An analysis of sucker regeneration of trembling aspen

Frey, Brent R.; Lieffers, Victor J.; Landhäusser, Simon M.; Comeau, Philip G.; Greenway, Ken J.

doi:10.1139/x03-053

Cited by 227 publications

(178 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Trembling aspen is a clonal species with the ability to produce large numbers of root suckers following disturbance [41]. Up to 60,000 trembling aspen suckers <1 m, and 25,000 suckers between 1 m and 2 cm dbh were present in clear cuts at the end of the first growing season following harvesting (Figure 4).…”

Section: Trembling Aspen Regeneration Response To Harvestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Responses to Partial Harvesting in Eastern Boreal Mixedwood Stands

Brais

Work

Robert

et al. 2013

Forests

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Partial harvesting has been proposed as a key aspect to implementing ecosystem management in the Canadian boreal forest. We report on a replicated experiment located in boreal mixedwoods of Northwestern Quebec. In the winter of 2000-2001, two partial harvesting treatments, one using a dispersed pattern, and a second, which created a (400 m 2 ) gap pattern, were applied to a 90-year-old aspen-dominated mixed stand. The design also included a clear cut and a control. Over the course of the following eight years, live tree, coarse woody debris, regeneration and ground beetles were inventoried at variable intervals. Our results indicate that all harvesting treatments created conditions OPEN ACCESSForests 2013, 4 365 favorable to balsam fir (Abies balsamea) sapling growth and trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides) sapling recruitment. However, balsam fir and trembling aspen regeneration and ground beetles response to gap cuts were closer to patterns observed in clear cuts than in dispersed harvesting. The underlying reasons for these differing patterns can be linked to factors associated with the contrasting light regimes created by the two partial harvesting treatments. The study confirms that partially harvesting is an ecologically sound approach in boreal mixedwoods and could contribute to maintaining the distribution of stand ages at the landscape level.

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Section: Trembling Aspen Regeneration Response To Harvestingmentioning

confidence: 99%

Ecosystem Responses to Partial Harvesting in Eastern Boreal Mixedwood Stands

Brais

Work

Robert

et al. 2013

Forests

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“…The composition and structure of mixed aspenconifer forest are largely determined by patterns of secondary succession that are strongly controlled by the timing and intensity of disturbance events (Romme and Knight 1981). Aspen initiates the primary stage of secondary succession via root suckering following disturbance (Frey et al 2003). Shade tolerant conifer species then establish and increase in abundance through the seral and climax stages of secondary succession Knight 1981, Smith and, resulting in antagonistic interactions that can lead to reductions in growth rates (Shepperd et al 2001) and abundance of aspen .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Facilitation drives mortality patterns along succession gradients of aspen‐conifer forests

Calder

Clair

2012

Ecosphere

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Citation: Calder, W. J., and S. B. St. Clair. 2012. Facilitation drives mortality patterns along succession gradients of aspenconifer forests. Ecosphere 3(6):57. http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES12-00119.1Abstract. While it is well established that facilitation and competition are important structuring forces in plant communities, a clear understanding of the interactions between them and how they change through the life stages of plants and affect long-term plant community development is lacking. We have observed that conifer seedlings are rarely found growing in meadows but readily establish under adjacent aspen stands, particularly at the base of aspen trees, creating the potential for antagonistic interactions in later life stages. To examine these relationships and their potential consequences on forest community development, we characterized patterns of establishment, regeneration, and overstory mortality of aspen (Populus tremuloides) and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) along a stand composition gradient (aspen dominant ! mixed ! conifer dominant) that develops in seral aspen forests. We found strong stand effects on the establishment of both aspen and subalpine fir regeneration. Aspen regenerated into meadows from the forest boundary, reached peak densities underneath aspen stands, and decreased significantly in mixed and conifer dominated stands. In contrast, subalpine fir seedlings failed to regenerate in meadows, but established readily underneath aspen, mixed and conifer stands. Within stands, establishing subalpine fir seedlings were strongly aggregated around mature aspen trees, which increased the proximity of the two species 2-10 fold depending on subalpine fir age class and stand type. Both stand type and increased proximity of overstory aspen and fir trees drove mortality patterns of the two species in opposite directions. Overstory aspen mortality increased sharply along the stand composition gradient: aspen (7%), mixed (17%), conifer (49%), while subalpine fir wasn't significantly influenced by stand type. Proximity of overstory aspen and subalpine fir, was associated with increased (23) aspen mortality under all stand conditions but increased subalpine fir survival resulting in high aspen:fir mortality ratios that likely accelerate successional shifts toward conifer dominance. Our data suggest that environmental conditions that promote facilitator mortality may compromise the ability of facilitation-dependent forests to regenerate following disturbance. Maintenance of natural disturbance regimes appears to be critical in striking an ecological balance between facilitation and competition that promotes sustainability in succession-driven plant communities.

