Effects of mechanical stimulus, shade, and nitrogen fertilization on morphology and bending resistance in Douglas-fir seedlings

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (9) ◽  
pp. 1602-1609 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen J Mitchell

Three-year-old coastal Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) seedlings were planted in a factorial experiment with three levels of shading (0, 30, and 60%), three levels of mechanical stimulus (staked, freestanding, and bent), and two levels of nitrogen fertilization (0 and 200 kg/ha) to investigate the separate and combined effects of these factors on morphology and bending resistance. Fertilization increased branch angle and increased the sensitivity of branch and leader extension to bending stresses but did not affect volume increment, stem form, or bending resistance. The effects of shading and mechanical treatments on morphology were independent and additive. Shading reduced stem diameter and volume increment, but did not affect height increment, producing more slender trees. Bending produced less slender trees through a combination of reduced height increment and increased diameter increment. Staking did not affect tree morphology. Trees under heavy shade were responsive to bending but were more slender and had lower bending resistance than unshaded trees with the same mechanical stimulus. These results point towards the biological basis for the development of tree instability in high density stands.

2002 ◽  
Vol 17 (2) ◽  
pp. 75-77 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank C. Sorensen

Abstract Leaders of 3- through 7-yr-old Douglas-fir seedlings were left unclipped or were clipped for 1 to 4 consecutive years. Terminal removal reduced height increment in a significantly linear fashion and was about 19 cm for each year clipped. All treatments had comparable height increment in the 4 yr after clipping, and the initial depressing effect on height was still present at age 23. Diameter increment was reduced but not significantly. West. J. Appl. For. 17(2):75–77


1989 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 54-57 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bahman Shafii ◽  
James A. Moore ◽  
John R. Olson

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.


2017 ◽  
pp. 31-54
Author(s):  
Martin Bobinac ◽  
Sinisa Andrasev ◽  
Andrijana Bauer-Zivkovic ◽  
Nikola Susic

The paper studies the effects of two heavy selection thinnings on the increment of Norway spruce trees exposed to ice and snow breaks in eastern Serbia. In a thinning that was carried out at 32 years of age, 556 candidates per hectare were selected for tending, and at the age of 40, of the initial candidates, 311 trees per hectare (55.9%) were selected as future trees. In all trees at 41-50 age period, diameter increment was higher by 31%, basal area increment by 64% and volume increment by 67% compared to 32-40 age period. The collective of indifferent trees is significantly falling behind compared to future trees in terms of increment values in both observed periods. However, the value of diameter, basal area and volume increments, of the collective of "comparable" indifferent trees are lower in comparison to the values of increments of future trees by 10-15% in the 32-40 age period, and by 15-21% in the 41-50 age period and there are no significant differences. The results show that heavy selective thinnings, initially directed at a larger number of candidates for tending at stand age that does not differ much from the period of carrying out first "commercial" thinnings, improve the growth potential of future and indifferent trees, where it is rational to do the tree replacement for the final crop in "susceptible" growth stage to snow and ice breaks.


2002 ◽  
Vol 32 (2) ◽  
pp. 233-246 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ronald Heninger ◽  
William Scott ◽  
Alex Dobkowski ◽  
Richard Miller ◽  
Harry Anderson ◽  
...  

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.


2018 ◽  
Vol 48 (9) ◽  
pp. 1007-1019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark Castle ◽  
Aaron Weiskittel ◽  
Robert Wagner ◽  
Mark Ducey ◽  
Jereme Frank ◽  
...  

Northern hardwood species display a variety of forms and defects that can reduce stem quality and complicate their timber management. However, for the most part, growth and yield models do not account for the influence of stem form and damage. This study determined the influence of stem form and damage on growth, survival, and projected future sawlog value among several northern commercial hardwood species. To accomplish this, hardwood trees on 112 permanent plots across three long-term research sites in Maine were assigned stem form and risk classes using a tree classification system developed in New Brunswick. A highly significant influence of stem form and risk on annualized individual-tree diameter increment and survival was found. Inclusion of these equations into a regional growth and yield model highlighted the importance of stem form and defects on long-term simulations as projected stand-level future value was significantly reduced by over 17%, on average (range of 13% to 28%), when compared with projections that did not include that tree-level information. The results highlight the importance of stem form and defects, as well as the need to account for them, in growth and yield applications that assess the forecasted value of commercially important hardwood stands.


1996 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 62-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. Roth ◽  
Michael Newton

Abstract The goal of this study was to quantitatively evaluate the individual and interactive effects of weed control, nitrogen fertilization, and seed source on Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) survival and growth in a range of sites and growing conditions in western Oregon. Weed control was the dominant factor influencing seedling survival and growth and accounted for 49% of the explained variation in seedling volume after 2 yr. Nitrogen fertilization had no effect when used in conjunction with weed control and a negative effect when used without weed control. Seedlings from a seed orchard source were significantly larger in diameter and volume than those from a wild local source after two growing seasons, but second-year heights were similar for the two seedling types. Initial seedling size was positively correlated with growth rate. West. J. Appl. For. 11(2):00-00.


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