scholarly journals Understory Tree Development with Repeated Stand Density Treatments in Coastal Douglas-Fir Forests of Oregon

2009 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P.A. Shatford ◽  
John D. Bailey ◽  
John C. Tappeiner
Keyword(s):  
Stand Density ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Coast Range ◽  
Advanced Regeneration ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Sapling Growth ◽  
Stand Density Management

Abstract We studied the potential for stand density management treatments to increase growth rates of advanced regeneration in the understory of 50- to 70-year-old Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests. Study sites in Oregon included a mesic coastal site, a moderate coast range site, and a drier coast range foothills site. Commercial thinning treatments in 1974–1984 led to the establishment of Douglas-fir and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) in the understory and, in 1997, parts of these same stands were thinned for a second time to release this advanced regeneration and promote two-story structure. Both species responded positively where overstory was reduced to 30–40 m2/ha, but western hemlock saplings grew 30–80% more rapidly than Douglas-fir. Average annual height growth of all western hemlock saplings that were more than 1.0 m tall in 1999 was 23–30 cm/year in twice-thinned stands but only 13 cm/year in denser, once-thinned stands. About one-half of all western hemlock saplings doubled or tripled their height in 4 years after a second overstory treatment; the largest 10% of these saplings grew 74–93 cm/year and now represents midstory structure. The response of Douglas-fir saplings to a partial overstory removal was limited. Repeated density management treatments in these Douglas-fir forests can accelerate growth of understory saplings, resulting in the development of two or more canopy layers over time; however, repeated and/or heavy thinning will be required for Douglas-fir sapling growth. Furthermore, because of western hemlock's potential for rapid height growth, some reduction of hemlock sapling density may be needed to maintain vigorous Douglas-fir.

Comparing productivity of pure and mixed Douglas-fir and western hemlock plantations in the Pacific Northwest

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (6) ◽  
pp. 1484-1496 ◽  
Author(s):  
M M Amoroso ◽  
E C Turnblom
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Mixed Stand ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Increase In Productivity

We studied pure and 50/50 mixtures of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) plantations to compare attained total yields between mixed-species stands as opposed to monocultures of equal densities. Whether overall stand density influences this outcome has not been adequately investigated, and to address this we included three density levels (494, 1111, and 1729 trees/ha) in the analysis. At age 12, as components of the mixed stands, Douglas-fir exhibited greater height, diameter, and individual-tree volume than western hemlock at all densities. At 494 and 1111 trees/ha the monocultures had a higher volume per hectare than the mixed stand, but at 1729 trees/ha the mixed stand appeared to be just as productive as the pure stands. The increase in productivity by the mixture at high densities seems to have resulted from the partial stratification observed and most likely also from better use of the site resources. Because of this, less interspecific competition was probably experienced in the mixed stand than intraspecific competition in the pure stands. This study shows the important role density plays in the productivity of mixed stands and thus in comparing mixed and pure stands.

scholarly journals Transforming even-aged coniferous stands to multi-aged stands: an opportunity to increase tree species diversity?

2020 ◽  
Vol 93 (5) ◽  
pp. 616-629
Author(s):  
Gauthier Ligot ◽  
Philippe Balandier ◽  
Sophie Schmitz ◽  
Hugues Claessens
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
The Other ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Specific Response ◽  
Light Conditions ◽  
Comparable Rate ◽  
Advanced Regeneration

Abstract Transforming even-aged coniferous stands into multi-aged ones is attracting growing interest in Europe. However, applying this silvicultural treatment, maintaining a continuous cover and relying on natural regeneration require a deep understanding of the factors driving interspecific competition in the understorey. In particular, knowledge of species-specific response to different light conditions is needed to plan silvicultural treatments and forecast long-term stand composition. In this context, we assessed regeneration (±10–400 cm in height) and light conditions (±1–40 per cent of transmittance) in nine coniferous stands with ranging stand age (±20–120 years) and species composition (Norway spruce, Douglas fir, larch, silver fir and western hemlock) in Belgium. We then modelled interspecific differences in regeneration height growth to forecast the outcome of interspecific competition in different light conditions. Controlling understorey light seems an efficient way to control the interspecific competition, but with some limits, and taking into account sapling size. Maintaining low light conditions (transmittance < 15 per cent) probably reduces interspecific competition as it allows small saplings (height < 100 cm) of most species to grow at a comparable rate. Maintaining higher light conditions might allow a few species to rapidly overgrow the others. Species ranking in height growth changed across the studied light range only between spruce and larch, suggesting that the competition between these two species can be driven through the control of understorey light. On the other hand, controlling canopy openness was found to be insufficient, for example, to promote an advanced regeneration (height ≥ 200 cm) of fir over advanced regeneration of spruce, to promote any species over western hemlock or to promote Douglas fir. Western hemlock, a very shade-tolerant species, was found to grow three times faster than the other species in all the observed conditions (PACL = 5–20 per cent). Douglas fir saplings showed weak growth and marked defoliation, which we hypothetically relate to the recent outbreak of Contarinia pseudotsugae in Western Europe.

