Root rot damage in naturally regenerated stands of spruce and balsam fir in Ontario

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (3) ◽  
pp. 295-308 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. D. Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Root Rot ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Root Decay ◽  
Forest Region

In an 11-year study in northern Ontario, root rot damage was heaviest in balsam fir, intermediate in black spruce, and least in white spruce. As a result of root rot, 16, 11, and 6%, respectively, of dominant or codominant trees of the three species were killed or experienced premature windfall. Butt rot, which resulted from the upward extension of root rot into the boles of living trees, led to a scaled cull of 17, 12, and 10%, respectively, of gross merchantable volume of the remaining living trees in the three species. The total volume of wood lost to rot was, therefore, 33, 23, and 16%, respectively. Of 1108 living dominant and codominant balsam fir, 1243 black spruce, and 501 white spruce in 165 stands, 87, 68, and 63%, respectively, exhibited some degree of advanced root decay. Losses resulting from root rot increased with tree age. Significant amounts of root decay and stain (>30% of root volume) first occurred at 60 years of age in balsam fir and 80 years in black spruce and white spruce. For the three species together, the proportion of trees that were dead and windfallen as a result of root rot increased from an average of 3% at 41–50 years to 13% at 71–80 years and 26% at 101–110 years. The root rot index, based on the number of dead and windfallen trees and estimated loss of merchantable volume, also increased, from an average of 17 at 41–50 years to 40 at 71–80 years and 53 at 101–110 years. Death and windfall of balsam fir and black spruce were more common in northwestern Ontario than in northeastern Ontario. Damage to balsam fir was greater in the Great Lakes–St. Lawrence Forest region than in the Boreal Forest region. In all three tree species, the degree of root rot (decay and stain) was highly correlated with the number of dead and windfallen trees, stand age, and root decay at ground level (as a percentage of basal area) for a 10-tree sample.

Effects of root rot on the growth of balsam fir

1985 ◽  
Vol 15 (5) ◽  
pp. 890-895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roy D. Whitney ◽  
G. Blake MacDonald
Keyword(s):  
Root Rot ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Ground Level ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Average Height ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Growth Increments ◽  
Stratification Variable ◽  
Stand Basal Area

Growth increments were compared on balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) trees with varying amounts of decay on the stump (15 cm above ground) that originated from the roots. In 1612 trees, from 20 to 156 years of age on 139 plots across northern Ontario, the average height and radial increments over the last 3 years were 13.5 and 10.9% smaller, respectively, in trees with ground-level decay compared with trees having no decay at this level. Stand basal area was more useful than tree age as a stratification variable for revealing the effect of root rot on growth. Growth reductions were the smallest in trees with intermediate surrounding basal areas and in trees on drier or heavier textured soils.

Root-rotting fungi in white spruce, black spruce, and balsam fir in northern Ontario

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (8) ◽  
pp. 1209-1230 ◽  
Author(s):  
R.D. Whitney
Keyword(s):  
Root Rot ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
The Other ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Living Tissues

Fungi associated with root rot in living trees were isolated and identified from 521 white spruce (Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss), 1342 black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.), and 1383 balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) ranging in age from 26 to 208 years (at a 30-cm height), in 165 stands across northern Ontario. Trees were pulled out with the winch of a skidder, root decays and stains were measured, and cultures were made from root and butt sections. Armillaria spp., considered in this study to be mostly Armillariaostoyae (Romagn.) Herink, was the most frequently isolated fungus, occurring in 32, 34, and 46% of white spruce, black spruce, and balsam fir, respectively. Inonotustomentosus (Fr.:Fr.) S. Teng, Scytinostromagalactinum (Fr.) Donk, and Coniophoraputeana (Schumach.:Fr.) P. Karst. were next in frequency, in that order. An additional 26 Basidiomycetes were associated with lesser amounts of root rot in the three species. Armillariaostoyae infected, and remained mostly below ground in all three species, averaging less than 0.3 m in height up the stem in living trees, while most of the other major fungi advanced more than 0.5 m up the stem in average infected trees. The frequency of A. ostoyae in white spruce and black spruce increased with tree age to about 90 and 130 years, respectively, then leveled off, probably because of diseased trees falling from the stand. An age relationship was not found with this fungus in balsam fir. The other fungi generally increased in frequency of occurrence with tree age. The only major fungus that attacked living tissues (sapwood) exclusively to any extent was A. ostoyae. Some less frequent fungi such as Resiniciumbicolor (Albertini & Schwein.:Fr.) Parmasto and Serpulahimantioides (Fr.:Fr.) P. Karst. indicated pathogenicity by attacking sapwood initially. Armillariaostoyae infected significantly higher numbers of black spruce and balsam fir growing on dryer sites (soil moisture regimes (SMR) 1–3) than on wet sites (SMR 5–7). The only other fungus apparently related to moisture regime was unknown F, which infected black spruce more on wet than on dry sites. Significantly higher proportions of root and buttwood of all three species were infected with A. ostoyae and I. tomentosus in northwestern Ontario than in northeastern Ontario. Heavy to severe root rot caused tree height or diameter growth reductions when trees were infected by either A. ostoyae or I. tomentosus. An Ascomycete, Ascocorynesarcoides (Jacq.) Groves & D.E. Wilson, was associated with pink or faint brown stains, often near bark seams, in white spruce and black spruce. It was isolated from roots of 20 and 28% of these species, respectively.

