ALBERT

Description: Woody biomass contributes about 6% of total energy production in Canada. One obstacle to the adoption of woody biomass for energy production is accurate data on sustainable supply. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate the assessment of woody biomass annually available for bioenergy production. The study area, located in northwestern Ontario, includes 18 forest management units (167 184 km2) and three existing and one proposed biomass-based power generating stations, with a potential annual demand of 2.2 million green tonnes (gt). First, pre- and post-harvest inventories were carried out to assess the availability of harvest residues. Second, two spatial database layers (land-use class and forest depletion) were developed. The pre- and post-harvest inventory data were combined with spatial data analysis to estimate woody biomass in each square kilometre of the study area. It was estimated that annually there was more than 2.1 million gt of forest harvest residue and 7.6 million gt of underutilized woody biomass technically available between 2002 and 2009 for bioenergy production, with an average annual forest depletion rate of 60 867 ha, 0.6% of the total productive forest area. The study provides a tool for assessing the sustainable availability of woody biomass feedstock for power generation.

Description: During periods with epidemic mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) populations in lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia Engelm.) forests, large amounts of tree foliage are thought to undergo changes in moisture content and chemistry brought about by tree decline and death. However, many of the presumed changes have yet to be quantified. In this study, we quantified and compared fuel moisture, chemistry, and resulting flammability of bark beetle affected foliage in terms of ignitability, combustibility, consumability, and sustainability at a site in far eastern Idaho, USA. Results revealed substantial decreases in moisture content, the proportion of starches and sugars, and crude fat and increases in the proportions of lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose in foliage of trees attacked in the previous year (yellow foliage) or more than two years previously (red foliage). Increases in emission rates of several terpenes that were correlated with flammability were also detected in yellow foliage. The flammability of fresh yellow and red foliage increased with regard to ignitability and sustainability, with shorter times to ignition, lower temperatures at ignition, and higher heat yields when compared with unattacked green foliage. Our results confirm the overwhelming importance of fuel moisture on flammability and suggest that fuel chemical composition also has significant effects on lodgepole pine foliage flammability.

Description: A systematic evaluation of nonlinear fixed- and mixed-effects taper models in volume prediction was conducted. Among 33 taper equations, the best 1- to 10-parameter fixed-effects models according to fitting statistics were further analysed by comparing their predictions against the modelling data and an independent data set. Three alternative prediction strategies were compared using the best equation (Kozak II) in the absence of calibration data (the usual situation in forestry practice). Strategy 1 used a fixed-parameter model (marginal model), strategy 2 utilized the fixed part of a mixed-effects model (conditional model), and strategy 3 calculated a marginal prediction based on the mixed-effects model by averaging the predictions over the estimated distribution of random effects. Strategies 1 and 3 performed better than strategy 2 in model evaluation (in modelling data) and model validation (independent data). Strategy 3 was less biased than strategy 1 in model validation, and both had the same mean squared deviation. Strategy 3 shares the most advantageous features of the other prediction methods and is therefore recommended for forestry practice and for further research in different modelling disciplines within forest science.

Description: Despite being a damaging foliar disease of Pinus species, little research has characterized spatial variation in disease severity of Cyclaneusma needle cast at a macroscale. Using an extensive data set describing Cyclaneusma needle cast (Ssev) on plantation-grown Pinus radiata D. Don stands distributed widely across New Zealand, the objectives of this research were to (i) develop a regression model describing Ssev, (ii) use this model to identify key drivers of Ssev and their functional form and relative importance, and (iii) develop spatial predictions of Ssev for New Zealand P. radiata under current climate. Using an independent validation data set, the final model accounted for 73% of the variance in Ssev using four significant (P 〈 0.001) explanatory variables and an isotrophic exponential model to account for the spatial covariance in the data. Ssev was most sensitive to elevation followed by mean winter air temperature, mean relative humidity during July, and then stand age. Ssev increased to a maximum at mean winter air temperatures of between 7 and 9 °C before declining. Relationships between Ssev and all other variables were linear and positive. Spatial predictions of Ssev varied widely throughout New Zealand. Values of Ssev were highest in moderately warm, wet, and humid high-elevation environments located in the central North Island. In contrast, relatively low values of Ssev were predicted in drier eastern and southern regions of New Zealand.

Description: Because quantitative data on the distribution of whole microhabitat sets are still lacking to indirectly assess taxonomic biodiversity in forests, we studied the distribution of seven key microhabitat types in 10 montane European beech ( Fagus sylvatica L.) – silver fir ( Abies alba Mill.) forests (Pyrénées, France) that had not been harvested for several decades. We examined 2105 live trees and 526 snags. Frequencies of cavities and dendrothelms were significantly higher on live beech than on fir. Sap runs were strictly found on live fir. Frequencies of cracks and saproxylic fungi were significantly higher on snags than on live trees. Seventy percent of live beeches but only 18% of firs carried one or more microhabitats. For both beech and fir and for each microhabitat type, we found, using the recursive partitioning method, one to three diameter thresholds that each corresponded to a significant change in the probability of microhabitat presence. When considering the whole microhabitat set, the most significant diameter thresholds were 42, 60, 73, and 89 cm for beech and 99 cm for fir. We suggest that forest managers conserve (i) mixed stands and (ii) beech with a diameter at breast height 〉90 cm and fir 〉100 cm. These rules should be adapted for each forest ecosystem.

Description: The Duff Moisture Code (DMC) and Drought Code (DC) components of the Canadian Forest Fire Weather Index (FWI) System are used by fire managers to assess the vulnerability of organic soils to ignition and depth of burn despite being developed for upland soils. Given the need to assess wildfire risk in peatlands, we compared the DMC and DC in eight peatlands located in five regions in boreal Canada with water table position (WT) and surface volumetric moisture content (VMC). The slope of the change in WT and DC relationship ranged greatly (–0.01 to –0.11 cm) between sites and years likely due to differences in site-specific peat properties, catchment water supply, and presence of seasonal ice. A DC of 400, which has been associated with wildfire vulnerability in uplands, corresponded to a seasonal drop in WT in the range of 4–36 cm. The slopes of the relationships between DMC and DC with 5 and 15 cm VMC also varied greatly between sites. Our findings suggest that these FWI components are suitable for predicting the general moisture status and fire danger in boreal peatlands. However, there is a need for a modified DC for specific peat types to indicate when the WT has reached a critical depth upon which fire danger increases. We also present a suggested framework for the development of a new peat moisture code within the FWI.

Description: The key to using planted Eucalyptus as timber lies in controlling the characteristic high tensile growth stress that often causes serious processing defects in sawn logs and lumber. In the present study, we investigated variations in the longitudinal released strain (RS) of surface growth stress in stems of Eucalyptus grandis W. Hill ex Maiden planted in a wide range of latitudes in Brazil and established relationships between RS measurements and anatomical and chemical factors. Cellulose and lignin content, RS, and the microfibril angle (MFA) of the middle layer of the secondary wall (S2 layer) differed among latitudes. The increase in cellulose content and decrease in MFA were correlated with the contractive value of RS, which explained the higher tensile growth stress in stems from high-latitude plantations where higher cellulose content and lower MFA were observed. To reduce processing defects due to tensile growth stress, the factors controlling MFA values and cellulose content must be identified.

Description: Disturbances control the landscape-level C dynamics of boreal forests, but post-disturbance C dynamics are usually poorly quantified. In the current study, we use 10 years of CO2 flux measurements at a boreal black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) cutover in eastern Canada to estimate time to C neutrality, quantify the relative role of respiration versus photosynthesis during recovery, and determine the agreement between cumulated CO2 fluxes and plot-level changes in C content. The site was a net source of 139 g C·m–2·year–1 2 years post-harvest, dropped further to a source of 173 g C·m–2·year–1 4 years post-harvest, following a scarification treatment, and was nearly C neutral 10 years post-harvest. Gross ecosystem productivity (GEP) increased by 50 g C·m–2·year–1 post-scarification, while ecosystem respiration (ER) increased by only 23 g C·m–2·year–1. The resulting net rate of increase of 27 g C·m–2·year–1 in net ecosystem productivity was driven by changes in increasing leaf area. In fact, vegetation regrowth had a much greater impact on annual fluxes than did interannual variability in climate. Biometric-based measurements of total C losses after harvest were in relatively good agreement with eddy-covariance-based estimates 8 years after the harvest.

Description: Baldcypress (Taxodium distichum (L.) Rich.) has been used extensively for dendrochronological reconstruction of climate and is a key species in globally important wetlands with complex, poorly understood relationships between hydrological and ecological processes. To better understand ecosystem responses to changing climate and hydrology and to test whether hydrological or climatological variables are most reflected in chronologies, we developed tree-ring chronologies for six stagnant or riverine swamps in the Mississippi River deltaic plain and modeled growth responses to historical hydrology (51 years of data) and climate (111 years of data). Decoupled flooding and local climate in this deltaic setting allowed for relatively independent assessments of the roles of hydrology and climate in baldcypress growth. Depth of annual flooding was positively correlated with growth that year but negatively correlated with growth in the ensuing year for both riverine and stagnant swamps. Depth of 10-year mean flooding was positively correlated with growth in riverine swamps but negatively correlated with growth in stagnant swamps. Results corroborate previous findings that long-term, stagnant flooding reduces productivity, but growth at these deltaic sites was less correlated with climatic variables than elsewhere. At least in these frequently flooded sites, baldcypress tree rings appear to be a better long term record of hydrological history than of climatic history.

