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Clearcutting is a method of regenerating an even-aged stand in which a new age class develops in a fully exposed microclimate after a single cutting of all trees in the previous stand. It is a common regeneration method used throughout the boreal forest of North America. The ecological basis for reliance on this method of regenerating forest stands is examined, including considerations for specific tree species, for stands, and increasingly more important, for forest ecosystems. Despite past success and continued reliance on this method of regeneration in the boreal forest, alternative regeneration methods are proving to be equally feasible. Key words: clearcutting, forest regeneration, boreal forest

The regeneration of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) in central Newfoundland following disturbance by fire or logging can be impeded by the ericaceous shrub Kalmia augustifolia L. This study was initiated to use multi-spectral aerial (Compact Airborne Spectrographic Imager) and satellite (Landsat Thematic Mapper) remote sensing to detect the presence of kalmia on disturbed sites. Two separate classification schemes were designed to include kalmia and other major cover types such as black spruce, alder, non-kalmia cutovers and wetlands. Discrimination of training samples revealed that kalmia could be detected and mapped with an accuracy of 96 per cent using the aerial data. Over larger areas, kalmia was discriminated—in wetlands, cutovers and burns—with 85 per cent accuracy using the satellite sensor imagery.

In their Policy Forum paper “Wood energy in America” (13 March, p. [1432][1]), D. deB. Richter Jr. et al. argue cogently for deployment of advanced wood combustion (AWC) systems to meet a range of objectives, and they demonstrate the potential economic and energy values of community-based AWC in

The influence of NPK-fertilizer on decomposition of litter layers and deposited logging residues (brash) on a clearfelled Sitka spruce stand was followed during two years by zero-tension lysimetry and litterbags. Root development of second rotation planted trees on this peaty gley soil are restricted to the litter layers (LFH) and without fertilizer are dependent on its decomposition for release of nutrients. A comparison of fertilized and control plots showed few site differences and similar hydrological properties.