Growth ofPseudotsuga menziesiiandTsuga heterophyllaseedlings along a light gradient: resource allocation and morphological acclimation

1997 ◽  
Vol 75 (9) ◽  
pp. 1424-1435 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Mailly ◽  
J. P. Kimmins
Keyword(s):  
Leaf Morphology ◽  
Biomass Accumulation ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Light Levels ◽  
Light Gradient ◽  
Relative Light Intensity

Silvicultural alternatives that differ in the degree of overstory removal may create shady environments that will be problematic for the regeneration of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco). Gradients of light in the field were used to compare mortality, growth, and leaf morphological acclimation of two conifer species of contrasting shade tolerances: Douglas-fir and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.). Results after two growing seasons indicated that Douglas-fir mortality occurred mainly at relative light intensity (RLI) below 20%, while western hemlock mortality was evenly distributed along the light gradient. Height, diameter, and biomass of the planted seedlings increased with increasing light for both species but at different rates, and maximum biomass accumulation always occurred in the open. Douglas-fir allocated more resources to stem biomass than western hemlock, which accumulated more foliage biomass. Increases in specific leaf area for Douglas-fir seedlings occurred at RLI ≤ 0.4 and red/far red (R/FR) ratio ≤ 0.6, which appear to be the minimal optimum light levels for growth. Conversely, western hemlock seedlings adjusted their leaf morphology in a more regular pattern, and changes were less pronounced at low light levels. These results, along with early mortality results for Douglas-fir, suggest that the most successful way to artificially regenerate this species may be by allowing at least 20% of RLI for ensuring survival and at least 40% RLI for optimum growth. Key words: light, light quality, leaf morphology, acclimation.

Survival dynamics of mechanically topped Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) snags in Douglas-fir plantations, Oregon, USA

2019 ◽  
Vol 433 ◽  
pp. 105-110
Author(s):  
Matthew E. Hane ◽  
Andrew J. Kroll ◽  
Aaron Springford ◽  
Jack Giovanini ◽  
Mike Rochelle ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Pseudotsuga Menziesii ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock

Canopy disturbances over the five-century lifetime of an old-growth Douglas-fir stand in the Pacific Northwest

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 1057-1070 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda E Winter ◽  
Linda B Brubaker ◽  
Jerry F Franklin ◽  
Eric A Miller ◽  
Donald Q DeWitt
Keyword(s):  
Pacific Northwest ◽  
Variable Density ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Old Growth ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
History Of ◽  
Horizontal Heterogeneity ◽  
Restoration Strategies

The history of canopy disturbances over the lifetime of an old-growth Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) stand in the western Cascade Range of southern Washington was reconstructed using tree-ring records of cross-dated samples from a 3.3-ha mapped plot. The reconstruction detected pulses in which many western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) synchronously experienced abrupt and sustained increases in ringwidth, i.e., "growth-increases", and focused on medium-sized or larger ([Formula: see text]0.8 ha) events. The results show that the stand experienced at least three canopy disturbances that each thinned, but did not clear, the canopy over areas [Formula: see text]0.8 ha, occurring approximately in the late 1500s, the 1760s, and the 1930s. None of these promoted regeneration of the shade-intolerant Douglas-fir, all of which established 1500–1521. The disturbances may have promoted regeneration of western hemlock, but their strongest effect on tree dynamics was to elicit western hemlock growth-increases. Canopy disturbances are known to create patchiness, or horizontal heterogeneity, an important characteristic of old-growth forests. This reconstructed history provides one model for restoration strategies to create horizontal heterogeneity in young Douglas-fir stands, for example, by suggesting sizes of areas to thin in variable-density thinnings.

scholarly journals Developing Optimal Commercial Thinning Prescriptions: A New Graphical Approach

2005 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. 170-174
Author(s):  
KaDonna C. Randolph ◽  
Robert S. Seymour ◽  
Robert G. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Net Present Value ◽  
Biological Response ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Management Objectives ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Stand Density Management ◽  
Growth Simulator ◽  
Arcview Gis ◽  
Final Harvest

