Summary
Published in Forest Ecology and Management 552(2024): 121584. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2023.121584
Regeneration failures in the closed-crown boreal forest, which lead to the creation of open lichen woodlands, are expected to increase with climate change due to a rise in burn rates. Past studies have shown that it was possible to restore the productivity of those stands through planting. Since most lichen woodland stands are remotely located, afforestation through planting can be prohibitive. Therefore, the objective of this research was to measure the afforestation efficiency of lichen woodlands through scarification and natural seeding after clear-cutting. Our results showed that clear-cutting, when combined with scarification, promoted seedling establishment more strongly than clear-cutting alone. Scarification was also necessary for creating suitable microsites for germination, which were essentially bare mineral soil and decomposed organic matter. Last, seedling growth was higher in lichen woodlands when logging and scarification were combined, but lower than their counterpart feather moss stands. We conclude that afforestation of lichen woodlands in the closed-crown boreal forest is possible through natural seeding following scarification and could be a cost-effective option compared to planting.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Forest Ecology, Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
HÉBERT, François, Isabelle DELISLE, Pascal TREMBLAY, Jean-François BOUCHER, Yan BOUCHER and Daniel LORD
Year of publication :
2023
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
écologie forestière, forest ecology, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles – peuplements de résineux, silviculture and yield of natural forests - softwood stands, article scientifique, scientific article, afforestation, picea mariana, pinus banksiana, scarification, carbon sequestration, reboisement, épinette noire, black spruce, pin gris, jack pine
