Frost heaving in a boreal soil in relation to soil scarification and snow cover

Bergsten, Urban; Goulet, France; Lundmark, Tomas; Löfvenius, Mikaell Ottosson

doi:10.1139/cjfr-31-6-1084

Cited by 7 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…Thus, while the control and the short-term snow removal treatment had similar amounts of root length in the beginning of the season, this diverged over the course of the growing season. This reduction in root growth and in standing fine root biomass could be the result of direct cellular root damage as it has been shown in mature trees (Cleavitt et al 2008), or indirect root damage through frost movement of the soil as it can occur in boreal systems (Bergsten et al 2001). It could also be a result of the injury of the understorey vegetation and the strongly reduced plant cover and consequently less photosynthetically fixed carbon available for root growth, altered biomass allocation in the plants or a combination of all of the above.…”

Section: P L a N T R E S P O N S E S T O A Nmentioning

confidence: 96%

“…), or indirect root damage through frost movement of the soil as it can occur in boreal systems (Bergsten et al . ). It could also be a result of the injury of the understorey vegetation and the strongly reduced plant cover and consequently less photosynthetically fixed carbon available for root growth, altered biomass allocation in the plants or a combination of all of the above.…”

Section: Plant Responses To An Absent Snow Covermentioning

confidence: 97%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Short‐term climate change manipulation effects do not scale up to long‐term legacies: effects of an absent snow cover on boreal forest plants

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Summary Despite time‐lags and nonlinearity in ecological processes, the majority of our knowledge about ecosystem responses to long‐term changes in climate originates from relatively short‐term experiments. We utilized the longest ongoing snow removal experiment in the world and an additional set of new plots at the same location in northern Sweden to simultaneously measure the effects of long‐term (11 winters) and short‐term (1 winter) absence of snow cover on boreal forest understorey plants, including the effects on root growth and phenology. Short‐term absence of snow reduced vascular plant cover in the understorey by 42%, reduced fine root biomass by 16%, reduced shoot growth by up to 53% and induced tissue damage on two common dwarf shrubs. In the long‐term manipulation, more substantial effects on understorey plant cover (92% reduced) and standing fine root biomass (39% reduced) were observed, whereas other response parameters, such as tissue damage, were observed less. Fine root growth was generally reduced, and its initiation delayed by c. 3 (short‐term) to 6 weeks (long‐term manipulation). Synthesis. We show that one extreme winter with a reduced snow cover can already induce ecologically significant alterations. We also show that long‐term changes were smaller than suggested by an extrapolation of short‐term manipulation results (using a constant proportional decline). In addition, some of those negative responses, such as frost damage and shoot growth, were even absolutely stronger in the short‐term compared to the long‐term manipulation. This suggests adaptation or survival of only those individuals that are able to cope with these extreme winter conditions, and that the short‐term manipulation alone would overpredict long‐term impacts. These results highlight both the ecological importance of snow cover in this boreal forest, and the value of combining short‐ and long‐term experiments side by side in climate change research.

show abstract

Section: P L a N T R E S P O N S E S T O A Nmentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: Plant Responses To An Absent Snow Covermentioning

confidence: 97%

Short‐term climate change manipulation effects do not scale up to long‐term legacies: effects of an absent snow cover on boreal forest plants

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, negative effects on nutrient availability, soil bulk density, water relations, and soil biology are likely to accompany this treatment (Page-Dumroese et al 1989;McMinn and Hedin 1990;Bock and Van Rees 2002;Simard et al 2003). Scarification also increases the occurrence of frost-heaving among planted seedlings, especially on sites with fine soil texture, where seedlings are growing under conditions of below-freezing air temperatures, high soil moisture content, poor soil drainage, and limited vegetation or thin snow cover (Bergsten et al 2001;von der Gönna 1992).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Seedlings planted on mounds are also less subject to the shading, moisture and nutrient competition, and snowpress associated with competing vegetation (Spittlehouse and Stathers 1990;Letchford et al 1996;Haeussler 1989). In addition, since inverted humus mounds reduce capillary water rise, frost heaving of seedlings may be reduced (Bergsten et al 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Twenty year responses of white spruce to mechanical site preparation and early chemical release in the boreal region of northeastern British Columbia

