Impact of red squirrel feeding damage on spaced stands of lodgepole pine in the Cariboo Region of British Columbia

1987 ◽  
Vol 17 (7) ◽  
pp. 666-674 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan ◽  
Alan Vyse
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Feeding Damage ◽  
Animal Damage ◽  
General Decline ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Number Of Stems ◽  
The Impact

This study measured the impact of red squirrel (Tamiasciurushudsonicus Erxleben) feeding damage on spaced stands of lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) in the Cariboo Forest Region of British Columbia. A limited regional assessment of animal damage in spaced stands indicated that squirrels were the most important small mammal damage agents and that lodgepole pine was the only tree species susceptible to squirrel feeding (bark and vascular tissues) injuries. Intensive assessment of damage in two stands showed that squirrel attack was significantly greater among large- (>60 mm dbh) than small-diameter stems. Significantly more spaced than control (unspaced) crop trees were attacked. There was a general decline in the proportion of trees wounded from 1980 to 1985. Some damaged trees grew faster in diameter than undamaged trees of the same size. However, at one study area, damaged trees showed faster radial growth than undamaged trees before and after squirrel attack. Squirrels appear to prefer feeding on vigorous stems and the lost growth of these trees may be substantial. Height growth of damaged trees was significantly reduced in one stand in the years following squirrel damage. Some limit to a tree's capacity to sustain damage, beyond which mortality is inevitable, seems likely. Impact of damage to spaced stands may be minimized by delaying spacing in susceptible areas or by increasing the prescribed number of stems remaining after spacing to compensate for expected mortality and severe damage.

Impact of feeding damage by snowshoe hares on growth rates of juvenile lodgepole pine in central British Columbia

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 1145-1149 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan ◽  
Druscilla S. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Vascular Tissue ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Control Surface ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Feeding Damage ◽  
Growth Increments ◽  
Snowshoe Hares ◽  
The Impact

This study assessed the impact of snowshoe hare (Lepusamericanus Erxleben) feeding injuries on diameter and height growth of juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.). Five-year growth increments of undamaged and damaged crop trees in control (unspaced) and spaced stands, 20 km east of Prince George, B.C., were compared using analysis of variance. Semigirdling (sublethal) damage clearly suppressed diameter growth of small diameter (control, 41–60 mm; spaced, 31–50 mm) trees, but had little effect on larger stems. Height increment was significantly reduced by semigirdling in all diameter classes except for the 61–80 mm class in the control. Surface area or amount of bark and vascular tissue removed had little effect on growth increments in the spaced stand. The recommendation to delay spacing until the average tree diameter is >60 mm to avoid snowshoe hare damage is further supported for diameter but not necessarily for height growth.

Influence of feeding damage by small mammals on tree growth and wood quality in young lodgepole pine

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (5) ◽  
pp. 799-809 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan ◽  
Harry Coates ◽  
Les A. Jozsa ◽  
Paul K. Diggle
Keyword(s):  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Wood Quality ◽  
Ring Width ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Diameter Increment ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Small Diameter Trees ◽  
Severe Degree ◽  
The Impact

This study assessed the impact of feeding injuries by snowshoe hare (Lepusamericanus Erxleben) and red squirrel (Tamiasciurushudsonicus Erxleben) on diameter growth, height growth, and wood quality of juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinuscontorta Dougl. var latifolia Engelm.) at Prince George and in the Cariboo Region, British Columbia. In the Prince George control stand, severe girdling damage (50–99% stem circumference) suppressed diameter and height growth of small-diameter (4.1–6.0 cm) trees, but had no effect on larger stems (6.1–8.0 cm). In the spaced stand, diameter and height increments also declined significantly with degree of partial girdling, particularly in small-diameter (3.1–5.0 cm) trees. Paradoxically, diameter increment increased significantly with degree of partial girdling in both stands at the Cariboo study area. Presumably squirrels prefer to feed on vigorous stems, and the lost growth of these trees may be substantial. There was no significant difference in amount of compression wood nor total solvent and water extractives between undamaged and damaged trees. Fiber lengths in wound-associated wood were consistently 19–21% lower than in controls. Damaged trees had greater average ring width and density than undamaged trees. The average increase in relative density of damaged over undamaged trees was 0.0343. These results suggest that a severe degree of partial girdling (which likely occurs more often in small-diameter trees) may significantly affect growth of lodgepole pine, particularly small (<5.0 cm DBH) trees.

Host range, attack dynamics, and impact of Cryptorhynchus lapathi (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) on Salix (Salicaceae) spp.

