evapotranspiration, and climate moisture index all indicated that plots occurring in the drier climate and on glacial till deposits were more prone to summer moisture deficits. Accordingly, PCT increased forest floor moisture only in this site type, which may benefit tree growth. In the wetter climate and on poorly drained soils, however, we found evidence that PCT reduces soil N fertility, presumably by increasing the spread of ericaceous shrubs in the understory. In the dry fertile site type, the range in canopy openness was substantially higher (12–37%) and correlated negatively with tree diameter, suggesting that greater light availability did not improve tree growth. Taken collectively, our data suggest that PCT increases black spruce growth across a broad range of site conditions found in Québec, presumably by lowering intraspecific competition for resources. However, on drier sites, PCT may also benefit trees by increasing soil moisture availability, whereas wetter climates may mitigate the beneficial effect of PCT due to a loss of soil N fertility.

scholarly journals Effects of Lodgepole Pine Dwarf Mistletoe, Arceuthobium americanum, on Jack Pine, Pinus banksiana, Growth in Manitoba

2004 ◽  
Vol 118 (4) ◽  
pp. 595 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brock Epp ◽  
Jacques C. Tardif
Keyword(s):  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Growth Models ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Dwarf Mistletoe ◽  
Tree Form ◽  
Arceuthobium Americanum ◽  
Pine Trees

The Lodgepole Pine Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium americanum Nutt. ex Engelm.) is an important pathogen of Jack Pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). Dwarf Mistletoe alters tree form, suppresses growth, and reduces volume and overall wood quality of its host. Stem analysis and a 3-parameter logistic regression model were used to compare the growth of heavily and lightly to non infected Jack Pine trees. At the time of sampling, no significant reduction in diameter at breast height and basal area were observed in heavily infected trees. However, a significant reduction in height and volume and an increase in taper were observed in heavily infected trees. Growth models predicted a 21.1% lower basal area, 23.4% lower height and 42.1% lower volume by age 60 for the high infection group.

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