Influence of cutting methods on natural and artificial regeneration of yellow birch in Quebec northern hardwoods

1977 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Roberge
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Artificial Regeneration ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Notable Increase ◽  
Artificial Seeding

This is an interim assessment of a thinning and of a group-selection cutting associated with various treatments to increase yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britton) regeneration and production. Ten years after cutting, improved quality, health, and growth rate of trees were observed where thinning had been carried out with a very abundant regeneration which was growing well in clear-cut patches. Ground scarification with or without artificial seeding stimulated yellow birch establishment, but the effects of stimulation did not last and had disappeared 5 years after scarification. Only planting resulted in a notable increase in stocking of dominant yellow birch still conspicuous 5 and 10 years after clear-cutting and in a percentage of yellow birch stems in the main story superior to that of the original stand.

scholarly journals Results of Research in Northern Hardwood Silviculture at Dudswell

1977 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Roberge
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Artificial Regeneration ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Clear Cutting

The stand improvement and regeneration treatments carried out by the Department of Fisheries and the Environment of Canada at Dudswell Experimental Forest in cooperation with Domtar Ltd. are producing results after 15 years of observations. These are directly applicable to management for timber, recreation, wildlife, and water in Quebec hardwood stands dominated by sugar maple, beech, yellow birch, or red maple. Research results indicate marked advantages, in stands of good quality hardwoods, of thinnings taking 30 to 40% of the total volume and of group or strip selection cutting, and, in stands of poor quality hardwoods, of strip clear cutting. Site preparation and artificial regeneration are not required to obtain a stand of a quality at least equal to that of the original stand.

scholarly journals Group selection harvesting supports diversity of forest specialist carabids

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bela Tóthmérész ◽  
Tibor Magura ◽  
Szabolcs Mizser ◽  
David D. Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Specialist Species ◽  
Selection Harvesting

Increased fragmentation and considerable environmental changes in native forests caused by the timber-oriented forest managements are threatening the biodiversity of forests. As a remediation, uneven-aged approach is recommended during forest management, because this is less intensive and could be less harmful than even-aged practices. We tested the effects of clear-cutting (as even-aged method) and group selection harvesting (as uneven-aged method) on carabids in lowland oak forests. Pitfall traps and litter sifting were used during the study. We found that the total number of species was significantly higher in the gaps harvested by group selection and in the clear-cut than in the mature forests (control area). The species richness of forest specialist species was significantly lower in the clear-cuts than in the other area. Our findings demonstrated that the conventional clear-cutting caused a decrease in the number of forest specialist species. Therefore, group selection method should be favoured during forest management to maintain diversity.

scholarly journals Ten-Year Response of Sugar Maple–Yellow Birch–Beech Stands to Selection Cutting in Québec

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (4) ◽  
pp. 119-126 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steve Bédard ◽  
Zoran Majcen
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Annual Growth Rate ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
American Beech ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
And Control ◽  
Annual Mortality

Abstract Experimental blocks were established in five regions of southern Québec to determine the response of hardwood stands to selection cutting. The blocks contain five control stands (no cut) and five treated stands, composed mainly of sugar maple in association with yellow birch and American beech. Treated stands were harvested using single tree selection to a residual density varying from 16.8 to 21.2 m2. Results obtained 10 yr after treatment demonstrate that the annual gross growth rate was not significantly different between treated and control stands. However, net annual growth rate was higher in four out of five cut stands, because the annual mortality rate was less in these stands than in controls. Cutting significantly enhanced the growth of stems with an initial diameter at breast height (dbh) of 10 to 28 cm and favored the development of sugar maple saplings in all blocks and yellow birch saplings in three blocks. North. J. Appl. For. 18(4):119–126.

Water table response to harvesting and simulated emerald ash borer mortality in black ash wetlands in Minnesota, USA

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (8) ◽  
pp. 961-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Slesak ◽  
Christian F. Lenhart ◽  
Kenneth N. Brooks ◽  
Anthony W. D’Amato ◽  
Brian J. Palik
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Emerald Ash Borer ◽  
Post Treatment ◽  
Forested Wetland ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Management Actions ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Black Ash

