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Precommercial thinning of Picea mariana and Pinus banksiana: Impact of treatment timing and competitors on growth response

Summary

Published in Forest Science 63(1): 62-70. doi: 10.5849/forsci.15-178

Early successional competition among boreal forest tree and shrub species and its effects on growth of commercial tree species have been a major source of uncertainty in establishing efficient precommercial thinning and brushing prescriptions. We examined the effect of prethinning competitor density, postthinning competitor regrowth density, prethinning stem diameter, and the timing of thinning operations on the growth response of black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). In addition, we examined the mortality rate of hardwoods after thinning and the number of new shoots produced per surviving thinned stem. For jack pine, growth response was greatest when thinning occurred between 4 and 9 years after establishment, whereas for black spruce we observed no significant relationship between growth response and the timing of treatment. For jack pine, growth response was significantly affected by pretreatment competitor density, posttreatment competitor regrowth density, and pretreatment stem diameter. For black spruce, no significant relationship was observed between growth response and any variables. Mortality rates and production of new shoots in hardwoods varied significantly between species. Considering the high regrowth potential of willow (Salix spp.) and alder (Alnus spp.), we recommend that stands exhibiting low densities of these species should be left unthinned. Our results help foresters identify stands that require precommercial thinning and call for modification of currently used thinning strategies.

Sector(s): 

Forests

Categorie(s): 

Scientific Article

Theme(s): 

Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture

Author(s)

SPLAWINSKI, Tadeusz B., Igor DROBYSHEV, Sylvie GAUTHIER, Yves BERGERON, David F. GREENE and Nelson THIFFAULT

Year of publication :

2016

Keywords :

éclaircie précommerciale, moment d'intervention, densité de compétition, réaction de croissance, retour de compétition des feuillus, épinette noire, pin gris, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements résineux, Picea mariana, Pinus banksiana, article scientifique de recherche forestière, Silviculture and yield of natural forests - softwood stands, precommercial thinning, treatment timing, competition density, growth response, hardwood regrowth, black spruce, jack pine

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