scholarly journals Moose Browsing Tends Spruce Plantations More Efficiently Than a Single Mechanical Release

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (11) ◽  
pp. 1138
Author(s):  
Laurent De Vriendt ◽  
Nelson Thiffault ◽  
Alejandro A. Royo ◽  
Martin Barrette ◽  
Jean-Pierre Tremblay
Keyword(s):  
Basal Area ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Management Service ◽  
Competing Species ◽  
Large Herbivores ◽  
Sapling Density ◽  
Moose Browsing ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management ◽  
Mechanical Release

Forest vegetation management can improve planted seedling survival and growth and is thus widely used in plantation silviculture. In some jurisdictions, mechanical release using brushsaws has replaced the traditional use of chemical herbicides for forest vegetation management purposes. However, its associated costs and the increasing difficulty of finding qualified labor represent a challenge. The browsing of competition by large herbivores may represent an alternative to mechanical release when planted seedlings are resistant to browsing. Here, we compare the efficacy of moose browsing relative to mechanical release in controlling competing vegetation and in promoting white spruce growth in plantations. In a high moose density region, we used an experimental design consisting of four pairs of moose exclosures and unfenced plots; fifty percent of both the access-restricted and unrestricted study areas received a mechanical release treatment. Moose browsing was more efficient than mechanical release in diminishing the sapling density and basal area of competing species. Mechanical release only reduced the sapling density of taller competitors (height > 201 cm), whereas browsing reduced the sapling densities of competitors across a greater size range (height > 130 cm). These effects of moose browsing on competition translated into a greater positive effect of moose browsing on the basal area of planted spruces. We attribute the higher effectiveness of moose browsing relative to mechanical release to its chronic nature. Moose browsed continuously throughout the year and for multiple years, whereas mechanical release was applied only one time between the second and fourth years after planting. Our results suggest that pairing wildlife management and silviculture decisions could be in the best interest of both the hunting and forestry industries in regions where plantations are frequent and use browse-resistant crop trees. Favouring browsers in controlling the density of competing species could increase the hunting experience and income, while providing an effective, cost-free, and socially acceptable forest vegetation management service.

Competition and critical-period thresholds for vegetation management decisions in young conifer stands

2000 ◽  
Vol 76 (6) ◽  
pp. 961-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Critical Period ◽  
Yield Loss ◽  
Plant Competition ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Vegetation Density ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Young Forest ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

Thresholds define the time when management action is required to prevent a loss in yield, but have remained relatively elusive in forest vegetation management. Hundreds of studies quantifying the effects of competing vegetation in young forest stands, however, have produced reasonably consistent patterns and magnitudes of tree responses. These consistencies reveal a set of general guidelines that can be used to assist forest managers in deciding when vegetation management treatments are needed. Among the variety of vegetation management thresholds that have been defined, competition and critical-period thresholds can be interpreted from existing forest vegetation research. Competition thresholds define the vegetation density at which yield loss begins to occur and varies depending on whether the manager's objective is to maximize survival, height increment, basal area growth, or biomass. These interactions also appear to vary depending on whether woody or herbaceous plants are the principal competitors. The critical-period threshold defines the time period when vegetation control must occur to prevent yield loss. Results from one critical-period study indicate that capturing the potential for conifer growth requires control of vegetation for the first several years after planting. Key words: interspecific plant competition, forest vegetation management, intensive silviculture, stand dynamics

What are the Environmental Consequences of Using Silviculturally Effective Forest Vegetation Management Treatments?

2011 ◽  
Vol 87 (02) ◽  
pp. 201-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kathie Swift ◽  
F. Wayne Bell
Keyword(s):  
Best Management Practices ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Environmental Indicators ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Resource Managers ◽  
Harvesting Systems ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

In this paper, we present examples of stand-level consequences of using forest vegetation management treatments in boreal and temperate forest ecosystems in Canada. Specifically, we address several selected indicators: air and water quality, soils and nutrients, plant diversity, and wildlife habitat. For each of these, we discuss direct and indirect effects of five broad categories of treatments: (1) silviculture and harvesting systems and (2) physical, (3) thermal, (4) cultural, and (5) chemical/biological treatments. Our emphasis is on forest vegetation management treatments that are currently used in Canada to manage conifers. By applying regulations and best management practices, conducting landscape-level analyses and developing longer-term monitoring programs resource managers can minimize the effects of FVM treatments on the environmental indicators presented in this paper.

