Proximity to a stand edge influences growth of advance and planted Pacific silver fir seedlings

B.J. Hawkins; R.S. Koppenaal; A.K. Mitchell

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Proximity to a stand edge influences growth of advance and planted Pacific silver fir seedlings

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Peer reviewed

Proximity to a stand edge influences growth of advance and planted Pacific silver fir seedlings

B.J. Hawkins, R.S. Koppenaal and A.K. Mitchell

Northwest science., Vol.76(3), pp.221-229

2002

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https://hdl.handle.net/2376/930

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Abstract

advance growth

air temperature

biomass production

clear felling

foliar diagnosis

foliar nutrition

forest borders

forests

leaf area

leaves

light

microclimate

mountain forests

nitrogen content

nutrient availability

nutrient deficiencies

plant morphology

plant physiology

regeneration

root shoot-ratio

seedling growth

seedlings

survival

understorey

Photosynthesis

Plant Nutrition

Growth and physiology of advance regeneration, present in the understorey before harvest, and planted seedlings of Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) were compared in three environments created by increasing distance from an edge of a montane clearcut on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. The objective was to quantify growth limitations and their underlying mechanisms in relation to light and nutrient availability. The site was clearcut in 1989. In 1993, plots were established 5-10 m inside the north-east facing stand edge, and 12-17 and 60-65 m into the adjoining clearcut. Microclimate data were collected, and biomass allocation, specific leaf area, and net photosynthesis of advance and planted seedlings in the plots were measured in 1993. Height growth and foliar nitrogen concentration of advance and planted seedlings were measured over a 5 year period. Light and air temperature increased from the inside edge environment into the clearcut. Soil moisture did not differ greatly among environments. Seedlings of both regeneration types grew tallest in the clearcut, and specific leaf areas were lower in the clearcut. In 1993, root:shoot ratios and rates of net photosynthesis were greater in advance than planted seedlings. Planted seedlings were significantly taller than advance regeneration by 1998, 5 years after establishment, however, this size difference was due mainly to the larger starting size of planted seedlings. By 1998, foliar nitrogen concentrations did not differ between regeneration types. Foliar nitrogen concentrations were low in all environments, which supports the contention that growth check of Pacific silver fir in montane clearcuts is associated with nitrogen deficiency.

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Title: Proximity to a stand edge influences growth of advance and planted Pacific silver fir seedlings
Creators: B.J. Hawkins (Author)
R.S. Koppenaal (Author)
A.K. Mitchell (Author)
Publication Details: Northwest science., Vol.76(3), pp.221-229
Academic Unit: Northwest Science
Publisher: WSU Press
Identifiers: 99900501050501842
Copyright: In copyright ; openAccess ; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/ ; http://purl.org/eprint/accessRights/OpenAccess
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article