Tree seedling growth and mortality responses to manipulations of calcium and aluminum in a northern hardwood forest

2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (6) ◽  
pp. 954-966 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard K Kobe ◽  
Gene E Likens ◽  
Christopher Eagar
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Soil Calcium ◽  
Dependent Growth

To assess potential forest compositional responses to exchangeable soil calcium (Caexch) and aluminum (Alexch), we characterized light-dependent growth and mortality of tree seedlings under amendments of CaCl2 and AlCl3 at Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), New Hampshire, U.S.A. Seedlings of Acer saccharum Marsh., Fagus grandifolia Ehrh., Betula alleghaniensis Britton, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., and Picea rubens Sarg. were transplanted into field plots, which were randomly assigned to control, CaCl2, or AlCl3 treatments and stratified across <1 to 35% full sun. Acer saccharum and P. rubens exhibited significantly higher mortality in Al-amended than Ca-amended or control plots. Acer saccharum showed significant increases in relative diameter growth in Ca-amended plots versus controls; all other species showed nonsignificantly higher relative diameter growth under Ca amendments. We incorporated significant seedling responses into a model of forest dynamics (SORTIE) to assess potential changes in species composition under Alexch increases and Caexch losses. SORTIE predicts that further increases in Alexch would have negligible effects on canopy composition within 200 years but that the estimated Caexch depleted from HBEF between 1968 and 1995 and its influence on seedling dynamics could lead to substantial decreases in A. saccharum canopy dominance within a single forest generation (<125 years).

Seedling recruitment in a northern temperate forest: the relative importance of supply and establishment limitation

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 978-989 ◽  
Author(s):  
John P Caspersen ◽  
Megan Saprunoff
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Seedling Emergence ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Common Species ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Recruitment Failure ◽  
Niche Differences

We quantified supply and establishment limitation as components of seedling recruitment for five species common to the temperate forests of central Ontario. Establishment limitation was the primary cause of recruitment failure for the three most common species: Acer saccharum Marsh., Betula alleghaniensis Britt., and Tsuga canadensis (L.) Carrière. The main barrier to establishment (including germination and seedling emergence) was a lack of suitable substrates, rather than a lack of light. Supply limitation, on the other hand, was the primary cause of recruitment failure for two less common species, Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. and Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. The cause of supply limitation was a lack of parent trees, in the case of A. balsamea, and low fecundity, in the case of F. grandifolia. Our results suggest that niche differences (i.e., germination requirements) are more important than dispersal in structuring temperate forest communities. Our results also suggest that availability of suitable substrates is the primary factor limiting seedling recruitment following logging.

Leaf- and plant-level carbon gain in yellow birch, sugar maple, and beech seedlings from contrasting forest light environments

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 390-404 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marilou Beaudet ◽  
Christian Messier ◽  
David W Hilbert ◽  
Ernest Lo ◽  
Zhang M Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Light Availability ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Carbon Gain ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Leaf Level ◽  
Plant Level

Leaf-level photosynthetic-light response and plant-level daily carbon gain were estimated for seedlings of moderately shade-tolerant yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) and shade-tolerant sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) growing in gaps and under a closed canopy in a sugar maple stand at Duchesnay, Que. All three species had a higher photosynthetic capacity (Amax) in the gaps than in shade, but yellow birch and beech responded more markedly than sugar maple to the increase in light availability. The high degree of plasticity observed in beech suggests that the prediction that photosynthetic plasticity should decrease with increasing shade tolerance may not hold when comparisons are made among a few late-successional species. Unit-area daily carbon gain (CA) was significantly higher in the gaps than in shade for all three species, but no significant difference was observed between light environments for plant-level carbon gain (CW). In shade, we found no difference of CA and CW among species. In gaps, beech had a significantly higher CA than sugar maple but similar to that of birch, and birch had a significantly higher CW than maple but similar to that of beech. Sugar maple consistently had lower carbon gains than yellow birch and beech but is nevertheless the dominant species at our study site. These results indicate that although plant-level carbon gain is presumably more closely related to growth and survival of a species than leaf-level photosynthesis, it is still many steps removed from the ecological success of a species.

scholarly journals Long-term compositional changes following partial disturbance revealed by the resurvey of logging concession limits in the northern temperate forest of eastern Canada

2016 ◽  
Vol 46 (7) ◽  
pp. 943-949 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victor Danneyrolles ◽  
Dominique Arseneault ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Temperate Forest ◽  
Land Use Changes ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Compositional Changes

