scholarly journals Maximum Branch Diameter in Black Spruce Following Partial Cutting and Clearcutting

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (10) ◽  
pp. 913
Author(s):  
Audrey Lemay ◽  
Émilie Pamerleau-Couture ◽  
Cornelia Krause
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Additive Model ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Maximum Diameter ◽  
Curvilinear Relationship ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Branch Diameter ◽  
Branch Development ◽  
Final Harvest

Branch diameter is an important aspect of wood quality, as lumber grades can be determined based on the maximum diameter of branches. Crown and branch development can be influenced by the environment surrounding the trees, and silvicultural interventions, which reduce stand density and increase the growth of residual trees, could therefore alter branch properties. We evaluated maximum branch diameter within the crown of residual black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) subjected to five types of silvicultural intervention—three partial-cutting and two clearcutting treatments—as well as trees within unmanaged control stands. We sampled a total of 41 stands and 223 trees. We collected 15 whorls from the live crown of each tree and measured the diameters of the largest branches. For all treatments, we observed a curvilinear relationship between maximum branch diameter and distance from the stem apex, and the largest branches were located in the lower third of the live crown. DBH before treatment and treatment were the variables that best explained maximum branch diameter in the lowest portion of the crown. A generalized additive model showed that maximum branch diameter in black spruce following silvicultural treatment will not differ significantly from trees of unmanaged control stands. Therefore, the studied partial cutting and clearcutting treatments do not have adverse effects on maximum branch diameter when compared to unmanaged control stands. However, DBH prior to treatment must be considered before any treatment is applied in forest management operations if maximum branch diameter is an important wood quality factor at the time of the final harvest of the stands.

scholarly journals Primary and Secondary Branch Growth in Black Spruce and Balsam Fir after Careful Logging around Small Merchantable Stems (CLASS)

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (6) ◽  
pp. 500 ◽  
Author(s):  
Audrey Lemay ◽  
Cornelia Krause ◽  
Alexis Achim
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Secondary Growth ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Secondary Branch ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Branch Diameter ◽  
Branch Growth ◽  
Post Class

Careful logging around small merchantable stems (CLASS) is a partial cutting treatment that consists of the harvest of 70%–90% of the merchantable volume of an irregular coniferous stand. In this treatment, regeneration, saplings and small merchantable stems (DBH < 15 cm) are preserved and can continue to grow and develop into the dominant layer of the new stand. The aim of this project was to examine the effects of CLASS on the primary and secondary growth of branches, as well as on branch diameter in black spruce and balsam fir trees in the boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. Primary and secondary growth were measured on five branches per tree while branch diameter was analysed from 15 whorls distributed within the crown of the 48 black spruce and 48 balsam fir trees sampled. Branch primary and secondary growth significantly increased after CLASS in the lower part of the crown in both species, and both types of growth increased proportionally. These findings suggest that CLASS may delay crown recession as the lower branches tend to survive and grow for a longer period. However, although radial growth increased in the years post-CLASS, this did not significantly influence the final branch diameter and should not lead to lumber downgrade.

Growth, suppression, death, and self-pruning of branches of Scots pine in southern and central Finland

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (5) ◽  
pp. 585-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harri Mäkinen
Keyword(s):  
Scots Pine ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Branch Diameter ◽  
Growth Cessation ◽  
Canopy Position ◽  
Branch Development ◽  
Stand Characteristics

Branch development of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) was studied in 19 thinning experiments in southern and central Finland. Data were collected from 229 trees on sites of different fertility with different stand density, age, and canopy position. Stem sections that included the thickest branch or knot of the whorl were sawn out from the whorls below the lowest living and dead whorl. The stem sections were dissected and the years of birth, suppression, death, and occlusion of the branches were determined. Diameter growth of the branches continued for a longer time in older trees. Branch growth was also prolonged by rapid radial growth of the stem. On average, branches died 7 years after their growth cessation. The number of years that branches stayed alive after growth cessation was independent of the tree or stand characteristics. After the death of a branch, more than 40 years elapsed before the branch was occluded. Large branch diameter and rapid radial growth of the stem increased the width of the loose knot zone in the stem. The results showed that there are limited possibilities of using delayed thinnings to reduce the knottiness of timber, and artificial pruning is needed to produce timber of high quality.

scholarly journals Developing Optimal Commercial Thinning Prescriptions: A New Graphical Approach

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-174
Author(s):  
KaDonna C. Randolph ◽  
Robert S. Seymour ◽  
Robert G. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Biological Response ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Stand Density Management ◽  
Growth Simulator ◽  
Arcview Gis ◽  
Final Harvest

