Spruce budworm defoliation and growth loss in young balsam fir: patterns of shoot, needle and foliage weight production over a nine-year outbreak cycle

To simulate feeding by the spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana Clem.), potted, 5-year-old balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) trees were artificially defoliated at the peak of the sixth instar period in the first 1, 2, or 3 years of a 3-year experiment. This schedule allowed trees that were defoliated in the first 1 or 2 years to recover for 2 years and 1 year, respectively. Seven treatments were applied: 0, 33, 66, 90, or 100% of the current-year needles were manually removed, all current-year needles were clipped using scissors (clip treatment), or all current-year shoots were severed at their base (100+ treatment). The dry weights of stem axis, branch axes, and roots were measured at the end of the 3rd year, and current-year and total foliage weight, height growth, and specific volume increment were determined for each year of the experimental period. Needle removal decreased growth throughout the tree, the growth loss increasing with increasing intensity and frequency of defoliation. In the 1st year of defoliation, all treatments reduced specific volume increment, whereas only the 100+ treatment decreased height growth. In every defoliation year, specific volume increment, height growth (manifested in the year following the defoliation), and the final weights of stem axis, branch axes, and roots were generally related curvilinearly to total foliage weight. The 100% and 100+ treatments induced the sprouting of axillary and nodal buds that remained dormant in undefoliated trees. Retaining the defoliated shoot axes (100% treatment), compared with removing them (100+ treatment), increased specific volume increment. Retaining the needle base (clip treatment) prevented the apex necrosis that occurred in some shoots subjected to the 100% treatment. In trees allowed to recover, specific volume increment increased in the 1st year, the degree of recovery increasing with decreasing intensity and frequency of prior defoliation treatment. After 2 recovery years, specific volume increment and height growth were not affected by any previous defoliation treatment, and current-year foliage weight and stem axis weight were decreased only by the 100+ treatment; however, there was still an inhibitory effect of all treatments on the weights of total foliage, branch axes, and roots. The growth responses found in the present investigation were compared with those observed in balsam fir trees defoliated by the spruce budworm.

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Stochastic simulation of growth loss in thinned balsam fir stands defoliated by the spruce budworm in Newfoundland

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x98-042 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 28 (5) ◽

pp. 703-710 ◽

Cited By ~ 6

Author(s):

Erhard John Dobesberger

Keyword(s):

Stochastic Simulation ◽

Larval Density ◽

Abies Balsamea ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Damage Function ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Negative Exponential Function ◽

Attack Pattern ◽

Growth Loss ◽

The Impact

A stochastic simulation model was developed to derive a damage function for the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana Clem. (Lepidoptera: Tortricidae), and balsam fir, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., herbivore interaction at the stand level for open-grown trees. Both aggregated and uniform models of attack pattern by late-instar larvae based on k of the negative binomial were evaluated to determine the impact of larval density and attack pattern on the loss in stemwood volume increment of young, thinned balsam fir stands in Newfoundland. Percentage loss in stemwood increment was a nonlinear, negative exponential function of initial larval density. Implementation of control measures to prevent 50% defoliation that is caused by about 14 larvae/branch tip would result in saving 24% of the annual stemwood increment after 1 year of defoliation and about 32% after 2 years of cumulative defoliation. Aggregation of spruce budworm larvae among trees within a forest stand results in less growth loss compared with a uniform pattern of attack. The nonlinear damage function may suggest tolerance and possibly compensatory growth after herbivory by low population levels of the spruce budworm.

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Spruce budworm defoliation and growth loss in young balsam fir: recovery of growth in spaced stands

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x89-244 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 19 (12) ◽

pp. 1616-1624 ◽

Cited By ~ 32

Author(s):

Harald Piene

Keyword(s):

Volume Growth ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Complete Recovery ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Growth Recovery ◽

Shoot Production ◽

Volume Increment ◽

Growth Loss ◽

Major Factors ◽

Foliar Biomass

Trees defoliated by the spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana (Clem.)) for 1 to 4 years and subsequently protected rapidly regained foliar biomass. Three plots of 25- to 30-year-old balsam fir (Abiesbalsamga (L.) Mill.) trees, on the Cape Breton Highlands of Nova Scotia, were studied. Two major factors contributed to the rapid growth recovery rates: the ability to produce epicormic shoots, combined with increased retention of older age-classes of needles, and the development of new foliage at the expense of volume growth. A complete recovery of volume increment occurred after 2 years of extreme defoliation, but not after 4 years of severe defoliation. Epicormic shoot production was only associated with shoot and bud destruction and therefore, growth recovery was slow after partial defoliation of only current foliage. In all plots studied, there was a lag of 2 to 3 years between increased foliar biomass and significant increases in volume increment.

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Spruce Budworm Defoliation and Growth Loss in Young Balsam Fir: Estimation of Volume Growth Based on Stem Analysis and Increment Cores at Breast Height

Northern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/njaf/13.2.73 ◽

1996 ◽

Vol 13 (2) ◽

pp. 73-78 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Harald Piene ◽

Janine D'Amours ◽

Alan A. Bray

Keyword(s):

Volume Growth ◽

Basal Area ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Stem Analysis ◽

Individual Tree ◽

Breast Height ◽

Individual Tree Growth ◽

Growth Loss ◽

Changes Over Time

Abstract Comparisons of estimates of volume and volume increment, based on increment cores sampled at breast height and on stem analysis, were made in a young balsam fir stand that had been defoliated by spruce budworm. Use of increment cores is not recommended to estimate individual tree growth, because large errors, ranging from 20.9 to 57.2%, and error variability can be expected. The inability, when using increment cores, to estimate basal area is the major source of this variation. Although large uncertainties are associated with future growth predictions, on a per ha basis, changes over time based on increment cores may in some instances give comparable results to those based on stem analysis due to the canceling effect of trees being approximately equally overestimated and underestimated. However, a prerequisite is that the defoliation history and the year of individual tree death are known in detail to aid in the correct dating of ring widths. North. J. Appl. For. 13(2):73-78.

