Relationships between microsite type and the growth and nutrition of young black spruce on post-disturbed lowland black spruce sites in eastern Canada

2007 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 62-73 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Lavoie ◽  
David Paré ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Rooting Zone ◽  
Growth Substrates ◽  
Humic Materials ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Decaying Wood

The surface of the soil in recently harvested or burned lowland black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) sites is composed of a fine mosaic of different bryophytes (mostly Sphagnum spp. and feathermosses), disturbed organic material originating mostly from mosses at different stages of decay, and exposed mineral soil. Growth substrates were compared in lowland black spruce stands regenerating after either careful logging or wildfire. The 3-year annual increment for black spruce seedlings was greatest with substrates of feathermosses, mainly Pleurozium schreberi (Brid.) Mitt., fibric material of P. schreberi origin, and a mixture of fibric P. schreberi and humic materials; it was least with fibric Sphagnum spp., mineral soil, and decaying wood substrates. The most favourable substrates for growth were characterized by better black spruce N and P foliar status. Our results also suggest that categories of growth substrates in the rooting zone reflect nutritional quality better than categories of growth substrates on the soil surface. To maintain or increase black spruce growth following careful logging of sites prone to paludification, we recommend fill-planting of seedlings in substrates originating from P. schreberi; management techniques that favour P. schreberi over Sphagnum mosses should also be developed.

Direct seeding of black spruce in northwestern Ontario: Seedbed relationships

1994 ◽  
Vol 70 (2) ◽  
pp. 151-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. L. Fleming ◽  
D. S. Mossa
Keyword(s):  
Seedling Establishment ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Direct Seeding ◽  
First Year ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
Seedling Mortality ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Seedbed Preparation

A series of spot seeding experiments was set out on coarse-textured upland sites in northwestern Ontario to investigate how black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) seedling establishment and growth could be improved by site selection and seedbed preparation. Virtually all germination occurred within the first growing season. Annual seedling mortality rates were greatest during the first year, then declined steadily and stabilized at low levels (<10%) after the third year. The highest fifth-year establishment ratios (seedlings/viable seed sown) were found on seedbeds derived from materials near the mineral soil/humus interface. On wetter sites (i.e., higher Soil Moisture Regimes) the best seedbeds occurred closer to the soil surface. Mean fifth year establishment ratios for the best seedbeds were 0.032 on moderately fresh to fresh sites, 0.146 on very fresh to moderately moist sites, and 0.082 on moist to very moist sites. On adjacent lowland sites, slow-growing, compact Sphagnum mosses had a mean establishment ratio of 0.179. Mean fifth-year seedling heights on upland sites ranged from 12 to 14 cm, and were not strongly correlated with site or seedbed type. Key words: direct seeding, black spruce, seedbed, seedling establishment, site type and germination

scholarly journals Development of Black Spruce Layers in Quebec and Ontario

1968 ◽  
Vol 44 (2) ◽  
pp. 25-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Stanek
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Stem Form ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Long Time ◽  
Seed Origin ◽  
Growing Conditions ◽  
Similar Growth

Black spruces of layer or seed origin develop into merchantable trees with similar growth in height, diameter and volume. Layerings tend to have a poorer stem form than seedlings, especially under adverse growing conditions. However, stem form of old layering trees is considerably better. The proportion of layerings and seedlings is influenced by stand history. Black spruce stands undisturbed for a long time consist largely of layerings. After fire, scarification, or exposure of mineral soil, stands regenerate mainly from seedlings. Stocking of black spruce is satisfactory where advance growth has been preserved after cutting, whether it is of layer or of seed origin.

Soil oxygen within boreal forests across an age gradient

2006 ◽  
Vol 86 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. Fenton ◽  
S. Légaré ◽  
Y. Bergeron ◽  
D. Paré
Keyword(s):  
Water Table ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Methodological Issue ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
Feather Mosses ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Potential Factors