Abstract We describe an alternative approach to the traditional stand-density management diagrams and stocking guides for determining optimum commercial thinning prescriptions. Predictions from a stand-growth simulator are incorporated into multiple nomograms that graphically display postthinning responses of various financial and biological response variables (mean annual increment, piece size, final harvest cost, total wood cost, and net present value). A customized ArcView GIS computer interface (ThinME) displays multiple nomograms and serves as a tool for forest managers to balance a variety of competing objectives when developing commercial thinning prescriptions. ThinME provides a means to evaluate simultaneously three key questions about commercial thinning: (1) When should thinning occur? (2) How much should be removed? and (3) When should the final harvest occur, to satisfy a given set of management objectives? North. J. Appl. For. 22(3):170 –174.

Ten-year Growth Response of Black Spruce to Thinning and Fertilization Treatments

1975 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 302-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. F. Weetman
Keyword(s):  
Synergistic Effect ◽  
Factorial Design ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Nitrogen Addition ◽  
Size Classes ◽  
Split Plot ◽  
Nitrogen Additions

A 65-year-old upland black spruce (Piceamariana Mill. B.S.P.) stand near Baie Comeau, Quebec, was thinned and fertilized with urea; each treatment was at 2 levels in a split plot factorial design. The trees responded to the nitrogen addition after 1 year and to thinning after 7 years. The trees were still growing faster in response to most treatments after 10 years. Trees of all size classes responded to the treatments. The periodic increment was not increased by 25% thinning, but was increased by 50% thinning and was always increased by nitrogen additions. Absolute increases over control values ranged from 130 to 290 ft3 (11 to 24.6 m3) for an application of 100 lb N per acre (112 kg N per hectare) and 238 to 297 ft3 (20 to 25.2 m3) for 400 lb N per acre (444 kg N per hectare) (1 ha = 104 m2). Some synergistic effect of combined thinning and fertilizer treatments is indicated.Mortality losses in the 10-year period were appreciable because of excessive stand density. The roles of thinning and fertilizer treatments in black spruce management are discussed.

scholarly journals Scots Pine Stem Parameters in Sites with Different Stand Densities in Lithuania

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 716
Author(s):  
Lina Beniušienė ◽  
Benas Šilinskas ◽  
Ričardas Beniušis ◽  
Marius Aleinikovas ◽  
Edmundas Petrauskas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Scots Pine ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Management Tool ◽  
Stem Height ◽  
Bottom Part ◽  
Branch Diameter ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Stem Quality

Background and Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of different stand densities and thinning regimes on stem quality parameters, mainly branch characteristics, of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees. The study provides some input to the discussion about Scots pine stem quality responses to different forest management practices in relatively young stands. Materials and Methods: Total tree height, height to the lowest live and dead branch, diameter at breast height (DBH), and diameter of all branches from the whorls located up to 6 m from the ground were measured. The linear regression models to predict branch diameter, as the main parameter for the stem quality assessment, were developed based on stand density and stem parameters. Results and Conclusions: DBH, branch diameter and number of branches up to 6-m stem height were significantly higher in the stands with the lowest density. These stem parameters showed a relatively clear downward trend from the lowest to the highest stand densities. The main identified variables which significantly affected stem quality, were branch diameter and diameter of the thickest branch in the bottom part of the stem, at least up to 3-m stem height. For practical use, the best fitted model was estimated when stand density, DBH, and branch diameter up to 3-m height were included in a single equation. The developed model for branch diameter could be used as a forest management tool for managing stem-wood quality.

Effects of Density Control and Fertilization on Log Wood Quality from a Douglas-fir Stand in Western Oregon, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-201
Author(s):  
Rapeepan Kantavichai ◽  
Eric C Turnblom ◽  
Eini C Lowell
Keyword(s):  
Specific Gravity ◽  
Modulus Of Elasticity ◽  
Juvenile Wood ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Quality Attributes ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Stem Wood ◽  
Density Control ◽  
Heartwood Percentage

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effects of juvenile spacing (precommercial thinning), thinning, and fertilization on Douglas-fir butt log (first 4.9 m) and second log (4.9–10 m) quality attributes: juvenile wood percentage, heartwood percentage, rings per inch, specific gravity, and modulus of elasticity. A 41-year-old, 36.6 m site index Douglas-fir stand in western Oregon, USA was selected as the first stand to explore. Nine common silviculture pathway treatments of juvenile spacing, thinning, and fertilization were applied to independent 0.404-hectare plots. Ninety-nine trees were felled and disks cut at five heights along the stem. Wood properties were measured and calculated from the disks for log quality attributes. There was no effect of silvicultural treatments on log heartwood percentage, but significant effects on other log quality attributes were observed. Juvenile wood percentage and rings per inch declined with stand density control and fertilization treatment. Responses to thinning and fertilization in log specific gravity depend on juvenile spacing. Also, thinning and juvenile spacing were shown to have impacts on log modulus of elasticity.

