Summary
Published in Annals of Forest Science 60: 749-756
A study was initiated in 1993 to evaluate the potential effects of both above- and below-ground competition exclusion on yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) sapling growth along an understory light gradient ranging from 3% to 50% of full sunlight. We compared four different growth variables between a control and a treatment (trenching and manual removal of nearby vegetation). Height growth, diameter growth, height over stem diameter ratio, and crown area varied with light availability in all three species, whereas trenching treatment had no significant effect. Our results show that light is the main factor affecting understory sapling growth following a selection cut in this northern hardwood forest, at least up to 50% full sunlight. The unresponsiveness of these three species to below-ground competition is discussed in relation to a literature review in which both soil richness and species functional ecology are considered.
Sector(s):
Forests
Categorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture
Author(s)
RICARD, Jean-Pierre, Christian MESSIER, Sylvain DELAGRANGE and Marilou BEAUDET
Year of publication :
2003
How to get the publication :
Keywords :
régénération, lumière, compétition souterraine, érable à sucre, bouleau jaune, hêtre à grandes feuilles, élimination de la compétition souterraine, sylviculture des forêts naturelles feuillues, Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, Fagus grandifolia, article scientifique de recherche forestière, écologie forestière, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements feuillus, silviculture and yield of natural forests - hardwood stands, regeneration, light, below-ground competition, sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, trenching