Land use changes that are linked to European settlement of North America have transformed northeastern temperate forest landscapes. Many studies report a regional increase of young early-successional forests due to high disturbance rates since the preindustrial era (fire, land clearing, and clear-cuts). In this study, we document specific compositional changes to present-day mature forest landscapes, which have only been managed with partial cutting (high-grading and diameter-limit cuts) since the preindustrial era in southwestern Quebec. We resurveyed 108 forest observations that were extracted from logbooks of former logging concession limits (surveyed between 1870 and 1890). Results highlight an increase in mid- to late-successional shade-tolerant taxa (Betula alleghaniensis Britton, Thuja occidentalis L., Acer saccharum Marsh.) at the expense of preindustrial dominant conifers (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill., Pinus strobus L.). Former logging activities and spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clemens) outbreaks appear to be the main drivers of these changes, which were also strongly structured across the topographic gradient. To some extent, these results highlight the relevance of partial cutting management, as it has allowed long-term maintenance of a mid- to late-successional forest composition, while also pointing the need for P. strobus restoration. We conclude that by allowing site-specific comparisons, the resurvey of historical observations greatly improve the analytical strengths of historical reconstruction.

Calcium and magnesium in wood of northern hardwood forest species: relations to site characteristics

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (3) ◽  
pp. 339-346 ◽  
Author(s):  
M A Arthur ◽  
T G Siccama ◽  
R D Yanai
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Hardwood Forest ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forest ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Forest Species ◽  
White Birch ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Northern Hardwood

Improving estimates of the nutrient content of boles in forest ecosystems requires more information on how the chemistry of wood varies with characteristics of the tree and site. We examined Ca and Mg concentrations in wood at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest. Species examined were the dominant tree species of the northern hardwood forest and the spruce-fir forest. The concentrations of Ca and Mg, respectively, in lightwood of these species, mass weighted by elevation, were 661 and 145 µg/g for sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), 664 and 140 µg/g for American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.), 515 and 93 µg/g for yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.), 525 and 70 µg/g for red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.), 555 and 118 µg/g for balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.), and 393 and 101 µg/g for white birch (Betula papyrifera Marsh.). There were significant patterns in Ca and Mg concentrations with wood age. The size of the tree was not an important source of variation. Beech showed significantly greater concentrations of both Ca (30%) and Mg (33%) in trees growing in moist sites relative to drier sites; sugar maple and yellow birch were less sensitive to mesotopography. In addition to species differences in lightwood chemistry, Ca and Mg concentrations in wood decreased with increasing elevation, coinciding with a pattern of decreasing Ca and Mg in the forest floor. Differences in Ca and Mg concentration in lightwood accounted for by elevation ranged from 12 to 23% for Ca and 16 to 30% for Mg for the three northern hardwood species. At the ecosystem scale, the magnitude of the elevational effect on lightwood chemistry, weighted by species, amounts to 18% of lightwood Ca in the watershed and 24% of lightwood Mg but only 2% of aboveground biomass Ca and 7% of aboveground Mg.

La végétation forestière du delta de Lanoraie, Québec

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (8) ◽  
pp. 1839-1852 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Lamontagne ◽  
C. Camiré ◽  
C. Ansseau
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
The Other ◽  
Moisture Regime ◽  
Acidic Ph ◽  
Mature Trees ◽  
Forest Sites

The vegetation and the soil characteristics of the sandy terraces of the Lanoraie Delta, Quebec, were sampled at 84 forest sites using the methods of Whittaker and Canada Soil Information System. The ordination results show that the soil moisture regime (xeric–hydric) and the pH (3.5–5.0) are the main factors responsible for the spatial distribution of the vegetation. When these results (ordination analysis) and those of the cluster analysis are superimposed, the relationship between the five vegetation groups studied and particular ecological conditions can be seen. Thus, two groups of vegetation dominated by conifers are found in the middle of the terraces. One of these is dominated by Tsuga canadensis and the other by Abies balsamea and Picea rubens. These two groups are found on podzolic, gleyed soils with a mounded microrelief, which are strongly acidic (pH < 3.5) and have a hydric–mesic moisture regime. The remaining three vegetation groups are dominated by deciduous species. Among these, two groups arise from human activities such as logging or farming. One of these is dominated by Fagus grandifolia, Acer saccharum, Acer rubrum, and Quercus rubra and is composed of mature trees. The other is dominated by Pinus strobus, Polulus grandidentata, Populus tremuloides, or Betula papyrifera and is composed of young trees. These two types occupy the edge of the terraces where the topography is flat and the soil podzolic with a moderately to slightly acidic pH (4.0–5.0) and a xeric–mesic moisture regime. Finally the third group, dominated by Acer rubrum, is found on medium acidic (pH = 4.0), gleyed soils with a hydric–mesic moisture regime. This study shows that Acer rubrum is the best suited species for sandy, acidic, and nutrient-poor sites of the Lanoraie Delta. Key words: Lanoraie Delta, multivariate analysis, vegetation classification, Acer rubrum.