Globally, soil anoxia and water table rise play a role in the development of peatlands from forests. Cited causes have included a diversity of internal and external mechanisms, including Sphagnum and feather mosses, hardpan development, and peatland expansion. The objectives of this study were to examine water table depth in black spruce stands of the Clay Belt of Quebec and Ontario, and to associate changes with potential stand scale causal factors (primarily biological). A methodological issue, the link between oxygen zone and water table, was also addressed. Within stands less than 100 yr post-fire, oxygen zone and water table position were only loosely related, and no other potential factors were significantly correlated. Across a chronosequence of stands, while oxygen zone thickness in the soil profile was relatively constant, its position relative to the mineral soil changed, as it rose from the mineral soil into the forest floor. Forest floor thickness was the dominant explanatory factor in oxygen zone position, suggesting that in these forests other postulated mechanisms are less important. At the landscape level, the movement of the oxygen zone into the forest floor has important consequences for the long-term productivity of this intensively exploited forest region. Key words: Water table, black spruce, paludification, forest floor, Clay Belt, Sphagnum

Dynamics and morphology of giant circular patterns of low tree density in black spruce stands in northern Quebec

2001 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 420-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-François Giroux ◽  
Yves Bergeron ◽  
Jean J Veillette
Keyword(s):  
Surface Water ◽  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Tree Density ◽  
Surface Elevation ◽  
Organic Layer ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Spruce Mortality ◽  
Soil Measurements

Giant circular patterns of low tree density in black spruce (Picea mariana) stands were investigated in the Abitibi region of Quebec. We used dendrochronological techniques to test the hypotheses that ring patterns of low tree density are caused either by radial changes in spruce mortality or productivity. Seven circles were sampled. We found no gradient in the age of spruce along circle radii suggesting that rings of low tree density do not expand radially, that is, they are not spatially dynamic entities. The results indicate, however, that spruce trees were less dense and productive within the rings due to excessive moisture in the soil. Measurements of surface elevation, thickness of the organic layer and elevation of the mineral substrate across the circles revealed that a depression in the mineral soil beneath the rings traps the surface water and this area of poor drainage seems to prevent the establishment of black spruce within the rings. The origin of the ring-shaped depressions was attributed to geological or geomorphological causes.Key words: black spruce, Picea mariana, mortality, productivity, rings, geomorphology.

Influence of recent fire season and severity on black spruce regeneration in spruce–moss forests of Quebec, Canada1This article is one of a selection of papers from the 7th International Conference on Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forests.

2012 ◽  
Vol 42 (7) ◽  
pp. 1316-1327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mélanie Veilleux-Nolin ◽  
Serge Payette
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Organic Material ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Fire Severity ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Thick Layer ◽  
Fire Season ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Postfire Regeneration ◽  
Crown Forest

Postfire regeneration problems compromise the maintenance of closed-crown forests of eastern Canada, often shifting toward lichen woodlands. Compounded disturbances like successive fires or insect outbreaks followed by fire may be responsible for this shift. Leaving behind unfavourable seedbeds for the germination of black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) seeds, low-severity fires may also be involved in this transformation. The severity of recent fires and their impact on black spruce regeneration were evaluated using 13 stands burned in spring or summer within the closed-crown forest in Quebec during the last 20 years. Two ecological indicators were used to characterize fire severity: thickness of residual organic material and recovery of plant species. Regardless of the season, the ground of all burned stands was covered with a thick layer of residual organic matter. Blackened organic matter and ericaceous vegetation, indicating the passage of a low-severity fire, were widespread in all sites whereas acrocarpous mosses and bare mineral soil, indicating the passage of a severe fire, were uncommon. The preponderance of the thick layer of residual organic material blackened at the surface can explain the failure of regeneration in most studied sites. Low-severity fires are thus among factors probably involved in the expansion of lichen woodlands within the closed-crown forest.

Ecological studies in the boreal spruce–fir forests of the North American taiga. II. Analysis of the bryophyte flora

1976 ◽  
Vol 54 (7) ◽  
pp. 619-643 ◽  
Author(s):  
George H. La Roi ◽  
Muriel H. L. Stringer
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
White Spruce ◽  
Pleurozium Schreberi ◽  
Hylocomium Splendens ◽  
Important Species ◽  
The North ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Community Types

