scholarly journals Black spruce growth and foliar nutrient responses to drainage and fertilization: Wally Creek, Ontario

1998 ◽  
Vol 74 (1) ◽  
pp. 106-115 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brian E. McLaren ◽  
John K. Jeglum
Keyword(s):  
Growth Response ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
Stem Analysis ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Foliar Nutrient ◽  
Poor Site ◽  
Npk Fertilization ◽  
Site Types

We report tenth-year growth and yield improvements in the Wally Creek area, an experimental, systematic drainage project established in 1984 and fertilized in 1986, in a forested Ontario peatland. We analyzed and compared results for dominant–codominant and intermediate black spruce in two site types. Response of trees to NPK-fertilization was more immediate than to drainage. Response to drainage took about five to seven years, whereas response to fertilization occurred earlier, from three to five years. Some indication of an asymmetric response, with larger trees experiencing higher growth increases, was observed for the OG 11 (Ledum) site type, while yield increases were potentially higher in the OG 12 (Alnus herb-poor) site type. Drainage was most effective in combination with fertilization. Consistent for both site types were increases in phosphorus associated with fertilization. The Wally Creek project is a benchmark in the analysis of growth and yield response from intensive peatland silviculture. Key words: black spruce, drainage, fertilization, foliar analysis, growth response, growth and yield, Lake Abitibi Model Forest, Ontario, stem analysis

Changes in DOC and DON fluxes in response to harvest intensity of black-spruce-dominated forest ecosystems in northwestern Ontario

2009 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. 67-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dave M Morris
Keyword(s):  
Dissolved Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Organic Nitrogen ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Clearcut Harvesting ◽  
Second Year ◽  
Forest Floors ◽  
Source Sink ◽  
Site Types

The current study was conducted to quantify and compare dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and dissolved organic nitrogen (DON) fluxes through black-spruce-dominated forests, to compare the source/sink characteristics of sphagnum- versus feathermoss-dominated forest floors, and to identify changes in DOC and DON flow patterns occurring as a result of clearcut harvesting. After 2 yr of pre-harvest monitoring, replicated, experimental harvests of varying intensities of biomass removals were conducted followed by 4 yr of post-harvest sampling. Prior to harvest, the upland site type, dominated by feathermoss, was a significant source of DOC and DON, whereas, the wet-sphagnum-dominated sites exported minor amounts of these solutes. After harvest, DOC and DON fluxes peaked in the second year, but then dropped off significantly to at or below pre-harvest levels. On the upland site type, chipper debris appeared to be a major source of DOC and DON generating fluxes well above the pre-harvest levels. On the wetter site types, it appeared that microclimate differences between harvest treatments had a stronger influence on DOC and DON production than did the amount or type of harvest residue. Full-tree harvesting did not significantly alter the production of DOC and DON when compared with stem-only harvesting on the sites included in this study. Key words: DOC, DON, forest floor leachate, black spruce, harvesting response

scholarly journals Mechanisms by Which Pre-Commercial Thinning Increases Black Spruce Growth in Different Climates and Soil Types

Forests ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (5) ◽  
pp. 599
Author(s):  
Amy Wotherspoon ◽  
Robert L. Bradley ◽  
Daniel Houle ◽  
Stéphane Tremblay ◽  
Martin Barrette ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Soil Moisture ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Canopy Openness ◽  
Soil N ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Commercial Thinning ◽  
Soil Moisture Availability ◽  
N Fertility ◽  
Competition For Resources ◽  
Site Types

