Vector competition analysis: a new approach for evaluating vegetation control methods in young black spruce plantations

1998 ◽  
Vol 78 (1) ◽  
pp. 3-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moses Imo ◽  
Victor R. Timmer
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Competition Analysis ◽  
Vegetation Growth ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Growth And Nutrition ◽  
Competition Indices

This paper reports on a new graphical analysis technique that facilitates screening alternative strategies for crop management in programs of integrated vegetation management in young forest plantations. The responsiveness of black spruce seedlings to three vegetation management measures (herbicide application, fertilization and seedling nutrient loading) on two contrasting site types (Hardwood [ST 10] and Feathermoss [ST 4]) located in northern Ontario, were compared and evaluated using vector competition analysis. The approach is based on vector diagnosis and regression analysis that compare growth and nutritional interactions between crop and non-crop plants competing for the same growth resources. Response parameters are examined in a bivariate model depicting vectors of changing biomass production or nutrient uptake relative to competition-free treatments. Although herbicide application reduced non-crop vegetation on both sites, it accelerated tree growth and nutrient uptake only in the herb-rich Hardwood site, but had no effect on seedlings in the Feathermoss site. Fertilization stimulated vegetation growth in the competitive Hardwood site causing seedling suppression, but stimulated both tree and non-crop vegetation growth in the Feathermoss site because of weaker competition. Preplant nutrient loading improved seedling growth and nutrition reducing competition of neighboring weeds. Vector competition analysis facilitated interpretation of plant interactive relationships and identification of limiting factors. Advantages over traditional competition indices are that both growth and nutrition parameters, as well as crop and non-crop responses are quantitatively and systematically evaluated, and that simultaneous comparisons simplified screening of the most effective treatments and sites for possible vegetation control. Key words: Competition indices, treatment screening, nutrient loading, fertilization, herbicide

Vector competition analysis of black spruce seedling responses to nutrient loading and vegetation control

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (4) ◽  
pp. 474-486 ◽  
Author(s):  
Moses Imo ◽  
Victor R Timmer
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Forest Site ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Competition Analysis ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Weed Growth ◽  
Forest Sites ◽  
Seedling Biomass ◽  
Site Field

Impacts of methods to overcome competing vegetation (fertilization, herbicide application, and shading) on conventional and nutrient-loaded black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) seedlings were examined on six forest site types in northeastern Ontario using vector competition analysis. Four sites (Alnus; hardwood; mixedwood, herb rich; and mixedwood, herb poor) were selected to represent high competition, and two sites (feathermoss and Vaccinium) to represent low-competition forest sites. Although similar in biomass before planting, loaded seedlings had greater N, P, and K content than nonloaded seedlings. After planting, loaded seedlings outperformed growth of nonloaded seedlings under all vegetation-control treatments on all sites. Herbicide application eliminated noncrop vegetation but resulted in significantly higher seedling biomass only on the high-competition Alnus site. Field fertilization stimulated weed growth resulting in seedling suppression on the high-competition sites, while nutrient loading countered weed competition on most sites. Interpretation of these results by vector competition analysis revealed that, without fertilization, competition for nutrients was the primary factor limiting seedling growth, while competition for light and (or) moisture was greater after fertilizer addition on weed-prone sites. Similar interpretation revealed no seedling-weed interactions in the less competitive sites.

Steady-state nutrient preconditioning and early outplanting performance of containerized black spruce seedlings

1991 ◽  
Vol 21 (5) ◽  
pp. 585-594 ◽  
Author(s):  
V. R. Timmer ◽  
G. Armstrong ◽  
B. D. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Nutrient Uptake ◽  
Dose Level ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Nutrient Status ◽  
Shoot Biomass ◽  
Exponential Growth Phase ◽  
Nutrient Culture ◽  
Outplanting Performance