The bryoflora of 34 white spruce – fir and 26 black spruce stands in the boreal forest subzone consisted of 100 mosses and 33 liverworts. Short turfs, smooth mats, threaded mats, and tall erect turfs were the most species-rich growth-forms; wefts were cover dominants. White spruce – fir stands had more species but lower cover than black spruce. The liverwort:moss species ratio in white spruce – fir increased with precipitation. Based on bryoflora and geography, stands were classified as follows: white spruce – fir, Hylocomium splendens – Pleurozium schreberi order (= three associations of western Ceratodon purpureus – Pylaisiella polyantha alliance and two associations of eastern Rhynchostegium serrulatum – Tetraphis pellucida alliance); black spruce, Pleurozium schreberi – Hylocomium splendens order (= three associations of western Drepanocladus uncinatus – Brachythecium salebrosum alliance and two associations of eastern Sphagnum – Hypnum pallescens alliance). Of the 32 most important species, 16 'preferred' wood, 7 needle litter, 6 mineral soil, and 3 bark. The ground cover hierarchy in white spruce – fir was weft mosses > detritus [Formula: see text] needles > wood > other bryophytes > lichens > bark > soil; in black spruce, wood and other bryophytes were reversed. Higher species richness of white spruce – fir stands was ascribed to higher productivity and greater age, which gives a greater diversity and quantity of woody substrates for microsuccessional species. Shortage of suitable substrate and competition from weft mosses may explain the consistently low abundance of most other bryophytes in the two community types.

The soil acid–base status of boreal black spruce stands after whole-tree and stem-only harvesting

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (10) ◽  
pp. 1874-1879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicolas Bélanger ◽  
David Paré ◽  
Stephen H Yamasaki
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Base Cation ◽  
Exchange Reactions ◽  
Acid Base ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Acid Base Status ◽  
Cationic Exchange ◽  
Forest Floors ◽  
Whole Tree

The effect of different harvesting practices on soil acid–base status was evaluated in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) forests of Quebec by comparing soil from five pairs of whole-tree and stem-only harvested plots 3 years after harvest. Stem-only harvesting contributed to the enrichment of the exchangeable base cation pool, particularly in the forest floors of the pairs where whole-tree harvested plots showed the highest exchangeable Al3+. In the mineral soil, divergence between treatments was low, perhaps because these acidic soils were strongly saturated with Al3+ (about 90%), which did not favour cationic exchange reactions. Although the effects of treatment may not persist over time, improved base cation nutrition may benefit stands during the early stages of development. Over a forest rotation of about 85 years, the estimated loss of alkalinity due to whole-tree harvesting was estimated to be low (less than 20%) when compared with the effect of acidic deposition.

scholarly journals Alternate Strip Clearcutting in Upland Black Spruce: IV. Projected Nutrient Removals Associated with Harvesting

1987 ◽  
Vol 63 (6) ◽  
pp. 451-456 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil W. Foster ◽  
Ian K. Morrison
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Preparation Methods ◽  
Rooting Zone ◽  
N Removal ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Post Harvesting ◽  
Whole Tree Harvesting ◽  
Tree Harvesting

Nutrient removals associated with conventional, full-tree, and whole-tree harvesting on 100-year rotations in an upland boreal black spruce stand in northern Ontario were estimated. Conventional (stems only) logging would remove 219 kgha−1 of Ca, 62 of N, 36 of K, 18 of Mg and 9 of P from the site. Increased utilization of phytomass during full-tree harvesting, in comparison with conventional logging, could result in as much as a 400% increase in N removal and a 60% increase in Ca removal. Estimates of projected N and K removals by full-tree harvesting may be conservative, relative to those in other black spruce stands because of the low foliar mass of this forest. The forest floor contained 51% to 72% of the soil's reserves of nutrients, except for P, within the effective rooting zone. Post-harvesting site preparation methods should be restricted to those that ensure that forest floor nutrient reserves are retained on site.

Nitrogen Concentrations in the Current Foliage and in Fresh Litter of Fertilized Black Spruce Stands

1973 ◽  
Vol 3 (3) ◽  
pp. 333-337 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. Mahendrappa ◽  
G. F. Weetman
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Soil Surface ◽  
Regression Coefficients ◽  
Foliar Nitrogen ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Nitrogen Concentrations ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Fresh Litter ◽  
Fertilization Experiments

In three separate fertilization experiments in black spruce stands, the concentration of nitrogen in foliage collected from the trees and the needles of litter samples gathered from screens on the soil surface were closely correlated. Nitrogen concentrations in litter samples collected in October were more closely correlated with nitrogen level in the trees at that time of year than the litter samples gathered in May. Nitrogen in the twigs was weakly correlated with foliar nitrogen status. Nitrogen concentrations in litter samples collected in May were highly correlated with the foliar nitrogen measured during the previous year. The coefficient of correlation differed between the stands. Regression coefficients were not time-stable in all the stands.

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