scholarly journals Natural Regeneration of the Tree Stand in the Bilberry Spruce Forest—Clear-Cutting Ecotone Complex in the First Post-Logging Decade

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1542
Author(s):  
Nadezhda V. Genikova ◽  
Viktor N. Mamontov ◽  
Alexander M. Kryshen ◽  
Vladimir A. Kharitonov ◽  
Sergey A. Moshnikov ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting

Bilberry spruce forests are the most widespread forest type in the European boreal zone. Limiting the clear-cuttings size leads to fragmentation of forest cover and the appearance of large areas of ecotone complexes, composed of forest (F), a transition from forest to the cut-over site under tree canopy (FE), a transition from forest to the cut-over site beyond tree canopy (CE), and the actual clear-cut site (C). Natural regeneration of woody species (spruce, birch, rowan) in the bilberry spruce stand—clear-cut ecotone complex was studied during the first decade after logging. The effects produced by the time since cutting, forest edge aspect, and the ground cover on the emergence and growth of trees and shrubs under forest canopy and openly in the clear-cut were investigated. Estimating the amount and size of different species in the regeneration showed FE and CE width to be 8 m—roughly half the height of first-story trees. Typical forest conditions (F) feature a relatively small amount of regenerating spruce and birch. The most favorable conditions for natural regeneration of spruce in the clear-cut—mature bilberry spruce stand ecotone are at the forest edge in areas of transition both towards the forest and towards the clear-cut (FE and CE). Clear-cut areas farther from the forest edge (C) offer an advantage to regenerating birch, which grows densely and actively in this area.

Blue Grouse—Effects on, and Influences of, a Changing Forest

1985 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 185-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred C. Zwickel ◽  
James F. Bendell
Keyword(s):  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Management Practices ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Continuous Production ◽  
Rotation Period ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Dendragapus Obscurus

Blue grouse (Dendragapus obscurus) may increase spectacularly in lowland Pacific coast forest that has been logged by clear-cutting. Locally, they may be used heavily by hunters, and more subtly, by nonconsumptive recreationsists. They can be sufficiently abundant to affect the survival of young conifers, the distribution of seeds and, perhaps, nutrient cycling. Blue grouse can represent a major component of the faunal biomass on a given area.Local populations of blue grouse change mainly as a result of forest management practices on lowland breeding ranges. Logging at higher elevations probably will not produce grouse in equivalent densities, and the implications of increased logging on winter range (at even higher elevations) are unknown.Current logging and silvicultural practices have both positive and negative effects on blue grouse. Newly logged lowlands are colonized rapidly by "surplus" grouse from nearby, established populations. They may persist in variable, but unpredictable, densities until forest canopy approaches 75% coverage. Populations decline due to non replacement of adults that die. Although clear-cutting often results in short-term, and occasionally large, increases in numbers, these persist for only about 25% or less of a planned rotation period. The productive period for occupancy by grouse may be shortened by early planting, planting everywhere, fertilization with urea, and by large, even-aged plantations. The productive period may be extended by delayed planting, a wider spacing within plantations, not planting sites of low timber productivity and, perhaps, by intensive thinning throughout the forest rotation, or cutting in small patches.An important key to continuous maintenance of breeding populations of blue grouse appears to be the presence of a well-developed and diverse understory. Alternatives to present clear-cutting practices that would leave a more open tree canopy would probably provide continuous production of grouse and many other species, albeit at a lower density than sometimes results from present programs. Experimental forests that can be manipulated in conjunction with long-term studies of the effects of these manipulations on wildlife are needed if we are to integrate forest - wildlife management practices fully. Keywords: blue grouse, Dendragapus obscurus, populations, clear-cut logging, silviculture, forest succession.

Temporal changes in boreal forest tree canopy cover along a gradient of gamma radiation

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 15-20 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. D. Amiro ◽  
J. R. Dugle
Keyword(s):  
Gamma Radiation ◽  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Gamma Rays ◽  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Dose Rates ◽  
Tree Canopy Cover

A forest site in southeastern Manitoba has been irradiated by a point source of gamma rays continuously since 1973, and measurements have been made yearly to study the change in boreal forest canopy cover along the radiation gradient. After 10 years of chronic irradiation, a zone of total tree death has resulted from mean dose rates between 25 and 62 mGy h−1. Tree canopy cover was reduced at mean dose rates exceeding ~ 4.5 mGy h−1 and the largest reduction occurred in the first 2 years of irradiation. The temporal responses of seven woody species to gamma radiation are presented. Bebb's willow, trembling aspen, speckled alder, and paper birch were less sensitive to radiation than black spruce, balsam fir, and jack pine. The results confirm that gymnosperms are more sensitive to gamma rays than angiosperms.

