Cone depredations by the red squirrel in black spruce stands in Newfoundland: implications for commercial cone collection

1989 ◽  
Vol 19 (9) ◽  
pp. 1207-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. J. West
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Spruce Stands

The proportions of black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) cones per tree that were removed by red squirrels, Tamiasciurushudsonicus (Erxleben), in years with small cone crops (1985–1987) ranged from 15 to 64% by the end of August and from 64 to 96% by the beginning of October, whereas in a year with a good cone crop (1988), less than 1% of cones had been taken by October. To minimize depredation of cones by squirrels, commercial cone collecting is recommended for a short period beginning in late August during years with small cone crops, whereas a lengthy period of commercial cone collection beginning in late August is suggested for years with large cone crops.

SEASONAL DAMAGE BY INSECTS AND SQUIRRELS TO FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES OF BLACK SPRUCE, PICEA MARIANA (MILL.) B.S.P.

1988 ◽  
Vol 120 (12) ◽  
pp. 1113-1121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Y.H. Prévost ◽  
J.E. Laing ◽  
V.F. Haavisto
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽  
Tamiasciurus Hudsonicus ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Reproductive Structures ◽  
Cone Axis ◽  
Viable Seeds ◽  
Cone Growth

AbstractThe seasonal damage to female reproductive structures (buds, flowers, and cones) of black spruce, Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P., was assessed during 1983 and 1984. Nineteen insects (five Orders) and the red squirrel, Tamiasciurus hudsonicus (Erxleben), were found feeding on these reproductive structures. Collectively, these organisms damaged 88.9 and 53.5% of the cones in 1983 and 1984, respectively. In the 2 years, Lepidoptera damaged 61.8% of the cones in 1983 and 44.4% of the cones in 1984. The spruce budworm, Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem.), and the spruce coneworm, Dioryctria reniculelloides Mut. and Mun., were the most important pests. Cones damaged by Lepidoptera could be classed into three categories: (a) severe, yielding no seeds; (b) moderate, yielding 22.3 seeds per cone; and (c) light, yielding 37.5 seeds per cone. Undamaged cones yielded on average 39.9 seeds per cone. Red squirrels removed 18.8% of the cones in 1983 and none in 1984. The spruce cone axis midge, Dasineura rachiphaga Tripp, and the spruce cone maggot, Lasiomma anthracinum (Czerny), caused minor damage in both years. Feeding by spruce cone axis midge did not reduce cone growth significantly or the number of viable seeds per cone, but feeding by the spruce cone maggot did. During both years new damage by insects to the female reproductive structures of the experimental trees was not observed after mid-July. In 1983 damage by red squirrels occurred from early to late September. In 1984 damage to cones on trees treated with dimethoate was 15.6% compared with 53.5% for untreated trees, without an increase in the number of aborted cones.

The effect of advance regeneration height on future yield of black spruce stands

1995 ◽  
Vol 25 (4) ◽  
pp. 536-544 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Pothier ◽  
René Doucet ◽  
Jocelyn Boily
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Site Quality ◽  
Management Tools ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Advance Regeneration ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Index Site ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Stand Height

The advance regeneration often present following clear-cutting in black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) stands is generally composed of individuals of various heights. This initial height difference is hypothesized to affect the yield of the future stand. Height of the advance regeneration at time of release was determined on several black spruce trees within 33 stands distributed across the boreal forest of the province of Quebec, Canada. From these data, a regeneration structure index was developed and used to explain a part of the variation in subsequent stand yield. Dominant trees of stands developing for 38 to 65 years since clear-cutting generally originated from the tallest advance regeneration at time of release. Stands with the tallest regeneration at time of release produced the largest yields for a given site quality and number of years since harvesting. A 3-m increase in advance-regeneration height resulted in a similar yield gain as a 3-m increase in site index. Site indices calculated from age-height relationships of dominant trees originating from tall advance regeneration were less than those calculated from trees that have undergone a relatively short period of suppression. These results suggest that traditional management tools developed for fire-origin black spruce stands, i.e., stands mainly composed of seed-origin trees established after perturbation, should be adjusted for clearcut-origin stands that largely develop from advance regeneration.