Description: To strengthen financial returns and sustainably manage pine plantations for a mixture of traditional merchantable forest products and biomass for energy, we may need to modify and optimize loblolly pine ( Pinus taeda L.) plantation management regimes. There is limited information on stand-level biomass production and partitioning, which is critical to evaluate alternative culture regimes including cultural intensity and planting density. In the present study, effects of cultural intensity and planting density on biomass accumulation and partitioning in loblolly pine plantations at age 12 were evaluated with destructive biomass sampling data from plots of a unique culture/density study. More intensive culture increased stand-level stem, bark, and branch biomass and aboveground biomass but did not affect foliage biomass. In general, culture intensity did not affect stand-level aboveground biomass partitioning. Planting density significantly affected stand-level aboveground biomass accumulation and partitioning; however, this effect was no longer significant among densities above 2224 trees·ha–1. More intensive culture or lower planting density resulted in less foliage per unit of live-branch biomass. Partitioning to stems relative to branches increased with increasing planting density. Both cultural intensity and planting density had no significant effects on leaf area index and stand-level specific gravity. Planting density significantly affected the foliage density. There were no significant interactions of planting density and cultural intensity.

Description: Deadwood-associated insects and saprotrophic fungi are principal agents of wood decomposition in boreal forest. Silvicultural treatments that alter microclimate and availability of deadwood likely affect composition and growth rates of both insect and fungal communities, leading to changes in wood decomposition rates. Here, we relate both saproxylic beetle and dominant polypore assemblages with woody decomposition rates and environmental variables in experimental partial cuts, clearcuts, and uncut controls using a series of causal models to determine the relationship between stand structure, biodiversity, and ecosystem function in black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) forests. Overall beetle and fungal composition differed between uncut stands and harvested stands. Main effects of harvesting included large increases in wood-feeding beetles and the fungus Gloeophyllum sepiarium (Wul.:Fr.) Karst. We suggest that these species were promoted by specific alterations in microhabitat conditions of deadwood. Within clearcuts specifically, changes in species composition and significantly more fungal degree-days resulted in significantly higher decomposition rates. We concluded that levels of partial cutting in the range of 15%–20% retention were not sufficient to maintain predisturbance communities but were sufficient to maintain wood decomposition rates similar to uncut stands.

Description: Leaf litterfall represents an important nutrient flux in forests, but separating leaves by species and collecting fresh litter annually for nutrient analysis is time-consuming and expensive. To quantify the sources of variation in litterfall nutrient estimates and guide optimal allocation of research effort, we analyzed nutrient concentration (5 years) and mass (6 years) of leaf litter for nine tree species in 13 northern hardwood sites. Coefficients of variation (CVs) in nutrient concentration were higher across sites than over time within sites for most elements; phosphorus was especially variable across sites (56% CV). Thus, to estimate litterfall nutrient fluxes accurately in forests of this type, nutrient analyses should be site-specific as well as species-specific but may not need to be repeated annually (CVs over time averaged 17% for calcium, 21% for magnesium, 28% for potassium, and 32% for phosphorus concentration). Total leaf litterfall mass varied considerably from year to year, ranging from 234 to 370 g·m–2 averaged over 13 sites. We recommend that litter collectors be elevated above the ground to avoid oversampling during extreme wind events. Use of species-specific allometric equations, or even basal area, to estimate the species composition of total litter mass may obviate the need to sort litter by species.

Description: In a forest stand, competition plays a central role, affecting individual growth. The size–growth relationship (SGR) indicates whether large trees grow proportionally more than (asymmetric SGR), equal to (symmetric), or less than (inversely asymmetric) smaller trees. SGR is thus an indicator of the growth partitioning and competition intensity within a stand. Using tree-ring analysis, we investigated long-term trends and interannual variability of SGR in several Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) stands in the Paneveggio Forest (eastern Italian Alps) over a 100-year period. The study plots were characterized by different stand structures (one multilayered and two monolayered) and disturbance histories (different dates of logging). Logging conducted until the 1940s induced an inversely asymmetric SGR in all the plots. During the successive five decades, in the monolayered plots, it shifted to direct asymmetric (plot 1) and to symmetric (plot 2). In the multilayered plot (plot 3), SGR remained inversely asymmetric. A direct effect of climate on SGR interannual variability was not found. However, fast-growing trees had a stronger climatic signal than slow-growing trees, indicating that growth rate affects tree response to climate. Moreover, we observed that sensitivity to climate was reduced in the monolayered plots over the study period, possibly as a consequence of increased competition.

Description: Characterizing the spatial distribution of tree mortality is critical to understanding forest dynamics, but empirical studies on these patterns under old-growth conditions are rare. This rarity is due in part to low mortality rates in old-growth forests, the study of which necessitates long observation periods, and the confounding influence of tree in-growth during such time spans. Here, we studied mortality of red pine ( Pinus resinosa Ait.) in five old-growth stands in Minnesota, USA, demonstrating the use of preexisting information of cohort age structures to account for in-growth after the most recent cohort establishment. Analyses of spatial point patterns, using both Ripley’s K-function and the pair correlation function, showed that tree mortality was essentially a random process, without evidence of contagious mortality patterns that are often expected for old-growth forests. Our analyses further demonstrated in practice that the distribution of dead trees may differ from that of the tree mortality events, which are constrained to occur within the initial distribution, and how mortality patterns can shape the spatial distribution of mature living trees, often attributed to aggregated regeneration patterns. These findings emphasize the need to disentangle the influence of the initial distribution of trees from that of actual tree mortality events.

Description: Tree growth and competition play central roles in forest dynamics. Yet models of competition often neglect important variation in species-specific responses. Furthermore, functions used to model changes in growth rate with size do not always allow for potential complexity. Using a large data set from old-growth forests in California, models were parameterized relating growth rate to tree size and competition for four common species. Several functions relating growth rate to size were tested. Competition models included parameters for tree size, competitor size, and competitor distance. Competitive strength was allowed to vary by species. The best ranked models (using Akaike’s information criterion) explained between 18% and 40% of the variance in growth rate, with each species showing a strong response to competition. Models indicated that relationships between competition and growth varied substantially among species. The results also suggested that the relationship between growth rate and tree size can be complex and that how we model it can affect not only our ability to detect that complexity but also whether we obtain misleading results. In this case, for three of four species, the best model captured an apparent and unexpected decline in potential growth rate for the smallest trees in the data set.

Description: A continually increasing demand for energy and concerns about climate change, greenhouse gas emissions and peak oil have prompted countries to develop policies that promote renewable energy including forest-based bioenergy. In Europe, fuelwood-driven changes in forestry are likely to impact habitat conditions for forest biodiversity. We conducted a systematic literature overview based on 88 papers to synthesize research findings and gaps in knowledge. At the stand scale, but also on a landscape scale, deadwood availability and profile are altered by several practices: whole-tree harvesting and postharvest recovery of logging residues and stumps, for instance. Large-scale fuelwood removal may, on a landscape scale, jeopardize the amounts and diversity of substrate that saproxylic organisms require as food and habitat. Besides, bioenergy-related forest practices also affect nonsaproxylic biodiversity through physical (e.g., soil compaction and disturbance) and chemical changes in soil properties associated with fuelwood removal and increased machine traffic. Moreover, the extended density of internal edges threatens interior forest species populations. Important effects differ substantially between boreal and nemoral forests because of contrasts in management systems, structure of forest ownership, and ecological properties. Developing relevant operational guidelines to partially mitigate ecological damage on biodiversity should be based on our compiled cautionary statements but require further large-scale and long-term research.

Description: We evaluated the attraction of native species of cerambycid beetles to blends of cerambycid pheromones and the host plant volatiles ethanol and α-pinene to determine whether such blends could be effective lures for detecting and monitoring multiple species. The complete six-component blend of pheromones included racemic 3-hydroxy-2-hexanone, 2,3-hexanediol isomers, (E)-6,10-dimethyl-5,9-undecadien-2-ol and the corresponding acetate, 2-(undecyloxy)-ethanol, and racemic 2-methyl-1-butanol. Bioassays in east-central Illinois captured 3070 cerambycid beetles of 10 species, including four species in the subfamily Cerambycinae ( Neoclytus acuminatus (Fabricius, 1775), Neoclytus mucronatus (Fabricius, 1775), Phymatodes lengi Joutel, 1911, and Xylotrechus colonus (Fabricius, 1775)) and six species in the subfamily Laminiae ( Aegomorphus modestus (Gyllenhal in Schoenherr, 1817), Astyleiopus variegatus (Haldeman, 1847), Astylidius parvus (LeConte, 1873), Graphisurus fasciatus (DeGeer, 1775), Lepturges angulatus (LeConte, 1852), and Monochamus carolinensis (Olivier, 1792)). Beetles were attracted to their pheromone components within the blend, with inhibition only evident in one species. Host plant volatiles synergized attraction for some species, and synergism usually was attributed to ethanol, with α-pinene enhancing attraction only for the pine specialist M. carolinensis. The optimal strategy for targeting a broad range of cerambycid species would be to bait traps with a blend of several pheromones plus ethanol and α-pinene because synergism by these plant volatiles is critical for some species, whereas strong inhibition is uncommon.