2001 ◽  
Vol 133 (1) ◽  
pp. 119-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cynthia L. Broberg ◽  
John H. Borden ◽  
Leland M. Humble
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Host Range ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Host Use ◽  
New Host ◽  
The Impact ◽  
New Host Records

AbstractThe poplar and willow borer, Cryptorhynchus lapathi (L.), known to be present in British Columbia since 1923, primarily attacks species of Salix L. (Salicaceae) and Populus L. (Salicaceae). Larvae bore into stems, causing them to break easily. The impact of the weevil has been rising in recent years because of the increasing importance of poplar and willow from both economic and ecological perspectives. We conducted a study at 45 locations in British Columbia to determine host use among native Salix spp. and the between- and within-tree dynamics of C. lapathi. There were 11 new host records, but the incidence of attack was similar among species. Attacked trees were larger in general and had more dead wood and stems, more adventitious branches per stem, more total breaks per stem, and more naturally caused breaks per stem than their attack-free neighbours. Breaks caused by C. lapathi tended to be slightly larger in diameter and lower on the stem than naturally caused breaks. Bases of stems were preferentially attacked, and C. lapathi selected large stems in which to oviposit. As large attack-free trees become less abundant, weevils apparently start to attack small-diameter stems. Although C. lapathi is adversely affecting the health of willows in British Columbia, there is no evidence that any Salix species is threatened by weevil-caused extinction.

A regional paleolimnological assessment of the impact of clear-cutting on lakes from the central interior of British Columbia

2001 ◽  
Vol 58 (3) ◽  
pp. 492-505 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathleen Laird ◽  
Brian Cumming
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Organic Matter ◽  
Species Composition ◽  
Sediment Cores ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Diatom Species ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Before And After ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Reference Lakes

The impact of forest harvesting on lakes within the central interior of British Columbia was examined in a paleolimnological study of six lakes that had 28–82% of their watersheds clear-cut (impact lakes) and four lakes that had experienced no logging in their watersheds (reference lakes). Changes in diatom species composition and percent organic matter in 210Pb-dated sediment cores were compared over the last 80 years in each of the impact lakes before and after the onset of forest harvesting and, in the reference lakes, before and after 1960 (the average onset of logging in five of the six impact lakes) and before and after 1975 (the onset of logging in one impact lake). Significant changes in species composition of diatoms following forest-harvesting activities were detected in four of the impact lakes and three of the reference lakes; however, the changes in diatom species composition were small, with changes in the relative abundance of the most common species being at most 11%. Significant increases in the percent organic matter after 1960 were found in one impact lake and three reference lakes; again these changes were small, with increases of 2–5%.

scholarly journals Terrestrial lichen response to partial cutting in lodgepole pine forests on caribou winter range in west-central British Columbia

Rangifer ◽  
2011 ◽  
pp. 119-134 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michaela J. Waterhouse ◽  
Harold M. Armleder ◽  
Amanda F. L. Nemec
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Block Design ◽  
Woodland Caribou ◽  
Partial Cutting ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
West Central ◽  
The Impact

In west-central British Columbia, terrestrial lichens located in older, lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta) forests are important winter forage for woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Clearcut harvesting effectively removes winter forage habitat for decades, so management approaches based on partial cutting were designed to maintain continuous lichen-bearing habitat for caribou. This study tested a group selection system, based on removal of 33% of the forest every 80 years in small openings (15 m diameter), and two irregular shelterwood treatments (whole-tree and stem-only harvesting methods) where 50% of the stand area is cut every 70 years in 20 to 30 m diameter openings. The abundance of common terrestrial lichens among the partial cutting and no-harvest treatments was compared across five replicate blocks, pre-harvest (1995) and post-harvest (1998, 2000 and 2004). The initial loss of preferred forage lichens (Cladonia, Cladina, Cetraria and Stereocaulon) was similar among harvesting treatments, but there was greater reduction in these lichens in the openings than in the residual forest. After eight years, forage lichens in the group selection treatment recovered to pre-harvest amounts, while lichen in the shelterwood treatments steadily increased from 49 to 57% in 1998 to about 70% of pre-harvest amounts in 2004. Although not part of the randomized block design, there was substantially less lichen in three adjacent clearcut blocks than in the partial cuts. Regression analysis pre- and post-harvest indicated that increased cover of trees, shrubs, herbs, woody debris and logging slash corresponded with decreased forage lichen abundance. In the short-term, forestry activities that minimize inputs of woody debris, control herb and shrub development, and moderate the changes in light and temperatures associated with canopy removal will lessen the impact on lichen. Implementation of stand level prescriptions is only one aspect of caribou habitat management. A comprehensive approach should consider all factors and their interactions to maintain a viable population of woodland caribou in west-central British Columbia.

