Radial Growth Response of Black Spruce Stands Ten Years after Experimental Shelterwoods and Seed-Tree Cuttings in Boreal Forest

Abstract

Partial cutting is thought to be an alternative to achieve sustainable management in boreal forests. However, the effects of intermediate harvest intensity (45%-80%) on growth remain unknown in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) stands, one of the most widely distributed boreal species with great commercial interest. In this study, we analysed the effect of three experimental shelterwood and one seed-tree treatments on tree radial growth in even-aged black spruce stands, 10 years after intervention. Our results show that radial growth response 8-10 years after cutting was 41% to 62% higher than in untreated plots, with stand structure, treatment, tree position relative to skidding trails, growth before cutting and time having significant interactions. The stand structure conditioned tree growth after cutting, being doubled in younger and denser stands. Tree spatial position had a pronounced effect on radial growth; trees at the edge of the skidding trails showed twice the increase in growth compared to interior trees. Dominant trees before cutting located close to the skidding trails manifested the highest growth response after cutting. This research suggests that the studied treatments are effective to enhance radial wood production of black spruce especially in younger stands, and that the edge effect must be considered in silvicultural management planning.

Growth and Yield Models for Teak Planted as Living Fences in Coastal Ecuador

“…However, public agencies and non-governmental organizations recognise that the production of merchantable timber may also provide multiple benefits associated with the intensification of land use, as in farming within SPS. Despite the good model fits to our data, we speculate that these models could get more resolution with dendroecological data using individual tree models based in other studies [10,15]. We recommend using more variables in the future that could help to better understand tree growth in response to competition or spatial position [10].…”

“…Despite the good model fits to our data, we speculate that these models could get more resolution with dendroecological data using individual tree models based in other studies [10,15]. We recommend using more variables in the future that could help to better understand tree growth in response to competition or spatial position [10]. -H. generated some models and reviewed drafts of the paper.…”

“…However, height growth is sensitive to incidents in the history of tree stands, such as origin (e.g., sprout or seed), initial suppression, changes in density, and interferences in the normal growth of the stand, e.g., animal, insect, frost damage, cutting, fire, and grazing. Moreover, the SI determination on the basis of height growth predicates nothing about these incidents [9,10].…”

Zooplankton allochthony is spatially heterogeneous in a boreal lake

“…Lake Simoncouche (48.23°N, 71.25°W, mean depth 2.2 m, maximum depth 8 m, surface area 0.8 km 2 , see bathymetric map in Figure S1) is a mesotrophic boreal lake that is surrounded by a dense boreal forest, with its drainage basin dominated by Abies balsamea (Pinaceae), Picea mariana (Pinaceae) and Betula papyrifera (Betulaceae) populations (Montoro Girona et al ., ). Mean total dissolved phosphorous and nitrogen concentrations are, respectively, 8.2 ± 3.1 μg P L −1 and 0.3 ± 0.3 mg N L −1 , Secchi depth is 3.3 ± 0.3 m, conductivity 115 ± 86 μS cm −1 , pH 6.9 ± 0.6, DOC 5.3 ± 0.8 mg C L −1 and POC 1.1 ± 0.4 mg L −1 .…”

A Secret Hidden in the Sediments: Lepidoptera Scales

“…Reconstruction of outbreaks would also provide a longer-term vision of insect dynamics and interactions with other natural factors over time (e.g., wildfire versus insect outbreaks versus climate). Furthermore, sustainable forestry management aims to ensure that harvest methods simulate patterns of natural disturbance and thus minimize differences between managed and natural forests (Kuuluvainen, 2002;Gauthier et al, 2009;Montoro Girona et al, 2016). Understanding the pattern of insect outbreaks will permit mirroring silvicultural practices to the natural severity and frequency of insect outbreaks (Hof et al, 2017).…”