Description: Total belowground biomass, soil C, and N mass were measured in plots of 32-year-old black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) from four full-sib families studied previously for drought tolerance and differential productivity on a dry and a wet site. Stump root biomass was greater on the wet than on the dry site; however, combined fine and coarse root biomass was greater on the dry than on the wet site, resulting in no site root biomass differences. There were no site differences in root distribution by soil depth. Drought-tolerant families had greater stump root biomass and allocated relatively less to combined coarse and fine roots than drought-intolerant families. Fine roots (

Description: To better understand the availability of plant resources on the forest floor in the Amazon and also to show the effect of their heterogeneity on tree seedlings, I described the spatial and temporal variation of light and soil water along a 100 m transect in a terra firme forest for 6 months and recorded responses of three tree species planted on that transect after 1 year’s growth. I found that (i) the spatial heterogeneity across the transect was greater than the temporal heterogeneity at any given microsite on the transect for both light and water and there was a positive correlation between them, (ii) Couepia obovata Ducke, the largest seeded and the only subcanopy tree, survived the best and showed both the largest relative height growth rate (RHGR) and the largest specific leaf area (SLA), while among the two early successional trees, Tapirira guianensis J.B. Aublet had the largest leaf area ratio (LAR) and the largest leaf mass ratio (LMR) and Duguethia spixiana Mart. had the largest root to shoot ratio (RTOS), (iii) for T. guianensis, SLA increased with increasing light and soil water potential predicted both increasing LMR and decreasing RTOS with increasing soil water, and (iv) soil water potential could also predict increasing LAR with increasing water for D. spixiana and, for C. obovata, soil water potential predicted more survivorship, LMR, and RHGR but less RTOS, all with increasing soil water. I conclude that some subcanopy trees may survive and grow more than open-canopy trees when presented with water stress in the forest understory and that within the ranges of light and soil water sampled here, plants responded more to spatial variation in water compared with light.

Description: Coppice growth on cut stumps in thinned Eucalyptus plantations has the potential to compete with and reduce the growth of retained sawlog crop trees (SCTs). This study examined to what extent SCT growth was reduced by coppice in two stands in southeastern Australia: (i) a Eucalyptus globulus Labill. plantation thinned at age 10 years and (ii) a slower growing Eucalyptus tricarpa L.A.S. Johnson & K. Hill (syn. Eucalyptus sideroxylon subsp. tricarpa L.A.S. Johnson) plantation thinned at age 62 years. After 5 years, thinning E. globulus from 850 to 400 trees·ha–1 increased the basal area of the largest diameter 200 SCTs·ha–1 (SCT200) by 11% when coppice was removed. There was no significant thinning response by SCT200 when coppice was retained. After 10 years, thinning E. tricarpa from about 600 to 100 trees·ha–1 increased the basal area of the largest diameter 100 SCTs trees·ha–1 (SCT100) by about 10% whether coppice was removed or not. At the time of measurement, coppice contributed 17% and 36% of stand sapwood area in thinned E. globulus and E. tricarpa treatments, respectively, and possibly competed with SCTs for water. This study shows the significant competitive effect that coppice can have in thinned eucalypt plantations and the importance of coppice management to the growth of retained trees.

Description: We examined the development of a 33-year experiment in spruce–fir stands that received nine herbicide treatments (applied aerially in 1977), with and without precommercial thinning (PCT) (applied in 1986). We tested two commonly held assumptions about the long-term effects of herbicide and PCT in mixedwood stands managed for softwoods: (i) herbicide release produces stands dominated by softwoods and (ii) PCT promotes both softwood dominance and merchantable volume. All herbicides were effective at releasing balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and spruce ( Picea spp.) from overtopping shrubs and hardwoods that had naturally regenerated following clearcut harvesting in 1970. Glyphosate (Roundup), triclopyr amine (Garlon 3A), 2,4,5-T, and a mixture of 2,4,5-T and 2,4-D herbicide treatments were all effective at shifting long-term species composition to softwood dominance after 30 years, irrespective of the rates applied. Herbicide-treated stands that did not receive PCT were overstocked with softwoods for at least 24 years and produced less than half of the merchantable softwood volume by 40 years than herbicide-treated stands that received PCT. Intolerant hardwoods dominated untreated stands for all 33 years of the experiment. When unsprayed plots received PCT, however, they produced stands at 40 years that were compositionally and structurally indistinguishable from those that had received both herbicide and PCT treatments. Results from this experiment clearly demonstrated that early herbicide application, regardless of type and rate of herbicide, created softwood-dominated mixedwood stands over the long term and that PCT more than doubled merchantable softwood volume within 25 years of application.

Description: Diversity in temperate forests is concentrated in the understory, but understory dynamics are poorly understood for old-growth forests. We use repeated measurements of more than eight hundred 1 m2 plots over three decades to assess patterns of understory diversity in old-growth mesic and wet forests in northern Michigan, USA. We ask whether diversity changes systematically over time and whether dynamics are related to spatial scale. We find, for all habitats, significant understory diversity loss at square-metre scales but not at coarser scales. Total herbaceous cover, however, remained constant or increased in total and for nearly all frequent species, and no species were lost overall. We explore hypotheses about diversity regulation by exploring correlations with habitat, canopy composition, and properties of understory species. Nonindigenous plants are rare at the study site, earthworm invasion is not apparent, and deer browse is not intense. Diversity changes may be related to ecological guild membership. We suggest that the general loss of fine-scale diversity is driven by either changing canopy composition or competitive dynamics within the understory community. Management for diversity maintenance in temperate forests must address understory communities; if herbaceous diversity is scale dependent and unstable over decadal time frames, management approaches need to account for factors driving changes.

Description: With the emergence and advancement of airborne laser scanning technology over the past decade, individual tree height can be easily measured over a large area of forests with a comparable degree of accuracy to conventional ground-based methods. In laser scanning based large-scale forest inventories, the need to predict diameter from remotely sensed tree height calls for a systematic evaluation of equation forms as the first step towards a well-developed approach to developing diameter–height equations. This study evaluated more than 30 height–diameter equations in the forest biometrics literature to select candidates for deriving equation forms for diameter–height equations. The evaluation was based on four criteria: (i) the height–diameter function is inversable; (ii) the inverse function is continuous and monotonically increasing over a specified working range of total tree height; (iii) diameter at breast height is equal to zero when tree height equals breast height in the inverse function; and preferably, (iv) the inverse function has an inflection point that is consistent with biological expectations. A total of 12 candidate equation forms were derived, which included five two-parameter and seven three-parameter equations. The estimation properties and predictive performance of these 12 equation forms were further evaluated and compared through repeated sampling and fitting using data from 3581 trees destructively sampled for taper measurements from Pinus radiata D. Don plantations across New South Wales, Australia. Three equation forms, including the constrained Richards, Weibull, and the combined power and exponential function, displayed superior prediction accuracy and estimation properties and so were recommended as the primary equation forms for developing diameter–height equations. The remaining equation forms were marred by either lower prediction accuracy or poorer estimation properties or both. The three recommended equation forms should only serve as basic deterministic specifications upon which other tree and stand variables should be incorporated as predictors to further improve their predictive performance.

Description: Bears ( Ursus spp.) and other predators can capture and transport large numbers of Pacific salmon ( Oncorhynchus spp.) to riparian areas beside small coastal streams, a process that may affect site productivity and local plant communities. We used a novel experimental manipulation of salmon carcasses to analyze understory plant uptake of salmon-derived N. A hierarchical before–after, control–impact design was used with the addition of chum salmon ( Oncorhynchus keta (Walbaum in Artedi, 1792)) carcasses to forest sites along 11 streams on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. Eight months after carcass placement, the foliar %N and δ15N in three herbaceous and one moss species had increased by an average of 14%–60% (%N) and 0.5–3.3‰ (δ15N) at treatment carcass sites versus control sites. Treatment effects for %N were typically greater than for δ15N. Nitrogen isotope signatures at carcass sites were highly variable (δ15N range = 30.1‰) and were mediated by plant species, stream salmon density, carcass mass, and individual plant foliar %N. These results show that understory plants use N from salmon during an important period of plant growth many months after carcasses were deposited in riparian areas. However, they also indicate that habitat variation across spatial scales from individual plants to streams needs to be considered when estimating the contribution of salmon to plant nutrition.

Description: Severe forest fires worldwide leave behind large quantities of dead woody debris and regenerating trees that can affect future ecosystem trajectories. We studied a chronosequence of severe fires in Arizona, USA, spanning 1 to 18 years after burning to investigate postfire woody debris and regeneration dynamics. Snag densities varied over time, with predominantly recent snags in recent fires and broken or fallen snags in older fires. Coarse woody debris peaked at 〉 60 Mg/ha in the time period 6–12 years after fire, a value higher than previously reported in postfire fuel assessments in this region. However, debris loadings on fires older than 12 years were within the range of recommended management values (11.2–44.8 Mg/ha). Overstory and regeneration were most commonly dominated by sprouting deciduous species. Ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa C. Lawson var. scopulorum Engelm.) overstory and regeneration were completely lacking in 50% and 57% of the sites, respectively, indicating that many sites were likely to experience extended periods as shrublands or grasslands rather than returning rapidly to pine forest. More time is needed to see whether these patterns will remain stable, but there are substantial obstacles to pine forest recovery: competition with sprouting species and (or) grasses, lack of seed sources, and the forecast of warmer, drier climatic conditions for coming decades.

