Climate effects on jack pine and black spruce productivity in natural origin mixed stands and site index conversion equations

Individual-tree models of five-year basal area growth were developed for jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) in northern Ontario. Tree growth data were collected from long-term permanent plots of pure and mixed stands of the two species. The models were fitted using mixed model methods due to correlated remeasurements of tree growth over time. Since the data covered a wide range of stand ages, stand conditions and tree sizes, serious heterogeneous variances existed in the data. Therefore, the coefficients of the final models were obtained using weighted regression techniques. The models for the two species were evaluated across 4-cm diameter classes using independent data. The results indicated (1) the models of jack pine and black spruce produced similar prediction errors and biases for intermediate-sized trees (1228 cm in tree diameter), (2) both models yielded relatively large errors and biases for larger trees (> 28 cm) than those for smaller trees, and (3) the jack pine model produced much larger errors and biases for small-sized trees (< 12 cm) than did the black spruce model. Key words: mixed models, repeated measures, model validation

Download Full-text

Growth intercept models for black spruce, jack pine and balsam fir in Quebec

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc81104-1 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 104-113 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Daniel Mailly ◽

Mélanie Gaudreault

Keyword(s):

Pinus Banksiana ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Abies Balsamea ◽

Site Index ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Practical Significance ◽

Interim Testing ◽

Growth Intercept ◽

Mean Square Errors

The objective of this study was to develop variable growth intercept models for coniferous species of major importance in Quebec using Nigh's (1997a) modelling technique. Eighty-three, 68, and 70 stem analysis plots of black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill) were used, respectively. The growth intercept models for black spruce were the most precise, followed by those for jack pine and finally by those for balsam fir, based on the root mean square errors. Results indicated that the accuracy of the models was good, relative to those previously published for other species in Canada. Interim testing of the models revealed a low mean error for all three species that may not be of practical significance for site index determination, although more data should be obtained to further test the models. Key words: balsam fir, black spruce, growth intercept, jack pine, model, nonlinear regression, site index

Download Full-text

Windthrow hazard modelling in boreal forests of black spruce and jack pine

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x05-189 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 35 (11) ◽

pp. 2655-2663 ◽

Cited By ~ 33

Author(s):

Jean-Gabriel Elie ◽

Jean-Claude Ruel

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forests ◽

Pinus Banksiana ◽

Forest Cover ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Soil Conditions ◽

Mechanical Resistance ◽

Mixed Stands ◽

Tree Stability ◽

Tree Resistance

In this study we compare the mechanical resistance of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and quantify the effect of species, forest cover type, and soil conditions on tree stability. To measure tree resistance to an applied load, 85 trees were pulled over using a cable and winch system. Predictive equations for the maximum turning moment that a tree can withstand (Mc) were developed with stem mass, and the other factors were used as explanatory variables. The presence of jack pine within the stand negatively affected black spruce resistance. In mixed stands, Mc was significantly influenced by the interaction between tree species and soil type. Jack pine was the only species with significantly lower resistance when grown on shallow and stony soils, which are likely to restrict root development. Black spruce resistance was not affected by soil conditions. Preliminary calculations of critical wind speeds required to cause damage using an adaptation of the ForestGALES model were much lower than those previously published for black spruce.

Download Full-text

Évolution de la régénération de peuplements résineux et mélangés au cours des 30 années après coupe à blanc mécanisée

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc74428-3 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 74 (3) ◽

pp. 428-443 ◽

Cited By ~ 8

Author(s):

Jean-Claude Ruel ◽

François Ouellet ◽

Roch Plusquellec ◽

Chhun-Huor Ung

Keyword(s):

Black Spruce ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Stand Dynamics ◽

Mixed Stands ◽

Significant Component ◽

Advance Regeneration ◽

Second Growth ◽

Spruce Stands ◽

Coupe À Blanc

This paper presents results from a 30 year monitoring of 15 clearcut areas. Study areas were located before cutting in stands having an abundant advance regeneration. Four study areas were initially dominated by black spruce, four by balsam fir, three by jack pine and the last four comprised a mix of species. Stand inventories and regeneration surveys were conducted before harvesting. Harvesting was done in regular logging operations, without any special care to protect the advance growth. Regeneration surveys were taken again after harvesting, 5 years, 10 years, 20 years and 30 years after harvesting. Black spruce stands regenerated to black spruce dominated stands. Balsam fir, which was sometimes abundant in the advance regeneration, did not invade the stands and the abundance of hardwoods was temporary. In some cases a reduction in yield is to be expected. In balsam fir stands, harwoods were more aggressive. A reduction in softwood yield is predicted for three of the four cutovers. The presence of a tall regeneration seems to lead to higher yields in black spruce and balsam fir stands. The evolution of jack pine and mixed stands is quite variable. In some jack pine stands, hardwoods will constitute a significant component of the new stand. In some mixed stands, softwoods are not very abundant whereas in others they form an important part of the stand at 30 years. This study has shown an urgent need for a better understanding of stand dynamics in young stands. Such an understanding is necessary for an adequate forecast of the yield of second growth stands.

