Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation
Repeated diameter-limit cutting in mixedwood forests often leads to altered stand composition, quality, and regeneration, hence decreasing productivity and value over time. We studied the evolution of stand characteristics after diameter-limit cutting on a 15-year period, beginning from 11 to 43 yea...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Canadian Institute of Forestry
2024-09-01
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| Series: | The Forestry Chronicle |
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| Online Access: | https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-023 |
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| author | Patricia Raymond Hugues Power François Guillemette Josianne DeBlois Daniel Dumais |
| author_facet | Patricia Raymond Hugues Power François Guillemette Josianne DeBlois Daniel Dumais |
| author_sort | Patricia Raymond |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Repeated diameter-limit cutting in mixedwood forests often leads to altered stand composition, quality, and regeneration, hence decreasing productivity and value over time. We studied the evolution of stand characteristics after diameter-limit cutting on a 15-year period, beginning from 11 to 43 years after cutting. We used 415 sample plots (200 m2) and three criteria: (i) ≥9.0 m2/ha overstory (trees ≥9.1 cm dbh [diameter at breast height, 1.3 m above ground]) acceptable growing stock (AGS, i.e. basal area of vigorous trees with sawlog potential), (ii) ≥3.0 m2/ha pole timber AGS (9.1 cm-23.0 cm dbh) and (iii) ≥60% sapling (dbh 1.1-9.0 cm) stocking of desired species. Stand initial quality was determined in function of overstory AGS at the beginning of the monitoring period: good quality (AGS≥9.0 m2/ha), impoverished (7.0≤AGS< 9.0 m2/ha), degraded (AGS <7.0 m2/ha). After 15 years, 47% of stands satisfied at least two criteria, but most stands (65%) had insufficient sapling regeneration. Stands in good quality and impoverished categories had sufficient basal area and AGS to support a new partial cutting cycle, contrary to stands in the degraded category. A conceptual model based on these three criteria is presented to guide silvicultural rehabilitation of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by past cutting practices. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-94a52efe9d8446d7bdc8f412cb4908f1 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 0015-7546 1499-9315 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-09-01 |
| publisher | Canadian Institute of Forestry |
| record_format | Article |
| series | The Forestry Chronicle |
| spelling | doaj-art-94a52efe9d8446d7bdc8f412cb4908f12025-08-20T03:43:58ZengCanadian Institute of ForestryThe Forestry Chronicle0015-75461499-93152024-09-01100220621710.5558/tfc2024-023Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitationPatricia Raymond0Hugues Power1François Guillemette2Josianne DeBlois3Daniel Dumais4Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec (Québec), Canada G1P 3W8Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec (Québec), Canada G1P 3W8Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec (Québec), Canada G1P 3W8Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec (Québec), Canada G1P 3W8Direction de la recherche forestière, Ministère des Ressources naturelles et des Forêts du Québec, 2700 rue Einstein, Québec (Québec), Canada G1P 3W8Repeated diameter-limit cutting in mixedwood forests often leads to altered stand composition, quality, and regeneration, hence decreasing productivity and value over time. We studied the evolution of stand characteristics after diameter-limit cutting on a 15-year period, beginning from 11 to 43 years after cutting. We used 415 sample plots (200 m2) and three criteria: (i) ≥9.0 m2/ha overstory (trees ≥9.1 cm dbh [diameter at breast height, 1.3 m above ground]) acceptable growing stock (AGS, i.e. basal area of vigorous trees with sawlog potential), (ii) ≥3.0 m2/ha pole timber AGS (9.1 cm-23.0 cm dbh) and (iii) ≥60% sapling (dbh 1.1-9.0 cm) stocking of desired species. Stand initial quality was determined in function of overstory AGS at the beginning of the monitoring period: good quality (AGS≥9.0 m2/ha), impoverished (7.0≤AGS< 9.0 m2/ha), degraded (AGS <7.0 m2/ha). After 15 years, 47% of stands satisfied at least two criteria, but most stands (65%) had insufficient sapling regeneration. Stands in good quality and impoverished categories had sufficient basal area and AGS to support a new partial cutting cycle, contrary to stands in the degraded category. A conceptual model based on these three criteria is presented to guide silvicultural rehabilitation of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by past cutting practices.https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-023yellow birchred sprucebalsam firdiameter-limit cuttinganthropogenic disturbancesresilience |
| spellingShingle | Patricia Raymond Hugues Power François Guillemette Josianne DeBlois Daniel Dumais Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation The Forestry Chronicle yellow birch red spruce balsam fir diameter-limit cutting anthropogenic disturbances resilience |
| title | Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation |
| title_full | Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation |
| title_fullStr | Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation |
| title_full_unstemmed | Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation |
| title_short | Resilience of uneven-aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter-limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation |
| title_sort | resilience of uneven aged mixedwood stands altered by diameter limit cutting and opportunities for their rehabilitation |
| topic | yellow birch red spruce balsam fir diameter-limit cutting anthropogenic disturbances resilience |
| url | https://pubs.cif-ifc.org/doi/10.5558/tfc2024-023 |
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