Performance of planted Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir seedlings in British Columbia's southern mountains

2006 ◽  
Vol 82 (1) ◽  
pp. 84-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
C C Lajzerowicz ◽  
A. Vyse ◽  
M. Jull ◽  
T. Newsome
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Seedling Survival ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Relative Growth Rates ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Soil Temperatures

We compared survival and growth of planted seedlings of Engelmann spruce and subalpine fir across a range of harvest opening sizes (> 10 ha, 1 ha, 0.2 ha, 0.1 ha, 0.03 ha and individual tree selection) from three silvicultural systems trials in high-elevation spruce – subalpine fir forests in south-central British Columbia. Climatic patterns and growing season air and soil temperatures were similar across sites. Seedling survival decreased with opening size. Local site climates, influenced by aspect and moisture and air drainage, were more influential than elevation. Seedling growth was best in large openings and similar in opening sizes from 1 ha to 0.1 ha. Smaller openings created by group selection and individual tree selection methods were not favourable for successful planting at elevations close to timberline. The two species had similar absolute and relative growth rates but spruce responded more strongly to better growing environments. Key words: planted seedlings, Engelmann spruce, Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm., subalpine fir, Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt., opening size, elevation effects, silvicultural systems, British Columbia, mountain forests

Is everything all right up there? A long-term interdisciplinary silvicultural systems project in a high elevation fir-spruce forest at Sicamous Creek, B.C.

1999 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
pp. 467-472 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan Vyse
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Wildlife Habitat ◽  
Spruce Forest ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Wide Range

The Sicamous Creek Project was established as part of the British Columbia Provincial Silvicultural Systems program in 1990 to investigate the effects of clearcutting and other practices on a high elevation forested ecosystem. The objective is to provide the forestry community with information on the ecology of high elevation forests in the Southern Interior, and the probable responses to a wide range of disturbance. After a period of planning by a team of scientists and foresters from several agencies, a site in subalpine fir-Engelmann spruce forest at 1530 m to 1830 m elevation near the town of Sicamous in the south central interior of British Columbia was logged in the winter of 1994–95. A range of treatments was created by logging one third of the forest in 30 ha experimental units using a range of opening sizes (individual tree selection, 1/10 ha, 1 ha, and 10 ha) and a no-logging control. Within these experimental units, smaller areas (0.08 ha) have been treated to create a range of soil disturbance conditions (no disturbance, burning, complete organic soil removal, mounding). A wide range of studies has been conducted on the site by a team of scientists before and after treatment and those studies are continuing. The project is long-term, (at least 30 years), the main treatments are sufficiently large to have operational significance, and the supported studies are intended to be interdisciplinary in scientific method and scope. Support for the project is strong within the operational forestry community because information on logging costs, safety issues and snags, windthrow, bark beetle management, wildlife habitat and small streams has already been made available to them. Studies of stand structure and wildlife habitat suggest that in future much greater emphasis should be placed on the silviculture of fir than spruce. Key words: silviculture systems, clearcutting, opening size, Engelmann spruce, subalpine fir, long term research, interdisciplinary research

scholarly journals Post-glacial diatom-inferred aquatic changes in Sicamous Creek Lake, British Columbia, Canada

2014 ◽  
Vol 27 (3) ◽  
pp. 233-256 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrea C. Voit ◽  
Richard J. Hebda ◽  
Julien M.J. Racca ◽  
Reinhard Pienitz ◽  
Ian R. Walker ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Open Water ◽  
Late Glacial ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Low Light ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Inferred Ph

Diatom analyses of sediments from a high elevation lake situated in an Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir (ESSF) forest of south-central British Columbia, Canada, reveal long-term climate and water chemistry change. During the transition from the late-glacial / Pleistocene to the xerothermic early Holocene, small, benthic Fragilaria diatoms species that grew under low light conditions in Sicamous Creek Lake gave way to planktonic Cyclotella species that require open-water conditions. Warm temperatures in the mesothermic Holocene are indicated by smaller Cyclotella species and large, benthic pennate diatoms. Diatom communities reflected Neoglacial cooling in the late Holocene, with abundant Nitzschia fonticola and Achnanthes minutissima. Small, benthic Fragilaria regained abundance, suggesting cooling and conditions similar to the late-glacial interval. Diatom community composition responded to the deposition of the Mt. Mazama and Mt. St. Helens tephras, though the Mazama eruption caused greater change in relative abundance of various taxa within the assemblage. Correspondence analysis shows distinct communities have occurred since the initiation of sedimentation, likely due to climate controlled landscape and vegetation changes; diatom-inferred pH values using various models and training sets show limited acidification change occurred through the lake’s history.