Boateng¹,

Heineman²,

McClarnon³

et al. 2006

Can. J. For. Res.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The effects of six mechanical site preparation treatments, two stock-type treatments, and early chemical release on survival and growth of planted white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) were studied in the BWBSmw1 biogeoclimatic zone of northeastern British Columbia. After 20 years, spruce height and diameter were larger in all mounding treatments than in the control. Early results suggested better spruce performance on large than small mounds, but after 20 years, growth was equally good on small mounds as on mounds with 20 cm mineral capping. Spruce planted on hinge positions in the Bräcke patch and blade scarification treatments did not survive or grow well. Early chemical release improved spruce growth equally as well as the mounding treatments. Twenty year spruce survival averaged 71% in the 14 and 20 cm mound treatments, 60% in the early chemical release treatment, and ≤35% in the Bräcke patch and blade scarification treatments. A large stock type was also planted in untreated ground and, after 20 years, had similar survival and growth as the standard stock type. Differences in survival had a large effect on basal area at age 20 years. Trend analysis showed that treatments diverged into two distinct groups with regard to spruce size during the 20 year span of the study.Résumé : Les effets de six traitements de préparation mécanique de terrain, de deux traitements avec différents types de plants et de l'application précoce d'un herbicide chimique ont été étudiés sous l'angle de la survie et de la croissance de plants d'épinette blanche (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) dans la zone biogéoclimatique BWBSmw1 du nordest de la Colombie-Britannique. Vingt ans après l'application des traitements, la hauteur et le diamètre des épinettes étaient plus grands dans tous les traitements de mise en buttes que dans le traitement témoin. Les résultats préliminaires indiquaient que la performance de l'épinette était meilleure sur les grandes buttes que sur les petites, mais après 20 ans, la croissance s'est avérée aussi bonne sur les petites buttes que sur les buttes recouvertes de 20 cm de sol minéral. Les épinettes plantées à des positions charnières des parcelles scarifiées au Bräcke et des parcelles scalpées n'ont pas eu de bons taux de survie ou de croissance. L'application précoce d'un herbicide chimique a eu pour effet d'augmenter la croissance de l'épinette autant que dans le cas des traitements de mise en buttes. Le taux moyen de survie de l'épinette après 20 ans était de 71 % dans les traitements de mise en buttes de 14 et 20 cm, de 60 % dans le traitement d'application précoce d'herbicide chimique et inférieur ou égal à 35 % dans les traitements de scarifiage au Bräcke et de scalpage. Des plants de grande taille ont aussi été plantés sur un terrain non traité et avaient après 20 ans des taux de survie et de croissance semblables à ceux des plants standard. Une analyse de tendance a montré que les traitements se divisaient en deux groupes en ce qui concerne la taille des épinettes au cours de la période de 20 ans pen...

show abstract

“…Deeper snow increases the chances of a sub‐nivean space forming by providing a higher temperature gradient between the ground and the ambient air (Marchand 1982, Sanecki et al 2006). Deep snow reduces the probability of ground icing, due to rain or early melting, especially if the snow cover forms quickly in the early winter (Bergsten et al 2001, Rixen et al 2004). Deep snow can also restrict access to small mammals by predators such as foxes (Angerbjörn et al 1999, Gilg et al 2006), although this may be less applicable to mustelids which can hunt lemmings under the snow (Reid and Krebs 1996).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Demographic response of tundra small mammals to a snow fencing experiment

Bilodeau

Reid

Gauthier

et al. 2012

Oikos

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Snow cover is a key environmental component for tundra wildlife that will be affected by climate change. Change to the snow cover may affect the population dynamics of high‐latitude small mammals, which are active throughout the winter and reproduce under the snow. We experimentally tested the hypotheses that a deeper snow cover would enhance the densities and winter reproductive rates of small mammals, but that predation by mustelids could be higher in areas of increased small mammal density. We enhanced snow cover by setting out snow fences at three sites in the Canadian Arctic (Bylot Island, Nunavut, and Herschel Island and Komakuk Beach, Yukon) over periods ranging from one to four years. Densities of winter nests were higher where snow depth was increased but spring lemming densities did not increase on the experimental areas. Lemmings probably moved from areas of deep snow, their preferred winter habitat, to summer habitat during snow melt once the advantages associated with deep snow were gone. Our treatment had no effect on signs of reproduction in winter nests, proportion of lactating females in spring, or the proportion of juveniles caught in spring, which suggests that deep snow did not enhance reproduction. Results on predation were inconsistent across sites as predation by weasels was higher on the experimental area at one site but lower at two others and was not higher in areas of winter nest aggregations. Although this experiment provided us with several new insights about the impact of snow cover on the population dynamics of tundra small mammals, it also illustrates the challenges and difficulties associated with large‐scale experiments aimed at manipulating a critical climatic factor.

show abstract

Frost heaving in a boreal soil in relation to soil scarification and snow cover

Cited by 7 publications

References 0 publications

Short‐term climate change manipulation effects do not scale up to long‐term legacies: effects of an absent snow cover on boreal forest plants

Short‐term climate change manipulation effects do not scale up to long‐term legacies: effects of an absent snow cover on boreal forest plants

Twenty year responses of white spruce to mechanical site preparation and early chemical release in the boreal region of northeastern British Columbia

Demographic response of tundra small mammals to a snow fencing experiment

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About