The objective of this paper is to compare growth increment between full sunlight conditions and moderately shaded conditions for seedlings of three species: sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.), yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britton), and beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.). Diameter and height increments were larger in full sunlight than under cover. Yellow birch has shown better growth increments than sugar maple and beech under both conditions. This suggests that shaded conditions are not as limiting for the establishment of yellow birch than for the other two species.

We demonstrate that sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.), yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britton), and beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.) compete for solar radiation against other woody species (noncommercial) and herbaceous species, following clear-cutting. The experiment was carried out at the Duchesnay Forest Station (Quebec, Canada) in a sugar maple – yellow birch – beech community and consisted of one control and two treatments: (1) elimination of noncommercial woody species and (2) elimination of noncommercial woody species and herbaceous species. The graph of solar radiation interception versus cover indicates that crown overlapping does not contribute significantly to any increase in solar radiation interception. Surface soil temperature is strongly linked to the decrease in solar radiation due to its interception by plants.

No abstract

No abstract