Effect of gap size on litter decomposition and soil nitrate concentrations in a high-elevation spruce–fir forest

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (11) ◽  
pp. 2210-2220 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cindy E Prescott ◽  
Graeme D Hope ◽  
Leandra L Blevins
Keyword(s):  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
N Availability ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Nitrate Losses ◽  
Nitrate Concentrations ◽  
High Elevation Forest

Possible mitigation of nitrate losses associated with clearcuts through harvesting smaller gaps was tested in a high-elevation forest of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.). We measured concentrations of ammonium and nitrate after 6-week buried bag incubations of forest floor and mineral soil samples in replicated plots of uncut forest and gaps of 10, 1.0, and 0.1 ha and single-tree removal for 7 years after harvest. Nitrate concentrations in forest floor and mineral soil were elevated 3–7 years after harvesting in gaps of 0.1 ha and larger. Removal of the same proportion of trees as single trees did not result in increased nitrate concentrations, suggesting that nitrate losses could be reduced by harvesting single trees rather than creating gaps. Greater N availability was not associated with faster rates of decomposition of litter and forest floor, which were similar in gaps of all sizes (0–10 ha). Reciprocal transplant of forest floor and soil from the 10-ha gaps and the uncut forests indicated that changes in the nature of the forest floor or soil following harvest had a greater influence on nitrate concentrations than the changes in environmental conditions in the gaps.

Windthrow following four harvest treatments in an Engelmann spruce - subalpine fir forest in southern interior British Columbia, Canada

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (10) ◽  
pp. 1547-1556 ◽  
Author(s):  
David J Huggard ◽  
Walt Klenner ◽  
Alan Vyse
Keyword(s):  
Large Scale ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Random Trees ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Individual Tree ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Lower Height

We used transect surveys at a large-scale experimental site at Sicamous Creek, B.C., to measure the effects of five treatments on windthrow: 10-ha clearcuts, arrays of 1-ha patch cuts, arrays of 0.1-ha patch cuts, individual-tree selection cuts, and uncut controls. We also examined edge effects and conditions predisposing trees to windthrow. Windthrow of subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) in the 2.7 years following harvesting increased from 0.6% of basal area per year in uncut forest to 0.8-1.8% per year in harvested treatments, with highest rates in individual tree selection units and lowest rates in 0.1-ha patch-cut arrays. Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) showed similar patterns of windthrow but lower rates (0.2-0.7% of basal area per year in harvested treatments). Windthrow was concentrated near north and east edges of 1-ha and 10-ha openings but was dispersed throughout the more uniform treatments. Windthrown trees did not differ from random trees in diameter but had lower height/diameter ratios, probably reflecting the greater windthrow observed in subxeric sites on complex, elevated topography. The rates and distribution of windthrow in different harvest treatments have implications for ecological processes, salvage, long-term windthrow potential, and mitigation possibilities.

Height growth–elevation relationships in subalpine forests of interior British Columbia

1996 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Klinka ◽  
H. Y. H. Chen ◽  
Q. Wang ◽  
R. E. Carter
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Growth Curves ◽  
Analysis Data ◽  
Site Index ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Picea Engelmannii ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Study Species

Stem analysis data from even-aged Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) and subalpine fir [Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.] stands on zonal sites in the Engelmann Spruce—Subalpine Fir biogeoclimatic zone of British Columbia were used to examine the relationships of site index and height growth and elevation, latitude, and longitude. Elevation and latitude were found to be strongly negatively correlated with site index of both study species. Spruce site index (bh age 50) was predicted to decrease 2.9 m and fir site index 2.5 m with every 100 m and 1° increase in elevation and latitude, respectively; however, (i) site index of both species appeared to decline faster with increasing latitude than elevation, and (ii) decrease appeared to be faster for spruce than for fir. Comparison of height growth curves for stands on zonal and azonal sites with similar site index from different elevations and latitudes suggested that there are probably inconsequential differences between the shape of curves for either species. These findings imply that (i) subalpine fir is better adapted to subalpine boreal climates than Engelmann spruce and (ii) development of polymorphic site index curves for estimating site index of both species may be appropriate. Key words: elevation, latitude, longitude, site index, height growth, Abies lasiocarpa, Picea engelmannii, Engelmann Spruce—Subalpine Fir zone

Small-mammal response to group-selection silvicultural systems in Engelmann spruce – subalpine fir forests 14 years postharvest

