scholarly journals Partial Harvest in Paludified Black Spruce Stand: Short-Term Effects on Water Table and Variation in Stem Diameter

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 271
Author(s):  
Samuel Roy Proulx ◽  
Sylvain Jutras ◽  
Alain Leduc ◽  
Marc J. Mazerolle ◽  
Nicole J. Fenton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stem Diameter ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Area Reduction ◽  
Partial Harvest ◽  
Diameter Variation ◽  
Water Table Rise

The boreal forest is considered to be a low productivity forest due to its cold climate and poorly drained soils promoting paludification. These factors create conditions favouring accumulation of undecomposed organic matter, which causes declining growth rates of forest stands, ultimately converting mature stands into peatlands. Under these conditions, careful logging is conducted during winter, which minimizes soil disturbance in northwestern Quebec boreal forest. This results in water table rise, increased light availability and paludification. Our main objective was to evaluate the short-term effect of partial harvesting as an alternative method to careful logging in winter to mitigate water table rise on black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) stands. We quantified tree stem diameter variation and daily variation in water table depth in mature spruce stands before and after partial harvest (basal area reduction of 40%) and girdling (same basal area reduction with delayed mortality) during 2016 and 2017 growing seasons. Water table variation prior to and following silvicultural treatments did not differ one year after treatment. Daily stem diameter variation in black spruce did not differ between treatments and control. Furthermore, temperature exerted a positive effect on variation in water table and on stem diameter. These results suggest that partial harvest could be more effective than clearcutting to mitigate negative effects of a high water table while limiting paludification.

scholarly journals Lessons learned from 12 years of ecological research on partial cuts in black spruce forests of northwestern Québec

2013 ◽  
Vol 89 (03) ◽  
pp. 350-359 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicole J. Fenton ◽  
Louis Imbeau ◽  
Timothy Work ◽  
Jenna Jacobs ◽  
Hervé Bescond ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Succession ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Lessons Learned ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Spruce Forests ◽  
Partial Harvest ◽  
Species Groups ◽  
The Impact

Multi-cohort management that creates or maintains an uneven structure within forest stands has been widely advocated as a means to attenuate the impact of forest harvesting. An experimental network was put in place in black spruce forests of northwestern Québec to test this assertion. Here we synthesize the biodiversity results in two main lessons: (1) at least 40% to 60% retention of pre-harvest basal area was required to maintain pre-harvest conditions for most species groups; (2) partial harvests showed the potential to be efficient deadwood delivery systems. In addition to these two main general conclusions, we emphasise that future research should examine whether partial harvest may be able to advance forest succession.

Residual-tree growth responses to partial stand harvest in the black spruce (Picea mariana) boreal forestThis article is one of a selection of papers published in the Special Forum IUFRO 1.05 Uneven-Aged Silvicultural Research Group Conference on Natural Disturbance-Based Silviculture: Managing for Complexity.

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (9) ◽  
pp. 1563-1571 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. C. Thorpe ◽  
S. C. Thomas ◽  
J. P. Caspersen
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Growth Response ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Tree Age ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
Partial Harvest ◽  
Partial Harvesting

Variants of partial harvesting are gaining favour as means to balance ecosystem management and timber production objectives on managed boreal forest landscapes. Understanding how residual trees respond to these alternative silvicultural treatments is a critical step towards evaluating their potential from either a conservation or a wood supply perspective. We used dendroecological techniques combined with a chronosequence approach to quantify the temporal radial growth response pattern of residual black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) trees to partial harvest in northeastern Ontario. At its peak, 8–9 years after harvest, radial growth of residual trees had doubled. The growth pattern was characterized by a 2-year phase of no response, a subsequent period of increase 3–9 years after harvest, and a stage of declining rates 10–12 years after harvest. The magnitude of tree growth response depended strongly on tree age: peak postharvest growth was substantially higher for young trees, while old trees displayed only modest growth increases. Both the large magnitude and the time delay in postharvest growth responses have important implications for the development of more accurate quantitative tools to project future yields and, more generally, for determining whether partial harvesting is a viable management option for the boreal forest.

