Following the appointment of the new Cabinet, the Forest Sector now reports to the ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts, while the Wildlife and Parks Sectors report to the ministère de l'Environnement, de la Lutte aux changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs. Adjustments will be made to the website over time.

Back to publications

Spruce budworm-caused mortality to balsam fir and black spruce in pure and mixed conifer stands

Summary

Published in Forest Science 58(1): 24-33

Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) (SBW) outbreaks have caused considerable damage to coniferous forests dominated by balsam fir (Abies balsamea [L.] Mill.) or black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.]). Hence, forecasting SBW-caused mortality of these species is an important step in allowable annual cut calculations of the forest industry in northeastern North America. This study developed prediction models of balsam fir and black spruce mortality caused by SBW and compared SBW-caused mortality of fir and spruce that were growing under similar stand conditions. Zero-inflated models were estimated for the entire range of balsam fir and black spruce in Québec, Canada, using historical records of insect defoliation and permanent sample plot inventories from 1970 to 2006. Fir and spruce mortality caused by SBW was successfully related to historical records of defoliation through a growth reduction index. Fir mortality increased with the number of years of severe defoliation and was always greater than that of spruce, which appeared to be weakly affected by SBW defoliation. In mixed spruce-fir stands, the total volume of mortality decreased almost linearly with increasing proportions of black spruce. This suggests that thinning aimed to increase spruce proportions could be efficient in reducing overall stand mortality during an SBW outbreak.

Sector(s): 

Forests

Categorie(s): 

Scientific Article

Theme(s): 

Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture

Author(s)

POTHIER, David, Jean-Gabriel ELIE, Isabelle AUGER, Daniel MAILLY and Mélanie GAUDREAULT

Year of publication :

2012

Format :

Paper

Keywords :

sapin baumier, épinette noire, tordeuse des bourgeons de l'épinette, modèles avec excès de zéros, défoliation par les insectes, sylviculture des forêts naturelles résineuses, article scientifique de recherche forestière, Abies balsamea, Picea mariana, Choristoneura fumiferana, silviculture and yield of natural forests - softwood stands, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements résineux, balsam fir, black spruce, spruce budworm, zero-inflated models, insect defoliation

Partagez