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1698-1708 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas B. Ransome ◽  
Pontus M.F. Lindgren ◽  
Michaela J. Waterhouse ◽  
Harold M. Armleder ◽  
Thomas P. Sullivan
Keyword(s):  
Small Mammals ◽  
Small Mammal ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Deer Mice ◽  
Subalpine Forests ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
South Central ◽  
Significant Difference

Concerns about the impacts of clear-cut harvesting on ecosystem components in subalpine forests have generated a variety of alternative silvicultural systems in high-elevation forests in western North America. We examined responses of forest-floor small mammals, 14 years posttreatment, in four replicate units, uncut forest, a 1.0 ha group-selection cut, a large (>30 ha) clearcut, and the edge between the group-selection cut and uncut forest, in the Engelmann Spruce ( Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) – Subalpine Fir ( Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) biogeoclimatic zone in south-central British Columbia, Canada. Populations of small mammals were livetrapped during five sessions from June to September 2006. The mean abundance of southern red-backed voles ( Myodes gapperi Vigors) was significantly lower on large clearcuts than in uncut old-growth forests, with intermediate numbers in 1 ha cuts. The opposite trend was found for dusky shrews ( Sorex monticolus Merriam), while there was no significant difference in mean abundance of deer mice ( Peromyscus maniculatus Wagner) among treatments. Trappability, proportion of adult females breeding, and rate of survival of red-backed voles and deer mice were similar among treatments. Our results suggest that group-selection silviculture conducted in subalpine forests may have fewer negative impacts on the small-mammal community than large clearcuts.

Advanced regeneration and seedling establishment in small cutblocks in high-elevation spruce–fir forest at Sicamous Creek, southern British Columbia

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (8) ◽  
pp. 1877-1888 ◽  
Author(s):  
Roberta Parish ◽  
Joseph A Antos
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Survival Rates ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Abies Lasiocarpa ◽  
Advanced Regeneration ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Similar Survival ◽  
New Recruits

We examined the potential of natural regeneration for stocking 1-ha patch cuts in high-elevation Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) – subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) forests. Using the Sicamous Creek Silvicultural Systems site, which was harvested during winter 1994–1995, we established 1-m2 plots in patch cuts, forest edge, and untreated control forest. We marked and recorded microsite characteristics for all advanced regeneration and new recruits for up to 5 years; over 12 000 individuals were included. Advanced regeneration was abundant and was about one-quarter spruce. Spruce and fir germinants occurred in all years, but numbers varied greatly, with a very large cohort in 1998. Both advanced regeneration and new recruits were concentrated on decaying logs. Mortality of advanced regeneration was high in the patch cuts following harvest, but subsequent survival was good, approaching rates in the untreated forest within 4 years. Survival rates were higher for spruce than fir, but differed little among surface types and microtopographic positions. Survival of new recruits was high, approximately 50% the first year and 70% during the second, and was similar between spruce and fir. If the 1998 cohort has similar survival, the patch cuts could be adequately stocked. Use of natural regeneration, in combination with infill planting, is a viable option for stocking small openings in wet high-elevation forests in southern British Columbia.

Pathology of conifer seed and timing of germination in high-elevation subalpine fir and Engelmann spruce forests of the southern interior of British Columbia

1999 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 187-193 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianwen Zhong ◽  
Bart J van der Kamp
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Seed Viability ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
High Elevation ◽  
Subalpine Fir ◽  
Engelmann Spruce ◽  
Black Mold ◽  
Nurse Logs

Unstratified seed of Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii Parry) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) in nylon mesh bags was placed on various natural and disturbed forest floor seed beds in the Engelmann Spruce - Subalpine Fir Zone in the southern interior of British Columbia in September 1995 and recovered just before snow melt in June 1996. Fifty-two and 86% of the viable spruce and fir seed, respectively, had germinated before snowmelt. Germination under snow may be an adaptation of these high-elevation species to short cool growing seasons. Seed viability at recovery was significantly lower on undisturbed forest floor seed beds (spruce, 13%; fir, 12%) than on exposed mineral soil (spruce, 57%; fir, 42%). Viability of seed placed on nurse logs was 38 and 23% for spruce and fir, respectively. Isolation from ungerminated seed yielded a Rhizoctonia sp., an as yet unidentified black mold at high frequencies, and several other seed pathogens at low frequency. Multiple linear regression of the frequency of isolation of Rhizoctonia and black mold on seed viability was highly significant for both tree species. Seed pathogens appear to cause a major loss of seed and seedlings in these forests, and this may explain both the common occurrence of regeneration on nurse logs and the requirement of mineral soil seed beds for adequate regeneration.

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