Conventional fertilization of black spruce (Piceamariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) container stock usually does not conform to steady-state nutrient conditions and may limit subsequent outplanting performance. Steady-state nutrient preconditioning of seedlings, characterized by maintaining stable tissue nutrient (N, P, and K) concentrations during the exponential growth phase, was induced by an exponentially based fertilization regime that compensated for low nutrient reserves in germinating seeds. By the end of the greenhouse rotation, this regime reduced the shoot/root ratio of the trees, but fell short of increasing seedling growth and nutrient status when compared with seedlings conventionally fertilized with equivalent amounts of nutrients. However, first-season height growth and shoot biomass of trees outplanted on different surface soils in pot bioassays were significantly improved by steady-state nutrient preconditioning and were accompanied by increased plant nutrient uptake, particularly N at the half-dose level and P at the full-dose level. Out-planting performance was higher on an upland site type, although relative response was greater on nutrient-poorer, lowland substrates. The preconditioning response from exponentially based fertilization was attributed to lower shoot/root mass ratio and more effective nutritional adaptation of the seedlings to the field environment. Under steady-state nutrient culture, seedling nutrient uptake conforms more closely with stable nutrient supply in nature, since expanding root systems exploit new soil volumes exponentially. Field performance of exponentially fertilized seedlings may be further enhanced when combined with balanced nutrient loading in the greenhouse phase.

Effects of harvesting intensity, vegetation control and fertilization on 5–20 year post-harvest N availability in boreal jack pine and black spruce forest soils in northern Ontario, Canada

2021 ◽  
Vol 497 ◽  
pp. 119483
Author(s):  
Paul W. Hazlett ◽  
Caroline E. Emilson ◽  
Dave M. Morris ◽  
Robert L. Fleming ◽  
Laura A. Hawdon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Forest Soils ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Spruce Forest ◽  
Northern Ontario ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Harvesting Intensity

scholarly journals A Weed Compaction Roller System for Use with Mechanical Herbicide Application

2006 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 66-69 ◽  
Author(s):  
Adam H. Wiese ◽  
Daniel A. Netzer ◽  
Don E. Riemenschneider ◽  
Ronald S. Zalesny
Keyword(s):  
Tree Plantations ◽  
Diameter Growth ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Treatment Combination ◽  
Invasive Weed ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Herbicide Treatments ◽  
Roller System ◽  
The Cost

Abstract We designed, constructed, and field-tested a versatile and unique weed compaction roller system that can be used with mechanical herbicide application for invasive weed control in tree plantations, agronomic settings, and areas where localized flora and fauna are in danger of elimination from the landscape. The weed compaction roller system combined with herbicide application generally had greater vegetation control compared with using only herbicide treatments or the unsprayed control. The roller system-herbicide treatment combination showed substantial total vegetation control two growing seasons after application without impacting diameter growth of the crop trees, which supports the need for less frequent entries into the field. The cost of the roller system was approximately $300.00.

Vegetation management on grass-dominated clearcuts planted with Norway spruce in southern Sweden

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (7) ◽  
pp. 1015-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Urban Nilsson ◽  
Göran Örlander
Keyword(s):  
Norway Spruce ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Shoot Length ◽  
Southern Sweden ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
Containerized Seedlings ◽  
Soil Temperatures ◽  
Stock Type ◽  
Bare Root ◽  
Relative Differences

A field experiment was established between 1989 and 1993 to study the effects of competing vegetation on growth of planted Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings. Effects of clearcut age, scarification (mounding), herbicide treatment, and seedling stock type were investigated 5 years after planting. On fresh clearcuts, amounts of vegetation were negligible, whereas 2.1-3.7 Mg·ha-1 was found on 4-year-old and older clearcuts. Soil temperatures were about 10% higher in mounds than in undisturbed ground, while herbicide and clearcut age only marginally affected soil temperatures. Seedlings planted on old clearcuts showed significant reductions in growth due to interference from vegetation. Five years after planting, the reduction in growth corresponded to about 1 year's growth. Most of the interaction between seedlings and vegetation occurred during the first 2 years after planting. Thus, scarification was just as effective as repeated herbicide treatments in reducing competition from vegetation. Differences in periods of drought between years could largely explain variation in leading shoot length. However, leading shoot length was affected in the same way irrespective of vegetation control treatments. Five years after planting, the relative differences in diameter between bare-root and containerized seedlings were the same as at the time of planting.

