Weed cover in hybrid poplar (Populus) plantations on Quebec forest soils under different lime treatments

Bona, Kelly Ann; Burgess, M. S.; Fyles, James W.; Camiré, Claude; Dutilleul, Pierre

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2008.01.042

Cited by 11 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 27 publications

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“…To date, hybrid poplar plantations in northern latitudes, for example in Sweden (Christersson, 2008(Christersson, , 2010 or in the prairie-boreal forest transition region of central Canada (Block et al, 2009;Amichev et al, 2010), are all located on agricultural lands; only a few have been tested on recently logged or otherwise formerly forested sites of eastern Canada (Coll et al, 2007;Bona et al, 2008;Guillemette and DesRochers, 2008;Sigouin, 2008). Hybrid poplar plantations established at these sites, as opposed to agricultural lands, pose further challenges in terms of soil fertility and tree nutrition since forest soils do not have long histories of anthropogenic use and fertilizer amendments the way agricultural soils do (Vande Walle et al, 2007) and as such are often less fertile, at least in the boreal zone.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Juvenile growth of hybrid poplars on acidic boreal soil determined by environmental effects of soil preparation, vegetation control, and fertilization

Bilodeau‐Gauthier

Paré

Messier

et al. 2011

Forest Ecology and Management

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a b s t r a c tThe silviculture of hybrid poplars and other fast-growing tree species is a promising solution to reduce the pressure on natural forests while maintaining wood supplies to industries. However, hybrid poplars are very sensitive to competing vegetation and to inadequate soil conditions and fertility. Possible management tools include mechanical site preparation (MSP), vegetation control (VC), and fertilization. Experimental plantations of hybrid poplars (one clone, Populus balsamea × Populus maximowiczii) were established at eight formerly forested sites on acidic soil in the southern boreal forest of Quebec, Canada. The objective was to test the response of hybrid poplars to the interaction of several silvicultural tools, which has been rarely done. Four MSP treatments (in decreasing order of intensity: mounding, harrowing, heavy disk trenching, light disk trenching) and a control (unprepared) were all combined with four different frequencies of plant competition control by brushing (from never up to once a year). Fertilization with N or N + P was also tested in three selected MSP treatments. After five years, hybrid poplar tree growth among MSP treatments increased in the following order: unprepared < light disk trenching < heavy disk trenching < harrowing < mounding. MSP was also essential in favouring early tree survival, as illustrated by mortality rates of over 20% in unprepared plots and below 5% in all other MSP treatments. The effect of competition control on hybrid poplar growth was greatest in the less intensive MSP treatments, where competing vegetation was the most abundant. On the contrary, fertilization effect was significant only in the most intensive MSP (mounding). Moreover, neither fertilization nor VC could compensate for inadequate soil preparation. Of all the silvicultural treatments tested, mounding provided the best tree growth despite a nitrogen and carbon impoverished surface soil.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Juvenile growth of hybrid poplars on acidic boreal soil determined by environmental effects of soil preparation, vegetation control, and fertilization

Bilodeau‐Gauthier

Paré

Messier

et al. 2011

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…Few studies have been done on the effect of weed flora competition on poplar growth. Bona et al. (2008) investigated the weed cover in a plantation in Quebec, where herbicides are banned or restricted.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Few studies have been done on the effect of weed flora competition on poplar growth. Bona et al (2008) investigated the weed cover in a plantation in Quebec, where herbicides are banned or restricted. Welham et al (2007) observed that stemwood production was always negatively affected by competition with weeds and that there is also an effect of fertiliser application, because low weed competition in conjunction with early fertiliser application produced the highest stemwood production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Weed‐poplar competition dynamics and yield loss in Italian short‐rotation forestry

2010

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In recent years there has been increasing interest in short-rotation poplar plantations for biomass production and cropping techniques and weed control strategies are being developed. Slow initial poplar growth can favour weed infestation and so there is a need for appropriate timing of weed control, based on an understanding of the competitive relationship and dynamics between poplar and weeds. A field experiment with annual and biennial crop cycles was conducted over two years. A 35 cm wide within-row weedy strip was allowed to develop as the basis for competition. Yield data were fitted with sigmoidal equations, in order to find the critical point (CP) and critical period of weed control (CPWC), using thermal time as the independent variable. Results showed that poplar is very sensitive to weed competition, especially in the first growing season after planting or cutting, and that competition can cause important yield losses. In the annual cycle, the CP corresponds to a yield loss of 26% and 8% in the first and second growing season respectively; in the biennial cycle the CP corresponds to a yield loss of 29%. Furthermore, the CPWC is long. For example, in the first year, based on a 5% yield loss, it lasts from 30 to 84 days after planting. This makes effective weed control difficult to achieve only using a pre-emergence herbicide, and thus necessitates a post-emergence treatment, either with herbicides or inter-row cultivation. These results, together with the inability of the crop to recover from damage, mean that resources must be invested in weed control soon after the beginning of the cropping cycl