Description: Understanding perceptions of risks, awareness, and trust in management agencies is critical to effective management of large-scale forest insect disturbance. In this study, we examined regional variation in public perceptions of risk, compared public and land managers’ perceptions, and examined knowledge and trust as factors in shaping public perceptions of a mountain pine beetle (MPB) ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) infestation. Survey data were collected from residents (n = 1303) in three regions of Alberta and from land managers (n = 43) responsible for MPB management. Results showed that residents had moderate or great concern for MBP risks, they were not well informed about MPB, and they showed slight trust in the provincial government and forest industry to manage the beetle. There was regional variation in perceptions of risks, knowledge, and trust. Land managers were less concerned about nontimber effects and had higher trust than the public. A positive correlation between trust and risk perceptions appears to contradict the risk literature. This relationship may be influenced by an intervening effect of knowledge. These results call for more attention to the content of risk messaging and the effects of trust and knowledge on the general public who take up these messages.

Description: Fertilizers are applied in drained peatland forests to correct nutrient imbalances, but few models have been developed for predicting the stand growth response. We used 10- to 34-year-long stem growth increment data from 51 fertilization experiments involving ash, PK, and NPK treatments (doses of P, K, and N varying between 35 and 45, 60 and 80, and 80 and 90 kg·ha–1, respectively) and controls to model the volume growth response of young Scots pine (Pinus sylvetris L.) stands to fertilization in drained peatland sites of middle and northern Finland. We used the linear mixed models method to express the stand-level growth response as a function of time (5-year periods), site type group, location, and the fertilization treatment (ash–PK combined and NPK). Different growth responses were obtained for nitrogen-rich sites with PK treatment and nitrogen-poor sites with NPK treatment. The PK fertilization in nitrogen-rich sites resulted in the largest volume growth response and longest temporal effect (1.0–2.0 m3·ha–1·a–1 higher mean growth for at least 35 years), with quicker and stronger effects in more southern conditions where average temperature sums were greater than 1000 degree-days (°C). NPK fertilization in nitrogen-poor sites gave a modest response (0.4–0.8 m3·ha–1·a–1 in 35 years).

Description: We investigated the effect of climate on variations in annual ring-area increment along the stem of dominant silver fir ( Abies alba Mill.) and Norway spruce ( Picea abies (L.) Karst.) trees in the Black Forest, southwestern Germany, to test the hypothesis that growth allocation changes as a result of climate fluctuations. Stem discs were taken at three different stem heights: 1.30, 11.50, and 16.70 m. For each site and stem height, average annual ring-area increment chronologies were computed. In addition, we calculated ratios between ring-area increment of the upper stem discs and the disc at breast height to compare growth variations along the stem. Pearson correlation coefficients revealed a highly similar growth pattern at different stem heights, where the two upper discs were most similar. Bootstrapped correlation coefficients between the ring-area increment chronologies, ratios, and monthly temperature, precipitation, and self-calibrated Palmer drought sensitivity index data were calculated to analyze differences in climate response. High temperatures in early summer were found to reduce growth of high-altitude fir in the upper stem parts, whereas high temperatures in summer limit growth of high-altitude fir and spruce, especially at breast height. For low-altitude trees, high temperatures as well as low precipitation amounts during summer were found to reduce growth at all stem heights, but more strongly at breast height. Growth at breast height seems to be biased, as it over- or underestimates annual ring-area increments along the stem (and thereby volume increment), particularly during warm and dry climate conditions.

Description: Tree mortality is a critical driver of stand dynamics, influencing forest structure, composition, and capacity for ecosystem service provision. In recent years, tree mortality has been gaining attention as dramatic occurrences of forest die-off have been linked to climate change. Using permanent sample plot data, we examined tree mortality rates in mature forests in west-central Alberta from 1956 to 2007. We quantified mortality risk at an individual-tree level as a function of size, local competition, and calendar year, a proxy for increasing temperature, and used maximum likelihood methods to estimate species-specific model parameters. Tree size and local competition were both important predictors of mortality risk. However, once these factors were included in our model, no additional variation could be attributed to calendar year, indicating that the trend of increasing tree mortality over time found in our raw data is primarily a result of stand development processes. This finding is supported by the changes in forest structure and composition that we documented over the study period. Stands generally increased in basal area and stem density, and lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) declined in abundance relative to the more shade-tolerant black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) and white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss). Our results indicate that warming-related changes did not affect background tree mortality rates in mature forests in the Alberta foothills over the study period. These results also provide critical information for future studies of forest dynamics in the region.

Description: Whitebark pine ( Pinus albicaulis Engelm.) in subalpine zones of eastern California experienced significant mortality from 2007 to 2010. Dying stands were dense (mean basal area 47.5 m2/ha), young (mean 176 years), and even-age; mean stand mortality was 70%. Stands were at low elevations (mean 2993 m), on northerly aspects, and experienced warmer, drier climates relative to the regional species distribution. White pine blister rust was not observed; mountain pine beetle infestations were extensive. Ring widths were negatively correlated with climatic water deficit and positively correlated with water-year precipitation. Although trees that survived had greater growth during the 20th century than trees that died, in the 19th century trees that eventually died grew better than trees that survived, suggesting selection for genetic adaptation to current climates as a result of differential tree mortality. Air surveys (2006–2010) in the Sierra Nevada, Mt. Shasta, and Warner Mountains showed similar trends to the intensive studies. Observed mortality from air surveys was highest in the Warner Mountains (38%) and lowest in the Sierra Nevada (5%); northern aspects at lower elevations within each mountain region had the highest probabilities of mortality and dying stands had higher climatic water deficit. Scenarios for the future of whitebark pine in California are discussed.

Description: Spatial models of population dynamics have been proposed as a useful method for predicting the impacts of environmental change on biodiversity. Here, we demonstrate advances in dynamic landscape metapopulation modelling and its use as a decision support tool for evaluating the impacts of forest management scenarios. This novel modelling framework incorporates both landscape and metapopulation model stochasticity and allows their relative contributions to model output variance to be characterized. It includes a detailed sensitivity analysis, allowing defensible uncertainty bounds and the prioritization of future data gathering to reduce model uncertainties. We demonstrate this framework by modelling the landscape-level impacts of eight forest management scenarios on the red-backed salamander ( Plethodon cinereus (Green, 1818)) in the boreal forest of Ontario, Canada, using the RAMAS Landscape package. The 100 year forest management scenarios ranged in intensity of timber harvesting and fire suppression. All scenarios including harvesting predicted decreases in salamander population size and the current style of forest management is predicted to produce a 9%–17% decrease in expected minimum population size compared with scenarios without harvesting. This method is amenable to incorporating many forms of environmental change and allows a meaningful treatment of uncertainty.

Description: Wildfires are responsible for several civilians deaths and millions of dollars in property losses every year, on average. Wildfire containment is the result of an effectively performed initial attack. We formulate a two-stage stochastic integer programming standard response model for initial attack. The model assumes a known standard response needed to contain a fire of given size. The goal of the model is to contain as many fires as possible while minimizing the fixed rental and travel costs and the expected future operational costs. We report on a study based on district TX12, which is one of the fire planning units of the Texas Forest Service (TFS) in East Texas, involving seven operations bases and up to 28 dozers. We use our methodology to position the dozers based on 30- and 60-min maximum travel time restrictions and evaluate each deployment in terms of the number of fire-fighting resources positioned at each operations base and the expected number of escaped (contained) fires. We also consider deploying additional resources to operations bases that need them the most. The deployments made by our methodology provide several insights and show that the original distribution of resources in TX12 at the time of this study was not optimal. For example, more dozers were initially located at operations bases in areas of low density of fires while fewer dozers were located at bases in areas of high density of fires.

Description: Observed modifications of ectomycorrhizal (ECM) communities have been connected to the increased N depositions of the 20th century. Because of their narrow niche width, small disturbances of soil conditions can produce greater effects on the fungal species than on their host trees. This study investigated the ECM community in a black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) stand subjected to long-term additions of 9 and 30 kg N·ha–1·year–1 of ammonium nitrate, representing 3 and 10 times the atmospheric N deposition at the site, respectively. Root tip vitality and ECM presence were detected on samples collected from the organic horizon and ECM were classified into morphotypes according to their morphological and anatomical characters. In the control, 80.6% of the root tips were vital, 76.5% of them showing ECM colonization. Higher root tip vitality and mycorrhization were observed in the treated plots. Forty-one morphotypes were identified, most of them detected at the higher N inputs. Results diverging from the expectations of a reduction in ECM presence and diversity could be related to a higher growth rate of the trees following fertilization. The repeated application of small N doses could have been a better imitation of natural inputs from atmospheric deposition and could have provided more reliable responses of ECM to treatment.

Description: Estimating the amount of standing deadwood in forests is crucial for assessing wildlife habitat and determining carbon stocks. In this analysis, snags (standing dead trees) in various stages of decay were inventoried across eight silvicultural treatments in eastern spruce–fir forests in central Maine nearly 60 years after treatments were initiated. Several modeling strategies were developed to estimate number of snags per hectare in various stages of decay. An unmanaged reference area displayed the highest basal area and volume of snags (5.4 ± 3.1 m2·ha–1 and 29.4 ± 23.6 m3·ha–1, respectively, (mean ± standard deviation)), while the lowest basal area and volume (0.9 ± 1.0 m2·ha–1 and 3.1 ± 5.2 m3·ha–1) were observed in selection system with a 5-year cutting cycle. Models indicated that snag abundance was related to stand density, depth to water table, and the average harvest interval of the treatment. At a fixed stand density, approximately 140% more snags were predicted to occur in treatments with an average harvest interval of 55 compared with 5 years. An index of error reflecting the number of snags found in certain decay classes was reduced by 40% when predictions from count regression models fit with a mixed modeling strategy were used over ordinal regression. Results from these analyses can help to reduce the disparities between observed and modeled snag stocking levels and further our understanding of the relationships between live and standing dead trees inherent to eastern spruce–fir forests.