The potential cost of environmental certification to vegetation management in plantation forests: a New Zealand case study

2011 ◽  
Vol 41 (5) ◽  
pp. 986-993 ◽  
Author(s):  
Carol A. Rolando ◽  
Michael S. Watt ◽  
Jerzy A. Zabkiewicz
Keyword(s):  
New Zealand ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Vegetation Management ◽  
Rate Of Return ◽  
Internal Rate Of Return ◽  
Mechanical Control ◽  
Vegetation Control ◽  
High Productivity ◽  
Plantation Forests

Plantation forests certified by the Forest Stewardship Council have restrictions on herbicide use. Since certified plantations are dependant on herbicides for cost-effective vegetation management, compliance requires a shift from current chemical practices. Using New Zealand plantation forests as a case study, discounted cash flow analyses were used to estimate the cost of certification-compliant vegetation control regimes compared with current non-compliant methods. We examined methods that (i) reduce the quantity of herbicides by using spot control and (ii) avoid the use of herbicides by using weed mats, manual, and mechanical control. Cost analyses were undertaken for low-, medium-, and high-productivity sites. The internal rate of return of the non-compliant regime was between 5% and 5.8% across the productivity range. Spot control was cheaper than current non-compliant practice. However, spot control is limited by site suitability and the availability of labour. Non-chemical control methods were expensive relative to other regimes. Reductions in the internal rate of return varied across low- and high-productivity sites between 0.8% and 0.5% for manual control, 1.3% and 0.8% for mechanical control, and 1.7% and 1.0% for weed mats. Meeting the goals of certification while retaining cost-effective vegetation control presents a challenge to the plantation forestry sector.

Critical period of interspecific competition for four northern conifers: 10-year growth response and associated vegetation dynamics

2006 ◽  
Vol 36 (10) ◽  
pp. 2474-2485 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert G Wagner ◽  
Andrew P Robinson
Keyword(s):  
Interspecific Competition ◽  
Critical Period ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Jack Pine ◽  
Red Pine ◽  
Growth Responses ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Conifer Species ◽  
Stand Volume ◽  
Vegetation Control

The influence of the timing and duration of interspecific competition on planted jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.), red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.), eastern white pine (Pinus strobus L.), and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) was assessed using 10-year growth responses in a northern Ontario experiment. Stand volume was 117%, 208%, 224%, and 343% higher for jack pine, red pine, white pine, and black spruce, respectively, with 5 years of vegetation control than with no vegetation control. Stand volume increased linearly with number of years of vegetation control, and the slope of the relationship varied among conifer species. Change-point regression analysis was used to derive segmented weed-free and weed-infested curves, and to simultaneously estimate key critical-period parameters. Weed-free and weed-infested curves in the 10th year were similar to those derived in year 5, indicating that the patterns established during the first few years after planting were relatively robust for the first decade. The critical-period was 2 and 3 years after planting for jack pine and red pine, respectively, and occupied most of the 5-year period for white pine and black spruce. Principal components analysis of the vegetation community indicated that repeated herbicide applications caused differential shifts in the relative abundance of shrub, fern, and moss species through the 10th year. Species richness, however, was not substantially different between the untreated control and the most intensive treatments. Difference modeling was used to quantify how annual volume increment during the first decade varied with time, conifer species, cover of woody and herbaceous vegetation, and stage of development.

Short-term Performance of Two Sulfonylurea Herbicides: Efficacy, Seedling Survival, and Growth

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 80-85
Author(s):  
Phillip E. Reynolds ◽  
Micheal J. Roden
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
Stem Volume ◽  
Silty Clay ◽  
Herbicide Application ◽  
Short Term ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Survival And Growth ◽  
Term Performance ◽  
Survival Of Seedlings

Abstract Metsulfuron (ALLY or ESCORT), 36 and 72 g ai/ha (~ 0.5 and 1.0 oz ai/ac), and sulfometuron (OUST), 150, 300, and 450 g ai/ha (~ 2.1, 4.2, and 6.3 oz ai/ac), were applied to a northern New Brunswick clearcut (silty clay loam and silty clay soils) to reduce raspberry competition. Treatment, using skidder-mounted herbicide application equipment, occurred in May and August 1986, with planting of 2+2, bareroot, black spruce seedlings in June 1986 and in June 1987. Seedling survival and growth were measured yearly for 5 growing seasons after planting. By August 1991, raspberry cover was less in some treatments than in controls. Survival of seedlings planted 1 month after spring treatments was less than controls, and no significant stem volume increases were observed. Survival of seedlings planted approximately 1 yr after spring treatments was greater than that of control seedlings. Survival of seedlings planted after some summer treatments also was poor, and no significant stem volume increases were noted for seedlings planted after site preparation with sulfometuron. Optimal stem volume increases over control seedlings were observed for seedlings planted 1 yr after spring sulfometuron treatment. These increases occurred sooner than for seedlings planted 1 yr after spring metsulfuron treatment or after summer metsulfuron treatment. Fifth-year stem volume for these seedlings was correlated with raspberry cover (r² = 0.44), decreasing as raspberry cover increased. We conclude that the use of other less expensive silvicultural herbicides may provide equally effective raspberry control and better black spruce seedling survival and growth. North. J. Appl. For. 12(2):80-85.