Susceptibility of balsam fir to spruce budworm defoliation as affected by thinning

1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 428-435 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory W. Crook ◽  
Paul E. Vézina ◽  
Yvan Hardy
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Forest Types ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Number Of Stems

Spruce budworm, Choristoneurafumiferana (Clemens), defoliation of balsam fir, Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill., was studied in thinned stands of the Lower St. Lawrence region of Quebec. The object of the study was to quantify defoliation levels in treated and control plots in order to determine what effect, if any, thinning had on the susceptibility of balsam fir.Three main forest types were studied: (a) coniferous, (b) mixed, and (c) hardwood with a fir understory. The coniferous forest type was subdivided into three types: (1) pure balsam fir; (2) balsam fir – white spruce, Piceaglauca (Moench) Voss; (3) balsam fir – hardwoods. Defoliation levels were estimated using two current techniques: the Dorais–Hardy (1976) and the Fettes (1950) methods.Susceptibility of balsam fir to spruce budworm defoliation was not affected after thinning in coniferous and hardwood forest types; however, susceptibility was increased in mixed stands when part of the hardwood cover was removed. In any situation, defoliation of fir was found to be more intense with an increase of the basal area of the coniferous species (balsam fir, red spruce, Picearubens Sarg., and white spruce) while an increase of the basal area of hardwoods resulted in lower defoliation levels; likewise, a higher number of stems per hectare brought higher defoliation levels of fir. Defoliation was also found to vary with stand composition; susceptibility of fir in the three main cover types decreased in the following order: (a) coniferous, (b) mixed, (c) hardwood. Stand age was not a factor influencing the susceptibility of balsam fir for the two age classes studied (30 and 50 years).

scholarly journals The Difficulty of Predicting Eastern Spruce Dwarf Mistletoe in Lowland Black Spruce: Model Benchmarking in Northern Minnesota, USA

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (7) ◽  
pp. 843
Author(s):  
Ella R. Gray ◽  
Matthew B. Russell ◽  
Marcella A. Windmuller-Campione
Keyword(s):  
Stand Structure ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Forest Health ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Predictive Performance ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Management Decisions ◽  
Dwarf Mistletoe ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Model Interpretation

Insects, fungi, and diseases play an important role in forest stand development and subsequently, forest management decisions and treatments. As these disturbance agents commonly occur within and across landscapes, modeling has often been used to inform forest planning and management decisions. However, models are rarely benchmarked, leaving questions about their utility. Here, we assessed the predictive performance of a Bayesian hierarchical model through on–the-ground sampling to explore what features of stand structure or composition may be important factors related to eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum Peck) presence in lowland black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B. S. P.). Twenty-five state-owned stands included in the predictive model were sampled during the 2019 and 2020 growing seasons. Within each stand, data related to the presence of eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe, stand structure, and species composition were collected. The model accurately predicted eastern spruce dwarf mistletoe occurrence for 13 of the 25 stands. The amount of living and dead black spruce basal area differed significantly based on model prediction and observed infestation, but trees per hectare, total living basal area, diameter at breast height, stand age, and species richness were not significantly different. Our results highlight the benefits of model benchmarking to improve model interpretation as well as to inform our understanding of forest health problems across diverse stand conditions.

scholarly journals Developmental Trends of Black Spruce Fibre Attributes in Maturing Plantations

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter F. Newton
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Microfibril Angle ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Temporal Correlation ◽  
Wood Formation ◽  
Cross Sectional ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
Cambial Age ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest ◽  
Crown Closure

This study assessed the temporal developmental patterns of commercially relevant fibre attributes (tracheid length and diameters, wall thickness, specific surface area, wood density, microfibril angle, fibre coarseness, and modulus of elasticity) and their interrelationships within maturing black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) plantations. A size-based stratified random sample procedure within 5 semimature plantations located in the Canadian Boreal Forest Region was used to select 50 trees from which radial cross-sectional xylem sequences at breast-height (1.3 m) were cut and analyzed. Statistically, the graphical and linear correlation analyses indicated that the attributes exhibited significant (p≤0.05) relationships among themselves and with morphological tree characteristics. Relative variation of each annually measured attribute declined with increasing size class (basal area quintile). The transitional shifts in temporal correlation patterns occurring at the time of approximate crown closure where suggestive of intrinsic differences in juvenile and mature wood formation processes. The temporal cumulative development patterns of all 8 of the annually measured attributes varied systematically with tree size and exhibited the most rapid rates of change before the trees reached a cambial age of 20 years. At approximately 50 years after establishment, plantation mean attribute values were not dissimilar from those reported for more mature natural-origin stands.