Changes in bacterial populations in a clear-cut beech forest soil planted with spruce

1983 ◽  
Vol 29 (6) ◽  
pp. 644-648 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thu Kauri
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Soil Bacteria ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Beech Forest ◽  
Ground Vegetation ◽  
Soil Environment ◽  
Bacterial Populations ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Multipoint Method

A beech forest after clear-cutting was replanted with spruce. To study how this perturbation affected soil bacteria and their physiological capabilities, an investigation was undertaken 4 years after the change of forest type. Compared with an earlier study in the beech forest, from 1972 to 1975, conducted immediately before clear-cutting, bacterial numbers in the young spruce plantation had increased; an exception was the upper layer (A00), where the numbers decreased. The population densities of bacteria decomposing xylan, pectin, starch, cellulose, and chitin were estimated by a direct multipoint method. The numbers of bacteria in all the physiological groups studied were higher in 1979–1980, with the same exception as before (A00). The greatest changes occurred in the upper horizons. There were considerable changes in the soil environment after the former beech litter fall ceased; the forest floor became more exposed, and the ground vegetation changed. Changes took place in soil properties, such as organic matter and pH. A slight increase in pH was observed in all horizons except in A00, and organic matter increased in two of the horizons (A01/A1; A1).

Spatial simulation of forest succession and timber harvesting using LANDIS

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J Gustafson ◽  
Stephen R Shifley ◽  
David J Mladenoff ◽  
Kevin K Nimerfro ◽  
Hong S He
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Size Class ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Wide Range

The LANDIS model simulates ecological dynamics, including forest succession, disturbance, seed dispersal and establishment, fire and wind disturbance, and their interactions. We describe the addition to LANDIS of capabilities to simulate forest vegetation management, including harvest. Stands (groups of cells) are prioritized for harvest using one of four ranking algorithms that use criteria related to forest management objectives. Cells within a selected stand are harvested according to the species and age cohort removal rules specified in a prescription. These flexible removal rules allow simulation of a wide range of prescriptions such as prescribed burning, thinning, single-tree selection, and clear-cutting. We present a case study of the application of LANDIS to a managed watershed in the Missouri (U.S.A.) Ozark Mountains to illustrate the utility of this approach to simulate succession as a response to forest management and other disturbance. The different cutting practices produced differences in species and size-class composition, average patch sizes (for patches defined by forest type or by size class), and amount of forest edge across the landscape. The capabilities of LANDIS provide a modeling tool to investigate questions of how timber management changes forest composition and spatial pattern, providing insight into ecological response to forest management.

Effects of clear-cutting on the vegetation and soil of an eastern hemlock dominated ecosystem, western Upper Michigan

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 914-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Hix ◽  
Burton V. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Eastern Hemlock ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Nutrient Contents ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Recreation Area

The effects of clear-cutting on the vegetation and soil of an ecosystem dominated by eastern hemlock (Tsugacanadensis (L.) Carr.) were studied at four locations along the boundaries of the Sylvania Recreation Area (Ottawa National Forest) in western Upper Michigan, U.S.A. The position of commercially clear-cut areas along the boundaries of the relatively undisturbed 8500-ha tract provided the opportunity to examine the probable effects of clear-cutting after an average of 46 years afterward. Clear-cutting resulted in the virtual elimination of hemlock from the overstory; it was replaced by a mixed forest of red maple (Acerrubrum L.), yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britt.), sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.), and balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea L.). The ecological species groups characteristic of the ground cover of the uncut plots were not substantially different from the groups now present on the clear-cut plots. The thickness, mass, and nutrient (K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) contents of the forest floor decreased significantly, and the acidity and nutrient contents of the upper mineral soil increased slightly. The replacement of hemlock by hardwoods has slowly decreased the acidity and apparently increased the rate of nutrient cycling. It appears that without major disturbance, such as fire, hemlock is not likely to regain dominance following clear-cutting owing to failure to regenerate naturally.