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“…Even when large quantities of lime (2000-4000 kg ha -1 ) are added to forest soils of southern Québec (pH ranging from 4.7 to 5), it seems that hybrid poplars remained in a state of nutritional imbalance (Bona et al 2008). Lime addition may increase foliar Ca concentrations, but not necessarily leaf N and P concentrations (Bona et al 2008).…”

Section: ) Genetic Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Lime addition may increase foliar Ca concentrations, but not necessarily leaf N and P concentrations (Bona et al 2008). With foliar N and P concentrations ranging between 1.18% and 1.21% and 0.11% to 0.18%, respectively, after lime addition (Bona et al 2008), these forest-grown hybrid poplars were far from meeting poplar nutritional requirements: foliar N between 2.5% and 3% (depending on clone parentage) and foliar P around 0.33% (Hanson 1994).…”

Section: ) Genetic Resourcesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hybrid poplar yields in Québec: Implications for a sustainable forest zoning management system

Fortier

Truax

Gagnon

et al. 2012

The Forestry Chronicle

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In the province of Québec, approximately 12 000 ha of fast-growing poplar plantations are managed by industrials, while small private landowners have planted only 1000 ha. Most of these poplar plantations are established on clearcut forest sites (approx. 11 000 ha). What are the yields of these hybrid poplar plantations? In this article, available yield data are presented and discussed in the context of a sustainable forest zoning management system. In southern Québec, three factors are highly correlated to yield for clones of various parentages: NO 3 supply rate in riparian soils, elevation (or climate) and soil P availability in abandoned farmland soils. Many Québec forest sites, particularly in the boreal shield ecozone, have acidic soils and harsh climate, with low mineralization rates. They generally cannot fulfill the very high nutrient requirements of hybrid poplars. Within a forest zoning management system, hybrid poplar plantations and agroforestry should be located in priority in southern Québec landscapes, with low remaining natural forest cover, and where intensive agriculture is the dominant land-use. This strategy will increase biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. Elsewhere, intensive trembling aspen regeneration silviculture could be a sustainable alternative to forest conversion into hybrid poplar plantations.Key words: afforestation, agroforestry, forest conversion, intensive aspen silviculture, ecosystem services, biodiversity, biomass RÉSUMÉAu Québec, il existe approximativement 12 000 ha de plantations de peuplier hybride aménagés par l'industrie et 1000 ha aménagés par des propriétaires privés. La plupart de ces plantations (environ 11 000 ha) ont été aménagées sur des sites forestiers suite à une coupe totale. Quel est le rendement de ces plantations? Dans cet article, les données de rendement disponibles sont présentées et discutées dans une perspective de zonage d'aménagement forestier durable. Dans le sud du Québec, trois facteurs fortement corrélés au rendement de différents clones non apparentés ont été identifiés: le flux de NO 3 dans les sols riverains, l'altitude (climat) et le P disponible dans le sol des terres agricoles abandonnées. Plusieurs sites forestiers du Québec, particulièrement dans l' écozone du bouclier boréal, ont un sol acide, un climat rigoureux et un faible taux de minéralisation. Ces sites ne pourront pas satisfaire les exigences nutritionnelles élevées des peupliers hybrides. Dans une perspective de zonage d'aménagement forestier durable, les plantations et les systèmes agroforestiers de peuplier devraient, en priorité, être établis dans le sud du Québec dans les paysages d'agriculture intensive, là où le couvert forestier résiduel est faible. Cette stratégie permettra d'augmenter la biodiversité et la production de services écologiques. Ailleurs, la silviculture intensive du peuplier faux-tremble basée sur la régénération naturelle pourrait être une approche alternative et durable à la conversion de forêts en plantations de peuplier hybr...

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Weed cover in hybrid poplar (Populus) plantations on Quebec forest soils under different lime treatments

Cited by 11 publications

References 27 publications

Juvenile growth of hybrid poplars on acidic boreal soil determined by environmental effects of soil preparation, vegetation control, and fertilization

Juvenile growth of hybrid poplars on acidic boreal soil determined by environmental effects of soil preparation, vegetation control, and fertilization

Weed‐poplar competition dynamics and yield loss in Italian short‐rotation forestry

Hybrid poplar yields in Québec: Implications for a sustainable forest zoning management system

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