Description: Black spruce ( Picea mariana (Mill.) Britton, Sterns & Poggenb.) and white spruce ( Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) are phylogenetically proximal species that differ in productivity. Crown characteristics of these two species have not been extensively studied, in spite of the importance of these two species to the Canadian boreal forest and the importance of tree crowns for understanding and modelling tree growth. In this paper, we characterize and compare the crown lengths, crown profiles (i.e., radii), shapes, and surface areas of these two species using 65 white spruce and 57 black spruce trees destructively sampled in the provinces of Alberta, Ontario, and Quebec, Canada. Crown length was measured on every sample tree, while crown profile was obtained by reconstructing crowns from branch measurements. Our results showed that crown lengths did not differ between these two species given the same tree size and growth conditions. However, these two species establish under different growth conditions resulting in crown length differences. Further, differences in crown radii and profiles were found even under the same growth conditions. White spruce trees had wider crown radii and profiles changed from a parabola to a cone shape under increased density. As a result, differences in crown surface areas were found.

Description: Conventionally, increment cores collected at breast height (1.4 m) have been used to measure wood properties of standing loblolly pine (Pinus taeda L.) trees. This height has been used because of the ease of sampling and cost involved in extracting the cores. In this study, the efficacy of a breast-height core to represent whole-tree specific gravity (SG) and moisture content (MC) was examined. The sampling height that best represents whole-tree SG and MC was identified using the correlation between volume-weighted whole-tree SG and MC with SG and MC measurements collected at different heights within a tree. We found a high correlation between observed whole-disk SG and MC with volume-weighted whole-tree SG and MC at most sampling heights. The strength of the correlation followed a skewed parabolic curve form for both wood properties. The strongest correlations were observed between 4.6 and 6.1 m, with marginally lower correlations at the base of the tree, and the weakest correlations were observed towards the tip of the tree. In addition, it was found that the number of stands and trees that need to be sampled to achieve a certain accuracy in overall mean whole-tree SG and MC was greater if breast height was used as a sampling height compared with the most representative sampling heights identified (4.6 m for SG and 6.1 m for MC).

Description: To better understand the long-term effects of species selection and forest management practices on soil quality and soil C retention, we analyzed soil samples from an experimental planting of loblolly ( Pinus taeda L.), longleaf ( Pinus palustris Mill.), and slash ( Pinus elliottii Engelm.) pines under different management intensities in Mississippi. The treatments included stump removal and cultivation (CULT), a one-time application of fertilizer combined with stump removal and cultivation (CULT+F), and a control (CON). After 49 years, pine species had no significant effect on any soil physical or chemical parameter examined, despite species differences in basal area. CULT exhibited significantly higher soil bulk density and lower soil C and soil N than CON and CULT+F in the upper 10 cm of soil. Stump removal is not a common practice in southern pine silviculture today; however, as demand for bioenergy fuels or feedstocks increases, more complete biomass utilization will be considered. Residual stumps play an important role in soil nutrient and C retention in pine plantations. Our results show that stump removal can lead to reduced soil C (–21%) and soil N (–35%) compared with controls, although it is possible to mitigate nutrient losses on poor sites with fertilization.

Description: Tree species composition is influenced not only by edaphic and climatic factors but also by natural and human-caused disturbances. To understand interactions among these influences, we compared forest species composition data from the time of European settlement with modern data. We derived elevation data for 2529 trees mapped by early land surveys (1770–1850) across a 1000 m elevation gradient in central New Hampshire and compared these with modern data (2004–2009) from the Forest Inventory and Analysis program (123 plots containing 2126 trees) and from permanent plots representing case studies of different land-use histories. Spruce and beech are much less abundant today at all elevations than they were prior to settlement, while maples and birches have increased. Fir, hemlock, pines, and oaks have changed little in distribution, although pines and oaks increased in abundance somewhat. Land-use history (agriculture below 500 m and cutting of various intensities at all elevations) is likely the primary explanation for these shifts, although climate change is also an important factor for some. A clearer understanding of presettlement forest composition improves our ability to separate the relative importance of natural and human-driven influences on the species composition of today’s forests.

Description: The forest tent caterpillar (Malacosoma disstria Hbn.) is an eruptive forest insect common across North America and an important defoliator of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.). Forest stands having suffered severe defoliations by the forest tent caterpillar over multiple years are known to incur reduced tree growth and increased tree mortality. In this study, we developed a predictive model of forest tent caterpillar defoliation dynamics using local and contextual variables expressing forest composition and structure, and their heterogeneity, at different scales. Of all scales considered (500, 1000, 1500, and 2000 m), contextual variables at 1500 m were found to have the greatest effect on defoliation dynamics. At this scale, we found that a greater proportion of preferred host trees in the landscape increased defoliation severity, but duration was modulated by compositional heterogeneity, where persistence was reduced in highly heterogeneous landscapes. Indeed, the likelihood of a single year of defoliation was much greater in highly diverse landscapes than the likelihood of multiple years of defoliation. These findings are consistent with ecological theory. Contrary to the expected result that older trees would be most susceptible, we found that “middle-aged” trees (~50 years) were most likely to be defoliated.

Description: MAIDENiso is a new version of the process-based biogeochemical model MAIDEN of tree growth. Isotopic modules have been implemented to simulate stable oxygen and carbon isotopes in tree-ring cellulose (TRC). In addition to annual increment biomass, this new model version estimates δ18O and δ13C associated with the daily amount of carbon allocated to the stem. MAIDENiso only requires daily input data: minimal and maximal air temperatures, amount of precipitation, CO2 atmospheric concentration, and δ13C in CO2. MAIDENiso simulates tree-ring width, δ18O in precipitation (δ18OP), δ18O in soil water (δ18OSW), δ18O in xylem water (δ18OXW), δ18O in cellulose (δ18OTRC), and δ13C in cellulose (δ13CTRC). The model has been calibrated and validated with tree-ring series sampled in the Fontainebleau Forest (France) from 1953 to 2000. We first calibrated several parameters for the 1977–2000 period and then validated it for the independent 1953–1976 period. Over the complete interval (1953–2000), we obtained correlations between observations and simulations above 0.5 for both isotopic series and above 0.65 for tree growth series. An important feature of the model is its ability to simulate not only extreme values of tree growth, such as the effect of 1976 drought, but also its persistence over several years.

Description: The view that subalpine forest vegetation dynamics in western North America are “driven” by a particular disturbance type (i.e., fire) has shaped our understanding of their disturbance regimes. In the wake of a recent (1990s) landscape-extent spruce beetle ( Dendroctonus rufipennis Kirby) outbreak in the southern Rocky Mountains, we re-examined the temporal continuity in disturbance types and interactions and the possible role of drought on their occurrence by reconstructing antecedent disturbances for 11 sites across the Markagunt Plateau, southern Utah, USA. Multiple consistent lines of evidence suggested that historic fires were the primary antecedent disturbance, while relatively minor, stand-specific spruce beetle activity occurred later in stand development but prior to the recent outbreak. Unlike the recent outbreak, antecedent fires were spatially and temporally asynchronous over the period examined (~1600–2000). Reconstructed fire events primarily occurred during periods of prolonged drought. Similarly, historic spruce beetle activity, indicated by species-specific tree-ring release, and timing of Engelmann spruce ( Picea engelmannii Parry ex Engelm.) death dates from the recent outbreak were related to drought conditions. Vegetation dynamics on this landscape were strongly driven by historic fires and the recent spruce beetle outbreak, and drought conditions likely influenced the occurrence of both disturbance types.

Description: A strong positive association exists between Bryoria fremontii (Tuck.) Brodo & D. Hawksw. and red fir ( Abies magnifica A. Murray) in mixed-conifer forest of the south-central Sierra Nevada in California. The hypotheses that red fir microclimate, foliar leachate pH, mineral nutrients, and needle morphology may be especially favorable for B. fremontii were investigated in this study. There were no statistically significant differences in fall–winter–spring period within-crown vapor pressure deficits among five conifer species. In spring leachate solutions, NH4+and K+were significant indicators of red fir, which had generally greater ion concentrations than other species. Sugar pine ( Pinus lambertiana Douglas) leachate had the lowest pH. Mineral nutrient concentrations and acidity increased across species in fall samples. Growth and establishment of B. fremontii transplants were compared among the five conifer species. Grand mean annual transplant relative growth across conifer species was 6.28% with no statistically significant differences among species. Thallus retention in an establishment experiment was significantly greater in red fir than in shaded white fir ( Abies concolor (Gordon & Glend.) Hildebr. var. lowiana (Gordon) Lemmon) or the other three investigated conifers. The most important factor explaining the association of B. fremontii with red fir was the latter’s erect needle morphology.

