Summary
Published in Canadian Journal of Forest Research 46: 783-793. https//:doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2015-0484
Some regenerating stands of the boreal forest exhibit low juvenile growth after major disturbances, which compromises sustainable forest management objectives. In black spruce – feather moss stands of eastern Canada subject to paludification, careful logging methods could decrease stand productivity with time by preventing a beneficial reduction in organic soil thickness. The aim of this project was to confirm decreases in juvenile growth between stands originating from careful logging and the former stands originating from old fires on the same sites. Stem analyses showed that stands originating from CPRS had significantly better juvenile height growth than the former stands but significantly lower growth than stands originating from recent fire in the study region. If organic matter thickness apparently played a role in the growth differences observed between fire and harvesting, it was not the only factor determining stand productivity. According to our results, cohort status, climatic regime, and quality of the residual organic matter are other factors that seem to drive productivity. Our results show that postharvest management approaches (e.g., site preparation) should be used to increase yields after harvest for the sites to express their full growth potential.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture
Author(s)
LEROY, Cécile, Alain LEDUC, Nelson THIFFAULT and Yves BERGERON
Year of publication :
2016
Format :
PDF available upon request
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
épinette noire, croissance en hauteur, coupes à faibles impacts, CPRS, CLAAG, feux, Sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements résineux, Picea mariana, paludification, Article scientifique de recherche forestière, Silviculture and yield of natural forests - softwood stands, black spruce, height growth, careful logging, fires