Use of remote sensing for forest vegetation management: A problem analysis

1997 ◽  
Vol 73 (4) ◽  
pp. 459-477 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas G. Pitt ◽  
Robert G. Wagner ◽  
Ronald J. Hall ◽  
Douglas J. King ◽  
Donald G. Leckie ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Remote Sensing ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Aerial Photographs ◽  
Problem Analysis ◽  
Area Index ◽  
Sensing Applications ◽  
Computer Based ◽  
Digital Frame ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

Forest managers require accurate and timely data that describe vegetation conditions on cutover areas to assess vegetation development and prescribe actions necessary to achieve forest regeneration objectives. Needs for such data are increasing with current emphasis on ecosystem management, escalating silvicultural treatment costs, evolving computer-based decision support tools, and demands for greater accountability. Deficiencies associated with field survey methods of data acquisition (e.g. high costs, subjectivity, and low spatial and temporal coverage) frequently limit decision-making effectiveness. The potential for remotely sensed data to supplement field-collected forest vegetation management data was evaluated in a problem analysis consisting of a comprehensive literature review and consultation with remote sensing and vegetation management experts at a national workshop. Among curently available sensors, aerial photographs appear to offer the most suitable combination of characteristics, including high spatial resolution, stereo coverage, a range of image scales, a variety of film, lens, and camera options, capability for geometric correction, versatility, and moderate cost. A flexible strategy that employs a sequence of 1:10,000-, 1:5,000-, and 1:500-scale aerial photographs is proposed to: 1) accurately map cutover areas, 2) facilitate location-specific prescriptions for silvicultural treatments, sampling, buffer zones, wildlife areas, etc., and 3) monitor and document conditions and activities at specific points during the regeneration period. Surveys that require very detailed information on smaller plants (<0.5-m tall) and/or individual or rare plant species are not likely to be supported by current remote sensing technologies. Recommended areas for research include : 1) digital frame cameras, or other cost-effective digital imagers, as replacements for conventional cameras, 2) computer-based classification and interpretation algorithms for digital image data, 3) relationships between image measures and physical measures, such as leaf-area index and biomass, 4) imaging standards, 5) airborne video, laser altimeters, and radar as complementary sensors, and 6) remote sensing applications in partial cutting systems. Key words: forest vegetation management, regeneration, remote sensing, aerial photography

Are chemical or mechanical treatments more sustainable for forest vegetation management in the context of the TRIAD?

2006 ◽  
Vol 82 (6) ◽  
pp. 806-818 ◽  
Author(s):  
Julien Fortier ◽  
Christian Messier
Keyword(s):  
Fibre Production ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Ecological Impacts ◽  
Worker Safety ◽  
Chemical Treatments ◽  
Chemical Release ◽  
Functional Zoning ◽  
Intensively Managed ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

Chemical and mechanical forest vegetation management (FVM) treatments are analyzed and compared to assess which is the most sustainable in intensively managed plantations in the context of the TRIAD. At the biological and ecological level, herbicides have been found to have more impacts on flora and fauna compared to mechanical treatments, but the differences are of short duration. The effects of noise generated by manual or mechanical brushing on wildlife have not been investigated, however. Local application of herbicide at the base of the tree should further lower these impacts. At the social level, the general public has a negative perception of chemical treatments, while mechanical treatments are well perceived. However, in terms of worker safety, chemical treatments are less risky than manual brushing (brushsaw or chainsaw). At the economic level, herbicides globally cost less and are more effective at increasing fibre production than mechanical operations. We conclude that it is difficult to assess globally what is the most sustainable option to control competing vegetation. However, the careful use of herbicide may be the most sustainable option if the added productivity thus obtained is used to increase protected areas and ecosystem-based management, as is intended with the TRIAD concept. Key words: forest vegetation management, chemical release, mechanical release, functional zoning, plantations, ecological impacts, social impacts, economical impacts, intensive management, sustainable forestry

The state of forest vegetation management in Europe in the 21st century

2010 ◽  
Vol 130 (1) ◽  
pp. 7-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick McCarthy ◽  
Niclas Scott Bentsen ◽  
Ian Willoughby ◽  
Philippe Balandier
Keyword(s):  
21St Century ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
The State ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

scholarly journals Interactive Effects of Stock Type and Forest Vegetation Management Treatments on Douglas-Fir Seedling Growth and Survival—Ten-Year Results