Description: Forest management inspired from natural disturbances is often claimed to have more benign effects on biodiversity than more traditional approaches but this premise has rarely been tested. In the northern hardwood forest, selection harvesting could be seen as a surrogate for the combined effects of windthrow, moderate ice storms, and senescence. Here, we quantified the response of two focal species of forest birds (Brown Creeper ( Certhia americana (Bonaparte, 1838)) and Ovenbird ( Seiurus aurocapilla (Linnaeus, 1766))) to this treatment (30%–40% basal area removal) in the first 5 years post-harvest using a replicated field experiment. We tested the possibility that selection harvesting creates ecological traps whereby individuals show a preference for a habitat type where their fitness is lower. We found that both focal species actually seemed to prefer control plots, where they reached a higher density than in treated plots. There was no evidence for a treatment effect on per capita productivity in either species. Hence, there was no evidence for an ecological trap. However, large-scale application of selection harvesting may have ecologically significant effects on productivity of the focal species per unit area of habitat. Future studies should test whether selection harvesting creates ecological traps for species naturally associated with canopy gaps.

Description: Lodgepole pine ( Pinus contorta var. latifolia Engelm. ex S. Watson) and western red cedar ( Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don) are capable of growing in soils that are severely nitrogen-limited. A rarely evaluated but possible nitrogen source for gymnosperms growing at nutrient poor sites is nitrogen fixation by endophytic bacteria. To investigate this possibility, we looked for nitrogen-fixing bacteria in surface-sterilized needle, stem, and root tissues of naturally regenerating lodgepole pine and western red cedar seedlings (2–4 years old) and trees (〉20 years old) growing near Williams Lake, Chilliwack Lake, and Boston Bar, British Columbia, Canada. Ninety-nine bacterial isolates were obtained by plating surface-sterilized plant tissue extracts on tryptic soy agar (TSA) and combined carbon medium agar (CCMA), a nitrogen-free medium. Bacterial isolates were identified using gas chromatographic fatty acid methyl ester (GC-FAME) and 16S rRNA gene analyses and were evaluated for nitrogenase activity using an acetylene reduction assay. Representatives of the genera Bacillus and Paenibacillus dominated the culturable endophytic bacterial community in tissues of both tree species, with three Paenibacillus isolates and one Dyadobacter fermentans strain demonstrating consistently high acetylene-reduction activities. Our results raise the possibility that endophytic nitrogen fixation provides a supplementary nitrogen source for naturally regenerated lodgepole pine and western red cedar.

Description: The combined effects of light, soil fertility, and ontogenetic changes on plant growth rates are poorly understood, yet these three factors play fundamental roles in structuring plant communities. We sought to determine how lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. ex Loud. var. latifolia), interior spruce (Picea glauca × engelmanii (Moench) Voss), and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa (Hook.) Nutt.) sapling growth responds to the combination of light, soil fertility, and ontogeny and how these three dominant conifer species in sub-boreal forests of British Columbia differ in their responses. Using maximum likelihood methods, we found that 0.20–4 m tall sapling growth rates changed during ontogeny and were limited by both light and soil resources. The strongest differences among species’ growth rates were due to tree size, with smaller differences due to soil fertility, and there were no differences among species in the shape of their growth responses to light. Rank order in growth rates for small saplings (pine 〉 spruce 〉 fir) inversely corresponded to classic shade-tolerance ratings, thus supporting the carbon balance theory. Interior spruce height growth rates increased relative to lodgepole pine with increasing soil fertility, clearly matching the landscape-scale increase in canopy dominance of interior spruce over lodgepole pine with increasing soil fertility.

Description: A conventional view of regeneration ecology of quaking aspen ( Populus tremuloides Michx.) in western North American holds that reproduction is strictly vegetative and, except on some marginal sites, only successful following high-severity disturbance. This view has strongly influenced silvicultural treatment of western aspen and has led to low expectations concerning genetic diversity of stands and landscapes. However, recent discoveries are fundamentally altering our understanding of western aspen regeneration ecology and genetics. For example, there are clearly multiple pathways of aspen regeneration and stand development. Research on a variety of fronts indicates that seedling establishment is common enough to be ecologically important and that genetic diversity is substantially greater than previously thought. We review conventional understanding of western aspen and put this into the context of silvicultural practice. We then review recent developments in aspen research and assess the silvicultural implications of these insights.

Description: There is a growing interest in predicting wood quality from tree morphology traits, which can be measured using remote sensing techniques such as LiDAR, to enhance forest inventory for operational planning. In this study, we investigated the correlation structure between these two categories of traits in white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) using canonical and multiple regression analyses with the objective of identifying key morphology variables that are predictive of wood quality. For 495 trees from a 30-year-old plantation, we obtained measurements of tree height and dimensions of the living crown, as well as the number and diameter of live branches at selected whorls. Wood traits were assessed from wood cores with SilviScan technology. Morphological traits explained almost 29% of the overall variation observed in wood traits. However, the magnitude of the correlations and the ability of crown morphological traits to predict wood traits differed widely among the latter. Average ring width and radial cell diameter, both related to increment, were well correlated with tree morphology, whereas traits related to subcellular structure, for instance, microfibril angle, were poorly correlated. These results could guide the choice of wood traits to improve inventory techniques aiming to optimize the forest product value chain.

Description: Fire is one of the most important processes driving plant community composition and structure. Fire regimes are largely governed by climate, vegetation structure, and individual plant traits that influence flammability. We assessed the mechanistic drivers of flammability for a diverse group of 18 California Quercus and allied Chrysolepis and Notholithocarpus species, addressing variation in leaf physical traits, growth form (tree or shrub), phylogeny (Quercus subgenera), and fire regime (low, mixed, or high severity). Differences in flammability were not strongly driven by leaf habit, leaf margin type, or surface area to volume ratio; simple measures of leaf size accounted for most of the observed variation. Further, leaf size was tightly linked to fuelbed depth, a known driver of fire behavior. Litter from trees was generally more flammable than litter from shrubs, primarily a function of differences in leaf size. A hierarchical clustering analysis on the flammability data set divided the oaks into three clusters of low, intermediate, and high flammability, corresponding closely to high-, mixed-, and low-severity fire regimes, respectively. The link between plant flammability traits and fire regime provides further evidence that individual species affect ecosystem processes.

Description: The proportion of stems damaged by logging is a key parameter for the management of natural productive forests in the three tropical continents (Africa, Neotropics, and southeastern Asia). Based on a review of the literature and on a meta-analysis of published data, we estimated this logging damage rate for conventional logging and compared it across continents. Scaling coefficients were estimated to convert damage rate and logging intensity from one unit to another. Felled trees were smaller in the Neotropics (61 cm diameter at breast height (dbh) on average) than in Africa or Asia (92 cm dbh). A pantropical equation relating the proportion of trees damaged (α, no unit) to logging intensity (Nlog, in ha–1) was fitted: α = 1 – (1 + 0.09135Nlog)–0.70461. A significant residual continent effect was found, with lower damage in the Neotropics than in Africa or Asia for the same level of logging intensity, in agreement with the size of felled trees. The damage rate varied with the size of damaged trees and divided equally between destroyed and injured trees, with injured trees experiencing a threefold mortality rate during 5–10 years. Taking account at least of the relationship between logging damage and logging intensity would improve the accuracy of forecasts in forest management.

Description: Soil properties and forest productivity can be affected during ground-based harvest operations and site preparation. The degree of impact varies widely depending on topographic features and soil properties. Forest managers who understand site-specific limits to ground-based harvesting can alter harvest method or season to limit soil disturbance. To determine the potential areal extent of detrimental (potentially plant growth limiting) soil disturbance based on site characteristics and season of harvest, we developed a predictive model based on soil monitoring data collected from 167 ground-based harvest units. Data collected included dominant site parameters (e.g., slope, aspect, soil texture, and landtype), harvest season, harvest type (intermediate or regeneration), and the machine(s) used during ground-based harvest operations. Aspect (p = 0.0217), slope (p = 0.0738), landtype (p = 0.0002), and the interaction of harvest season × landtype (p = 0.0002) were the key variables controlling the areal extent and magnitude of detrimental soil disturbance. For example, harvesting during non-winter months on gently rolling topography resulted in greater soil disturbance than similar harvest operations on landscapes that are highly dissected. This is likely due to the ease with which equipment can move off designated trails. A geospatially explicit predictive model was developed using general linear model variables found to significantly influence the areal extent of detrimental soil disturbance on nine defined landtypes. This tool provides a framework that, with local calibration, can be used on other forest lands as a decision support tool to geospatially depict landtypes susceptible to detrimental soil disturbance during ground-based harvest operations.

Description: Trade-offs between growth and stress tolerance in plants may limit the possible phenotypes that can evolve or be selected. Such limits would have important implications for tree breeding. We examined evidence for trade-offs between growth and stress tolerance, particularly cold and drought tolerance, in 56 families of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) from wild stand and seed orchard seed with a range of predicted growth rates. Families were assessed in field and controlled-environment experiments for growth and key physiological traits related to abiotic stress response. In the field, family growth was negatively correlated with fall and spring cold hardiness, indicating a trade-off between growth and cold hardiness. Combined results from field and controlled-environment experiments showed lower stomatal conductance and higher water potential in fast-growing families, indicating greater water conservation; thus no evidence existed for a growth – drought hardiness trade-off. Multivariate regression trees of normalized family means of growth and physiological parameters in the field split the families primarily by an index of continentality. Continental families had greater growth, survival, and fall hardiness than coastal families. We conclude that selection pressures in Douglas-fir have resulted in a trade-off between cold hardiness and high vigour, but little evidence exists for a trade-off between growth and drought hardiness.

