Short term effects of alternative silvicultural treatments on stand attributes in irregular balsam fir-black spruce stands

Cimon-Morin, Jérôme; Ruel, Jean‐Claude; Darveau, Marcel

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2010.06.010

Cited by 33 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 41 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Moreover, balsam fir regeneration tends to respond faster to canopy opening . In our experiment, both CPRS and CPPTM increased balsam fir proportion in the canopy relative to their own precut values (Cimon-Morin et al 2010a). However, for CPRS, the number of stems remaining remains negligible.…”

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth contrasting

confidence: 41%

“…Cimon-Morin et al (2010a) found that, relative to uncut stands, all four treatments resulted in a decrease in basal area of snags. However, when snag abundance is expressed in terms of volume rather than basal area, Légaré et al (2011) found no reduction in snag abundance after selection cutting, but they detected a particularly strong decrease following CPRS (Table 3).…”

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth mentioning

confidence: 83%

“…The effect of the treatment on snags was only observed for the volume of recent snags. Also, no treatment effect was detected on the volume of downed dead wood (Cimon-Morin et al 2010a, Lé-garé et al 2011.…”

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth mentioning

confidence: 96%

“…This approach avoids marking trees to cut. Stem selection is left to the harvester operator, who has to identify the local stand structure and apply the associated prescription (Ruel et al 2007, Cimon-Morin et al 2010a. In each of these main units, three 400-m 2 permanent sample plots were established randomly and monitored for living stems, snags, regeneration, and downed woody debris.…”

Section: An Integrated Experiments Of Silvicultural Systems In Old-gromentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In contrast, CPRS has few additional trees to lose after the treatment, whereas the relatively higher level of retention of SCt and SCp provides more effective protection against windthrow resulting in lower post-harvest mortality (Savill 1983, Ruel 1995. In fact, no significant increase in mortality relative to uncut stands was detected during the first three years following selection cutting (SCt or SCp) (Cimon-Morin et al 2010a). However, a longer monitoring period could lead to different conclusions.…”

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 4 more Smart Citations

Partial cutting in old-growth boreal stands: An integrated experiment

Ruel

FortinDaniel

Pothier

2013

The Forestry Chronicle

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The uncut boreal forest of eastern Québec is largely composed of stands with an irregular structure. Traditionally, even-aged silvicultural systems have been used for these forests but a strong interest has developed in alternative approaches. In 2004, an integrated experiment was established to provide a general assessment of harvesting uneven-aged boreal forest stands with a wide variety of treatments. Here, we summarize the key results of this experiment, which involved four silvicultural treatments differing in the level of tree retention: a clearcut with advance growth protection, a severe partial cut protecting small vigorous merchantable stems (75%-90% basal area removed), and two patterns of selection cutting (35% basal area removed). We evaluated treatment effects on vegetation attributes and animal species assemblages. We also assessed whether or not selection cutting approaches could become broadly used on an operational basis by examining simple forms of application and assessing their economic profitability. We found that many attributes of old-growth forests can be maintained with selection cutting, even with simple approaches that do not invest in marking trees to cut. Unlike more severe cuts, silvicultural treatments with more than 55% tree retention largely maintain the animal assemblages associated with old forests. Financial analysis showed that selection cutting is profitable over the long time frame, but clearcutting remains more profitable. This greater profitability is related to the first entry, whereas future entries will be more profitable with selection cutting.Keywords: old forests, silviculture, profitability, selection cutting, black spruce, balsam fir, ecosystem management, wildlife résumé La forêt boréale de l' est du Québec comprend une abondance de vieilles forêts de structure irrégulière. De façon courante, ces forêts ont été récoltées sous un régime d'aménagement équienne mais un intérêt pour des méthodes alternatives s' est développé. En 2004, une étude intégrée a été établie afin de comparer la récolte de peuplements irréguliers en forêt boréale à l'aide d'une diversité d'approches. Dans cet article, nous présentons une synthèse des principaux résultats de quatre traitements sylvicoles différant quant au niveau de rétention : coupe avec protection de la régénération et des sols, coupe avec protection des petites tiges marchandes (récolte de 75%-90% de la surface terrière), et deux patrons de jardinage (récolte de 35% de la surface terrière). L' effet des traitements sur les attributs végétaux et les communautés animales a été examiné. Afin de vérifier la possibilité d'utiliser le jardinage sur une base opérationnelle, des approches simples ont été testées et leur rentabilité a été étudiée. Les résultats démontrent que plusieurs des attributs des vieilles forêts peuvent être maintenus avec les approches de jardinage, même sans martelage des tiges à récolter. Contrairement aux approches les plus utilisées, celles laissant plus de 55% du couvert ont en général maintenu ...

show abstract

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth contrasting

confidence: 41%

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth mentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth mentioning

confidence: 96%

Section: An Integrated Experiments Of Silvicultural Systems In Old-gromentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Partial Cutting and Key Vegetation Attributes Of Old-growth mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Partial cutting in old-growth boreal stands: An integrated experiment

Ruel

FortinDaniel

Pothier

2013

The Forestry Chronicle

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

Does the type of silvicultural practice influence spruce budworm defoliation of seedlings?

et al. 2021

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana (Clem)) is the main defoliator in the boreal forest of North America, and its outbreaks have major ecological and economic consequences and represent a challenge for forest management. Numerous studies have addressed the effects of this defoliator on mature trees, whereas the effects of spruce budworm on regeneration remain elusive. Furthermore, intensive exploitation practices during the last decades have left a large area of the Canadian boreal forest in an early development stage. In this context, it becomes vital to understand those factors affecting the severity of spruce budworm-related defoliation on regeneration. Here, we determine the defoliation severity of black spruce and balsam fir seedlings in both mature pure black spruce and black spruce-balsam fir stands subjected to two different silvicultural treatments (clear-cutting and partial cutting). Defoliation intensity varied between stand types, silvicultural treatments, species, and height classes. Seedlings in black sprucebalsam fir stands experienced twice the defoliation of those in pure black spruce stands (black spruce seedlings 10% vs. 23%; balsam fir seedlings 29% vs. 47%, respectively). Harvesting methods also influenced seedling defoliation. Under clear-cutting, black spruce seedlings (24%) were three times as defoliated as black spruce seedlings in partial cutting stands (8%), whereas balsam fir seedlings in clear-cutting plots experienced twice the defoliation (42%) of balsam fir seedlings in partial cutting plots (20%). The level of defoliation also increased with seedling height. This study will help silvicultural strategies adapt to the effects of natural disturbance regimes. As the intensity and severity of defoliator outbreaks are expected to increase under climate change, these results will help guide forest management strategies to select harvesting methods that will limit the effects of defoliation on conifer regeneration.

show abstract