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1002 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wightman ◽  
Gonzalez-Benecke ◽  
Dinger
Keyword(s):  
Plant Cover ◽  
Growing Season ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Action Control ◽  
Douglas Fir ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Shrub Cover ◽  
Growth And Survival ◽  
Stock Type ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

In the Pacific Northwest, the use of forest vegetation management (FVM) and seedling stock type selection are important tools to ensure seedling establishment according to organizational objectives and state laws. Individually, these two reforestation decisions have been shown to increase growth and survival of Douglas-fir seedlings, however, the interaction between seedling stock type and level of vegetation control represents economic and ecologic tradeoffs that are less well understood. This study was designed to test the combined effects of three FVM regimes and three containerized stock types, one of which was experimental at the time, on Douglas-fir growth during the initial ten years of establishment on a site near Belfair, Washington (USA). When compared to the no-action control, FVM treatments reduced competitive plant cover below 20% during the year of application, and differences in vegetation cover persisted through the fifth growing season. Vegetation species diversity recovered quickly after FVM and there were no differences among the treatments by the third growing season. After ten growing seasons, trees in plots treated with FVM were 1.1 m taller with a mean diameter at breast height (DBH) 2.2 cm larger than those in the no-action control. Larger seedlings at the time of planting (styro-60) were 0.6 m taller with a mean DBH 1.1 cm larger than smaller seedlings (styro-8 and styro-15). The only significant stock type by FVM interaction in the experiment occurred with the survival of styro-60 seedlings growing in the no action control which had lower survival than all other treatment combinations (67% vs 91%). The long-term competitive impact of shrub cover was demonstrated by a strong non-linear relationship. Increasing cumulative shrub cover from 10% to 30% during the first two years of establishment reduced stand volume at year 10 by 79%.

Research directions to advance forest vegetation management in North America

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2317-2327 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G. Wagner
Keyword(s):  
Management Practices ◽  
Public Attitudes ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Ecosystem Impacts ◽  
Forestry Practices ◽  
Social Interface ◽  
Biological Methods ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

Research in forest vegetation management has followed the agricultural paradigm. Shifting public attitudes about forestry practices, however, are forcing forest managers to seek alternative approaches to managing forest vegetation. Applied research is needed to (i) search for alternatives to current uses of forest herbicides, (ii) more fully document and understand crop tree responses to vegetation manipulation, (iii) construct growth and yield models that link effects produced in young stands with those of older stands, and (iv) better understand the relationship between wildlife and vegetation management. Fundamental research also is needed to (i) understand the ecosystem impacts and processes associated with vegetation management practices, (ii) develop biological methods for forest weed control, and (iii) understand the social interface with forest vegetation management.

scholarly journals Yield Responses of Black Spruce to Forest Vegetation Management Treatments: Initial Responses and Rotational Projections

2012 ◽  
Vol 2012 ◽  
pp. 1-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter F. Newton
Keyword(s):  
Fixed Effects ◽  
Model Simulation ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Coniferous Forest ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Forest Vegetation ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Basal Diameter ◽  
Yield Responses ◽  
Forest Vegetation Management

The objectives of this study were to (1) quantitatively summarize the early yield responses of black spruce (Picea mariana(Mill.) B.S.P.) to forest vegetation management (FVM) treatments through a meta-analytical review of the scientific literature, and (2) given (1), estimate the rotational consequences of these responses through model simulation. Based on a fixed-effects meta-analytic approach using 44 treated-control yield pairs derived from 12 experiments situated throughout the Great Lakes—St. Lawrence and Canadian Boreal Forest Regions, the resultant mean effect size (response ratio) and associated 95% confidence interval for basal diameter, total height, stem volume, and survival responses, were respectively: 54.7% (95% confidence limits (lower/upper): 34.8/77.6), 27.3% (15.7/40.0), 198.7% (70.3/423.5), and 2.9% (−5.5/11.8). The results also indicated that early and repeated treatments will yield the largest gains in terms of mean tree size and survival. Rotational simulations indicated that FVM treatments resulted in gains in stand-level operability (e.g., reductions of 9 and 5 yr for plantations established on poor-medium and good-excellent site qualities, resp.). The challenge of maintaining coniferous forest cover on recently disturbed sites, attaining statutory-defined free-to-grow status, and ensuring long-term productivity, suggest that FVM will continue to be an essential silvicultural treatment option when managing black spruce plantations.

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