scholarly journals The Impact of Variable Retention Harvesting on Growth and Carbon Sequestration of a Red Pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) Plantation Forest in Southern Ontario, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica I. Zugic ◽  
Michael F. J. Pisaric ◽  
Shawn M. McKenzie ◽  
William C. Parker ◽  
Ken A. Elliott ◽  
...  

As atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations continue to rise and global temperatures increase, there is growing concern about the sustainability, health, and carbon sequestration potential of forest ecosystems. Variable retention harvesting (VRH) has been suggested to be a potential method to increase forest biodiversity, growth, and carbon (C) sequestration. A field trial was established in an 88-year-old red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) plantation in southern Ontario, Canada, using a completely randomized design to examine the response of tree productivity and other forest values to five harvesting treatments: 33% aggregate retention (33A), 55% aggregate retention (55A), 33% dispersed retention (33D), and 55% dispersed retention (55D) in comparison to an unharvested control (CN). In this study, we explored the impacts of VRH on aboveground stem radial growth and annual C increment. Standard dendrochronological methods and allometric equations were used to quantify tree- and stand-level treatment effects during a five-year pre-harvest (2009–2013) and post-harvest (2014–2018) period. Tree-level growth and C increment were increased by the dispersed retention pattern regardless of retention level. At the stand level, the total C increment was highest at greater retention levels and did not vary with retention pattern. These results suggest that the choice of retention level and pattern can have a large influence on management objectives as they relate to timber production, climate change adaptation, and/or climate change mitigation.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Zugic ◽  
Michael F. J. Pisaric ◽  
Shawn M. McKenzie ◽  
M. Altaf Arain ◽  
William C. Parker

<p>Variable retention harvesting (VRH) is a silvicultural management practice that has been utilized to promote biodiversity, growth, and carbon sequestration in managed forests. VRH has been implemented as a climate mitigation strategy in response to increased climate warming and more erratic precipitation patterns which are occurring due to anthropogenic production of greenhouse gases. The aim of this study is to determine the impact of VRH and climate change on the inter-annual growth and carbon sequestration in a 20 ha red pine (Pinus resinosa) plantation forest located in southern Ontario, Canada over a 5-year period (2014-2018). The VRH treatment was implemented in 2014 within twenty, 1-hectare plots, which were subjected to one of four experimental thinning treatment types; 33% and 55% crown retention in an aggregated pattern (33A and 55A, respectively); and 33% and 55% crown retention in a dispersed pattern (33D and 55D, respectively), while four plots were maintained as unharvested control (CN) plots. In each plot, approximately sixty 5 mm increment cores were collected from residual trees during the spring and summer of 2019. These cores were processed for annual incremental growth according to standard dendrochronological methods to identify the climatic drivers on growth. Biomass and carbon sequestration were estimated using a species-specific allometric growth equation to quantify the impact of the different VRH treatments on red pine growth. Results of climate-growth assessments indicate that red pine growth in this region is dependent on maximum temperatures and total precipitation during the summer growing season. These relations were best captured in the May-July standard precipitation evapotranspiration index with a 3-month memory (SPEI3). May to August average maximum temperature and May to June total precipitation are also important drivers of red pine growth in all plots. We found that the dispersed crown retention patterns are the only VRH treatments that result in an increase in post-harvest growth; 8.12 ± 9.83% increase for 33D and 7.52 ± 5.71% increase for 55D. This suggests that dispersed retention may spatially optimize growth for the climatic conditions and be best suited for managing these forests under changing climatic conditions in the future. Aggregated treatments are found to have significantly less growth post-harvest; 33A had an average of 0.34 kg less biomass post-harvest (2.50 ± 1.94% decrease) and 55A had an average of 0.44 kg less biomass post-harvest (6.36 ± 3.82 % decrease). Our control sites showed that post-harvest growth showed an average of 0.56 kg less biomass post-harvest (6.01 ± 3.39% decrease). Within the aggregated treatments, exterior trees demonstrated increased growth, annual biomass accumulation, and carbon sequestration compared to trees growing in the interior of the aggregated plots. Our results suggest that dispersed crown retentions are most optimal when the goal of VRH is to increase growth or carbon sequestration. This research is ultimately important in informing future forest management practices in similar plantation forests across southern Ontario and elsewhere in the Great Lakes region and northeastern North America. </p>


2017 ◽  
Vol 385 ◽  
pp. 104-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margaret W. Roberts ◽  
Anthony W. D'Amato ◽  
Christel C. Kern ◽  
Brian J. Palik

2021 ◽  
Vol 3 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carolyn Churchland ◽  
Per Bengtson ◽  
Cindy E. Prescott ◽  
Sue J. Grayston

As an alternative to clear-cutting, variable-retention harvesting is now standard forest management practice on the coast of British Columbia and in temperate forests globally, due to the benefits associated with maintaining mature forest species and forest structural diversity. Although there is some evidence that variable-retention harvesting, particularly single-tree (dispersed) retention will mitigate the impacts of clear-cutting on soil microbial communities and nutrient cycling, findings have been inconsistent. We examined microbial community structure (phospholipid-fatty acid), and nutrient availability (PRSTM probes) in a large (aggregated) retention patch and over three harvesting treatments: dispersed retention, clear-cut and clear-cut edge 2 years after harvest. Unlike previous studies, we did not observe elevated nitrate in the harvested areas, instead ammonium was elevated. Availability of N and other nutrients were surprisingly similar between the dispersed-retention treatment and the retention patch. The microbial community, however, was different in the clear-cut and dispersed-retention treatments, mostly due to significantly lower abundance of fungi combined with an increase in bacteria, specifically Gram-negative bacteria. This was accompanied by lower δ13CPDB value of the Gram-negative PLFA's in these treatments, suggesting the decline in mycorrhizal fungal abundance may have allowed the dominant Gram-negative bacteria to access more of the recently photosynthesized C. This shift in the microbial community composition in the dispersed-retention treatment did not appear to have a major impact on microbial functioning and nutrient availability, indicating that this harvesting practice is more effective at maintaining generic microbial functions/processes. However, as Mn levels were twice as high in the retention patch compared to the harvested treatments, indicating the other “narrow” processes (i.e., those performed by a small number of specialized microorganisms), such as lignin degradation, catalyzed by Mn peroxidase, which concomitantly removes Mn from solution, may be more sensitive to harvesting regimes. The effect of harvesting on such narrow nutrient cycling processes requires further investigation.