Description: No known research has examined the concentration and flux of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) for stemflow across temporal scales from within single storm events to seasonal and annual scales or employed UV-Vis spectral metrics to examine the chemical character of dissolved organic matter (DOM) of stemflow drainage. Thus, our study examined stemflow DOC concentration and flux and DOM character from American beech ( Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) and yellow poplar ( Liriodendron tulipifera L.) to address this data gap. Intrastorm stemflow DOC concentrations and fluxes diminished by an order of magnitude over time for American beech but remained relatively constant for yellow poplar. Stemflow DOM aromaticity, however, generally increased and E2:E3 ratios generally decreased as events progressed, suggesting transport of different compounds at different moments. Although less enriched in DOC than yellow poplar, American beech stemflow DOC fluxes were double per annum. Differential interspecific stemflow DOM characteristics are ascribed to (i) significant differences in SUVA254 values (aromaticity) for the leafless season and annually and (ii) significantly higher E2:E3 and SR ratios for yellow poplar stemflow than for American beech annually and across leafed and leafless seasons. Our results suggest that stemflow significantly affects the amount and chemical character of carbon flux to the forest floor that may engender hot spots around tree boles.

Description: We investigated the potential economic impacts of future spruce budworm (SBW) ( Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens)) outbreaks on 2.8 million hectares of Crown forest land in New Brunswick by coupling an advanced Spruce Budworm Decision Support System (SBW DSS) model with a dynamic computable general equilibrium model. A total of 16 alternative scenarios were evaluated, including two SBW outbreak severities (moderate versus severe), four SBW control program levels (protecting 0%, 10%, 20%, and 40% of susceptible Crown land forest area), and two pest management strategies (“without” versus “with” replanning harvest scheduling and salvage). The “without” replanning harvest scheduling and salvage strategy findings indicated that, under uncontrolled moderate and severe SBW outbreaks, total output in the New Brunswick economy over the 2012–2041 period would decline in present-value terms by CDN$3.3 billion and $4.7 billion, respectively. SBW control via aerial spraying was shown to reduce the negative impacts on output by up to 66% when protecting 40% of susceptible area. Combining SBW control with replanning harvest scheduling and salvage strategy under moderate and severe outbreaks would reduce the negative impacts on output by a further 1%–18% depending on the level of control implemented. These findings can help forest managers assess the direct and indirect economic effects of forest pest disturbances on regional economies and can also be used together with other sustainable forest management indicators to help broaden the scope of SBW and other forest pest management decision-making.

Description: The “silvicultural hypothesis” of spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) dynamics postulates that increasing severity of spruce budworm outbreaks over the last century resulted from forest conditions created by past management activities. Yet, definitive tests of the hypothesis remain elusive. We examined spruce budworm outbreak dynamics (synchrony, periodicity, and intensity) in the 20th century using historical reconstruction from tree-ring chronologies sampled within 19 sites in a large ecoregion located on the border of Minnesota and Ontario. The study encompassed three areas affected by contrasting management legacies: a fine-grained area (Minnesota, six sites, average cut size = 17 ha), a coarse-grained area (Ontario, six sites, average cut size 10 times that of Minnesota), and a conservation zone (seven sites) with little recent harvest activity overlapping the border. Results suggest important differences in outbreak dynamics between the forest management zones that cannot be explained by differences in climate among sample sites. Budworm outbreaks within the conservation zone were more synchronous, with more trees per site affected and less frequent outbreaks than sites sampled within fine-scale managed areas. Outbreak dynamics within forests managed at coarser scales suggest a mixture of the conservation and fine-scale management zone outbreak patterns. Potential factors affecting differences in the observed outbreak patterns include forest pattern, composition, and age. Our study generally supports the silvicultural hypothesis and emphasizes that management legacy effects on spruce budworm dynamics should be observable at landscape scales, as well as at local scales.

Description: In the context of Poisson sampling, numerous adjustments to classical estimators have been proposed that are intended to compensate for inflated variance due to random sample size. However, such adjustments have never been applied to extensive forest inventories. This work investigates the performances of four estimators for the timber volume in one-phase two-stage forest inventories, where trees in the first stage are selected, at the plot level, by concentric circles or angle-count methods and a subset thereof are selected by Poisson sampling for further measurements to get a better estimation. The original two-stage estimator is the sum of two components: the first is the mean of Horwitz–Thompson estimators using simple volume approximations, based on diameter and species alone, of all first-stage trees in each inventory plot, and the second is the mean of Horwitz–Thompson estimators based on the differences between the simple volume approximations and refined volume determinations based on further diameter and height measurements on the second-stage trees within each inventory plot. This two-stage estimator is particularly useful because it provides unbiased estimates even if the simple prediction model is not correct, which is particularly important for small area estimation. The other three estimators rely on adjustments of the second component of the original estimator that are adapted from estimators proposed in the literature by L.R. Grosenbaugh and C.-E. Särndal. It turns out that these adjustments introduce a negligible bias and that the original simple estimator performs just as well or even better than the new estimators with respect to the variance.

Description: Natural disturbance emulation (NDE) has been proposed as a general approach to ecologically sustainable forest management. We reviewed the concepts, theories, and strategies related to NDE in boreal forest management. We also reviewed publications that discussed NDE in the boreal forest in general and those that specifically compared NDE-based management with conventional even-aged management. The papers generally focused on northern North America and landscape-scale wildfire as the main disturbance factor, whereas information from Eurasia was exclusively theoretical. Within this limited scope, NDE was generally found to have a positive effect on biodiversity in terms of forest structure and species diversity when compared with conventional even-aged management. Studies on timber supply and social implications of NDE were so few that they preclude generalizations. We conclude that the ecological and economic performance of NDE as a management approach still remains poorly examined. To advance the development of NDE, particular attention should be given to (1) augmenting the knowledge base on natural range of variability of unmanaged forest ecosystems and evaluating the validity of this information in a changing climate, (2) fostering multidisciplinary research with better integration of ecological theory to both integrative and analytical research on NDE, and (3) better integration of socioeconomic concerns, adaptive management schemes, and international collaboration into NDE initiatives.

Description: Catastrophic mortality of North American ash ( Fraxinus spp.) caused by Agrilus planipennis Fairmaire has been attributed to the lack of coevolved resistance between native ash species and this Asian invader. Although A. planipennis host preference or tree resistance can vary, all North American ash species are presumably highly vulnerable to A. planipennis. We inventoried live and dead blue ash ( Fraxinus quadrangulata Michx.) and white ash ( Fraxinus americana L.) in two southeastern Michigan woodlots several years after the A. planipennis invasion to assess their survival. Agrilus planipennis populations in this area peaked in approximately 2005, and the region is now characterized by nearly complete ash mortality. At the Plymouth site, 71% of the original 380 blue ash were alive, whereas only 29 saplings of the original 187 white ash were alive. At the Superior Township site, 63% of the original 210 blue ash were living, whereas all 125 white ash were dead. More than 80% of the blue ash had evidence of previous A. planipennis colonization, but 87% appeared healthy in 2011. Tree diameter did not consistently affect survival, and live and dead trees of both species were distributed across sites, indicating that differential survival was not attributable to localized conditions.

Description: Bark beetles can cause substantial mortality of trees that would otherwise survive fire injuries. Resin response of fire-injured northern Rocky Mountain ponderosa pine ( Pinus ponderosa Douglas ex P. Lawson & C. Lawson) and specific injuries that contribute to increased bark beetle attack susceptibility and brood production are unknown. We monitored ponderosa pine mortality and resin flow and bark beetle colonization and reproduction following a prescribed fire in Idaho and a wildfire in Montana. The level of fire-caused tree injury differed between the two sites, and the level of tree injury most susceptible to bark beetle attack and colonization also differed. Strip-attacked trees alive 3 years post-fire had lower levels of bole and crown injury than trees mass attacked and killed by bark beetles, suggesting that fire-injured trees were less well defended. Brood production of western pine beetle ( Dendroctonus brevicomis LeConte) did not differ between fire-injured and uninjured trees, although mountain pine beetle ( Dendroctonus ponderosae Hopkins) brood production was low in both tree types, potentially due to competition with faster developing bark beetle species that also colonized trees. Despite a large number of live trees remaining at both sites, bark beetle response to fire-injured trees pulsed and receded within 2 years post-fire, potentially due to a limited number of trees that could be easily colonized.

Description: Ice storms are an important natural disturbance within forest ecosystems of the northeastern United States. Current models suggest that the frequency and severity of ice storms may increase in the coming decades in response to changes in climate. Because of the stochastic nature of ice storms and difficulties in predicting their occurrence, most past investigations of the ecological effects of ice storms across this region have been based on case studies following major storms. Here we report on a novel alternative approach where a glaze ice event was created experimentally under controlled conditions at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, New Hampshire, USA. Water was sprayed over a northern hardwood forest canopy during February 2011, resulting in 7–12 mm radial ice thickness. Although this is below the minimum cutoff for ice storm warnings (13 mm of ice) issued by the US National Weather Service for the northeastern United States, this glaze ice treatment resulted in significant canopy damage, with 142 and 218 g C·m–2 of fine and coarse woody debris (respectively) deposited on the forest floor, a significant increase in leaf-on canopy openness, and increases in qualitative damage assessments following the treatment. This study demonstrates the feasibility of a relatively simple approach to simulating an ice storm and underscores the potency of this type of extreme event in shaping the future structure and function of northern hardwood forest ecosystems.

