Soil disturbance and juvenile Douglas-fir growth following stump removal on moderately coarse textured soils in southwestern British Columbia: 10-year results

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (7) ◽  
pp. 767-774
Author(s):  
Stefan Zeglen ◽  
Paul J. Courtin
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Site Productivity ◽  
Nutrient Analysis ◽  
Armillaria Ostoyae ◽  
Root Diseases

Mechanized treatment for root diseases such as Coniferiporia sulphurascens (Pilát) L. W. Zhou & Y. C. Dai (syn. Phellinus sulphurascens Pilát) and Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink (syn. Armillaria solidipes Peck) is often avoided due to cost or the perception that removal of stumps creates detrimental soil disturbance or degradation that hinders site productivity. Our study tested five diseased stands that were treated by extracting stumps following harvesting and replanted with susceptible Douglas-fir. Soil disturbance surveys were conducted in treated and untreated plots, and individual planted spots were assessed and categorized for soil disturbance using existing and proposed new categories specific to disturbance caused by the stump removal. Tree measurements were taken at intervals over the first 10 years of stand development, and foliage was sampled for nutrient analysis. The percentage of total and counted disturbance was 20%–46% and 8%–11% greater, respectively, in treated versus untreated plots; however, mean tree growth in height and diameter was not statistically different between treatments and was more positive for treated plots at all sites but one. Tree nutrition and survival to age 10 was not negatively affected by stump removal. Total site productivity represented by basal area and tree volume differed widely between sites but was not significantly different between treatments.

scholarly journals Soil disturbance and 10-year growth response of coast Douglas-fir on nontilled and tilled skid trails in the Oregon Cascades

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Heninger ◽  
William Scott ◽  
Alex Dobkowski ◽  
Richard Miller ◽  
Harry Anderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Growth ◽  
Volume Growth ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Soil Bulk Density ◽  
Soil Disturbance ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Fine Soil ◽  
Reduced Height

We (i) quantified effects of skidder yarding on soil properties and seedling growth in a portion of western Oregon, (ii) determined if tilling skid trails improved tree growth, and (iii) compared results with those from an earlier investigation in coastal Washington. Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings were hand planted at eight recent clearcuts in skid ruts in either nontilled or tilled trails, in adjacent soil berms, and in adjacent logged-only portions. Four and 5 years after skidding, rut depths averaged 15 cm below the original soil surface; mean fine-soil bulk density (0–30 cm depth) below ruts of nontilled trails exceeded that on logged-only portions by 14%. Height growth on nontilled trails averaged 24% less than on logged-only portions in year 4 after planting and decreased to 6% less in year 7. For years 8–10, mean height growth was similar for all treatments. Reduced height growth lasted for about 7 years compared with 2 years for coastal Washington. Ten years after planting, trees in skid-trail ruts averaged 10% shorter with 29% less volume than those on logged-only portions. Tillage improved height and volume growth to equal that on logged-only portions. Generalizations about negative effects of skid trails on tree growth have limited geographic scope.

Stand growth responses after fertilization for thinned lodgepole pine, Douglas-fir, and spruce in forests of interior British Columbia, Canada

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1471-1482
Author(s):  
Woongsoon Jang ◽  
Bianca N.I. Eskelson ◽  
Louise de Montigny ◽  
Catherine A. Bealle Statland ◽  
Derek F. Sattler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Picea Sitchensis ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Growth Responses

This study was conducted to quantify growth responses of three major commercial conifer species (lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson), interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco), and spruce (white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and hybrid spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex. Engelm. × Picea glauca (Moench) Voss × Picea sitchensis (Bong.) Carrière))) to various fertilizer blends in interior British Columbia, Canada. Over 25 years, growth-response data were repeatedly collected across 46 installations. The fertilizer blends were classified into three groups: nitrogen only; nitrogen and sulfur combined; and nitrogen, sulfur, and boron combined. The growth responses for stand volume, basal area, and top height were calculated through absolute and relative growth rate ratios relative to a controlled group. Fertilizer blend, inverse years since fertilization, site index, stand density at fertilization, and their interactions with the fertilizer blend were used as explanatory variables. The magnitude and significance of volume and basal area growth responses to fertilization differed by species, fertilizer-blend groups, and stand-condition variables (i.e., site index and stand density). In contrast, the response in top height growth did not differ among fertilization blends, with the exception of the nitrogen and sulfur fertilizer subgroup for lodgepole pine. The models developed in this study will be incorporated into the current growth and yield fertilization module (i.e., Table Interpolation Program for Stand Yields (TIPSY)), thereby supporting guidance of fertilization applications in interior forests in British Columbia.

