Radial Growth Decline of White Spruce (Picea glauca) During Hot Summers without Drought: Preliminary Results from a Study Site South of a Boreal Forest Border

2022 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrei Lapenis ◽  
George Robinson ◽  
Gregory B. Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Summer Precipitation ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Southern Limit ◽  
Central New York ◽  
Growth Decline ◽  
Hot Days

Here we investigate the possible<sup></sup> future response of white spruce (Picea glauca) to a warmer climate by studying trees planted 90 years ago near the southern limit of their climate tolerance in central New York, 300 km south of the boreal forest where this species is prevalent. We employed high-frequency recording dendrometers to determine radial growth phenology of six mature white spruce trees during 2013-2017. Results demonstrate significant reductions in the length of radial growth periods inversely proportional to the number of hot days with air temperature exceeding 30 oC. During years with very hot summers, the start of radial growth began about 3 days earlier than the 2013-2017 average. However, in those same years the end of radial growth was also about 17 days earlier resulting in a shorter (70 versus 100 day), radial growth season. Abundant (350-500 mm) summer precipitation, which resulted in soil moisture values of 20-30% allowed us to dismiss drought as a factor. Instead, a likely cause of reduced radial growth was mean temperature that exceeded daily average of 30<sup> o</sup>C that lead to photoinhibition.

Red spruce decline on Whiteface Mountain, New York. II. Relationships between apical and radial growth decline

1990 ◽  
Vol 20 (9) ◽  
pp. 1415-1421 ◽  
Author(s):  
David C. LeBlanc ◽  
Dudley J. Raynal
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Northeastern United States ◽  
Spruce Decline ◽  
Growth Decline ◽  
Whiteface Mountain ◽  
The 1960S ◽  
Crown Dieback ◽  
The Relationship

Understanding the relationship between apical and radial growth decline can contribute toward the evaluation of hypotheses regarding causal mechanisms of red spruce decline. The etiology of red spruce decline in montane spruce-fir forests of the northeastern United States includes loss of foliage at branch apices, crown dieback, and unreversed radial growth decline since the 1960s. Demographic analyses of crown damage and radial growth decline for red spruce on Whiteface Mountain, New York, indicate that large, canopy-emergent trees with exposed crowns exhibit greater decline than codominant trees within an intact canopy. In this paper, radial growth decline is shown to have been coincident with decreased apical growth and increased incidence of injury to terminal leaders. Incidence of leader mortality is greatest for canopy-emergent red spruce or trees with exposed crowns, similar to patterns described for radial growth. This relationship suggests that the post-1960 decline of red spruce on Whiteface Mountain is caused, at least in part, by stresses that act directly on the crown.

Pucciniastrum americanum. [Descriptions of Fungi and Bacteria].

1969 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. F. Laundon
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
British Columbia ◽  
Life Cycle ◽  
Nova Scotia ◽  
Leaf Rust ◽  
Geographical Distribution ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Yellow Rust ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Rubus Idaeus

Abstract A description is provided for Pucciniastrum americanum. Information is included on the disease caused by the organism, its transmission, geographical distribution, and hosts. HOSTS: Pycnia and aecia on Picea glauca (=P. canadensis), uredia and telia on Rubus idaeus (incl. R. strigosus) and R. leucodermis (raspberries). DISEASE: Needle rust of white spruce. Late leaf rust or late yellow rust of raspberry, infecting canes, leaves, petioles, calyces and fruits. GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION: Canada and U.S.A. (widely distributed, recorded from British Columbia, Connecticut, Idaho, Illinois, Iowa, Mass., Md, Me, Montana, North Dakota, New Hamp., New Jersey, Nova Scotia, New York, Ohio, Ontario, Quebec, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia). TRANSMISSION: Although the basidiospores infect Picea glauca (white spruce) (Darker, 1929) in some areas they probably play little part in the life cycle on raspberry since this rust is found on the latter host year after year in regions remote from any spruce trees (Anderson, 1956).