scholarly journals Insect herbivores increase mortality and reduce tree seedling growth of some species in temperate forest canopy gaps

PeerJ ◽  
2017 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. e3102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathan P. Lemoine ◽  
Deron E. Burkepile ◽  
John D. Parker
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Insect Herbivores ◽  
Pioneer Species ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Selective Predation ◽  
Forest Diversity

Insect herbivores help maintain forest diversity through selective predation on seedlings of vulnerable tree species. Although the role of natural enemies has been well-studied in tropical systems, relatively few studies have experimentally manipulated insect abundance in temperate forests and tracked impacts over multiple years. We conducted a three-year experiment (2012–2014) deterring insect herbivores from seedlings in new treefall gaps in deciduous hardwood forests in Maryland. During this study, we tracked recruitment of all tree seedlings, as well as survivorship and growth of 889 individual seedlings from five tree species:Acer rubrum,Fagus grandifolia,Fraxinusspp.,Liriodendron tulipifera, andLiquidambar styraciflua. Insect herbivores had little effect on recruitment of any tree species, although there was a weak indication that recruitment ofA. rubrumwas higher in the presence of herbivores. Insect herbivores reduced survivorship ofL. tulipifera, but had no significant effects onA. rubrum,Fraxinusspp.,F. grandifolia, orL. styraciflua. Additionally, insects reduced growth rates of early pioneer speciesA. rubrum,L. tulipifera, andL. styraciflua, but had little effect on more shade-tolerant speciesF. grandifoliaandFraxinusspp. Overall, by negatively impacting growth and survivorship of early pioneer species, forest insects may play an important but relatively cryptic role in forest gap dynamics, with potentially interesting impacts on the overall maintenance of diversity.

scholarly journals Histoire Postglaciaire de la Végétation dans la Région de Mont-Saint-Pierre, Gaspésie, Québec

2007 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 257-274 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claude Labelle ◽  
Pierre J. H. Richard
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Pinus Strobus ◽  
Larix Laricina ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Betula Papyrifera ◽  
Fraxinus Nigra

RÉSUMÉLes analyses pollinique et macrofossile de sédiments de deux lacs des environs de Mont-Saint-Pierre (Gaspésie), l'un dans la vallée côtière, l'autre sur le plateau, permettent de reconstituer l'histoire postglaciaire de la végétation dans deux situations physiographiques contrastées. Seul le plateau a été colonisé par une végétation initiale de type toundra (> 10 400 ans BP), pendant que la vallée était encore en partie ennoyée par la mer de Goldthwait. L'afforestation du plateau fut caractérisée d'abord par des populations de Picea sp., accompagné de Populus sp. et Larix laricina, puis par un envahissement progressif par Abies balsamea et Betula papyrifera. La baisse de la représentation pollinique de l'aulne vert (Alnus cf. crispa), maximale durant l'afforestation, paraît être un indicateur assez fidèle de la fermeture de la couverture forestière. Cette phase se termine vers 9000 ans BP sur le plateau. Le rythme de l'afforestation a été différent dans la vallée. Des taxons héliophiles s'y sont maintenus plus longtemps, ce qui peut être relié à l'activité des versants abrupts qui flanquent la vallée. Malgré des variations de l'abondance relative des arbres, la sapinière à bouleau blanc a sans doute occupé le plateau depuis 9000 ans BP environ. Par contre, la végétation de la vallée s'est passablement modifiée jusque vers 5000 à 4500 ans BP, par la migration successive de Betula alleghaniensis, de Pinus strobus, de Fraxinus nigra, dAcer saccharum et d'Ulmus americana. L'implantation progressive de ces arbres relativement thermophiles est à l'origine de la diversité du paysage actuel de la vallée. Ces reconstitutions permettent d'écarter l'hypothèse de Dansereau (1944) selon laquelle les érablières à Acer saccharum de la Gaspésie seraient des groupements hérités de l'optimum climatique de l'Holocène moyen, au cours duquel les érablières auraient été largement répandues sur le territoire. Les données montrent que ces érablières datent de l'Holocène Supérieur, la migration d'Acer saccharum ayant sans doute été freinée par des barrières topo-climatiques entraînant une discontinuité prononcée des habitats pouvant accueillir cette espèce.