Selection of Piceamariana for growing space efficiency

1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (5) ◽  
pp. 421-427 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laird Van Damme ◽  
William H. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Selection Method ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Base Line ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Space Efficiency ◽  
Early Results ◽  
Light Interaction

In an attempt to select black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) based on growing space efficiency, 398 candidate black spruce trees from a 60-year-old upland stand were measured for various growth and crown parameters. The best 10 trees were selected by two base lines: basal area increment vs. crown area and stem volume vs. crown radius. For comparison 10 trees were also selected by a height vs. age base line and 10 were randomly chosen to serve as a control. Only one tree was selected by all three base lines, but four other trees were selected by two of the three methods. Although discriminant analysis correctly classified 85% of the trees into the four selection and control groups, the high levels of variation associated with the growing-space efficiency base line trees made it impossible to identify a generalized form (crop ideotype) that was associated with either method. Short-term and long-term progeny tests were established to determine the relative gains associated with the different base-line selection methods. A greenhouse test was conducted over one growing season and included light intensity as a treatment; the long-term test was planted in 1984 and included spacing as a treatment. Results of the short-term test demonstrated strong family differences and strong family × light interaction, but no selection method differences or selection method × light interaction. While the long-term test was not yet mature enough to test the effect of spacing, the 2-year height growth results demonstrated strong family differences and no selection method differences. Correlation between the results of the two tests was significant (r = 0.61, P < 0.01), indicating a fairly high level of reproducibility in the juvenile progeny results. A weak, but consistent, trend of slower growth by the progeny of selected parents relative to randomly selected controls was observed. These early results suggest that if black spruce trees selected for superior growing space efficiency have inherent advantages in lower light intensities or more densely spaced situations in mature stands, their open-pollinated progeny do not express these qualities after one or two season's growth.

Growth and foliar nutrient status of black spruce and tamarack in relation to depth of water table in some Alberta peatlands

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (6) ◽  
pp. 805-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor J. Lieffers ◽  
S. Ellen Macdonald
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
The Road ◽  
Foliar N ◽  
Depth To Water Table ◽  
Foliar Nutrient ◽  
Foliar Concentration

Foliar nutrient status and growth rates of black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and tamarack (Larixlaricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) were assessed at 21 peatland locations where the water table was affected by roadbed construction. On one side of the road the peatland may have been drained while the other side may have been flooded or unaffected by the road. For both black spruce and tamarack, concentrations of foliar N and S, needle length, and periodic annual increment in basal area were positively correlated with depth to water table. Analysis of pairs of sites (from each side of the road) showed that trees from the site with greater depth to water table had higher concentrations of foliar N and S and greater basal area increment. Foliar concentration of P, K, Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, and Fe were not correlated with depth to water table or growth rate.

Beneficial influence of plant neighbours on tree growth in drained forested peatlands: a case study

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (9) ◽  
pp. 2341-2350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sylvain Jutras ◽  
Hannu Hökkä ◽  
Jean Bégin ◽  
André P Plamondon
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Water Table ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Larix Laricina ◽  
Diameter Increment ◽  
Canadian Boreal Forest ◽  
Speckled Alder ◽  
Forested Peatland

In boreal forest, drainage can be successfully used to lower the water-table level of postharvest forested peatland stands suffering from watering-up. The later vegetation revival and growth is suspected to gradually create a water-table drawdown described in this study as biological drainage. Its effect on the annual stump diameter increment of planted eastern larch (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) and naturally regenerated black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) was studied on a postharvested and drained forested peatland located in eastern part of the Canadian boreal forest. A factor describing the neighbourhood occupancy of every subject tree was used to illustrate biological drainage in a retrospective growth analysis. Results showed the dual effect of the neighbourhood occupancy factor: competing situations close to the ditch and growth-favouring situations farther from it. In the latter case, the studied trees demonstrated better growth with moderately increasing neighbourhood occupancy. This was interpreted as evidence of the beneficial effect of biological drainage on tree growth. The presence of speckled alder (Alnus incana subsp.rugosa (Du Roi) J. Clausen) in the neighbourhood of selected trees corresponded to improved growth for both studied species.

Relative competitiveness of nine early-successional boreal forest species associated with planted jack pine and black spruce seedlings

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (5) ◽  
pp. 790-800 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Wayne Bell ◽  
Michael T Ter-Mikaelian ◽  
Robert G Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
A Priori ◽  
Linear Regression Analysis ◽  
Initial Density ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Stem Diameter ◽  
Herbaceous Species

Differences in yield-density models derived from an additive experimental design were used to compare the relative competitiveness of nine early-successional boreal forest plants (aster, grass, fireweed, fern, raspberry, willow, alder, birch, and aspen) on jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP). A randomized complete block split-split-plot design with three replications blocked on soil type was used. Initial density gradients were 0-4 plants/m2 for woody and 0-8 plants/m2 for herbaceous species. An a priori analytical approach that compared a full model (using linear regression analysis of 4th-year stem diameter of conifers under increasing cover and height of competitors) to various reduced models was used to assess competition. Increasing cover and (or) height of all competitors (except fern) significantly (P < 0.05) decreased conifer stem diameter. The final regression model (based on visual estimates of cover and differences in initial conifer size) accounted for 89% of the variation in stem diameter. During the years studied, both conifers responded similarly to competition, and herbaceous species were on average 28.9% more competitive than woody species. Under different growing conditions (e.g., a natural forest) the relative competitiveness of herbaceous and woody species may vary from these results.