Clear-cutting and regeneration practices in Quebec boreal balsam fir forest: effects on snowshoe hare

2001 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 41-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sonia de Bellefeuille ◽  
Louis Bélanger ◽  
Jean Huot ◽  
Agathe Cimon
Keyword(s):  
Boreal Forest ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Lepus Americanus ◽  
Seedling Stage ◽  
Snowshoe Hare ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Term Basis ◽  
Protective Cover

We compared utilization by the snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus Erxleben) of recent clearcuts subjected to three regeneration scenarios commonly used in boreal forest: natural regeneration, plantation with herbicide release (glyphosate), and plantation with manual release (brushsaw). Refuges for snowshoe hare, on a landscape dominated by clearcuts, were also investigated. Colonization of regenerating sites by the hare comes late in the humid boreal forest because clear-cut stands take more than 10 years to reach the sapling stage. Our sites were in the seedling stage 7–9 years after cutting, and hares avoided them year round because of an inadequate protective cover. Therefore, regeneration treatments did not affect habitat use by the hare on a short-term basis. During the seedling stage, the snowshoe hare were found in the remaining forest which occupied at least 25% of the area of each home range. The preservation of residual forests is thus essential to maintain local populations on an area dominated by commercial clearcuts.

scholarly journals Gap dynamics in Balsam Fir, Abies balsamea - Yellow Birch, Betula alleghaniensis, forests of Québec

2009 ◽  
Vol 123 (2) ◽  
pp. 117 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rémi Hébert ◽  
Jean Huot
Keyword(s):  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Regeneration Process ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Gap Dynamics ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Gap Characteristics

To determine if gap dynamics can play an important role in the natural regeneration process of Balsam Fir (Abies balsamea)-Yellow Birch (Betula alleghaniensis) forests and to determine the effects of gap characteristics on regenerating woody species, we sampled 119 gaps from 64 forest stands in La Mauricie National Park. Gaps averaged 184.5 m² in size. The mean gap age was 7.8 years. Gaps were usually created by broken or uprooted trees and only rarely resulted from Spruce Budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreaks. We found 25 species that regenerated in the gaps or under the forest cover. When considering all species, significantly more stems/ha were in gaps than under the forest cover. Gap characteristics generally did not influence regenerating woody species. We present a comprehensive model of gap dynamics in Balsam Fir-Yellow Birch forests, starting from a dense canopy, continuing with the creation and colonization of gaps, and ending to the closure of the canopy. Gap dynamics play an important role in the natural regeneration process of Balsam Fir-Yellow Birch forests.Afin de déterminer si la dynamique par trouée peut jouer un rôle important comme processus naturel de régénération de la sapinière à Bouleau Jaune et aussi afin de déterminer les effets des caractéristiques des trouées sur la régénération, nous avons échantillonné 119 trouées dans 64 peuplements forestiers au parc national de la Mauricie. Ces ouvertures avaient une superficie moyenne de 184,5 m². L’âge moyen des ouvertures était de 7,8 ans. Elles étaient généralement créées par un arbre cassé ou déraciné. Peu d’ouvertures étaient créées par des épidémies de la Tordeuse des Bourgeons de l’Épinette. Au total, 25 espèces en régénération ont été rencontrées dans les ouvertures ou sous le couvert forestier. En considérant toutes les espèces, il y avait significativement plus de tiges/ha dans les ouvertures que sous le couvert forestier. Les caractéristiques des trouées n’influençaient généralement pas la régénération. Nous présentons un modèle complet sur la dynamique par trouée dans la sapinière à Bouleau jaune, commençant avec une canopée dense, continuant avec la création et la colonisation des trouées, et se terminant avec la fermeture de la canopée. La dynamique par trouée joue un rôle important dans le régime de perturbations de la sapinière à Bouleau jaune.