Direct and indirect effects of a dense understory on tree seedling recruitment in temperate forests: habitat-mediated predation versus competition

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (6) ◽  
pp. 1634-1645 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alejandro A. Royo ◽  
Walter P. Carson
Keyword(s):  
Indirect Effects ◽  
Vegetation Cover ◽  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Resource Competition ◽  
Seedling Recruitment ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
The Impact

In forests characterized by a dense woody and herbaceous understory layer, seedling recruitment is often directly suppressed via interspecific competition. Alternatively, these dense layers may indirectly lower tree recruitment by providing a haven for seed and seedling predators that prey on neighboring plant species. To simultaneously test for resource competition and indirect, habitat-mediated effects, we factorially manipulated understory plant cover (removed versus intact) and predation (exclosures versus controls) at three forested sites. We found that vegetation cover created privileged foraging areas that increased seed removal and seedling predation rates. Predator preference was directly related to seed size with larger seeded species including Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Fagus grandifolia Ehrh. removed more readily than smaller seeded species such as Fraxinus americana L. We found strong species-specific evidence for habitat-mediated indirect effects; establishment of P. serotina and Acer saccharum Marsh.was significantly lower under an intact hay-scented fern ( Dennstaedtia punctilobula (Michx.) T. Moore) canopy when small mammals were present. Competition also played a strong role; both P. serotina and Acer rubrum L. survival as well as A. rubrum emergence were reduced under a fern canopy with or without seed predators. The impact of habitat-mediated indirect effects and resource competition appear to vary predictably based upon predator preferences and differences in the timing of woody seed dispersal and germination relative to vegetation cover phenology. Overall, our results suggest that habitat-mediated indirect effects may be common and occur wherever vegetation provides the potential for creating privileged foraging areas.

scholarly journals Growing-Space Relationships in Young Even-Aged Northern Hardwood Stands Based on Individual-Tree and Plot-Level Measurements

2011 ◽  
Vol 28 (1) ◽  
pp. 27-35 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Ray ◽  
Ruth D. Yanai ◽  
Ralph D. Nyland ◽  
Terry R. McConnell
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Sampling Bias ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Analysis Of Covariance ◽  
Projection Area ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Canopy Trees

Abstract The amount of growing space occupied by trees of given sizes and species is traditionally assessed on a plot basis, using observations from groups of trees growing within an area of fixed size. Our study combines individual-tree with plot-based observations of upper-canopy trees representing a range of shade tolerance (Fagus grandifolia ≥ Acer saccharum > Betula alleghaniensis ≥ Fraxinus americana) in three young, fully stocked, even-aged northern hardwood stands. The amount of canopy growing space used by a stem of given size was described by the ratios of crown projection area and crown surface area to stem basal area. These variables were related to species, stand, and relative basal area using analysis of covariance. Both ratios were generally highest in the youngest (19 years) stand, intermediate in the mid-aged stand (24 years), and lowest in the oldest stand (29 years). A few differences were detected among species, with shade-tolerants having larger ratios. Allometric models were used in conjunction with plot density data to estimate canopy cover at the stand level. Considerable crown overlap was indicated among upper-canopy trees in all three stands. Estimates from tree-centered plots suggested that crowns occupied 1.81 ± 0.02 times the ground area in the youngest stand and 1.45 ± 0.03 times in the mid-aged and oldest stands; when corrected for sampling bias, these ratios were at least 1.30 and 0.96, respectively. Combining individual-tree with plot-level measurements afforded a comprehensive assessment of trends in growing-space occupancy not possible using either technique alone.

scholarly journals Control of Hay-Scented Fern by Mowing

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (3) ◽  
pp. 149-154 ◽  
Author(s):  
Avril L. de la Crétaz ◽  
Matthew J. Kelty
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Native Species ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Alternative Methods ◽  
Forest Understory ◽  
Tree Seedlings ◽  
Tree Seedling ◽  
Public And Private ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Frond Length

Abstract Hay-scented fern (Dennstaedtia punctilobula) is a native species that can invade and dominate the forest understory, after thinning and intensive deer browsing. Fern colonies form a dense cover 60 to 80 cm high that intercepts light and inhibits tree seedling regeneration. Hay-scented fern can be controlled with herbicides, but some landowners (both public and private) seek alternative methods. We investigated mowing as a possible method of fern control. We tested different mowing schedules and measured the response of ferns (frond length and density) and of natural regeneration and planted seedlings. Mowing the ferns twice in one growing season (first in June when the fern fronds had reached their full height and again in August) led to a significant reduction in frond length during the next two growing seasons compared to untreated controls. Mowing four times over 2 years reduced both length and density of ferns. Mean density of naturally established tree seedlings was four times greater on these treatment plots compared to controls, but with great variability among plots. Red oak (Quercus rubra) and sugar maple (Acer saccharum) seedlings planted the year after mowing showed greater survival and height growth compared to controls.

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