Black ash wetlands are seriously threatened because of the invasive emerald ash borer (EAB). Wetland hydrology is likely to be modified following ash mortality, but the magnitude of hydrological impact following loss via EAB and alternative mitigation harvests is not clear. Our objective was to assess the water table response to simulated EAB and harvesting to determine if management actions will be needed to maintain ecosystem functions following EAB infestation. We applied four replicated treatments to 1.6 ha plots as follows: (1) control, (2) girdling of all black ash trees to simulate loss via EAB mortality, (3) group selection harvests (20% of stand in 0.04 ha gaps), and (4) clear-cut harvest. Water table (WT) elevations were monitored for 1 year pre-treatment and two years post-treatment. Clear-cutting delayed WT drawdown in both years of the study, and the WT was significantly higher than the control treatment, predominantly when WT depth was below 30 cm. The effect of the group selection treatment on WT response was muted compared to clear-cutting and also limited to periods when the WT depth was below 30 cm. These responses were attributed to establishment of shallow-rooted vegetation in cut areas, which would have limited influence on WT dynamics as depth increased. There was little effect of girdling on the WT in the first year post-treatment, but effects on the WT were very similar to clear-cutting in the second year and more pronounced when the WT was within 30 cm of the soil surface. These effects were attributed to reduced transpiration coupled with the presence of a partial canopy following girdling, which would have reduced vegetation establishment and evaporation compared to clear-cutting. Given the large influence of WT depth on vegetation dynamics and associated feedbacks to altered hydrology, these early results indicate a greater risk of ecosystem alteration following EAB mortality compared to clear-cut harvesting. Depending on local hydrologic regime, variation in precipitation patterns, and time for complete canopy loss, it may be necessary for managers to implement active mitigation strategies (e.g., group selection coupled with planting of alternative species) prior to EAB infestation to maintain ecosystem processes in these forested wetland systems.

Effect of site characteristics and 1st- and 2nd-year seedling densities on forest development in a northern hardwood forest

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1860-1868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally W. Thurston ◽  
Marianne E. Krasny ◽  
C. Wayne Martin ◽  
Timothy J. Fahey
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Site Factors ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
White Ash ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Seed Availability ◽  
Soil Scarification

Factors influencing the initial colonization and subsequent (18-year) survivorship of trees were studied in two clear-cut watersheds in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. Variation in microsite conditions associated with the harvest operations (e.g., soil scarification, slash) and physical gradients within the watershed were particularly important in determining 1st- and 2nd-year densities of pin cherry (Prunuspensylvanica L.) and yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britt.), whereas factors relating to seed availability and the presence of advance seedlings and sprouts were important in determining 1st- and 2nd-year white ash (Fraxinusamericana L.) density. The 1st- and 2nd-year densities of sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.) and beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.) were relatively independent of factors measured in this study and were probably related to both seed availability and the presence of advance seedlings and sprouts. Physical site factors immediately following clear-cutting continued to be important in determining the density of pin cherry and yellow birch at stand age 18 years, whereas 2nd-year sugar maple and beech seedling and sprout densities were the most important factors in determining the densities of these species 18 years following clear-cutting.

White spruce artificial regeneration options on river floodplains in interior Alaska

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (4) ◽  
pp. 423-433 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew P. Youngblood ◽  
John C. Zasada
Keyword(s):  
White Spruce ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Artificial Regeneration ◽  
Basal Diameter ◽  
Cutting Method ◽  
Mechanical Site Preparation ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
River Floodplains ◽  
Interior Alaska

Reforestation options for artificial regeneration of white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss) were tested on three floodplain sites near Fairbanks, Alaska. Survival of containerized seedlings after outplanting was above 96%, regardless of harvest cutting method or mechanical site preparation, and declined little between the third and fifth growing seasons. Establishment and survival after direct seeding on seed spots was more variable and differed by harvest cutting method, by type of site preparation, and by the use of plastic seed shelters for seedling protection. Maximum terminal leader growth, seedling total height, and basal diameter were found on planted seedlings in clear-cut units on the better site. In clear-cut units prepared by blading on one site, basal diameter of seedlings five seasons after outplanting was almost 50% more than on similar surfaces in shelterwood units. Planted seedlings on unscarified surfaces and in small scalped patches generally had similar basal diameters. Results suggested that similar interior Alaska floodplain forests of white spruce can be successfully regenerated by using the clear-cutting harvest method and planting nursery-reared seedlings without mechanical site preparation.

scholarly journals Group and single-tree selection cutting in mixed tolerant hardwood–white pine stands: Early establishment dynamics of white pine and associated species

2003 ◽  
Vol 79 (6) ◽  
pp. 1093-1106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Patricia Raymond ◽  
Alison D Munson ◽  
Jean-Claude Ruel ◽  
Philippe Nolet
Keyword(s):  
Seed Predation ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Red Oak ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Single Tree ◽  
Single Tree Selection ◽  
Paper Birch ◽  
Pine Stands

