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Shelterwood cutting in a boreal mixedwood stand: 10-year effects of the establishment cut on growth and mortality of merchantable residual trees

Summary

Published in Forest Ecology and Management 330: 94-104. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2014.07.005

We used two-step shelterwood cutting to release conifer advance growth and limit development of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloïdes Michx.) suckers in a stratified mixed aspen – conifer stand, in Quebec, Canada. This study presents the 10-year response of residual trees to the establishment cutting. We examined growth and mortality of merchantable trees (diameter at breast height (DBH) ³ 9.1 cm) following the application of different cutting intensities (0%, 35%, 50%, 65%, and 100% basal area removal). Initial post-cut densities were 1100, 670, 640, 580 and 150 stems ha-1, respectively. Mortality of aspen was highest in the uncut control and 35% cut due to senescence, while mortality of paper birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.) was highest in the 65% cut due to post-logging decadence. In the species mixture under study, the 50% cut allowed for the harvest of declining aspen without excessively opening the canopy that would be detrimental for residual paper birch. Low mortality, high recruitment and a relatively high DBH growth in this moderate cut resulted in a higher 10-year net increment in total basal area (7.0 m2 ha-1), compared to the 0%, 35%, 65%, and 100% cuts (2.6–3.7 m2 ha-1). This result was mostly attributable to balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) that generated two-thirds of the net increment. Therefore, our growth results support retention of small merchantable conifer stems (DBH 9.1–15.0 cm) as a basic strategy to limit hardwood invasion.

Sector(s): 

Forests

Categorie(s): 

Scientific Article

Theme(s): 

Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture

Departmental author(s): 

Dumais, Daniel, Prévost, Marcel

Author(s)

PRÉVOST, Marcel and Daniel DUMAIS

Year of publication :

2014

Keywords :

aménagement écosystémique des forêts, enfeuillement, mélange stratifié d'espèces, régénération résineuse préétablie, peuplier faux-tremble, sapin baumier, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements mélangés, populus tremuloides, abies balsamea, article scientifique de recherche forestière, silviculture and yield of natural forests - mixed stands, ecosystem-based forest management, hardwood invasion, statitied species mixture, conifer advance growth, trembling aspen, balsam fir

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