scholarly journals Alternative Silvicultural Approaches to Managing Jack Pine Plantations for Endangered Species Habitat and Forest Products

2019 ◽  
Vol 66 (2) ◽  
pp. 210-220
Author(s):  
Daphna Gadoth-Goodman ◽  
David E Rothstein

Abstract Since the early 1980s, ca 1,550 hectares (3,800 ac) of high-density jack pine (Pinus banksiana) plantations have been established annually in northern Lower Michigan to serve as habitat for the federally endangered Kirtland’s warbler (KW; Setophaga kirtlandii). Because these plantations do not appear capable of producing merchantable sawlogs by their planned 50-year harvest age, we investigated the potential to implement reduced rotation lengths in these stands to produce biomass and/or pulpwood. We used space-for-time substitution to assess biomass and volume accrual over time, using our own locally derived allometric biomass equations. The predicted optimal rotation age for biomass was 20 years, and the predicted optimal rotation age for pulpwood volume was 28 years. We compared the total land area required for management under these rotation scenarios to continue establishing 1,550 hectares (3,800 ac) of KW habitat annually. Management on the current 50-year cycle requires ca 77,500 hectares (191,500 ac). Management for pulpwood would reduce this to ca 43,400 hectares (107,250 ac), and management for biomass would require ca 31,000 hectares (76,600 ac). Our results suggest that rotation lengths in these plantations could be substantially reduced, allowing for reductions in the total land area dedicated to warbler habitat, allowing for diversification of management at the landscape scale.

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (12) ◽  
pp. 1516-1524
Author(s):  
Denis Belley ◽  
Isabelle Duchesne ◽  
Steve Vallerand ◽  
Julie Barrette ◽  
Michel Beaudoin

The increased pressure on timber supply due to a reduced forest land base urges the development of new approaches to fully capture the value of forest products. This paper investigates the effects of knowing the position of knots on lumber volume, value, and grade recoveries in curve sawing of 31 white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and 22 jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) trees. Internal knot position was evidenced by X-ray computed tomography (CT) imaging, followed by the application of a knot-detection algorithm allowing log reconstruction for use as input in the Optitek sawing simulation software. Comparisons of the three levels of sawing optimization (sweep up, shape optimized, and knot optimized) revealed that considering internal knots before log sawing (e.g., knot optimized) generated 23% more lumber value for jack pine and 15% more for white spruce compared with the traditional sweep-up sawing strategy. In terms of lumber quality, the knot-optimized strategy produced 38% more pieces of grade No. 2 and better in jack pine and 15% more such pieces in white spruce compared with the sweep-up strategy. These results indicate a great potential to increase manufacturing efficiency and profitability by implementing the CT scanning technology, which should aid in developing a strong bioeconomy based on an optimized use of wood.


Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 159 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jia-Qi Zhang ◽  
Christos Mammides ◽  
Richard T. Corlett

Research Highlights: The reasons for persistence of forest fragments in human-dominated landscapes have rarely been examined, despite their importance in biodiversity and ecosystem services. We determined these reasons for forest fragments on collective land in Xishuangbanna prefecture, southwest China. Background and Objectives: Reconciling economic development with biodiversity conservation has been a major challenge in China’s small tropical land area, where local realities have often been in conflict with national policies. In Xishuangbanna, much of China’s most biodiverse forest area has been replaced by cash crops in recent decades, but numerous small forest fragments remain on collective land. Our objective was to find out why these fragments have not been cleared. Methods: We used a combination of semi-structured interviews with 600 households in 69 villages representing nine ethnic groups and information from key informants. Results: Overall, 64% of individual households retained forest fragments on the land allocated to them, and 93% of villages retained larger areas managed as a collective forest. Most (71%) interviewees said that fragments on their own land were on sites of low agricultural value and were retained as fuelwood sources. They were also often (33%) underplanted with crops and supplied other forest products. All interviewees attributed the retention of collective forests to policy restrictions on clearance, with most (96%) mentioning cultural and religious uses and many recognizing environmental benefits. Most were also used as sources of wild edible plants (61%) and other forest products. Many said these collective forests had shrunk over time, particularly in areas suitable for profitable cultivation. Conclusions: China’s new ecological redline policy will protect most larger patches of forest in Xishuangbanna, but the smaller fragments on land allocated to individual households are also of conservation value, particularly in areas with no other forest. Some form of compensation scheme is needed to encourage their continued retention.


