Clearcutting — a regeneration method in the boreal forest

Youngblood, Andrew; Titus, Brian

doi:10.5558/tfc72031-1

Cited by 25 publications

(17 citation statements)

References 11 publications

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“…Clear-cutting is a major stand disturbance that is increasing in frequency and extent throughout the Canadian boreal forest (Youngblood and Titus 1996). Clear-cutting practices are currently changing the natural disturbance cycles of fire and insect outbreak that usually control forest dynamics.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shift of Conifer Boreal Forest to Lichen–Heath Parkland Caused by Successive Stand Disturbances

Payette

Delwaide

2003

Ecosystems

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In the southern boreal forest (Qué bec, Canada), tree harvesting is a major disturbance affecting the dominant black spruce (Picea mariana) stands already suffering from naturally recurrent insect and fire disturbances. Although recovery of the spruce forest after an insect infestation or a fire is possible under current site conditions, it is less likely when both types of disturbance occur during a short period of time. The addition of yet another disturbance, such as tree harvesting, can thus have catastrophic consequences. We analyzed the impact of three successive disturbances-tree harvesting, insect infestation, and fire-on the regeneration of boreal spruce-moss forests within a period of approximately 50 years. The spruce forests were harvested in the 1940s and the 1950s. Recovery from the logging consisted of advance regeneration (spruce layers less than 1 m high that were left intact during clear-cuts), which was burned in 1991. The vegetation cover (mostly heath and lichen species) and soil conditions (acidic, nutrientpoor podzolic soils developed from coarse materials) of the postfire sites that we studied were similar. Stand structure and tree regeneration were documented from large quadrats (0.25 ha) using age, size, and tree ring data from postlogged and postfire spruce. At an early stage of development, the growing advance regeneration was damaged by insect defoliators in the late 1970s and the mid1980s, and several trees died a few years before the 1991 fire. The successive disturbances considerably reduced the number of seed-bearers, leading to the collapse of postfire regeneration and a shift to parkland. Through a successional trajectory far from the expected trend for boreal forests influenced by single disturbance, the shift resulted in the formation of divergent plant communities. The development of divergent communities at the landscape scale is generally overlooked due to their small size. They indicate, however, the weak resilience of boreal forests faced with cascading perturbations, which are likely to increase in intensively logged areas.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Shift of Conifer Boreal Forest to Lichen–Heath Parkland Caused by Successive Stand Disturbances

Payette

Delwaide

2003

Ecosystems

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“…More recently, techniques that take advantage of an abundant advance regeneration have been developed (known as CPRS in Quebec or CLAAG in Ontario, Groot et al, 2005) and have become the default practice in Quebec softwood stands (Youngblood and Titus, 1996). These techniques involve the complete removal of the canopy while protecting the advance regeneration to induce the development of a new even-aged stand.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Traditionally, the boreal forest of Canada has been harvested by clearcut logging (Youngblood and Titus, 1996). More recently, techniques that take advantage of an abundant advance regeneration have been developed (known as CPRS in Quebec or CLAAG in Ontario, Groot et al, 2005) and have become the default practice in Quebec softwood stands (Youngblood and Titus, 1996).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Short term effects of alternative silvicultural treatments on stand attributes in irregular balsam fir-black spruce stands

Cimon-Morin

Ruel

Darveau

2010

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…Plusieurs études ont aussi démontré que, sur des sites similaires, lorsque la composante feuillue s'établit après la coupe, elle présente un déclin au cours des cinq à dix premières années (Sarrasin 1991, Pothier 1996, Ruel et al 1998. À la suite de la coupe, les feuillus intolérants pourraient s'établir en raison des conditions de réchauffe-ment et de décomposition accélérée qui libèrent une quantité importante d'éléments nutritifs (Youngblood et Titus 1996) mais un déclin surviendrait lorsque cet effet éphémère cesse et que les conditions nutritives originales se rétablissent.…”

Section: Discussionunclassified

Dynamique et estimation du rendement des strates de retour après coupe totale dans la sapinière à bouleau jaune

Dubois¹,

Ruel²,

Elie³

et al. 2006

The Forestry Chronicle

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RÉSUMÉUn total de 48 placettes issues de coupe totale localisées dans le domaine bioclimatique de la sapinière à bouleau jaune de la province de Québec, Canada, ont été étudiées au moyen d'une analyse dendrochronologique afin d'évaluer l'importance de la composition avant coupe, de l'abondance et de la structure de la régénération après coupe et du type de milieu physique sur la dynamique des peuplements. Les résultats démontrent le lien entre le couvert d'origine et les peuplements de retour. La considération des conditions écologiques apparaît indispensable pour caractériser l'importance de la régénération préétablie et pour décrire l'évolution des coefficients de distribution. Les résultats permettent également de mettre en lumière la pertinence de considérer la structure de la régénération, par le biais de l'indice de diamètre, pour prédire le rendement à 38 ans. Les dommages causés par la tordeuse des bourgeons de l'épinette constituent un facteur déterminant dans l'évolution des peuplements dans le cadre de cette étude et rendent difficile la prédiction du rendement des peuplements régénérés en sapin. Enfin, les résultats mettent en évidence le phénomène d'augmentation des feuillus intolérants à l'ombre et les problèmes de productivité résineuse sur stations riches. La pessières noires se reconstituaient en peuplements de même composition. Mots-clés : peuplements mixtes, succession, inventaires de régénération, rendement, Choristoneura fumiferana ABSTRACTA total of 48 plots originating from clearcuts were studied in the balsam fir-yellow birch ecological domain of the province of Quebec, Canada, using dendrochronology. The aim of the study was to assess the effect of pre-cut stand type, structure and abundance of regeneration after logging, and soil type on stand dynamics. Results indicate a relationship between pre-cut stand type and the composition of second-growth stands. Ecological characteristics must be taken into account in order to estimate the abundance of advance regeneration and predict the evolution of stocking. Results also show that the structure of regeneration, described by a diameter index, can help in predicting yield at age 38. Devastation by the spruce budworm played a major role in second-growth stand dynamics making it difficult to predict balsam fir yield. The study has also shown an increase in intolerant hardwoods and a low softwood production on rich sites. Black spruce stands came back to black spruce.

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Clearcutting — a regeneration method in the boreal forest

Abstract: Clearcutting is a method OF regenerating an evm-aged stand La cww a blanc est un mode de

Cited by 25 publications

References 11 publications

Shift of Conifer Boreal Forest to Lichen–Heath Parkland Caused by Successive Stand Disturbances

Shift of Conifer Boreal Forest to Lichen–Heath Parkland Caused by Successive Stand Disturbances

Short term effects of alternative silvicultural treatments on stand attributes in irregular balsam fir-black spruce stands

Dynamique et estimation du rendement des strates de retour après coupe totale dans la sapinière à bouleau jaune

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