In the province of Québec (Canada), pre-commercial thinning (PCT) is a common silvicultural practice applied to young black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stands. PCT removes some of the competing vegetation and smaller black spruce stems, in order to improve growth rates and reduce forest rotation intervals. It is uncertain whether this positive response in black spruce growth is primarily due to lower competition for resources or to other mechanisms, which may vary according to climate or edaphic conditions. We sampled soils and black spruce needles in PCT-treated and non-treated control plots occurring in two climate regimes, as well as on two contrasting soil parent materials within one of these two climate regimes (i.e., three “site types”). We performed our sampling approximately 20 years after treatment. Paired treatment plots (i.e., PCT vs. control) were replicated at four independent sites in each of the three site types, for a total of 24 plots. Over two consecutive years, we measured stand structural characteristics, indices of soil N fertility, soil microbial activity, indices of soil moisture availability, canopy openness, and foliar characteristics in each plot. In each site type, PCT decreased total basal area but increased radial growth of individual trees. Across all plots, soil N mineralization rates measured in 2016 were positively related to foliar N concentrations of one-year-old needles collected in 2017. Annual precipitation, drainage class, potential evapotranspiration, and climate moisture index all indicated that plots occurring in the drier climate and on glacial till deposits were more prone to summer moisture deficits. Accordingly, PCT increased forest floor moisture only in this site type, which may benefit tree growth. In the wetter climate and on poorly drained soils, however, we found evidence that PCT reduces soil N fertility, presumably by increasing the spread of ericaceous shrubs in the understory. In the dry fertile site type, the range in canopy openness was substantially higher (12–37%) and correlated negatively with tree diameter, suggesting that greater light availability did not improve tree growth. Taken collectively, our data suggest that PCT increases black spruce growth across a broad range of site conditions found in Québec, presumably by lowering intraspecific competition for resources. However, on drier sites, PCT may also benefit trees by increasing soil moisture availability, whereas wetter climates may mitigate the beneficial effect of PCT due to a loss of soil N fertility.

scholarly journals Northeastern Ontario Forest Ecosystem Classification as a tool for managing marten habitat

1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (5) ◽  
pp. 529-532 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. C. Bowman ◽  
J.-F. Robitaille ◽  
W. R. Watt
Keyword(s):  
Key Words ◽  
Forest Ecosystem ◽  
Habitat Suitability ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Martes Americana ◽  
Forest Habitat ◽  
Site Type ◽  
Ecosystem Classification ◽  
Site Types ◽  
American Martens

In northeastern Ontario, the Forest Ecosystem Classification (NE-FEC) system has been used in a Habitat Suitability Matrix (NE-HSM) for forest wildlife. This paper examines whether American martens (Martes americana) responded significantly to different NE-FEC Site Types, and compares this response with suitability values in the NE-HSM. Use of Site Types by martens deviated significantly from availability; Site Type 5 (black spruce) was preferred and Site Type 7 (hardwood) was avoided. In general, the NE-HSM was consistent with field results; but it was concluded that some adjustments should be made to the suitability values for martens in the Northeastern Ontario Forest Habitat Suitability Matrix. Key words: Forest ecosystem classification, habitat suitability matrix, marten, Martes americana

scholarly journals Height growth of black spruce in British Columbia

2002 ◽  
Vol 78 (2) ◽  
pp. 306-313 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon D Nigh ◽  
Pavel V Krestov ◽  
Karel Klinka
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Logistic Function ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Stem Analysis ◽  
Yield Information ◽  
Northern Half

Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) is a boreal species that occurs extensively across the northern half of British Columbia. Forest managers require better growth and yield information for black spruce given the anticipated increase in demand for wood in the northern part of the province. The purpose of this study was to develop height-age models for black spruce. Ninety-one stem analysis plots were established in the BWBS and SBS biogeoclimatic zones. Three black spruce site trees from each plot were stem analyzed and the data were converted into height-age data. A conditioned log-logistic function was fit to the data. Indicator variables were used to test for differences in height growth between the sampled subzones. Although the warm subzones had different height growth patterns than the cool subzones, there was general agreement among the height-age models from British Columbia, Alberta, and New Brunswick up to about age 100. Key words: biogeoclimatic zones, height-age models, logistic function, site index, stem analysis

Fertilization of black spruce or poor site peatland in Minnesota.

1981 ◽  
Author(s):  
David H. Alban ◽  
Richard F. Watt
Keyword(s):  
Black Spruce ◽  
Poor Site

scholarly journals Mixed Regional Shifts in Conifer Productivity under 21st-Century Climate Projections in Canada’s Northeastern Boreal Forest

Forests ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 248
Author(s):  
Tyler Searls ◽  
James Steenberg ◽  
Xinbiao Zhu ◽  
Charles P.-A. Bourque ◽  
Fan-Rui Meng
Keyword(s):  
Climate Change ◽  
Model Validation ◽  
21St Century ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Abies Balsamea ◽  
Acer Rubrum ◽  
Forest Growth ◽  
Balsam Fir ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Climate Projections

