Effects of substrate availability and competing vegetation on natural regeneration of white spruce on logged boreal mixedwood sites
| Autor: | Nicola A. Kokkonen, Victor J. Lieffers, S. Ellen Macdonald, Simon M. Landhäusser, Ian Curran |
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| Rok vydání: | 2018 |
| Předmět: |
0106 biological sciences
Global and Planetary Change 010504 meteorology & atmospheric sciences Ecology fungi Forest management Forestry Natural regeneration 01 natural sciences Substrate (marine biology) Boreal medicine Environmental science medicine.symptom Regeneration (ecology) Vegetation (pathology) 010606 plant biology & botany 0105 earth and related environmental sciences |
| Zdroj: | Canadian Journal of Forest Research. 48:324-332 |
| ISSN: | 1208-6037 0045-5067 |
| DOI: | 10.1139/cjfr-2017-0307 |
| Popis: | Given a seed source, the quality of available substrates is a key factor in determining the success of white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) natural regeneration. We examined the influence of substrate and competing vegetation on survival and growth of natural regeneration of white spruce up to 4 years following harvesting in deciduous-dominated upland boreal mixedwood sites. Feather moss, thick soil surface organic layers, litter, and solid wood were poor substrates for establishment. Early successional mosses establishing on mineral soil, thin organics, and rotten wood were generally favourable microsites but were not highly available on postharvest sites. Mineral soil substrates were not as suitable as expected, likely because on a postlogged site, they are associated with unfavourable environmental characteristics (e.g., low nutrient availability, exposure). There was some evidence that survival and growth of seedlings were improved by surrounding vegetation in the first years, but heavy competing vegetation had a negative impact on older seedlings. Burial by aspen litter greatly increased seedling mortality, especially when combined with a brief period of submergence due to heavy spring snowmelt. The results provide insight into conditions under which natural regeneration could be an option for establishing white spruce following harvesting of deciduous-dominated boreal mixedwood forests. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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