Download Full-text

Stand Height/Site Index Equations for Jack Pine and Black Spruce Trees Grown in Natural Stands

Forest Science ◽

10.5849/fs-2016-133 ◽

2017 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mahadev Sharma ◽

Douglas E.B. Reid

Keyword(s):

Black Spruce ◽

Site Index ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Stand Height ◽

Natural Stands

Download Full-text

Régénération artificielle des pessières noires à éricacées : effets du scarifiage, de la fertilisation et du type de plants après 10 ans

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc80141-1 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 80 (1) ◽

pp. 141-149 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

Nelson Thiffault ◽

Guillaume Cyr ◽

Guy Prégent ◽

Robert Jobidon ◽

Lise Charette

Keyword(s):

Seedling Growth ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Basal Area ◽

Site Index ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Strong Impact ◽

Ericaceous Shrubs ◽

Soil Scarification ◽

Stock Types ◽

A Minor

Site invasion by ericaceous shrubs after perturbation, either natural or human, is a major concern on some sites of the boreal forest of Québec. A dense cover of ericaceous shrubs often induces a conifer "growth check," which can last several decades. An interaction study was initiated in 1991 with the general objective of developing silvicultural strategies to ensure plantation success on such sites. Black spruce, jack pine, and tamarack seedlings were planted. Stock type, scarification, and fertilization treatments were organised in a randomized block split plot design. We measured seedling total height periodically over a ten-year period and assessed basal area and survival ten years after plantation. Most responses to treatments were additive. Results indicated that mechanical soil scarification is of major importance to ensure seedling growth, both in height and basal area, on spruce-ericaceous shrub sites of northeastern Québec. Scarification allowed a better expression of the site index, implying a sustainable impact on microsite characteristics that is greater than short-term effects on mineralization and nutrient availability. Fertilization positively influenced seedling growth, but less than soil scarification. Species choice had a strong impact on site productivity. Over a ten-year period, stock types only had a minor influence on plantation success, when compared to scarification or fertilization effects. Key words: Kalmia angustifolia, ericaceous shrubs, survival, growth, regeneration, black spruce, jack pine, tamarack

Download Full-text

Modèles de croissance internodale pour l'épinette noire, le pin gris et le sapin baumier au Québec

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc81114-1 ◽

2005 ◽

Vol 81 (1) ◽

pp. 114-124 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

Daniel Mailly ◽

Mélanie Gaudreault

Keyword(s):

Pinus Banksiana ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Abies Balsamea ◽

Site Index ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Practical Significance ◽

Interim Testing ◽

Growth Intercept ◽

Mean Square Errors

The objective of this study was to develop variable growth intercept models for coniferous species of major importance in Quebec using Nigh's (1997a) modelling technique. Eighty-three, 68 and 70 stem analysis plots of black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP), jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) and balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill) were used, respectively. The growth intercept models for black spruce were the most precise, followed by those for jack pine and finally by those for balsam fir, based on the root mean square errors. Results indicated that the accuracy of the models was good, relative to those previously published for other species in Canada. Interim testing of the models revealed a low mean error for all three species that may not be of practical significance for site index determination, although more data should be obtained to further test the models. Key words: balsam fir, black spruce, growth intercept, jack pine, model, nonlinear regression, site index

Download Full-text

Black spruce and jack pine dynamics simulated under varying fire cycles in the northern boreal forest of Quebec, Canada

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x04-121 ◽

2004 ◽

Vol 34 (12) ◽

pp. 2399-2409 ◽

Cited By ~ 43

Author(s):

Héloïse Le Goff ◽

Luc Sirois

Keyword(s):

Transition Probabilities ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Woody Debris ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Large Area ◽

Mixed Stands ◽

Fire Cycle ◽

Regeneration Dynamics ◽

Postfire Regeneration ◽

Fire Intervals

The postfire regeneration dynamics of black spruce and jack pine were documented by a study of three successive cohorts (woody debris, snags, seedlings) within a large area burnt in 1989. The objectives of this study were (i) to describe how fire interval can influence the abundance of regenerating black spruce and jack pine and (ii) to model the future abundance trends of these two species for fire cycles of different lengths. The transition probabilities after fire were calculated for mixed stands of black spruce and jack pine for fire intervals of 47 and 67 years in well-drained sites and for fire intervals varying between 92 and 270 years in poorly drained sites. These probabilities were incorporated into a model of regeneration dynamics that took into account the drainage type, the regeneration potential, and the natural mortality rate of both species. After the 1989 fire, jack pine seedlings made up 55%82% of the regeneration in well-drained sites and 11%40% in poorly drained sites. Model simulations show that fire intervals <60 years lead to the local extinction of black spruce, and those >220 years lead to that of jack pine. The simulation results also suggest that jack pine could expand its populations under a fire cycle of 50 years or after short fire intervals during longer fire cycles. Thus, in the short term and medium term (i.e., ca. <100 years), the length of the interval between two consecutive fires is a better predictor of the abundance, extinction, or local expansion of black spruce and jack pine than the fire cycle.

Download Full-text

A Method of Constructing Site-Index Curves from Stem Analyses

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc44011-4 ◽

1968 ◽

Vol 44 (4) ◽

pp. 11-15 ◽

Cited By ~ 11

Author(s):

L. Heger

Keyword(s):

Black Spruce ◽

Lodgepole Pine ◽

White Spruce ◽

Site Index ◽

Jack Pine ◽

Total Height ◽

Independent Variable ◽

Linear Regressions

Site-index curves were constructed from stem-analyses data with the help of linear regressions derived for relationships between site index (total height at BH age of 50 years, the independent variable) and total heights attained at the end of the previous nine 5-year periods. The method was tested for white spruce, black spruce, lodgepole pine and jack pine.

Download Full-text