1961 ◽  
Vol 93 (12) ◽  
pp. 1098-1112 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. J. Pointing

The European pine shoot moth, Rhyacionia buoliana (Schiff.), has been recognized as a pest of pine plantations since it was described in 1776. Neugebauer (1952) stated that 32 susceptible pine species were known and that scarcely any species were rejected by the insect. Following its accidental introduction into North America about 50 years ago (Busck, 1914) the shoot moth became a serious pest of red pine, Pinus resinosa Ait., which appears to be the most susceptible species (Heikkenen and Miller, 1959). Watson (1947) described the shoot moth as “the most destructive insect affecting hard pines in southern Ontario, and the most difficult to control”. Plantations have been damaged so severely that the planting of red pine has been virtually discontinued within the pest's range.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alanna V Bodo ◽  
M. Altaf Arain

Abstract Background: Variable Retention Harvesting (VRH) is a silvicultural technique applied to enhance forest growth, and restore forest stands to closely resemble their natural compositions. This study used sapflow and understory eddy covariance flux measurements to examine the impacts of four different VRH treatments on the dominant components of evapotranspiration including canopy transpiration and water flux from understory vegetation and soil. These VRH treatments were applied to an 83-year-old red pine (Pinus resinosa) plantation forest in the Great Lakes region in Canada and included 55% aggregated crown retention (55A), 55% dispersed crown retention (55D), 33% aggregated crown retention (33A), 33% dispersed crown retention (33D) and unharvested control (CN) plot. Results: Study results showed a positive relationship between thinning intensity and the growth of understory vegetation, and hence enhanced evapotranspiration. The contribution to evapotranspiration from understory vegetation and soil was more pronounced in the dispersed thinning treatments, as compared to the aggregated. Overall, canopy transpiration contributed to 83% of total evapotranspiration in the un-thinned control plot and 55, 58, 30, and 23% for the 55A, 55D, 33A and 33D plots, respectively. The thinning or retention harvesting enhanced the water use efficiency in all treatments.Conclusion: Our results suggest VRH treatments that follow a dispersed harvesting pattern may provide the optimal balance between forest productivity and evapotranspiration or stand water use. Furthermore, a balance of contributions from both the canopy and successional understory vegetation and soil, as observed in the 55% retention harvesting treatment, may increase the resiliency of forest to climate change. These findings will help researchers, forest managers and decision-makers to improve their understanding of thinning impacts on water and carbon exchanges in forest ecosystems and adopt appropriate forest management practices to enhance their carbon sequestration capabilities, water use efficiency and resilience to climate change.


2009 ◽  
Vol 30 (3) ◽  
pp. 326-334 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. D. Powers ◽  
K. S. Pregitzer ◽  
B. J. Palik ◽  
C. R. Webster

1959 ◽  
Vol 91 (8) ◽  
pp. 478-484 ◽  
Author(s):  
W. Y. Watson ◽  
A. P. Arthur

The European pine shoot moth, Rhyacionia buoliana (Schiff.), was introduced accidentally into Ontario about 1925, and has since spread throughout the southwestern part of the province south of a line from the south shores of Georgian Bay on the west to Brockville on the east (Fig. 1). Damage to the host is done by the larvae, the feeding of which results in the deformation of the branches and main stems, reducing the potential value of the trees as timber and, in heavy infestations, making young trees unsuitable for the Christmas tree trade. Several species of exotic and native pines are attacked; red pine, Pinus resinosa hit,, Scots pine. P. sylvestris L., and Mugho pine, P. mugho Turra, being the most susceptible. Because of the extensive planting of Scots and red pine in southern Ontario, especially during the last 25 years, the increasing numbers of European pine shoot moth in this area present a problem of great importance. Contributing to an understanding of this important pest, this paper presents a detailed review of the parasites obtained in Ontario since 1954, with some notes on earlier surveys.


1961 ◽  
Vol 39 (6) ◽  
pp. 1437-1445 ◽  
Author(s):  
Erik Jorgensen

Basidiospores of Fomes annosus (Fr.) Cke. were found to be wind-dispersed and to be deposited on soil, seedlings, tools, and other objects in the fields of the Provincial Forest Tree Nursery at St. Williams, Ontario.Spores deposited on the root systems and needles of red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) nursery seedlings remained viable and ungerminated for 8 weeks, while the seedlings were kept in shipping bales and storage. Direct infection of seedlings was not observed under these conditions. However, roots of recently cut trees were successfully infected with F. annosus, when basidiospores carried on seedlings were transferred to the surfaces of roots wounded in a planting process.The danger of the spread of Fomes root rot from southern Ontario into northern Ontario is discussed. A delay of 2 to 3 years in replanting cut-over areas is suggested as a possible preventive measure against the introduction of F. annosus with planting stock.


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