scholarly journals A Retrospective Assessment of Partial Cutting to Reduce Spruce Beetle-Caused Mortality in the Southern Rocky Mountains

2010 ◽  
Vol 25 (2) ◽  
pp. 81-87 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Matthew Hansen ◽  
José F. Negron ◽  
A. Steven Munson ◽  
John A. Anhold
Keyword(s):  
Bark Beetle ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Population Pressure ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Degree Of Protection ◽  
Southern Rocky Mountains ◽  
Retrospective Assessment ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Stand Density Index

Abstract Tree susceptibility to bark beetle-caused mortality has been linked to stand characteristics such as basal area (BA) and average tree size, factors that can be manipulated through partial cutting. There is no experimental evidence, however, demonstrating the efficacy of partial cutting in spruce type. Such experiments are very difficult to complete because of the inability to manipulate bark beetle populations needed to challenge treated stands. To circumvent this difficulty, we identified spruce stands that were partially cut (for nonexperimental reasons) in advance ofbeetle activity and compared beetle-caused mortality to that in nearby spruce stands that were not treated. Treated stands had fewer infested stems and less infested BA than untreated stands, as well as smaller proportions of infested stems and BA. Untreated stands, however, had more residualspruce stems and BA than treated stands. Most of this difference was among stems 3–11 in. dbh with little difference in survivorship among larger stems. Spruce regeneration was not significantly different among treated and untreated stands. Spruce stand density index, spruce BA, and the number of spruce stems >11 in. dbh were the stand variables most strongly correlated with host mortality measurements. Insect population pressure appears to influence the degree of protection to residual spruce following partial cutting.

Stand density management diagram for managed black spruce stands

1994 ◽  
Vol 70 (1) ◽  
pp. 65-74 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. F. Newton ◽  
G. F. Weetman
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Site Class ◽  
Permanent Sample Plots ◽  
Kalmia Angustifolia ◽  
Initial Spacing ◽  
Stand Density Management ◽  
Crown Closure ◽  
Stand Density Management Diagram

A stand density management diagram for managed black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) stands was developed using data derived from 37 variable-size temporary and permanent sample plots, and 257 open-grown sample trees. The plots were situated within 15 plantations and 4 precommercially thinned stands located throughout central and western Newfoundland, north-western New Brunswick and northern Ontario. The basic components of the diagram included: (1) an approximate crown closure line (2) the self-thinning rule (3) expected size-density trajectories and (4) isolines for dominant height, relative density index, quadratic mean diameter and merchantability ratio. The utility of the diagram was demonstrated by deriving yields for various initial spacings by site class and subsequently evaluating various outcomes in terms of operability criteria. In addition, the potential of estimating the time of crown closure by initial spacing and site class is discussed in relation to minimizing the adverse effects of Kalmia angustifolia (L.) on black spruce growth and development. Key words: stand density management diagram, initial spacing, black spruce, operability, Kalmia angustifolia (L.)

scholarly journals Coefficients de distribution de la régénération, cinq ans après des coupes avec protection des petites tiges marchandes appliquées dans des sapinières et des pessières noires du Québec

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (05) ◽  
pp. 669-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Riopel ◽  
Jean Bégin ◽  
Jean-Claude Ruel
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Annual Rainfall ◽  
Deciduous Species ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Coniferous Species ◽  
Breast Height ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
Heavy Equipment

For certain mature forests dominated by balsam fir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.) or black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP), it may be preferable to harvest trees with diameter at breast height greater than 15 cm while conserving smaller ones. This treatment, called harvesting with protection of small merchantable trees, produces strips, where partial cutting is applied, alternating with corridors, which are disturbed by heavy equipment during harvesting. This project studied stocking levels five years after treatment on 4896 sub-plots of 4 m2 in 22 blocks. Stocking coefficients (SC) for coniferous and deciduous species were modeled in order to identify variables affecting stocking. The strips had well-distributed coniferous regeneration, while SC in the corridors were more variable and lower, occasionally less than 60%. Black spruce-dominated sites were not as well stocked as balsam fir-dominated sites. Stocking levels of protected coniferous merchantable trees positively influence coniferous and deciduous SC in the corridors. The presence of coniferous species is also affected by harvest season and total annual rainfall. Alternative silvicultural treatments applicable in certain corridors are presented.

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