Resistance of half-sib interior Douglas-fir families to Armillaria ostoyae in British Columbia following artificial inoculation

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (1) ◽  
pp. 155-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Cruickshank ◽  
B. Jaquish ◽  
A. F.L. Nemec
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Root System ◽  
Pseudotsuga Menziesii ◽  
Tree Breeding ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Survival Analyses ◽  
Conifer Seedlings ◽  
Greenhouse Trial ◽  
Armillaria Ostoyae ◽  
The Family

The objectives of this study were to (i) develop a methodology for screening conifer seedlings for resistance to Armillaria ostoyae (Romagn.) Herink and (ii) screen a population of interior Douglas-fir ( Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Biessn.) Franco) population for resistance to A. ostoyae. Eighteen potted seedlings from each of 86 half-sib interior Douglas-fir families were challenged with inoculum in a 3-year greenhouse trial. The seed originated from four geographically distinct tree breeding zones that represent physically and biologically different environments in southeastern British Columbia. Mortality and the final percent survival of inoculated trees showed differences among the families (survival range 0%–61.1%) and breeding zones (survival range 6.6%–25.3%). Maximum heritability index (0.19) occurred at 28 months. Survival analyses revealed that most of the differences in survival could be explained by the zone from which the family originated. The less susceptible seedlings originated from the drier and warmer zones and limited the spread of the fungus in the root system. Moderate levels of family variation in resistance to A. ostoyae and low-moderate heritability suggest that, in interior Douglas-fir, gains in resistance can be achieved through breeding.

Lichen chronosequences (postfire and postharvest) in lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests of northern interior British Columbia

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (12) ◽  
pp. 1449-1464 ◽  
Author(s):  
Darwyn S Coxson ◽  
Janet Marsh
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Floor Surface ◽  
Fire Origin

Lichen community development was examined in a postfire chronosequence from lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud var. latifolia Engelm.) forests in the Omineca region of north-central British Columbia and in stands originating from logging in the early 1980s. Fire-origin stands showed dense regeneration of pine and widespread growth of acrocarpous mosses such as Polytrichum spp. As canopy thinning progressed, Cladonia spp. lichens initiated development at the forest floor surface. By 50–100 years after stand origin, Cladina mitis and Cladina rangiferina dominated at the forest floor surface, remaining at high cover values well into the second century of stand development. Late seral stages of stand development (approximately 150+ years) showed increasing basal area and canopy cover of lodgepole pine, with feathermoss mats (e.g., Pleurozium schreberi) replacing terrestrial lichens at the forest floor surface. Stand ordinations confirmed these groupings of species. Stand structural factors that correlate best with lichen mat development include tree density, basal area, and canopy cover. Changes in the leaf area index and associated litterfall loading appear to precipitate the replacement of terrestrial lichen mats in "old-growth" stands. Interestingly, this trend was reversed in mature stands where winter harvesting of trees removed canopy cover without disturbing the forest floor surface. Lichen cover in these sites, 15 years after harvest, exceeded that of comparably aged fire-origin stands. Summer harvesting (with a presumed greater disturbance of soils) did not trigger a similar rebound of lichen communities. Instead, vascular plants appeared to invade these sites, following a seral sequence different from that occurring in fire-origin stands.Key words: terrestrial lichens, pine woodlands, caribou habitat.

