Variation in intra-annual radial growth (xylem formation) of Picea mariana (Pinaceae) along a latitudinal gradient in western Quebec, Canada

Variants of partial harvesting are gaining favour as means to balance ecosystem management and timber production objectives on managed boreal forest landscapes. Understanding how residual trees respond to these alternative silvicultural treatments is a critical step towards evaluating their potential from either a conservation or a wood supply perspective. We used dendroecological techniques combined with a chronosequence approach to quantify the temporal radial growth response pattern of residual black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) trees to partial harvest in northeastern Ontario. At its peak, 8–9 years after harvest, radial growth of residual trees had doubled. The growth pattern was characterized by a 2-year phase of no response, a subsequent period of increase 3–9 years after harvest, and a stage of declining rates 10–12 years after harvest. The magnitude of tree growth response depended strongly on tree age: peak postharvest growth was substantially higher for young trees, while old trees displayed only modest growth increases. Both the large magnitude and the time delay in postharvest growth responses have important implications for the development of more accurate quantitative tools to project future yields and, more generally, for determining whether partial harvesting is a viable management option for the boreal forest.

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Dendroclimatic response of Picea mariana and Pinus banksiana along a latitudinal gradient in the eastern Canadian boreal forest

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/cjfr-29-9-1333 ◽

1999 ◽

Vol 29 (9) ◽

pp. 1333-1346 ◽

Cited By ~ 47

Author(s):

Annika Hofgaard ◽

Jacques Tardif ◽

Yves Bergeron

Keyword(s):

Boreal Forest ◽

Picea Mariana ◽

Pinus Banksiana ◽

Latitudinal Gradient ◽

Canadian Boreal Forest

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Apical control of xylem formation in the pine stem. II. Responses of differentiating tracheids

Acta Societatis Botanicorum Poloniae ◽

10.5586/asbp.1982.018 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 51 (2) ◽

pp. 203-214 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Jarosław Porandowski ◽

Krzysztof Rakowski ◽

Tomasz J. Wodzicki

Keyword(s):

Radial Growth ◽

Inductive Effect ◽

Secondary Xylem ◽

Regulatory System ◽

Continuous Control ◽

Pinus Silvestris ◽

Daily Rate ◽

Xylem Formation ◽

Tracheid Differentiation ◽

Cell Wall Deposition

The effect of auxin supplied to the main stem of 5-year-old <em>Pinus silvestris</em> trees during various periods after decapitation upon differentiation of the secondary xylem tracheids was investigated. The results revealed the complexity of auxin involvement in the regulatory system of tracheid differentiation of secondary xylem. It is manifested both as the inductive effect to which the cells respond in the meristematic phase and in the continuous control during the consecutive stages of radial growth and maturation. A lack of auxin during the meristematic phase resulted in smaller cell diameters and reduced the daily rate of cell wall deposition even though these cells progressively grew and matured in the presence of auxin. The intensity of these two processes increased and the cells deposited thicker walls when auxin was supplied during all stages of tracheid differentiation even though the period of maturation decreased. Under these conditions tracheids of compression wood type differentiated. Continuous availability of auxin causes earlier termination of tracheid maturation while lack of auxin results in a delay of autolysis of protoplasts. In this case auxin probably functions in a system specifying information concerning the position of the cells in respect to the cambial layer.

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Comparison of black spruce (Picea mariana) radial growth reduction in different soil moisture regimes during a spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana) outbreak

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x2012-080 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (7) ◽

pp. 1410-1419 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Melissa E. Lacey ◽

Jeffery P. Dech

Keyword(s):

Soil Moisture ◽

Picea Mariana ◽

Radial Growth ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

Moisture Regime ◽

Growth Reduction ◽

Soil Moisture Regime ◽

Moisture Regimes

The objective of this study was to determine if the stand‐level soil moisture regime had a significant effect on the reduction in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) radial growth during the most recent spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) outbreak in the boreal forest region of northeastern Ontario. We collected a stratified random sample of co-dominant black spruce trees from three moisture regimes and compared the reduction of radial growth during a spruce budworm outbreak between dry, moist, and wet stands. We focused on the most recent outbreak from 1975–1987, which we dated by dendrochronological analysis of black spruce increment cores from the Romeo Malette Forest near Timmins, Ontario. Samples collected from dry and moist sites showed significantly greater maximum radial growth reduction than those from wet sites. Mean growth reduction over the entire outbreak was not significantly different among moisture regimes but followed the same trend. We found no evidence of spatial autocorrelation in the growth reduction response, suggesting that the moisture effect was not confounded by location.

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Cambial Activity and Intra-annual Xylem Formation in Roots and Stems of Abies balsamea and Picea mariana

Annals of Botany ◽

10.1093/aob/mcn146 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 102 (5) ◽

pp. 667-674 ◽

Cited By ~ 61

Author(s):

Maxime Thibeault-Martel ◽

Cornelia Krause ◽

Hubert Morin ◽

Sergio Rossi

Keyword(s):

Picea Mariana ◽

Abies Balsamea ◽

Cambial Activity ◽

Xylem Formation

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Timing of growth reductions in black spruce stem and branches during the 1970s spruce budworm outbreak1This article is one of a selection of papers from the 7th International Conference on Disturbance Dynamics in Boreal Forests.

Canadian Journal of Forest Research ◽

10.1139/x2012-048 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 42 (7) ◽

pp. 1220-1227 ◽

Cited By ~ 7

Author(s):

Cornelia Krause ◽

Boris Luszczynski ◽

Hubert Morin ◽

Sergio Rossi ◽

Pierre-Y. Plourde

Keyword(s):

Picea Mariana ◽

Boreal Forests ◽

Radial Growth ◽

Black Spruce ◽

Choristoneura Fumiferana ◽

Spruce Budworm ◽

First Year ◽

Growth Reduction ◽

Lower Stem ◽

Selection Of

Spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens)) defoliation is known to regularly produce radial growth decrease in black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) in the boreal forest of Quebec. Some studies have already shown that the first year of defoliation does not induce growth losses in the stem but could occur in other tree parts. We therefore examined the timing and duration of the growth reduction caused by the last outbreak in black spruce by also considering the branches. More than 79% of branches and 65% of stems exhibited a >40% growth decrease.The reduction was first registered in the upper part of the stem before being detected lower in the stem in 87% of the trees. Probabilities of growth reduction in the upper part of the stem were highest in 1976 and 1977. In the lower stem, the probabilities were highest in 1978. An interesting finding was that in 69% of the studied stands, the probability of growth reduction started earlier (1–2 years) in the branches than in the stem at 1.3 m. Branch analysis should be considered whenever questions arise in regard to the evolution of spruce budworm defoliation as well as the timing of observed growth reduction in black spruce.

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