Predicting basal area increment in a spatially explicit, individual tree model: a test of competition measures with black spruce

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (3) ◽  
pp. 435-443 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel Mailly ◽  
Sylvain Turbis ◽  
David Pothier
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Basal Area Increment ◽  
Spatially Explicit ◽  
Competition Index ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Spatial Indices ◽  
Crown Shape ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
Competition Indices

A current trend in the development of forest stand models is to use spatially explicit, individual-tree information to simulate forest dynamics with increased accuracy. By adding spatial information, such as tree coordinates, crown shape, and size, it is hypothesized that the computation of the model's driving function is improved over traditional competition indices, especially when simulating multistoried stands. In this paper, we want to test whether computationally demanding competition indices outperform traditional indices in predicting mean basal area increment. The study was undertaken in old, uneven-aged black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands in northeastern Quebec, Canada. The predictability of individual tree growth rates was related to crown dimensions and other stand and tree variables measured in the field. Data were collected from 90 trees coming from stands of varying site quality (range 9.6–16.5 m height at 50 years, age taken at 1 m) and age (range 66–257 years). Hegyis's distance-dependent competition index was found to be the most strongly correlated competition measure (r = 0.57) with mean basal area growth of the last 20 years. This value, 12% higher than the value obtained from the best distance-independent competition index (r = 0.45), clearly shows that precision gains can be achieved when estimating basal area increment with spatial indices in black spruce stands. Using indices computed from virtual hemispherical images did not prove superior to simpler distance-dependent indices based on their individual correlations with basal area increment. When included in a basal area increment model for the last 20 years of growth, however, the gains in precision were comparable to Hegyi's competition index. This indicates that indices derived from a hemispherical approach have some value in spatially explicit forest simulations models but that further tests using younger stands are needed to confirm this result in black spruce stands.

Growth, nutrient dynamics, and ectomycorrhizal development of container-grownPicea marianaseedlings in response to exponential nutrient loading

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 191-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Quoreshi ◽  
V R Timmer
Keyword(s):  
Steady State ◽  
Nutrient Dynamics ◽  
Nutrient Loading ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Growth Dynamics ◽  
High Loading ◽  
Fungal Colonization ◽  
Exponential Fertilization ◽  
N Rates ◽  
Nutrient Reserves

Containerized black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) seedlings fertilized conventionally (12.5 mg N/plant) or exponentially (12.5, 25, or 50 mg N/plant) and inoculated with Hebeloma crustuliniforme (Bull. Ex St-Amans) Quel. or Laccaria bicolor (R. Mre.) Orton were periodically monitored for a 20-week greenhouse rotation to assess growth dynamics, steady-state N and P nutrition, and ectomycorrhizal development. Growth and nutrient accumulation increased exponentially for the exponential regimes and more linearly for the conventional regime, although final biomass was similar except for the low-dose exponential addition. Shoot/root biomass ratios were relatively stable for most of the growing season, characterizing steady-state nutrient supply that benefits seedling outplanting performance and mycorrhizal colonization. Exponential fertilization also stimulated mycorrhiza formation even at high loading (25 or 50 mg N) rates that build up nutrient reserves in the seedlings without affecting seedling size. Plant nutrient uptake was more efficient under exponential fertilization and (or) fungal colonization, although efficiency dropped off at high loading levels. Vector nutrient diagnosis revealed marked nutrient dilution under conventional fertilization, but steady-state nutrition under exponential fertilization that coincided with satisfactory mycorrhiza development on seedlings. Dilution-free nutrient conditions for seedlings may provide stable carbohydrates for symbiosis and may develop enhanced tolerance to high fertilizer inputs.

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