Short-term use of different residual forest structures by three sciurid species in a clear-cut boreal landscape

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (10) ◽  
pp. 1805-1815 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mathieu Côté ◽  
Jean Ferron
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Flying Squirrel ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Eastern Chipmunk ◽  
Northern Flying Squirrel ◽  
Forestry Practices ◽  
Riparian Strips

We compared the abundance of red squirrel (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus Erxleben), northern flying squirrel (Glaucomys sabrinus Shaw), and eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus L.) in three types of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) residual forest 3 to 5 years after logging (upland strips, riparian strips, and forest blocks) in central Quebec, Canada. Controls consisted of mature forest undisturbed by forestry practices. Despite their sporadic occurrence, northern flying squirrels and eastern chipmunks were captured in the three residual forest types as well as in control sites. Red squirrels inhabited all types of residual forest and no differences in densities were found between residual forest treatments and controls. Juvenile recruitment, return rate (survival), and body mass were also similar for red squirrels in all treatments. However, midden abundance was higher in controls and blocks than in strips. In the short term, red squirrel populations maintain themselves in all types of residual black spruce forests after logging. The northern flying squirrel and the eastern chipmunk appear to tolerate the presence of logging disturbances and are present at low density in the different types of residual forests.

scholarly journals Comparative Height Growth of Eastern Larch and Black Spruce in Northwestern Ontario

1978 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 296-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Mead
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Larix Laricina ◽  
Stem Analysis ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Analysis Methods ◽  
Spruce Stands

Height growth of eastern larch (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) was determined using standard stem analysis methods on trees from two sites in northwestern Ontario. The data were obtained from mixed larch-spruce stands which were relatively undisturbed. The larch exhibited substantially better height growth than the spruce through age 65.

A novel dicistrovirus in a captive red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

2021 ◽  
Vol 102 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Akbar Dastjerdi ◽  
David J. Everest ◽  
Hannah Davies ◽  
Daniela Denk ◽  
Roland Zell
Keyword(s):  
Genome Organization ◽  
New Genus ◽  
Mammalian Species ◽  
Particle Morphology ◽  
Intestinal Content ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Sciurus Vulgaris ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
The Family ◽  
Generation Sequencing

Dicistroviruses are single-stranded RNA viruses in the family Dicistroviridae. The viruses have mainly been detected in arthropods and are the cause of several devastating diseases in many of these species such as honeybees. Increasingly, dicistroviruses have also been detected in both mammalian and avian species in faeces, blood and liver, but with unconfirmed pathology. Here, we report a novel dicistrovirus detected in the intestinal content of a captive red squirrel with enteritis along with the disease history, pathology and genomic characterisation of the virus. Virus particle morphology resembled those of picornaviruses with a diameter of 28–32 nm but failed to be detected using a mammalian/avian pan viral microarray. Next-generation sequencing confirmed a dicistrovirus having a typical dicistrovirus genome organization, but with the polyprotein 1 being shorter by about 100 amino acids, compared to that of other dicistroviruses. Phylogenetic analysis of ORF1 and ORF2 sequences clustered the virus with two yet unassigned dicistroviruses detected in Gorilla gorilla and a freshwater arthropod and likely to be designated to a new genus. Our data further highlights the ever-growing diversity of dicistroviruses, but the clinical significance of the virus in mammalian species and particularly red squirrels has yet to be established.

scholarly journals The spinal nerves that constitute the brachial plexus in the red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris)

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (No. 8) ◽  
pp. 405-408 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Aydin
Keyword(s):  
Brachial Plexus ◽  
Red Squirrel ◽  
Sciurus Vulgaris ◽  
Red Squirrels ◽  
Spinal Nerves

The brachial plexus in adult red squirrels (Sciurus vulgaris) was found to be formed by the rami ventralis of C5, C6, C7, C8. A thin branch of C5 and C6 constituted the cranial trunk, and the caudal trunk was formed completely by the rami ventralis of C7 and C8. Thus, in squirrels, the spinal nerves which form the brachial plexus and the joining of these spinal nerves to each other differ from other rodents and mammals.

scholarly journals Sample Sizes Required To Estimate Defoliation of Spruce and Balsam Fir Caused by Spruce Budworm Accurately

1998 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 135-140 ◽  
Author(s):  
David A. MacLean ◽  
Wayne E. MacKinnon
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Sample Sizes ◽  
Preliminary Assessment ◽  
Travel Costs ◽  
Host Trees ◽  
Sampling Protocols ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Number Of Branches

Abstract Data from the assessment of current defoliation levels on 172,000 individual shoots from 6890 midcrown branches sampled from balsam fir and spruce stands were used to define sampling protocols for assessing defoliation caused by spruce budworm. The method was based on sampling one midcrown branch from each of x host trees per stand, and assessing defoliation of y individual shoots per branch. Both the number of shoots per branch and the number of branches required per stand varied with host species (balsam fir, white spruce, or red-black spruce) and with average defoliation level. Sample sizes required to estimate mean defoliation with 90% confidence that the confidence interval is ±10% ranged from 7 to 24 branches per stand and from 17 to 58 shoots per branch, with the largest samples required at moderate (31-70%) defoliation levels. Estimated costs of shoot and branch sampling and processing ranged from $40-110/stand, based on a 90% confidence level salary rate of $12(Can.)/hr, and excluding travel costs. Results can be applied using a preliminary assessment to determine the general defoliation level, which along with species, determines the required sample size. North. J. Appl. For. 15(3):135-140.

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.

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