Within-tree patterns of wood stiffness for white spruce (Picea glauca) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides)

2014 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 162-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek F. Sattler ◽  
Philip G. Comeau ◽  
Alexis Achim
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Tree Height ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Vertical Position ◽  
Trembling Aspen ◽  
Mixed Effect ◽  
Cambial Age ◽  
Rate Of Increase

Radial patterns of modulus of elasticity (MOE) were examined for white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and trembling aspen (Populus tremuoides Michx.) from 19 mature, uneven-aged stands in the boreal mixedwood region of northern Alberta, Canada. The main objectives were to (1) evaluate the relationship between pith-to-bark changes in MOE and cambial age or distance from pith; (2) develop species-specific models to predict pith-to-bark changes in MOE; and (3) to test the influences of radial growth, relative vertical height, and tree slenderness (tree height/DBH) on MOE. For both species, cambial age was selected as the best explanatory variable with which to build pith-to-bark models of MOE. For white spruce and trembling aspen, the final nonlinear mixed-effect models indicated that an augmented rate of increase in MOE occurred with increasing vertical position within the tree. For white spruce trees, radial growth and slenderness were found to positively influence maximum estimated MOE. For trembling aspen, there was no apparent effect of vertical position or radial growth on maximum MOE. The results shed light on potential drivers of radial patterns of MOE and will be useful in guiding silvicultural prescriptions.

scholarly journals EFFECTS OF DEFOLIATION BY SPRUCE BUDWORM (CHORISTONEURA FUMIFERANA CLEM.) ON RADIAL GROWTH AT BREAST HEIGHT OF BALSAM FIR (ABIES BALSAMEA (L.) MILL.) AND WHITE SPRUCE (PICEA GLAUCA (MOENCH) VOSS.)

1958 ◽  
Vol 34 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-47 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Blais
Keyword(s):  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
First Year ◽  
Growth Ratio ◽  
Breast Height

The relationship between spruce budworm defoliation and radial growth at breast height for balsam fir and white spruce trees of merchantable size was studied in various stands in northwestern Ontario. Defoliation was recorded yearly for these stands from the beginning of the infestation, and radial growth measurements were obtained from increment cores. The first year of radial growth suppression was calculated by comparing the growth of the affected species with that of jack pine and red pine trees by means of a growth-ratio technique. Apparent suppression in balsam fir and white spruce varied between stands, and, generally, occurred at the earliest in the second year and at the latest in the fourth year of severe defoliation. A wide ring at the base of the tree coinciding with the first year of suppression as reported by Craighead was non-existent.

Dispersal of white spruce seed in mature aspen stands

1998 ◽  
Vol 76 (2) ◽  
pp. 181-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
James D Stewart ◽  
Edward H Hogg ◽  
Patrick A Hurdle ◽  
Kenneth J Stadt ◽  
Peter Tollestrup ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Simulation Modelling ◽  
Dispersal Distance ◽  
Leaf Fall ◽  
Long Distance ◽  
Artificial Seed ◽  
The Mean

The dispersal of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) seed through trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) forests was investigated by releasing artificial seed (confetti) from different heights on a meteorological tower, and, secondly, by observing the distribution of spruce regeneration along transects radiating out from small isolated patches of mature spruce seed trees. Mean dispersal distance of confetti increased with height of release. Before leaf fall of the aspen canopy, most confetti landed close to and in all directions around the tower. After leaf fall, no confetti was observed upwind from the tower and the mean dispersal distance increased, with peak densities occurring at a distance of 15 m in the downwind direction. The rate of decrease in regeneration density with distance from patches of mature, seed-bearing white spruce was much less than that observed during confetti release experiments. Furthermore, regeneration densities were significantly greater in the prevailing downwind direction (toward the east). The results indicate that stronger than average winds, primarily from the northwest, west, and southwest, play a major role in the dispersal of white spruce seed. Simulation modelling of the observed distribution of regeneration suggests that long-distance (>250 m) dispersal may be an important mechanism for the persistence of white spruce in the fire-prone boreal forest of western Canada.Key words: seed dispersal, boreal forest, mixedwood, wind dispersal, artificial seed.

Recurrence of Spruce Budworm Outbreaks for Two Hundred Years in Western Quebec

1981 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 273-275 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Blais
Keyword(s):  
Twentieth Century ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Radial Growth ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Ottawa River ◽  
History Of ◽  
Growth Profiles

The history of spruce bubworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.)) outbreaks for the past two hundred years in the Ottawa River Valley in Quebec was retraced through radial-growth studies on old white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench)) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) trees. The radial-growth profiles clearly indicate three suppression periods resulting from outbreaks that occurred in the twentieth century, each starting about 1910, 1940 and 1967. There is no evidence of an outbreak during the nineteenth century in this region. However, a reduction in radial-growth starting in 1783 observed on the only three specimens of white spruce over 200 years old, has the characteristics of that caused by a budworm outbreak. An interval of 127 years between this and the 1910 outbreak is similar to other long intervals between outbreaks recorded prior to the twentieth century for some other regions in eastern Canada.