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Spruce Budworm Damage in Aspen/Balsam Fir Stands Affected by Cutting Methods

Northern Journal of Applied Forestry ◽

10.1093/njaf/4.2.73 ◽

1987 ◽

Vol 4 (2) ◽

pp. 73-75 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Harold O. Batzer ◽

John W. Benzie ◽

Michael P. Popp

Keyword(s):

Basal Area ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Early Release ◽

Growth Loss ◽

Maximum Protection

Abstract An aspen/balsam fir study area in Wisconsin with several replicated cutting treatments dating from 1950 when the stand was 36 years old became infested by the spruce budworm in 1976. Remeasurement in 1981 revealed that balsam fir mortality and growth loss were directly related to the amount of aspen removed from the overstory. Complete and commercial clearcutting of the overstory aspen produced 60% more balsam fir basal area than uncut plots by 1975. However, mortality from budworm defoliation averaged 98% of the basal area in these plots. Thinning from above best achieved the objective of early release and provided near maximum protection from the spruce budworm. North. J. Appl. For. 4:73-75, June 1987.

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Spruce budworm defoliation and growth loss in young balsam fir: defoliation in spaced and unspaced stands and individual tree survival

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x89-185 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 19 (10) ◽

pp. 1211-1217 ◽

Cited By ~ 36

Author(s):

Harald Piene

Keyword(s):

Tree Mortality ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Shoot Elongation ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Individual Tree ◽

Cape Breton ◽

Tree Survival ◽

Growth Loss ◽

Individual Trees ◽

Foliar Biomass

A severe outbreak of spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana (Clem.)) began in 1976 in young, spaced and unspaced stands of balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea (L.) Mill.) located on the Cape Breton Highlands, Nova Scotia, Canada. A study was initiated that year to relate decreases in foliar biomass, caused by defoliation, to reductions in annual volume increment. Detailed defoliation assessments on individual trees from 1976 to 1984 showed severe defoliation of the current foliage in 1976. In 1977 and 1978, current foliage was destroyed in the early part of shoot elongation and severe back-feeding occurred on older age-class needles. After 1978, defoliation decreased as a result of a decline in budworm populations and, in general, only the current foliage was defoliated until the populations decreased to low levels in 1983. Defoliation was significantly higher in spaced than in unspaced stands in 1977, 1978, and 1980, and as a result, by 1984, average tree mortality caused by spruce budworm was 43.8% in spaced and 18.9%.in unspaced stands. The survival of some balsam fir trees and not others following a budworm outbreak is not related to differential defoliation, but to the ability of some balsam fir trees to rapidly increase foliar biomass through prolific epicormic shoot growth.

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Réduction de croissance en volume occasionnée au sapin baumier, suite à la défoliation par la tordeuse des bourgeons de l'épinette

The Forestry Chronicle ◽

10.5558/tfc61010-1 ◽

1985 ◽

Vol 61 (1) ◽

pp. 10-13 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Louis Archambault ◽

Jean Beaulieu

Keyword(s):

Growth Rate ◽

Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽

Volume Growth ◽

Abies Balsamea ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

Diameter Growth ◽

Ottawa River ◽

Epidemic Period ◽

Growth Loss

A method was developed to determine the growth losses in volume in surviving balsam fir following a spruce budworm outbreak that occurred in the Ottawa River Valley in Quebec. Equations expressing the diameter growth rate had there been no infestation were developed. These equations were applied to balsam fir surviving the epidemic so as to determine what their diameters would have been without defoliation. Subsequently, the theoretical volumes were assessed using these diameters. The method was validated for the pre-epidemic period and precision was superior to 90%. Analyses revealed the outbreak caused a 49% volume growth loss to balsam fir for a period of approximately 10 years. Key words: Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)), balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), growth losses.

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Predicting balsam fir mortality in boreal stands affected by spruce budworm

Forest Ecology and Management ◽

10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119408 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 496 ◽

pp. 119408

Author(s):

Djidjoho Julien Houndode ◽

Cornelia Krause ◽

Hubert Morin

Keyword(s):

Spruce Budworm ◽

Balsam Fir

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Weather and Outbreaks of the Spruce Budworm in the Province of Quebec from 1939 to 1956

The Canadian Entomologist ◽

10.4039/ent93118-2 ◽

1961 ◽

Vol 93 (2) ◽

pp. 118-123 ◽

Cited By ~ 22

Author(s):

J. G. Pilon ◽

J. R. Blais

Keyword(s):

Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽

Abies Balsamea ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Balsam Fir ◽

The Past ◽

Forest Regions ◽

Tree Component ◽

Gaspe Peninsula ◽

Gaspé Peninsula

Nearly all forest regions in the Province of Quebec where balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) is an important tree component have been subjected to severe defoliation by the spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), during the past 20 years. These outbreaks have followed an easterly direction beginning near the Ontario-Quebec border in 1939 and ending in the Gaspé Peninsula in 1958.

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