In mixed tolerant hardwood – white pine stands of Southwestern Quebec, the effects of group selection cutting on eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), red oak (Quercus rubra L.), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) and paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) regeneration are compared to the currently used single-tree selection cutting. The experimental design, initiated in 1998, comprised three cover reduction treatments (circular gap (45 m, 1590 m2)), 25% and 35% single-tree selection cutting), two scarification treatments (scarified and non-scarified) and two seeding treatments for white pine (seeded and non-seeded). The effect of white pine seed predation was studied in the gaps and the adjacent understory, with exclosures for small mammals. After three years, scarification had a positive effect on white pine, yellow birch and paper birch regeneration but also on aspen (Populus spp.) and pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica L.f.) in the three cover reduction treatments. Red oak regeneration was negatively affected by scarification. Shade-tolerant species (sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.)) tended to be less present in the regeneration gaps than in the single-tree selection cutting. Considering that white pine seed predation can be critical in mixed tolerant hard-wood – white pine stands, a greater rate of seeding is recommended for direct seeding. Key words: group selection cutting, regeneration gap, single-tree selection cutting, tolerant hardwoods, eastern white pine, yellow birch, paper birch, red oak, scarification, direct seeding, regeneration, seed predation

Effects of Thinning, Patch Clearcutting, Site Preparation, and Planting on Development of Yellow Birch in Quebec

1988 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 248-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcien R. Roberge
Keyword(s):  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Partial Mortality ◽  
Soil Scarification ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Artificial Seeding

Abstract This is a report of a 1964 thinning and patch clearcutting to increase the proportion of yellow birch in a sugar maple-yellow birch stand in the Dudswell Forest. In 1984, 20 years after treatment, improved quality, health, and growth of thinned stands were observed. Dieback or partial mortality of the crown varied between 0 and 10% in thinned plots and between 25 and 50% in unthinned plots. Despite this dieback in unthinned plots, net growth between 1979 and 1984 was 6 m3/ha. The abundant natural regeneration was growing well, especially in the openings created by clearcutting. Soil scarification, with or without yellow birch artificial seeding, stimulated yellow birch establishment, but the effect did not persist and had disappeared by 1969 or within 5 years. Planting yellow birch increased the number of dominant yellow birch saplings in 1969 and in 1974 or for 10 years. In 1979, when the first release cutting was carried out in the patches clearcut 15 years before, yellow birch dominated in 4% of the subplots; this increased to 18% after the release cutting. From 1979 to 1984, released yellow birch saplings doubled in diameter and were of better quality than the unreleased ones. North. J. Appl. For. 5:248-251, December 1988.

Regeneration dynamics after patch cutting and scarification in yellow birch – conifer stands

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (2) ◽  
pp. 357-369 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcel Prévost ◽  
Patricia Raymond ◽  
Jean-Martin Lussier
Keyword(s):  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Total Density ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Patch Selection ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Mixed Composition ◽  
Regeneration Dynamics ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Clear Cut

We present the 6 year effects of different cutting patterns (patch-selection cutting with 20, 30, and 40 m diameter gaps, 1 ha patch clear-cut, and uncut control) and spot scarification, on seedbed coverage and regeneration dynamics in yellow birch ( Betula alleghaniensis Britton) – conifer stands in eastern Quebec, Canada. After 3 years, yellow birch had established better in cutting patterns with gaps than in the patch clear-cut and in the control, while its density was 7 times higher in scarified than in nonscarified subplots. After 6 years, scarified openings and the borders of openings had 3–5  times more seedlings >30 cm in height than nonscarified openings and the understory between the gaps. The loss of advance growth in openings was the main result for conifer species, although recruitment of new balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) seedlings was accelerated by scarification. Despite the abundance of red spruce ( Picea rubens Sarg.) seed-trees on the site, our treatment combinations failed to promote its natural regeneration. Varying gap size did not change the total density of competing vegetation but modified the composition of this shrub layer. Our 6 year results suggest that maintaining conifer species, and the mixed composition of the stands, is uncertain over the long term.

Changes in small mammal communities after logging in north-central Ontario

1983 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 970-980 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur M. Martell
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Vegetative Cover ◽  
North Central ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Small Mammal Community ◽  
Small Mammal Communities ◽  
Mammal Community ◽  
Mammal Communities

Changes in small mammal communities following logging were monitored in clear-cut and strip-cut upland black spruce (Picea mariana) stands and in selectively cut mixed wood stands in north-central Ontario. Clear-cutting and subsequent scarification essentially eliminated the vegetative cover. Much of the ground cover recovered within 5 years and shrubs within 12 years, but mosses and lichens took much longer. The small mammal community in both clear-cut and strip-cut stands changed over the first three years after logging from one dominated by southern red-backed voles (Clethrionomys gapperi) to one dominated by deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus) and then remained relatively stable for up to 13 years after harvest. That shift was not apparent in selectively cut mixed wood stands where the composition of the small mammal community was similar between uncut stands and stands 4–23 years after harvest. There was relatively little change in total numbers of small mammals after logging. In general, the diversity and evenness of small mammals increased or remained stable in the first 1–3 years following harvest, decreased on older (3–16 years) cuts, and then increased to values similar to those in uncut stands on the oldest (19–23 years) cuts.

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