Rooting of peatland black spruce and tamarack in relation to depth of water table

1987 ◽  
Vol 65 (5) ◽  
pp. 817-821 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. J. Lieffers ◽  
R. L. Rothwell
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Root Biomass ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Fine Root Biomass ◽  
Rooting Depth ◽  
Strong Positive Correlation ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Deep Roots ◽  
Depth To Water Table

Rooting of Picea mariana Mill. BSP. and Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch trees was examined in four peatlands with different depth of water table. Peat blocks, 60 cm deep, 1.0 m from the base of each tree, were excavated and sectioned into 10-cm horizontal strata and the roots extracted. The presence of and depth to frost and the depth of water table were determined on each peat block. The periodic annual increment in basal area of each tree was determined. Rooting depth was strongly correlated with depth to water table. On wet sites, roots of both black spruce and tamarack were confined to hummocks, while on dry sites, roots penetrated to 60 cm. The deep roots were generally <2 mm in diameter and held in frozen peat layers until late June. There was a strong positive correlation between fine root biomass and depth of water table; however, total root biomass was not correlated with depth to water table. In general, growth rates of both black spruce and tamarack were positively correlated with water table.

Age and size effects on seed productivity of northern black spruce

2013 ◽  
Vol 43 (6) ◽  
pp. 534-543 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayme N. Viglas ◽  
Carissa D. Brown ◽  
Jill F. Johnstone
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Seed Production ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Yukon Territory ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Seed Productivity ◽  
Cone Production

Slow-growing conifers of the northern boreal forest may require several decades to reach reproductive maturity, making them vulnerable to increases in disturbance frequency. Here, we examine the relationship between stand age and seed productivity of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) in Yukon Territory and Alaska. Black spruce trees were aged and surveyed for cone production and seed viability across 30 even-aged stands ranging from 12 to 197 years old. Logistic regression indicated that individual trees had a ∼50% probability of producing cones by age 30 years, which increased to 90% by age 100 years. Cone and seed production increased steadily with age or basal area at both the tree and stand level, with no evidence of declining seed production in trees older than 150 years. Using published seed:seedling ratios, we estimated that postfire recruitment will be limited by seed availability in stands for up to 50 years (on high-quality seedbeds) to 150 years (low-quality seedbeds) after fire. By quantifying these age and seed productivity relationships, we can improve our ability to predict the sensitivity of conifer seed production to a range of disturbance frequencies and thus anticipate changes in boreal forest resilience to altered fire regime.

scholarly journals Comparing soil profiles of adjacent forest stands with contrasting tree densities: lichen woodlands vs. black spruce–feathermoss stands in the continuous boreal forest

2018 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 458-468 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rock Ouimet ◽  
Jean-François Boucher ◽  
Pascal Tremblay ◽  
Daniel Lord
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stem Density ◽  
Forest Zone ◽  
Nutrient Pools ◽  
Humus Layer ◽  
C Stocks ◽  
Closed Canopy ◽  
C And N

We studied mature and adjacent open lichen–spruce woodlands (LWs) and closed-canopy spruce–feathermoss stands (FMs) growing under similar edaphic conditions in the continuous boreal forest zone in Quebec (Canada). A total of six pairs of stands were investigated by profile sampling. Stem density, basal area, and biomass were about four times greater in FMs than in LWs on an area basis. In the humus layer, total stocks of C and N and of exchangeable K, Ca, Mg, Al, and Na were 1.4–2.3 times larger in FM than in LW soils. The first 30 cm and the first metre of mineral soils in LWs and FMs displayed similar available nutrient pools except for total C stocks, which were more than twice as large in FM as in LW soils in these soil layers. For the whole profile, total stocks of C and N and stocks of exchangeable Ca and Mg were 1.3–2.6 times larger in FM than in LW soils. These results highlight the low intrinsic fertility of LW soils, primarily due to the humus layer, but also the importance of the biological control of C, N, and mineral nutrients in these boreal soils.

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