Summary
Published in Forest Ecology and Management 278: 17-26
We applied four precommercial thinning (PCT) intensities (unthinned control, 2.5, 3.0, and 3.5 m residual spacings) to aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) stems, while preserving understory balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) in an even-aged stratified boreal mixedwood stand. We evaluated treatment influence on aspen and balsam fir growth, and regeneration dynamics over a 10-year period. Compared to the unthinned control, PCT increased relative diameter increment of aspen saplings by 66–85% and relative basal area increment by 234–326%. Increases were similar among PCT treatments. Understory balsam fir regeneration ³ 1 m in height at time of thinning strongly benefited from PCT, with increases in height and crown width growth two to three times higher than in the control. The establishment of balsam fir regeneration, however, was not favored by PCT compared to the control. Our results show PCT increased tree size of individual aspen while promoting understory balsam fir growth in this type of stratified mixture. This approach should therefore be useful in limiting hardwood conversion in the boreal mixedwood forest at an early stage in stand development. Developing silvicultural approaches such as this one would be in line with the concept of ecosystem-based forest management.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture
Departmental author(s):
Author(s)
PRÉVOST, Marcel and Martin-Michel GAUTHIER
Year of publication :
2012
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
peuplement mixte boréal, éclaircie précommerciale, mélange stratifié d'espèces, aménagement écosystémique, enfeuillement, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements mélangés, article scientifique de recherche forestière, silviculture and yield of natural forests - mixed stands, boreal mixedwood stand, precommercial thinning, stratified species mixture, ecosystem-based forest management, hardwood conversion
