Height to diameter ratio as a competition index for young conifer plantations in northern British Columbia, Canada

Opio, Chris; Jacob, Norman; Coopersmith, David J.

doi:10.1016/s0378-1127(99)00312-6

Cited by 47 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…This is of interest as HDR can be used in BC to determine a stand's candidacy for a free to grow declaration if it exceeds density (stems·ha -1 ) guidelines (BC Ministry of Forests 2000). For the most part, even at 0 stem·ha -1 birch density, the HDR exceeds what is considered to be optimal for spruce in the central BC interior (Opio et al 2000). These observations also support the hypothesis that birch at the observed densities does not appear to be deleterious for spruce growth.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

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How much birch (Betula papyrifera) is too much for maximizing spruce (Picea glauca) growth: a case study in boreal spruce plantation forests

Hawkins¹,

Dhar²,

Rogers³

2012

J. For. Sci.

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Interest in conifer-broadleaf mixedwood forests has greatly increased due to continuous demand for hardwood products and a shift towards more biological or ecosystem-based management. In British Columbia, more than 30% of the productive forest land is a conifer-broadleaf mixture and current forest regulations are more conifer biased rather than maintaining a mixed-species condition. The aim of this study was to examine the impact of paper birch on white spruce growth. Spruce growth data from 10 to 18 years old complex stands indicate that radial, height, and stem volume was not impacted by retaining up to 3,000 stems·ha -1 of birch. Similarly, growth and yield model projections suggest spruce-birch stands would be more productive up to a threshold birch density (3,000 stems·ha -1 ) than pure spruce stands. At a 4% real interest rate, the removal of birch from these stands does not appear to be warranted as an investment. The results suggest that instead of encouraging uniform broadleaf removal across conifer plantations, mixed species management strategies could enhance the forest productivity, stand diversity and resilience.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 73%

“…This competition index was widely used in northern British Columbia to determine the vigour and 'free growing' status of crop trees, especially young lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl.) and spruce (Opio et al 2000). The HDR was calculated individually for each target tree by dividing the height of the tree by its DBH.…”

Section: Samplingmentioning

confidence: 99%

How much birch (Betula papyrifera) is too much for maximizing spruce (Picea glauca) growth: a case study in boreal spruce plantation forests

Hawkins¹,

Dhar²,

Rogers³

2012

J. For. Sci.

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“…The height to diameter ratio has been proposed as an alternative competition index to be used in determining the vigour and 'free growth' status of tree (Mustard and Harper, 1998;Opio et al, 2000). Following the approach of Bossel (1996), we calculate height (H) and diameter (D) growth based on the assumptions: (1) If crown competition (S tc E 1) is occurring, trees grow more in height; (2) If no competition (S tc B 1) is occurring, trees grow more in diameter.…”

Section: Tree Height Diameter 6olume and Mortalitymentioning

confidence: 99%

TRIPLEX: a generic hybrid model for predicting forest growth and carbon and nitrogen dynamics

Peng

Liu

Dang

et al. 2002

Ecological Modelling

191

120

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“…As a result, HDR (the ratio of tree height to root collar diameter) increases in response to increases in level of competition [14,15,20,21]. For white spruce, HDR values exceeding 55 to 60 are considered to indicate stress [22]. In addition to competition, HDR is influenced by a range of factors, including variations in spring, summer and fall growing conditions, soil resource availability, and stem sway and bending [22].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Managed Mixtures of Aspen and White Spruce 21 to 25 Years after Establishment

Kabzems

Bokalo

Comeau

et al. 2015

Forests

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Intimate mixtures of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) are a key feature of western Canadian boreal forests. These mixtures have the potential to produce high yields of merchantable fibre and provide numerous ecological services. Achievement of this potential has been difficult, and often expensive, to realize as a regeneration goal in managed forests. We report 21 to 25 year results of managed mixtures on two study sites where the white spruce was planted, and the density of aspen natural regeneration manipulated within five years of the stand initiation disturbance. On both sites, white spruce mortality did not increase with increasing aspen density. While height and diameter growth of white spruce declined with increasing aspen density, the effect was not entirely consistent across the two sites. Abrasion from aspen branches was the most common source of damage to spruce crowns. Mixed stands had greater merchantable volume production than pure spruce stands based on model projections. Application of aspen harvest at year 60, while protecting the spruce component for a second harvest entry at year 90, was projected to optimize combined yield for the mixedwood stands.

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Height to diameter ratio as a competition index for young conifer plantations in northern British Columbia, Canada

Cited by 47 publications

References 22 publications

How much birch (Betula papyrifera) is too much for maximizing spruce (Picea glauca) growth: a case study in boreal spruce plantation forests

How much birch (Betula papyrifera) is too much for maximizing spruce (Picea glauca) growth: a case study in boreal spruce plantation forests

TRIPLEX: a generic hybrid model for predicting forest growth and carbon and nitrogen dynamics

Managed Mixtures of Aspen and White Spruce 21 to 25 Years after Establishment

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