A module to simulate the impact of western gall rust (Cronartium harknessii) on merchantable volume and lumber yields for lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) stands in British Columbia

2019 ◽  
Vol 49 (11) ◽  
pp. 1379-1391
Author(s):  
Derek F. Sattler ◽  
James W. Goudie ◽  
Richard W. Reich
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Pinus Contorta ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Repeated Measurements ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Stem Infection ◽  
Incidence And Mortality ◽  
Tree Growth Model ◽  
The Impact

Western gall rust (Cronartium harknessii (J.P. Moore) E. Meinecke) is a pathogen that affects lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Douglas ex Loudon var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) and has the potential to reduce lumber product yields derived from stands managed for the commercial production of timber. A dataset containing repeated measurements from 7775 trees located within the province of British Columbia, Canada, was used to develop equations that predict annual rates of stem infection, post-infection mortality, and the location of large stem galls. Results showed that annual rates of infection peaked between 3 and 5 years following stand establishment. Few new infections were predicted to occur beyond the stand age of 15 years. For an individual tree, the probability of first infection increased as its height increased relative to stand top height. The rate of mortality increased with the number of stem infections and was highest among trees infected within the first 3 years following planting. Mortality rates decreased thereafter, with many trees likely to survive to rotation. The equations predicting rust incidence and mortality were added to the Tree and Stand Simulator (TASS), an individual-tree growth model used within the province. A final equation predicting the location of large galls was added and allows TASS to account for losses due to the removal of stem defects during lumber manufacturing.

Barking Damage by Red Squirrels in Juvenile-spaced Lodgepole Pine Stands in South-Central British Columbia

1987 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 28-31 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. P. Brockley ◽  
E. Elmes
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Lodgepole Pine ◽  
Average Diameter ◽  
Practical Method ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Damage Potential ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
South Central ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Fire Origin

A survey was undertaken to assess the incidence and magnitude of barking injuries by red squirrels in juvenile stands of spaced lodgeppole pine in south-central British Columbia. Eleven of the 40 stands surveyed (27.5%) showed evidence of squirrel damage. Within damaged stands, an average of 51% of lodgepole pine crop trees exhibited barking injuries (ranging from 6 to 90%).The average diameter (6.8 cm) of damaged stands was significantly greater than that of undamaged stands (3.9 cm). Sixty-seven percent of stands with average diameters greater than 6 cm showed evidence of barking injuries, while only 11% of stands with average diameters less than 6 cm had been damaged. Squirrels preferentially attacked the larger-diameter stems in damaged stands. Data indicate that fire-origin stands are more susceptible to barking damage than stands naturally regenerated following harvesting.Inability to accurately assess either squirrel damage potential or its impact on growth and yield indicates that a conservative approach is necessary in spacing juvenile lodgepole pine in areas susceptible to squirrel attack. A two-step spacing strategy may be the most practical method of minimizing the impact of squirrel barking injuries. Key words: lodgepole pine, juvenile-spacing, red squirrels.

The Impact of Logging on Red Squirrels in an Idaho Conifer Forest

1986 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 73-76 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dean E. Medin
Keyword(s):  
Pseudotsuga Menziesii ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Conifer Forest ◽  
Population Densities ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Second Year ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) population densities were studied on logged and unlogged plots in an Idaho Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forest. Squirrel population densities were estimated before and after logging by using spot-mapping methods. In the unlogged forest, we estimated 0.75 to 1.25 individuals/ac, but in the second year after logging there were only 0.05 to 0.08 squirrels/ac. Red squirrel densities on logged study plots were less than one-fifth those on unlogged plots. West. J. Appl. For. 1:73-76 July 1986.

Impact of feeding damage by the porcupine on western hemlock – Sitka spruce forests of north-coastal British Columbia

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (3) ◽  
pp. 642-647 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas P. Sullivan ◽  
William T. Jackson ◽  
James Pojar ◽  
Allen Banner
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Small Diameter ◽  
Sitka Spruce ◽  
Control Measures ◽  
Western Hemlock ◽  
Feeding Damage ◽  
Red Cedar ◽  
Total Percentage ◽  
Second Growth ◽  
Coastal British Columbia

This study measured the incidence of feeding damage by porcupines (Erethizondorsatum Allen) within the second-growth western hemlock (Tsugaheterophylla Raf. (Sarg.)) – Sitka spruce (Piceasitchensis (Bong.) Carr.) forest of Khutzeymateen Inlet, 45 km northeast of Prince Rupert, British Columbia. Tree mensuration and damage assessments were conducted in 69 sample plots located on four transects. Western hemlock, which composed 67% of sampled stands, was the most severely (52.7% of trees, of which 5.1% were newly attacked) damaged species followed by Sitka spruce with minor (7.8%) damage. The less frequent amabilis fir (Abiesamabilis (Dougl.) Forbes) and western red cedar Thujaplicata Donn.) were not attacked. The total percentage of girdled (mortality) hemlock stems was 30.9%. Hemlock trees with a dbh > 27.4 cm had 55.9% of stems girdled. Porcupines attacked and girdled a significantly greater proportion of large than small diameter hemlock trees. Stems smaller than 125.5 cm dbh had little (3.7%) damage. Significantly more damage wounds were recorded in the middle and upper thirds of hemlock stems than in the lower bole. Dominant and codominant hemlock were preferred by porcupines in their feeding attacks. In combination with porcupine control measures, these stands clearly require some form of silvicultural treatment, such as sanitation spacing, conducted initially as an operational trial on at least a 20-ha block.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document