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“…The form of aspen patches may therefore reflect limits to spatial expansion imposed by existing edaphic or other factors. Competition by conifer regeneration, broken topography (Comtois and Payette 1987), or soils that are too wet or too cold (Frey et al 2003(Frey et al , 2004 can all restrain expansion of aspen. The large size of certain aspen patches suggests that the physical environment has not restrained expansion in these cases.…”

Section: Density Size and Persistence Of Aspen Patchesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatial analysis of response of trembling aspen patches to clearcutting in black spruce-dominated stands

Laquerre¹,

Harvey²,

Leduc³

2011

The Forestry Chronicle

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While expansion of intolerant hardwoods, including trembling aspen, has been recognized as a problem by boreal forest managers in eastern Canada, the problem has mostly been associated with the boreal mixedwood and, with a few exceptions, the spatial aspects of the phenomenon have not been well documented in the scientific literature. The objective of this study is to evaluate how the density and size of aspen patches influence the change in density, size and persistence of patches following clearcutting of black spruce forests in the claybelt region of northwestern Quebec. To do this, we finely interpreted: 1) aerial photos taken between 1970 and 1979 of 12 mature black spruce-dominated stands containing varying sizes and densities of aspen patches prior to being clearcut harvested and 2) aerial photos taken between 1992 and 1995 of the 12 resulting clearcuts, 11 to 18 years after harvesting. Sketch maps of pre-and post-harvest aspen presence were rasterized and changes in aspen patch size and cover were determined. As well, the probabilities of aspen colonization with increasing distance from pre-harvest patches were calculated for each site. Black spruce forests of the claybelt containing no aspen prior to harvesting are relatively resistant to aspen invasion. However, when forests do contain aspen patches with cover values ≤25%, almost 60% of these patches increase to a higher density class. Aspen patches less than 2 ha in area had about a 50% probability of disappearing following clearcutting whereas larger patches had about a 96% chance of persisting as a result of clearcutting. In the black spruce forest of the claybelt, thick organic layers appear to have a negative effect on aspen recruitment. Distances of regenerating aspen from pre-harvest patches suggest that recruitment from seed is more important than previously thought.Key words: encroachment, trembling aspen, clearcutting, black spruce, claybelt, aerial photography RÉSUMÉ Dans la forêt boréale de l'Est du Canada, l'augmentation de la proportion de feuillus de lumière par rapport aux peuplements d' origine (enfeuillement), est reconnue comme un enjeu par les gestionnaires forestiers. Dans la littérature scientifique, l' enfeuillement a été associés essentiellement à la forêt mélangée et les aspects spatiaux du phénomène sont relativement peu documentés. L' objectif de cette étude était d' évaluer l'influence de la coupe totale sur la densité, la taille et la persistance des grappes de peuplier faux-tremble dans des forêts d' épinette noire de la ceinture d'argile du Nord-Ouest du Québec. Pour ce faire, nous avons interprété: 1) des photographies aériennes datant de 1970 à 1979 deiz pessières noires ponctuées de grappes de tailles et de densités variables de peuplier faux-tremble et 2) des photographies aériennes datant de 1992 à 1995 composées des mêmes 12 territoires forestiers, 11 à 18 ans plus tard suivant une coupe totale. Les croquis de cartes des présences pré-et post-récolte de peupliers ont été numérisés en format raster et les cha...

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An analysis of sucker regeneration of trembling aspen

Cited by 227 publications

References 64 publications

Ecosystem Responses to Partial Harvesting in Eastern Boreal Mixedwood Stands

Ecosystem Responses to Partial Harvesting in Eastern Boreal Mixedwood Stands

Facilitation drives mortality patterns along succession gradients of aspen‐conifer forests

Spatial analysis of response of trembling aspen patches to clearcutting in black spruce-dominated stands

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