Dynamics of North American boreal mixedwoods

Chen, Han Y. H.; Popadiouk, Roman V.

doi:10.1139/a02-007

Cited by 334 publications

(334 citation statements)

References 106 publications

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“…Following the growth influx, a decrease in tree loads [34,73] was predicted at 80, 110, and 200 years for TA, JP, and BS forests, respectively. Over time, tree mortality starts, gaps are created, and shade-tolerant species appear in the canopy [74,75]. Our predictions concur with previous observations: Pothier et al [76] estimated tree productivity loss after about 60 years for TA forest in Quebec; Belleau et al [50] estimated composition changes to occur in the Clay Belt region at around 70 to 120 years for JP and TA forests, respectively, and at around 100 to 200 years for BS forests.…”

Section: Fuel Load Dynamics With Tsfsupporting

confidence: 89%

Influence of Fuel Load Dynamics on Carbon Emission by Wildfires in the Clay Belt Boreal Landscape

Terrier

Paquette

Gauthier

et al. 2016

Forests

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Old-growth forests play a decisive role in preserving biodiversity and ecological functions. In an environment frequently disturbed by fire, the importance of old-growth forests as both a carbon stock as well as a source of emissions when burnt is not fully understood. Here, we report on carbon accumulation with time since the last fire (TSF) in the dominant forest types of the Clay Belt region in eastern North America. To do so, we performed a fuel inventory (tree biomass, herbs and shrubs, dead woody debris, and duff loads) along four chronosequences. Carbon emissions by fire through successional stages were simulated using the Canadian Fire Effects Model. Our results show that fuel accumulates with TSF, especially in coniferous forests. Potential carbon emissions were on average 11.9 t·ha −1 and 29.5 t·ha −1 for old-growth and young forests, respectively. In conclusion, maintaining old-growth forests in the Clay Belt landscape not only ensures a sustainable management of the boreal forest, but it also optimizes the carbon storage.

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Section: Fuel Load Dynamics With Tsfsupporting

confidence: 89%

Influence of Fuel Load Dynamics on Carbon Emission by Wildfires in the Clay Belt Boreal Landscape

Terrier

Paquette

Gauthier

et al. 2016

Forests

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“…For instance, sapling radial growth data from our study area indicate that aspen starts to outgrow white spruce and balsam fir above ∼50% GLI (Poulin and Messier, 2006). Chen and Popadiouk (2002) suggested that light levels higher than 40% are required for aspen establishment and Bourgeois et al (2004) concluded that a ∼60% removal rate, through a uniform harvest pattern, could contribute to accelerate the transition from aspen toward mixedwood stands.…”

Section: Management Implicationsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managing understory light conditions in boreal mixedwoods through variation in the intensity and spatial pattern of harvest: A modelling approach

Beaudet

Harvey

Messier

et al. 2011

Forest Ecology and Management

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a b s t r a c tIn the context of partial harvesting, adequately managing post-harvest light conditions are essential to obtain a desired composition of tree species regeneration. The objective of this study was to determine how varying the intensity and spatial pattern of harvest would affect understory light conditions in boreal mixedwood stands of northwestern Quebec using the spatially explicit SORTIE-ND light model. The model was evaluated based on comparisons of observed and predicted light levels in both mapped and un-mapped plots. In mapped plots, reasonably accurate predictions of the overall variation in light levels were obtained, but predictions tended to lack spatial precision. In un-mapped plots, SORTIE-ND accurately predicted stand-level mean GLI (Gap Light Index) under a range of harvest intensities. The model was then used to simulate nine silvicultural treatments based on combinations of three intensities of overstory removal (30%, 45% and 60% of basal area) and three harvest patterns (uniform, narrow strips, large gaps). Simulations showed that increasing overstory removal had less impact on light conditions with uniform harvests, and a more marked effect with more aggregated harvest patterns. Whatever the harvest intensity, uniform cuts almost never created high light conditions (GLI > 50%). Gap cuts, on the other hand, resulted in up to 40% of microsites receiving GLI > 50%. Our results suggest that either a 30% strip or gap cut or a 45-60% uniform partial harvest could be used to accelerate the transition from an aspen dominated composition to a mixedwood stand because both types of cut generate the greatest proportion of moderately low light levels (e.g., 15-40% GLI). These light levels tend to favour an accelerated growth response among shade-tolerant conifers, while preventing excessive recruitment of shade-intolerant species. A better understanding of how spatial patterns of harvest interact with tree removal intensity to affect understory light conditions can provide opportunities for designing silvicultural prescriptions that are tailored to species' traits and better suited to meet a variety of management objectives.

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“…and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss), are a prominent component of the boreal forest in Western Canada [1,2]. Mixedwood forests represent a range of early-to mid-seral successional stages [3] and develop most commonly on mesic and subhygric sites [4,5] where successional pathways are more variable than on dry or wet sites [6]. When aspen and white spruce regenerate at approximately the same time following disturbance, aspen will form an overstorey above spruce for at least 50-60 years.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managed Mixtures of Aspen and White Spruce 21 to 25 Years after Establishment

Kabzems

Bokalo

Comeau

et al. 2015

Forests

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Intimate mixtures of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) are a key feature of western Canadian boreal forests. These mixtures have the potential to produce high yields of merchantable fibre and provide numerous ecological services. Achievement of this potential has been difficult, and often expensive, to realize as a regeneration goal in managed forests. We report 21 to 25 year results of managed mixtures on two study sites where the white spruce was planted, and the density of aspen natural regeneration manipulated within five years of the stand initiation disturbance. On both sites, white spruce mortality did not increase with increasing aspen density. While height and diameter growth of white spruce declined with increasing aspen density, the effect was not entirely consistent across the two sites. Abrasion from aspen branches was the most common source of damage to spruce crowns. Mixed stands had greater merchantable volume production than pure spruce stands based on model projections. Application of aspen harvest at year 60, while protecting the spruce component for a second harvest entry at year 90, was projected to optimize combined yield for the mixedwood stands.

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Dynamics of North American boreal mixedwoods

Cited by 334 publications

References 106 publications

Influence of Fuel Load Dynamics on Carbon Emission by Wildfires in the Clay Belt Boreal Landscape

Influence of Fuel Load Dynamics on Carbon Emission by Wildfires in the Clay Belt Boreal Landscape

Managing understory light conditions in boreal mixedwoods through variation in the intensity and spatial pattern of harvest: A modelling approach

Managed Mixtures of Aspen and White Spruce 21 to 25 Years after Establishment

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