scholarly journals Splitting in Fire-Killed Trees in the Boreal Forest of Alberta

2003 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 167-174
Author(s):  
Nobutaka Nakamura ◽  
Paul M. Woodard ◽  
Lars Bach
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Crown Fire ◽  
In Fire ◽  
Solar Angle

Abstract Tree boles in the boreal forests of Alberta, Canada will split once killed by a stand-replacing crown fire. A total of 1,485 fire-killed trees were sampled, 1 yr after burning, in 23 plots in 14 widely separated stands within a 370,000 ha fire. Sampling occurred in the Upper and Lower Foothills natural subregions. The frequency of splitting varied by species but averaged 41% for all species. The order in the frequency of splitting was balsam fir, black spruce, white spruce and lodgepole pine. The type of splitting (straight, spiral, or multiple) varied by species, as did the position of the split on the tree bole. Aspect or solar angle was not statistically related to the type or occurrence of splitting.

Factors controlling epiphytic lichen biomass during postfire succession in black spruce boreal forests

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (11) ◽  
pp. 2168-2179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Catherine Boudreault ◽  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Darwyn Coxson
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Stand Structure ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Epiphytic Lichens ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Epiphytic Lichen ◽  
Structure Tree ◽  
Species Groups

Alectorioid lichens are the dominant group of epiphytic lichens in boreal forests. Epiphytic lichen richness and abundance generally increase with stand age and within-stand heterogeneity. The objective of this study was to evaluate the importance of time elapsed since the last fire, stand structure, tree size, tree age, and branch height for epiphytic lichen biomass of the boreal forest of western Quebec. We sampled 12 sites belonging to four forest age classes (from 50 to >200 years). We assessed epiphytic lichen biomass of three species groups ( Bryoria , Evernia , and Usnea ) on 12 trees in each site. Our results showed that biomass of Bryoria and Usnea was higher in intermediate stages (between 101 and 200 years) compared with younger (50–100 years) and older (>200 years) stages. Biomass of the three species groups was greater on larger diameter trees (>16 cm) compared with smaller ones (<16 cm). These results indicate that the protection of postfire stands aged between 101 and 200 year should be prioritized to maintain the functional role of epiphytic lichens in managed landscapes.

Tree biomass equations for Abiesbalsamea and Piceaglauca in northwestern New Brunswick

1981 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. F. Ker ◽  
G. D. Van Raalte
Keyword(s):  
New Brunswick ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Stem Bark ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Crown Length ◽  
Crown Width ◽  
Crown Volume ◽  
Total Tree

Equations are given, based on data from 298 balsam fir and 88 white spruce trees in northwestern New Brunswick, for predicting ovendry weight of biomass for balsam fir and white spruce trees. Separate equations are given for each of nine components: stem wood, stem bark, total stem, branches, foliage, total crown, total aboveground weight, roots, and total tree. Independent variables used in the equations include diameter at breast height (dbh), height, crown width, crown length, and indices of basal area, crown area, and crown volume.

Reduction of black spruce seed bank by spruce budworm infestation compromises postfire stand regeneration

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (7) ◽  
pp. 1686-1696 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Simard ◽  
Serge Payette
Keyword(s):  
Seed Bank ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Viable Seed ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Postfire Regeneration ◽  
Fire Disturbances

In the southern boreal forest of eastern Canada, black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) is subjected to both defoliating insect and fire disturbances. As black spruce depends on its aerial seed bank for postfire regeneration, reduction of cone crop during a spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) outbreak opens a vulnerability window during which stand regeneration could be hindered in the event of a fire. To assess the long-term effect of spruce budworm outbreak on black spruce reproductive potential, cone production and viable seed bank were estimated using cone crop surveys and germination trials in black spruce – lichen woodland stands that sustained different levels of defoliation during the 1980s. Black spruce cone crop was significantly related to the defoliation history of the stands (R2 = 0.89), but not to stand age, basal area, or tree density. Black spruce stands damaged by severe defoliation showed a smaller number of cones, a higher incidence of insect-damaged cones, and a viable seed bank 3 to 17 times smaller than a lightly defoliated stand. The vulnerability window for black spruce regeneration following a spruce budworm outbreak may be as long as 20 years in the study area because black spruce seed bank in heavily defoliated stands has not yet replenished. Our work supports conclusions from stand reconstruction studies that suggest closed-crown spruce–moss stands convert to open lichen woodlands as a result of weak postfire regeneration caused by successive insect and fire disturbances.

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