An alternative to clear-cutting in the boreal forest of Alaska: a 27-year study of regeneration after shelterwood harvesting

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (6) ◽  
pp. 999-1011 ◽  
Author(s):  
T L Wurtz ◽  
J C Zasada
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Seed Crop ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Calamagrostis Canadensis ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
All Treatment

We present 27-year results from a comparison of clear-cutting and shelterwood harvesting in the boreal forest of Alaska. Three patch clear-cut and three shelterwood units were harvested in 1972; about 100 dispersed white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) leave trees per hectare were retained in the shelterwoods. Units were mechanically scarified and an exceptionally large seed-crop was dispersed that year. Shelterwood trees were removed after 15 years. After 27 years, overstory treatment had no effect on the density or growth of the species we studied, while scarification had highly significant effects. In 1999, scarified areas were densely populated with white spruce seedlings and saplings (118 000 – 129 000 stems/ha, with spruce in 100% of plots). Unscarified areas had far fewer spruce stems but were nevertheless well stocked (11 000 – 15 000 stems/ha, with 87% frequency). Initially, spruce grew best on scarified surfaces, but by 27 years, growth of the tallest spruce saplings was significantly greater on unscarified than scarified surfaces. By 27 years, cover of the grass Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Nutt. had returned to preharvest levels in all treatment types. Because criteria for evaluating forest management practices have changed since this study was begun, partial overstory retention systems for the management of Alaska's boreal forest deserve further study.

scholarly journals Crown allometry and application of the pipe model theory to white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) in the western boreal forest of Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (2) ◽  
pp. 262-273 ◽  
Author(s):  
Derek F. Sattler ◽  
Philip G. Comeau
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Model Theory ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Allometric Relationship ◽  
Sapwood Area ◽  
Crown Length ◽  
Pipe Model ◽  
Pipe Model Theory

White spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) from unmanaged stands in the boreal forest of Alberta, Canada, were examined for two of the main structural assumptions in the process-based model CROBAS: (i) a constant allometric relationship between foliage mass and crown length and (ii) a constant relationship between foliage mass and sapwood area. We evaluated these relationships at both at the whole-crown and within-crown levels. Results indicated that for both species, a constant allometric relationship between foliage mass and crown length was maintained at the whole-crown level over a period exceeding the peak mean annual increment of each species. Within the crowns of spruce, foliage mass accumulated faster near the tree apex as total crown length increased. For aspen, the increase in foliage mass per unit crown length for any section within the crown showed greater similarity to the relationship observed at the whole-crown level. The assumption of a constant relationship between foliage mass and sapwood area at the crown base generally held for spruce but showed considerable variation for any given diameter class. For aspen, this assumption did not appear to be appropriate. For both species, there was more foliage mass per unit sapwood area with increasing height from the ground for nearly all tree size classes. This latter finding was in conflict with the pipe model theory but could not be explained by the hydraulic theory of crown architecture, which predicts a decrease in the ratio of foliage mass to sapwood area with increasing path length.

Nitrogen uptake characteristics for roots of conifer seedlings and common boreal forest competitor species

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (1) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ryan D Hangs ◽  
J Diane Knight ◽  
Ken CJ Van Rees
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Picea Glauca ◽  
Pinus Banksiana ◽  
N Uptake ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Calamagrostis Canadensis ◽  
Successional Species ◽  
Menten Kinetic

Little is known about the N uptake abilities of competitor species and planted seedlings in the boreal forest. The objective of this study was to determine the Michaelis–Menten kinetic parameters of NH4+ and NO3– for white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.) seedlings, and three competitive common boreal forest early successional species: aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.), fireweed (Epilobium angustifolium L.), and cala magrostis (Calamagrostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv.). Uptake kinetics were measured in hydroponic cultures and expressed as maximum uptake (Imax) and ion affinity (Km). The ranking of Imax values (pmol·cm-2·s–1) for NH4+ uptake was calamagrostis (84.6), fireweed (58.1), white spruce (20.7), aspen (12.5), and jack pine (10.9), and for NO3– uptake was calamagrostis (17.7), fireweed (12.5), aspen (5.8), white spruce (4.5), and jack pine (2.1). The ranking of Km values (µM) for NH4+ uptake was calamagrostis (125.9), fireweed (163.8), aspen (205.7), white spruce (217.1), and jack pine (270.5), and for NO3– uptake was calamagrostis (229.9), fireweed (274.6), aspen (336.5), white spruce (344.5), and jack pine (350.5). Calamagrostis exhibited the greatest uptake rates and affinity for NH4+ and NO3–, suggesting that silviculture practices that specifically reduce establishment of this grass should benefit the growth of planted seedlings.

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