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Effect of cutting intensity on microenvironmental conditions and regeneration dynamics in yellow birch – conifer stands

Summary

Published in Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38: 317-330

This paper presents the 5 year results of different cutting intensities (removal of 0%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 100% of the basal area) applied in two mixed yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.) - conifer stands of eastern Québec, Canada. Two sites 90 km apart were used: Armagh and Duchesnay. Each site had four replicates of the treatments in a randomized block design. The effect on light availability was similar in the two sites: the 0%, 40%, 50%, 60%, and 100% cuts transmitting a mean of 5%, 21%, 26%, 30%, and 94% of full light, respectively, during the first summer. Soil temperature increased only in the 100% cut (4-5 °C, maximum daily temperature). Soil disturbance during harvest was higher at Duchesnay than at Armagh, which clearly improved seedbed receptivity, particularly to yellow birch. After 5 years, treated areas contained 21 000 to 48 300 seedlings/ha at Duchesnay compared with 5500 - 10 500 seedlings/ha at Armagh. Significant losses of coniferous advance growth were observed at both sites, but a subsequent seedling recruitment occurred only at Duchesnay. Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) showed superior establishment in the 60% cut (4400 seedlings/ha) than under other cutting intensities (1600-2100 seedlings/ha), whereas balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) responded well to all partial cutting treatments. At both sites, pin cherry (Prunus pensylvanica L.f.) was the main competing species in the 100% cut, whereas densities of the preestablished mountain maple (Acer spicatum Lamb.) and striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum L.) either remained the same or increased in the partial cuts.

Sector(s): 

Forests

Categorie(s): 

Scientific Article

Theme(s): 

Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture

Departmental author(s): 

Prévost, Marcel

Author(s)

PRÉVOST, Marcel

Year of publication :

2008

Format :

PDF

Keywords :

Betula alleghaniensis, Picea rubens, silviculture and yield of natural forests - mixed stands, temperate mixedwood forest, partial cutting, regeneration dynamics, microenvironmental conditions, yellow birch, red spruce, forestry research scientific article

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