Patterns of breeding bird abundance in relation to logging in western Labrador

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 257-263 ◽  
Author(s):  
NPP Simon ◽  
F E Schwab ◽  
A W Diamond
Keyword(s):  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Selective Logging ◽  
Breeding Bird ◽  
Bird Abundance ◽  
Wood Volume ◽  
Forest Bird ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Forested Areas

We enumerated breeding birds by territorial mapping on harvested (scarified following burning and clear-cutting, clearcut following burning, and two intensities of selective logging, 39 and 71% residual forest canopy) and unharvested forests in western Labrador. Clear-cutting and postclearcut scarification substantially altered the suite of birds occupying forested areas. Logging that conserved 39% of the wood volume decreased some forest bird densities and increased some early successional bird densities in approximately equal proportions. Logging that conserved 71% of forest cover increased bird densities by increasing some early successional bird densities without reducing forest bird densities. Given the rarity of productive forests in western Labrador, <5% of the forest base, if they are logged, then at least 71% of the wood volume should be conserved.

Effects of two silvicultural practices on ground beetles (Coleoptera: Carabidae) in a northern hardwood forest, Quebec, Canada

2004 ◽  
Vol 34 (4) ◽  
pp. 959-968 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jean-David Moore ◽  
Rock Ouimet ◽  
Daniel Houle ◽  
Claude Camiré
Keyword(s):  
Forest Type ◽  
Forest Disturbance ◽  
Carabid Beetles ◽  
Hardwood Forest ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forest ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Abundance And Diversity ◽  
The Impact

The impact of selective cutting (6 and 8 years after treatment) and strip clear-cutting (12 and 13 years after treatment) on abundance and diversity of carabid beetles was evaluated in a northern hardwood forest of Quebec, Canada. A total of 1078 individuals belonging to 14 species were captured with pitfall traps from June to September 1996 during 2568 day-trap. Abundance of Synuchus impunctatus Say was significantly higher in clear-cut compared with uncut control strips. There were no within-species differences between selectively cut and uncut plots. None of these two silvicultural systems had any significant impacts on species diversity and richness 6–13 years after treatment. Although we observed an effect of strip clear-cutting on the abundance of S. impunctatus in this northern hardwood forest, the discrepancy between the response of carabids to forest disturbance in this study compared with other studies in different ecological regions suggests that the same carabid beetle species cannot be used as an indicator of forest disturbance over a large region. Our results suggest the use of carabid beetles as a disturbance indicator at the ecological-type scale (relatively similar soil and forest type) in a given region.

scholarly journals Lidar Processing for Defining Sinkhole Characteristics under Dense Forest Cover: A Case Study in the Dinaric Mountains

2014 ◽  
Vol XL-7 ◽  
pp. 113-118 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Kobal ◽  
I. Bertoncelj ◽  
F, Pirotti ◽  
L. Kutnar
Keyword(s):  
Forest Canopy ◽  
Forest Cover ◽  
Traditional Approach ◽  
Ground Truth ◽  
Visual Assessment ◽  
Forest Tree ◽  
Tree Canopy ◽  
Karst Terrain ◽  
Ground Truth Data ◽  
Dense Forest

The traditional approach for defining sinkholes characteristics is based on topographic maps and air photographs with derived digital terrain models. This method is sometimes not accurate, requiring costly, time consuming and potentially dangerous fieldwork. Investigations have shown that airborne scanning laser data (lidar) is useful in detection of karst depressions due to the high density of ground points that can be obtained. This is especially important under dense forest canopy, where classical photogrammetric methods do not allow ground points to be measured. The objective of this work was to map and determine geomorphometric characteristics of a large number of sinkholes located in a diverse karst terrain under a dense forest tree-canopy using lidar data. <br><br> We tested an algorithm described in previous literature which uses only information from the DTM. It is based on water flow simulations on a surface (DTM) and incorporates four phases: (i) watershed delineation, (ii) confining of sinkholes, (iii) confining of higher rank sinkholes and (iv) extraction of non-karstic sinkholes. Sinkholes were confined by effluent level with cells below the effluent level designated as part of the sinkhole. In the third step sinkholes were ranked according to their location and size – first rank sinkholes are the smallest and are located within a larger sinkhole. <br><br> Results are that the sinkhole fraction of 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th rank in the study area was 3.25 %, 4.26 %, 5.68 %, 3.65 % and 3.14 %, respectively. Sinkhole distribution shows a peculiar directionality in their spatial distribution, which seems to be significantly towards a northwest – southeast direction. It was not possible to compare results with ground-truth data due to very low accessibility, nevertheless a statistical and visual assessment of the results shows that lidar is a very effective technique to model sinkholes under dense canopy.

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