Models of forest growth and yield (G&Y) are a key component in long-term strategic forest management plans. Models leveraging the industry-standard “empirical” approach to G&Y are frequently underpinned by an assumption of historical consistency in climatic growing conditions. This assumption is problematic as forest managers look to obtain reliable growth predictions under the changing climate of the 21st century. Consequently, there is a pressing need for G&Y modelling approaches that can be more robustly applied under the influence of climate change. In this study we utilized an established forest gap model (JABOWA-3) to simulate G&Y between 2020 and 2100 under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) 2.6, 4.5, and 8.5 in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador (NL). Simulations were completed using the province’s permanent sample plot data and surface-fitted climatic datasets. Through model validation, we found simulated basal area (BA) aligned with observed BA for the major conifer species components of NL’s forests, including black spruce [Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton et al.] and balsam fir [Abies balsamea (L.) Mill]. Model validation was not as robust for the less abundant species components of NL (e.g., Acer rubrum L. 1753, Populus tremuloides Michx., and Picea glauca (Moench) Voss). Our simulations generally indicate that projected climatic changes may modestly increase black spruce and balsam fir productivity in the more northerly growing environments within NL. In contrast, we found productivity of these same species to only be maintained, and in some instances even decline, toward NL’s southerly extents. These generalizations are moderated by species, RCP, and geographic parameters. Growth modifiers were also prepared to render empirical G&Y projections more robust for use under periods of climate change.

Growth and Yield Response of Sweet Potato to Atmospheric CO 2 Enrichment 1

Crop Science ◽  
1985 ◽  
Vol 25 (6) ◽  
pp. 975-981 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. C. Bhattacharya ◽  
P. K. Biswas ◽  
Sheila Battacharya ◽  
Nasser Sionit ◽  
B. R. Strain
Keyword(s):  
Sweet Potato ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Yield Response

scholarly journals Comparative Height Growth of Eastern Larch and Black Spruce in Northwestern Ontario

1978 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 296-297 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas A. Mead
Keyword(s):  
Picea Mariana ◽  
Black Spruce ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Larix Laricina ◽  
Stem Analysis ◽  
Northwestern Ontario ◽  
Analysis Methods ◽  
Spruce Stands

Height growth of eastern larch (Larix laricina (Du Roi) K. Koch) and black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) was determined using standard stem analysis methods on trees from two sites in northwestern Ontario. The data were obtained from mixed larch-spruce stands which were relatively undisturbed. The larch exhibited substantially better height growth than the spruce through age 65.

Yield response of restricted-tillering wheat to transient waterlogging on duplex soils

2003 ◽  
Vol 54 (10) ◽  
pp. 957 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Condon ◽  
F. Giunta
Keyword(s):  
Grain Size ◽  
Biomass Production ◽  
Wheat Yield ◽  
Relative Yield ◽  
Field Trials ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Yield Response ◽  
South West ◽  
Relative Extent ◽  
Before And After

Transient waterlogging during winter and spring reduces wheat yield in many parts of southern Australia. Yield reductions from waterlogging are associated with reduced production and survival of tillers, fewer and smaller fertile tillers, and smaller grain size. Under favourable conditions, wheats that have the tiller-inhibition ('tin') gene produce a lower total number of tillers but a higher proportion of large, productive tillers and larger grains than wheats without this gene. These characteristics of restricted-tillering wheat may contribute to improved yield under transient waterlogging. We compared the growth and yield of the commercial variety Bodallin and 2 Bodallin backcross derivatives containing the 'tin' gene in 8 field trials grown on shallow, duplex soils in 1995 and 1996 at 3 locations in the south-west of Western Australia. Trials were sown at standard (1995) and standard and high (1996) seeding rates. Trial-mean yield ranged from 0.5 to 4.7 t/ha, depending on the occurrence and severity of waterlogging before anthesis and of soil water deficit before and after anthesis. Grain yield of the restricted-tillering (RT) lines averaged only c. 80% of Bodallin. At all sites and seeding rates the RT lines had fewer spikes per m2 (45% fewer, on average) but averaged 44% more grains per spike. In 1996 only, grain weight of the RT lines was 6% greater than of Bodallin. There was no evidence that the relative yield of the RT lines was greater at waterlogged sites than at other sites. Waterlogging reduced the number of fertile spikes of RT lines and of Bodallin to the same relative extent and differences in grains per spike and grain size had little effect on relative yields. Even though harvest index of the RT lines was slightly elevated in some environments, biomass production of the RT lines was low in all environments. We conclude that wheats with the 'tin' gene are unlikely to have a yield advantage under transient waterlogging unless their biomass production can match that of more freely tillering wheats.

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