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Conifer Regeneration After Experimental Shelterwood and Seed-Tree Treatments in Boreal Forests: Finding Silvicultural Alternatives
- Source :
- Frontiers in Plant Science, Frontiers in Plant Science, Vol 9 (2018)
- Publication Year :
- 2018
-
Abstract
- Forest regeneration is a key element in achieving sustainable forest management. Partial harvest methods have been used extensively in temperate broadleaf and mixedwood ecosystems to promote regeneration on poorly stocked sites and to maintain forest composition and productivity. However, their effectiveness in promoting conifer establishment has yet to be demonstrated in unmanaged boreal forests, especially those dominated by black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) where constraints for regeneration differ from those found in more meridional regions. We aimed to evaluate conifer seedling density and dimensions, 10 years after the onset of a gradient of silvicultural treatments varying in harvesting intensities, and to identify the critical factors driving the regeneration process. Study blocks of even-aged black spruce stands in the eastern Canadian boreal forest were submitted to three variants of shelterwood harvesting: a seed-tree harvest, a clear-cut and an untreated control. Shelterwood and seed-tree harvesting were combined with spot scarification to promote regeneration. Shelterwood and seed-tree harvesting produced a density of conifer regeneration sufficient to maintain forest productivity, but they did not promote seedling growth. Black spruce was the predominant species in terms of regeneration density, with proportions 3–5× higher than that for balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.). Ten years after treatment, seed-origin black spruce seedlings were abundant in skidding trails, while layers dominated the residual strips. Balsam fir density was not influenced by treatment nor by tree position relative to skidding trails. Balsam fir and black spruce had different responses to treatment in terms of height and diameter, the former exhibiting a better growth performance and larger diameter in the residual strips. Spot scarification created micro-sites that had a significant impact on the regeneration process. Overall, our results support that shelterwood and seed-tree harvesting combined with scarification enable adequate regeneration in black spruce stands, confirming these treatments as viable silvicultural alternatives to clear-cutting when required by sustainable forest management objectives.
- Subjects :
- 0106 biological sciences
Balsam
010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences
Sustainable forest management
Plant Science
lcsh:Plant culture
seedling
010603 evolutionary biology
01 natural sciences
black spruce
ecosystem-based management
partial cutting
lcsh:SB1-1110
Regeneration (ecology)
Scarification
0105 earth and related environmental sciences
Original Research
Seed tree
balsam fir
biology
even-aged stands
Forest Science
Taiga
Forestry
biology.organism_classification
Black spruce
sustainable forest management
shade-tolerant species
Environmental science
Abies balsamea
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- Swedish
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Frontiers in Plant Science, Frontiers in Plant Science, Vol 9 (2018)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....4db2537357acb0b84dab1c763a76feca