Early above- and below-ground responses of subboreal conifer seedlings to various levels of deciduous canopy removal

Claveau, Yves; Comeau, Philip G.; Messier, Christian et Kelly, Colin P. (2006). « Early above- and below-ground responses of subboreal conifer seedlings to various levels of deciduous canopy removal ». Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 36, pp. 1891-1899.

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Résumé

We examined the growth of understory conifers, following partial or complete deciduous canopy removal, in a field study established in two regions in Canada. In central British Columbia, we studied the responses of three species (Pseudotsuga menziesii var. glauca (Beissn.) Franco, Picea glauca (Moench) Voss x Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm., and Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.), and in northwestern Quebec, we studied one species (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.). Stem and root diameter and height growth were measured 5 years before and 3 years after harvesting. Both root and stem diameter growth increased sharply following release but seedlings showed greater root growth, suggesting that in the short term, improvement in soil resource capture and transport, and presumably stability, may be more important than an increase in stem diameter and height growth. Response was strongly size dependent, which appears to reflect greater demand for soil resources as well as higher light levels and greater tree vigour before release for taller individuals. Growth ratios could not explain the faster response generally attributed to true fir species or the unusual swift response of spruces. Good prerelease vigour of spruces, presumably favoured by deciduous canopies, could explain their rapid response to release.

Type: Article de revue scientifique
Mots-clés ou Sujets: deciduous canopy removal, above-ground responses, below-ground responses, subboreal conifer seedlings
Unité d'appartenance: Faculté des sciences > Département des sciences biologiques
Déposé par: Christian Messier
Date de dépôt: 26 nov. 2008
Dernière modification: 01 nov. 2014 02:07
Adresse URL : http://archipel.uqam.ca/id/eprint/1371

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