Comparison of lodgepole pine yield tables

1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (9) ◽  
pp. 1110-1114 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan J. Thomson
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Stand Density ◽  
Iterative Solution ◽  
Variable Density ◽  
Productivity Index ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Quadratic Mean ◽  
Solution Of Equations

Iterative solution of equations from Johnstone's variable-density yield tables for lodgepole pine permitted estimates of stand development index (DI) and productivity index (PI) from the volume, quadratic mean of diameter at breast height, basal area, or dominant–condominant height associated with a particular stand density at a particular age. Using such estimates, the yield tables of Smithers were compared with those of Johnstone. PI values associated with each of Smithers' site indices were calculated for British Columbia and Alberta. Results suggested that Johnstone's equations could be used in lodgepole pine stands in both British Columbia and Alberta, for PI values from 0.7 to 1.2, for densities up to 2500 stems acre−1 at age 70, and for ages up to 120. This considerably extends the range of application of these equations.

scholarly journals Environmental, Structural, and Disturbance Influences over Forest Floor Components in Interior Douglas-Fir Forests of the Intermountain West, USA

Forests ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 503
Author(s):  
Andrew Giunta ◽  
John Shaw
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Intermountain West ◽  
Montane Zone ◽  
Standing Dead ◽  
Dead Material

Downed woody material (DWM) is a key component in forest ecosystems with age, structure, and disturbance described as primary factors that influence DWM dynamics. In particular, much emphasis is placed on large coarse woody debris (CWD). Fine woody debris (FWD) (less than 7.62 cm diameter), duff, and litter also contribute to carbon stocks, provide habitat, add to nutrient cycling, and are often the most available fuels for fire, yet are regularly overlooked in studies describing the forest floor. Throughout the middle montane zone within the Intermountain West region USA, interior Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca Mirb. Franco) is a predominant forest type, yet little is known about the forest floor complex in these forests. We used a chronosequence approach to compare DWM patterns over the course of stand development among stands with different disturbance histories. Using classification and regression trees, we also evaluated an assemblage of environmental, structural, and disturbance variables to determine factors of most importance for estimating loading for DWM, duff, and litter. We found CWD resembled a U-shaped pattern of buildup while FWD components remained stable over the course of stand development regardless of disturbance history. Our results indicate that large DWM components are most closely associated with the amount of standing dead material in a stand, primarily the density and basal area of snags. Fine woody material was more aligned with live stand components, while duff and litter were more influenced by disturbance.

Short-term effects of prescribed burning on radial growth of Douglas-fir trees in south central British Columbia

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 876
Author(s):  
M. C. Feller ◽  
W. Klenner
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Tree Growth ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Soil Nutrient ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Tree Size ◽  
Radial Increment ◽  
South Central

Radial increment of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco) trees in uncut and partially cut and grazed and ungrazed dry cool Interior Douglas-fir forests near Isobel Lake in southern central British Columbia was measured for 2-year periods before and after prescribed burning in burned and unburned (control) areas. Parameters thought to influence the effects of prescribed burning on tree growth – characteristics of the tree and its immediate environment, adjacent surface and ladder fuels, and fire effects – were also measured. Burning caused a decrease in tree radial growth. The proportional change in radial tree growth was not related to degree of cutting or the presence of cattle grazing, but was negatively correlated with preburn radial growth, tree size, and also with some fire effect variables, particularly char height, suggesting that an increasing proportional decline in radial growth was associated with increasing tree size and with increasing fire severity. Soil nutrient (N, S, P, K, Mg or Ca) level was not a significant determinant of tree growth. The best prediction model could only explain 23% of the variation in the change in radial growth. Our results show that the effects of fire on Douglas-fir radial growth are complex and difficult to predict with the variables measured.

Effects of Nitrogen Fertilization on Growth of Grand Fir and Douglas-Fir Stands in Northern Idaho

1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahman Shafii ◽  
James A. Moore ◽  
John R. Olson
Keyword(s):  
Pseudotsuga Menziesii ◽  
Nitrogen Fertilization ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Tree Size ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Height Increment ◽  
Area Growth ◽  
Nitrogen Treatment ◽  
Northern Idaho

Abstract A study of nitrogen fertilization response in thinned and unthinned stands of grand fir (Abies grandis) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) in northern Idaho showed that the application of one urea nitrogen treatment applied at a rate of 200 lb N/ac resulted in a significantly higher average basal area growth over a 6-year post-treatment period. Nitrogen fertilization also resulted in a significant height increment increase over the same period. Fourteen years after treatment, fertilization had increased average tree size, in terms of total cubic volume, by 14% in unthinned and by 23% in thinned stands. A comparison of thinned and unthinned stands suggested an increase in tree size (>300%) over the same period without significant reduction in average total cubic volume per acre. Patterns of stand development were altered by nitrogen fertilization. West. J. Appl. For. 4(2):54-57, April 1989.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document