2004 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 127-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bryce McInnis ◽  
Kathleen Tosh

The New Brunswick Tree Improvement Council analyzed 20-year data from plantations of unimproved and first generation improved black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] BSP) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). STAMAN, a computer model, conservatively projected an 11% merchantable volume gain at 40 years based on 20-year measurements of 36 000 trees. At age 20 years, first generation black spruce was 12% taller and 25–30% greater in total volume. Projections from over 160 000 individual measurements of height from age five to 20 years indicate that by 40 years, gains of 7–8% in height and 18–20% in total volume are likely. Ten year assessments from over 10 000 measurements of second generation black spruce indicate a 30% height gain over first generation material of the same age. For jack pine first generation material, the projections indicated a height gain of 14% and a total volume gain of over 30% at 40 years. Faster growth can provide greater volume at rotation age, a shorter rotation interval, or earlier interventions for commercial thinning. Key words: genetic gain, tree improvement, black spruce, jack pine


1980 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 30-34 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. L. Martell

The author describes a stochastic model of forest stand rotation which can be used to determine the optimal planned rotation interval for flammable forest stands. The model can also be used to estimate the value of fire management activities in terms of the potential enhanced value of timber production. The use of the model is illustrated by applying it to a simplified case of jack pine (Pinusbanksiana, Lamb.) management.


Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 370
Author(s):  
Holly D. Deighton ◽  
Frederick Wayne Bell ◽  
Nelson Thiffault ◽  
Eric B. Searle ◽  
Mathew Leitch ◽  
...  

We assessed 27 indicators of plant diversity, stand yield and individual crop tree responses 25 years post-treatment to determine long-term trade-offs among conifer release treatments in boreal and sub-boreal forests. This research addresses the lack of longer-term data needed by forest managers to implement more integrated vegetation management programs, supporting more informed decisions about release treatment choice. Four treatments (untreated control, motor-manual brushsaw, single aerial spray, and complete competition removal) were established at two jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) sites in Ontario, Canada. Our results suggest that plant diversity and productivity in boreal jack pine forests are significantly influenced by vegetation management treatments. Overall, release treatments did not cause a loss of diversity but benefitted stand-scale yield and individual crop tree growth, with maximum benefits occurring in more intensive release treatments. However, none of the treatments maximized all 27 indicators studied; thus, forest managers are faced with trade-offs when choosing treatments. Research on longer term effects, ideally through at least one rotation, is essential to fully understand outcomes of different vegetation management on forest diversity, stand yield, and individual crop tree responses.


1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (2) ◽  
pp. 332-335 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael A. Setterington ◽  
Daniel M. Keppie

Relationships between external cone characteristics (length, width, wet and dry mass), cone quality (total seed mass as a proportion of cone mass, total number of seeds per cone, total seed mass per cone), and number of cones in caches were evaluated for caches of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) cones belonging to red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) in two plantations in southern New Brunswick. Cone length and mass were good predictors of the total number of seeds per cone and total seed mass per cone. Length accounted for a small proportion of the variance of total seed mass as a proportion of cone mass. There was no relationship between the number of seeds or total seed mass per cone and the number of cones per cache.


2010 ◽  
Vol 86 (6) ◽  
pp. 775-779 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alice Verrez ◽  
Dan Quiring ◽  
Thibaut Leinekugel Le Cocq ◽  
Greg Adams ◽  
Yill Sung Park

White pine weevil (Pissodes strobi Peck) damage was evaluated in one white pine (Pinus strobus L.) and four jack pine(Pinus banksiana Lamb) half-sib family test sites to determine the role of tree genotype in resistance to the weevil. Halfsibfamily explained a significant proportion of the variation in weevil attack at all sites. Estimates of family (0.16-0.54)and individual (0.09-0.24) heritabilities of jack pine resistance to white pine weevil were moderate. Estimates of family(0.37) and individual (0.22) heritability of resistance of white pine to the weevil were also moderate when the percentageof test trees damaged by the weevil was relatively low, but were insignificant four years later when more than three-quartersof trees were damaged. Significant positive correlations between mean tree height and mean incidence of trees damagedby the weevil were observed for four of seven site-years but relationships were weak, suggesting that any cost, withrespect to height growth, to breeding weevil resistant trees may be small.Key words: Pinus, Pissodes strobi, trade-offs, tree improvement, tree resistance, white pine weevil.


1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 547-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chang Yi Xie ◽  
Peggy Knowles

Spatial autocorrelation analysis was used to investigate the geographic distribution of allozyme genotypes within three natural populations of jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). Results indicate that genetic substructuring within these populations is very weak and the extent differs among populations. These results are in good agreement with those inferred from mating-system studies. Factors such as the species' predominantly outbreeding system, high mortality of selfs and inbreds prior to reproduction, long-distance pollen dispersal, and the absence of strong microhabitat selection may be responsible for the observed weak genetic substructuring. Key words: jack pine, Pinus banksiana, genetic substructure, allozyme, spatial autocorrelation analysis.


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