Abstract We describe an alternative approach to the traditional stand-density management diagrams and stocking guides for determining optimum commercial thinning prescriptions. Predictions from a stand-growth simulator are incorporated into multiple nomograms that graphically display postthinning responses of various financial and biological response variables (mean annual increment, piece size, final harvest cost, total wood cost, and net present value). A customized ArcView GIS computer interface (ThinME) displays multiple nomograms and serves as a tool for forest managers to balance a variety of competing objectives when developing commercial thinning prescriptions. ThinME provides a means to evaluate simultaneously three key questions about commercial thinning: (1) When should thinning occur? (2) How much should be removed? and (3) When should the final harvest occur, to satisfy a given set of management objectives? North. J. Appl. For. 22(3):170 –174.

Correlations Between Overtopping Vegetation and Development of Douglas-Fir Saplings in the Oregon Coast Range

1987 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
pp. 117-119 ◽  
Author(s):  
Samuel S. Chan ◽  
John D. Walstad
Keyword(s):  
Pseudotsuga Menziesii ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Morphological Features ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Coast Range ◽  
Oregon Coast Range ◽  
Oregon Coast ◽  
Sapling Growth ◽  
Stem Diameter Growth

Abstract The response of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) saplings to overtopping vegetation on three northeast-facing sites in the Oregon Coast Range was studied for two years. As amount of overtopping brush increased, sapling growth (as indicated by size) generally decreased. Basal stem diameter growth was most reduced, but similar reductions in growth occurred for tree height and other morphological features. West. J. Appl. For. 2(4):117-119, October 1987.

Palynology and paleoecology of postglacial sediments in an anoxic basin, Saanich Inlet, British Columbia

1983 ◽  
Vol 20 (5) ◽  
pp. 873-885 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linda E. Heusser
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Thuja Plicata ◽  
Alnus Rubra ◽  
Red Cedar ◽  
Saanich Inlet ◽  
Anoxic Basin

Varved, black clayey silts deposited in the marine waters of Saanich Inlet yield unusually abundant and diverse pollen assemblages derived from the coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga) and western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) forests of southwestern British Columbia. The 12 000 year palynological record chronicles the development of vegetation since ice left Saanich Inlet: the succession of pine (Pinus contorta) and alder (Alnus rubra) woodlands by forests characterized by Douglas-fir and oak (Quercus) and later by western hemlock and red cedar (Thuja plicata). Rapid deposition of annual layers of pollen, charcoal, and other terrigenous particles provides detailed evidence of changes in land use during the past few hundred years: settlement, logging, farming, and urbanization. Vegetational and climatic changes inferred from pollen spectra in the marine sediments of Saanich Inlet compare favorably with changes inferred from correlative pollen assemblages previously described from adjacent parts of Vancouver Island and the Fraser River valley.

Use of growth curve derivatives to illustrate acceleration and deceleration of growth in young plantations under variable competition

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 2515-2522 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael Newton ◽  
Elizabeth C Cole
Keyword(s):  
Growth Period ◽  
Tsuga Heterophylla ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Early Years ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Richards Equation ◽  
Second Derivative ◽  
Red Alder ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Second Derivatives

Deceleration of growth rates can give an indication of competition and the need for thinning in early years but can be difficult to detect. We computed the first and second derivatives of the von Bertalanffy – Richards equation to assess impacts of density and vegetation control in young plantations in western Oregon. The first derivative describes the response in growth and the second derivative describes the change in growth over time. Three sets of density experiments were used: (i) pure Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), (ii) mixed Douglas-fir and grand fir (Abies grandis (Dougl. ex D. Don) Lindl.), and (iii) mixed western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.) and red alder (Alnus rubra Bong.). Original planting densities ranged from 475 to 85 470 trees·ha–1 (4.6 m × 4.6 m to 0.34 m × 0.34 m spacing); western hemlock and red alder plots were weeded and unweeded. For the highest densities, the second derivative was rarely above zero for any of the time periods, indicating that the planting densities were too high for tree growth to enter an exponential phase. As expected, the lower the density, the greater and later the peak in growth for both the first and second derivatives. Weeding increased the growth peaks, and peaks were reached earlier in weeded than in unweeded plots. Calculations of this sort may help modelers identify when modifiers for competition and density are needed in growth equations. Specific applications help define onset of competition, precise determining of timing of peak growth, period of acceleration of growth, and interaction of spacing and age in determination of peaks of increment or acceleration or deceleration.

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