Soil hydrological properties and conditions, site preparation, and the long-term performance of planted Scots pine (<em>Pinus sylvestris</em> L.) on upland forest sites in Finnish Lapland

Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies L. Karst.) forests dominate in Finnish Lapland. This study examined the long-term effects of soil physical properties and conditions measured in intact intermediate areas, as well as site preparation, on the survival and height growth of planted pine on eight experimental sites, 25-27 yr after reforestation. On the four originally spruce-dominated sites, pine survival was the highest on sites with a high soil air-filled porosity (AFP) near saturation (at -1 kPa), a high van Genuchten parameter, and a low soil water content (SWC) in situ, and height growth was the fastest on sites with a high soil AFP in situ and a high van Genuchten parameter n, and on sites reaching a soil AFP of ca. 0.20 m3 m-3 at a high matric potential after saturation. Survival, but not mean height, was enhanced on the spruce sites by intensive site preparation methods such as ploughing instead of lighter site preparation methods. On the four originally pine-dominated sites, site preparation affected the mean height but not survival. The use of SWC as a sole criterion for sites suitable for pine reforestation was tested and found to be uncertain. Key words: Boreal forest soils, soil water content, air-filled porosity, van Genuchten function, site preparation, reforestation, Scots pine

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Réponse à la sécheresse de conifères indigènes et exotiques: une étude dendroécologique

Schweizerische Zeitschrift fur Forstwesen ◽

10.3188/szf.2015.0372 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 166 (6) ◽

pp. 372-379 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Mathieu Lévesque ◽

Andreas Rigling ◽

Peter Brang

Keyword(s):

Scots Pine ◽

Native Species ◽

Douglas Fir ◽

Swiss Alps ◽

Black Pine ◽

Central Alps ◽

Swiss Plateau ◽

Long Term Performance ◽

Term Performance

Drought response of native and non-native conifers: a dendroecological study The sensitivity to drought of five conifers was studied along a climatic gradient covering the northern flank of the Swiss Alps, the Swiss Plateau, the Jura foothills and the central Alps. Three native species, i.e., Norway spruce, Scots pine and European larch, and two non-native species, i.e., Douglas fir and black pine, were analyzed. A total of 770 trees on 14 sites were sampled. To assess the sensitivity of conifers to drought, dendroecological analyses were performed for the period 1941–2006. On dry sites in the central Alps, spring water deficits sharply reduce growth, while on mesic sites located on the Swiss Plateau and the Jura foothills summer droughts significantly restrict growth. Spruce, larch and Scots pine are, depending on the site conditions, the most vulnerable species to extreme droughts, which implies that their long-term performance and survival may be compromised if the climate becomes warmer and drier. Conversely, black pine and Douglas fir were less drought-sensitive and grew faster than native species along the gradient. Selecting species with different but complementary strategies regarding drought could secure the productivity and efficiency of water use of forest stands and increase their resistance to climate change.

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