Description: Under the auspices of ecosystem-based management, historical disturbance patterns are promoted as a means of providing benchmarks for ecosystem sustainability. The associated research in support of this strategy in the boreal forest has substantially increased our understanding of frequencies, sizes, shapes, and severities of wildfires. However, despite the fact that different spatial definitions of wildfires exist in both research and practice, we have not considered the significance or impact of those differences on observed patterns. This study addresses this gap by conducting a sensitivity analysis on the influence of 11 spatial definitions of a wildfire on six pattern metrics for 24 wildfires in the Foothills Natural Region of Alberta. The results suggest that all pattern metrics were sensitive to changes to wildfire delineation, but in particular the total amount of remnants, wildfire shape, and the relationship between pre-burn fuel types and the probability of burning. The results also suggest that simple mortality maps do not necessarily identify multiple disturbed patches within wildfires, an attribute undocumented by previous research. These pattern differences potentially correspond to some fundamental differences in perception of how and why wildfires burn and our understanding of the associated processes and biological responses.

Description: Field experiments are one way to develop or validate wildland fire-behavior models. It is important to consider the implications of assumptions relating to the locality of measurements with respect to the fire, the temporal frequency of the measured data, and the changes to local winds that might be caused by the experimental configuration. Twenty FIRETEC simulations of International Crown Fire Modeling Experiment (ICFME) plot 1 and plot 6 fires were performed using horizontally homogenized fuels. These simulations enable exploration of the sensitivity of model results to specific aspects of the interpretation and use of the locally measured wind data from this experiment. By shifting ignition times with respect to dynamic measured tower wind data by up to 2 min, FIRETEC simulations are used to examine possible ramifications of treating the measured tower winds as if they were precisely the same as those present at the location of the fire, as well as possible implications of temporal averaging of winds or undersampling. Model results suggest that careful consideration should be paid to the relative time scales of the wind fluctuations, duration of the fires, and data collection rates when using experimentally derived winds as inputs for fire models.

Description: The ability to predict fuel consumption during fires is essential for a wide range of applications, including estimation of fire effects and fire emissions. This project identified predictors of fuel consumption for the dominant fuel bed components (litter (

Description: Light detection and ranging, or LiDAR, effectively produces products spatially characterizing both terrain and vegetation structure; however, development and use of those products has outpaced our understanding of the errors within them. LiDAR’s ability to capture three-dimensional structure has led to interest in conducting or augmenting forest inventories with LiDAR data. Prior to applying LiDAR in operational management, it is necessary to understand the errors in LiDAR-derived estimates of forest inventory metrics (i.e., tree height). Most LiDAR-based forest inventory metrics require creation of digital elevation models (DEM), and because metrics are calculated relative to the DEM surface, errors within the DEMs propagate into delivered metrics. This study combines LiDAR DEMs and 54 ground survey plots to investigate how surface morphology and vegetation structure influence DEM errors. The study further compared two LiDAR classification algorithms and found no significant difference in their performance. Vegetation structure was found to have no influence, whereas increased variability in the vertical error was observed on slopes exceeding 30°, illustrating that these algorithms are not limited by high-biomass western coniferous forests, but that slope and sensor accuracy both play important roles. The observed vertical DEM error translated into ±1%–3% error range in derived timber volumes, highlighting the potential of LiDAR-derived inventories in forest management.

Description: The disparity between the potential for latent oak dominance within a stand and their region-wide decline in importance value raises questions about the competitiveness of oaks in early stand dynamics. We reconstructed tree height growth dynamics in mixed-species neighborhoods to determine if currently dominant oaks were ever shorter than their competitors and at what age currently subordinate oaks fell behind. In 23–36 year old mixed-oak stands in two physiographic provinces of Pennsylvania, we identified dominant and subordinate northern red oaks ( Quercus rubra L.) and chestnut oaks ( Quercus prinus L.) competing with adjacent non-oaks (red maple ( Acer rubrum L.), sweet birch ( Betula lenta L.), and black cherry ( Prunus serotina Ehrh.)) of equal crown class. In each stand, we randomly selected 20 tree neighborhoods and collected stem cross sections every metre from the base to the tip of each tree. In the Allegheny Plateau province, dominant northern red oaks never averaged more than 2 m shorter than their competitors, while by age 20, subordinate oaks were commonly more than 2 m behind. Dominant chestnut oaks in the Ridge and Valley province were never more than 1 m shorter than their competitors; subordinate oaks, however, were generally always at least a metre behind. In both regions, growth dynamics of currently subordinate trees were indistinguishable from those of currently dominant trees during their first decade. Because oaks that were considerably behind at age 15 were likely to be subordinate by age 30, the window of opportunity for release to prevent oaks from becoming permanently overtopped and unable to recover may thus be relatively early (age 10–20).

Description: Spruce budworm ( Choristoneura fumiferana (Clemens)) (SBW) outbreaks are a major disturbance that influence stand dynamics and succession in balsam fir ( Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) dominated forests of eastern Canada. We used stand and regeneration data collected from five plots in each of one immature and five mature stands before, during, and 30 years following the last major SBW outbreak in the Cape Breton Highlands to examine the role of stand and regeneration characteristics in shaping future stand development. Comparisons were also made between regeneration in four SBW outbreak stands versus two SBW salvage stands, with and without a subsequent precommercial thinning, and with 25 plots that underwent SBW emulation harvest. In mature unharvested balsam fir stands, species composition 30 years following the SBW outbreak was closely related to predisturbance species composition, and in immature fir stands, hardwood composition increased from 0% to 4%–27%. Species composition in harvested stands varied depending on whether intolerant hardwoods had been precommercially thinned, where thinned stands had 30% less hardwood 30 years postdisturbance than unthinned stands. Seedling density decreased by 17%–85% from 1979 to 1989 in all SBW outbreak stands, but average seedling height increased by 17%–500% as live canopy cover decreased from an average of 50% to 4%. Results suggest that advanced regeneration should be protected during harvest of balsam fir dominated stands, post-outbreak precommercial thinning will increase tree growth, and live tree retention can help develop late-seral structural characteristics in second-growth stands.

Description: Zhao, Y., Wang, E., Cruse, R. M. and Chen, X. 2012. Characterization of seasonal freeze-thaw and potential impacts on soil erosion in northeast China. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 567–571. Freeze-thaw cycles are regarded as a critical factor inducing and accelerating gully erosion in the Black soil region (Chernozem) of northeast China. The major objective of this study was to identify the effect of seasonal freeze-thaw processes on soil structure relevant to soil erosion. Perched water due to an argillic horizon brings about higher water potential in the top soil, which lowers the soil shear strength and increases the risk of soil erosion by rainfall and surface flow; and the argillic horizon, with a higher clay content, is more vulnerable to freeze-thaw processes, which break or weaken the structure of the argillic horizon, increasing its vulnerability to gully erosion.

Description: Biswas, A., Chau, H. W., Bedard-Haughn, A. K. and Si, B. C. 2012. Factors controlling soil water storage in the hummocky landscape of the Prairie Pothole Region of North America. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 649–663. The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) in North America is unique hummocky landscape containing hydrologically closed topographic depressions with no permanent inlet or outlet. Knowledge about the controls of soil water distribution in the landscape is important for understanding the hydrology in the PPR. In this study, we investigated the correlation between soil water storage and different controlling factors over time. Time domain reflectometry and neutron probe were used to measure soil water storage up to 1.4 m depth over 4 yr along a 576-m long transect at St. Denis National Wildlife Area, Saskatchewan, Canada, which represent a typical landscape of the PPR. Soil and vegetation properties were measured along the transect, and various terrain indices were calculated from the digital elevation map of the study area. Soil texture (e.g., correlation coefficient, r=−0.57 to −0.73 for sand) provided one of the best explanations for the variations in soil water storage by controlling the entry and transmission of water within soil in the semi-arid climate of study area. Bulk density (r=−0.22 to −0.56), depth of A horizon, (r=0.18 to 0.49), C horizon (r=0.29 to 0.69), and CaCO3 layer (r=0.31 to 0.79) influenced the water transmission through soil and were correlated to soil water storage. Beside soil properties, topographic wetness index (r=0.47 to 0.67), slope (r=−0.41 to −0.56), convergence index (r=−0.29 to −0.60), and flow connectivity (r=0.27 to 0.60) were also correlated to soil water storage. However, multiple linear regressions showed a consistent high contribution from soil properties such as sand, organic carbon, depth of CaCO3 layer, and bulk density in explaining the variability in soil water storage. A substantial contribution from topographic variables such as wetness index, gradient, and solar radiation was also observed. Therefore, unlike other geographic regions, the soil-water storage variations in the PPR are controlled by a combination of soil and terrain properties with dominant control from soil characteristics at the field scale.

Description: Iverson, M. A., Holmes, E. P. and Bomke, A. A. 2012. Development and use of rapid reconnaissance soil inventories for reclamation of urban brownfields: A Vancouver, British Columbia case study. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 191–201. As a result of suburban growth and abandonment and relocation of industrial facilities, vacant lots are becoming common in most urban centers in North America. These neglected, derelict, and often contaminated brownfields are receiving attention as a public liability since they are not productive and detract from the environmental quality of urban centres. Soils at these urban sites have been negatively impacted by anthropogenic activities. A prerequisite to effective reclamation is knowledge about the soil conditions on these sites. Most urban areas do not have soil survey or soil inventory information. Soil physical factors such as compaction are common problems at sites and are difficult and expensive to modify. A soil inventory provides the initial information for remediation and reclamation strategies that incorporate inherent soil properties. A soil inventory was conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia, by interpreting and extrapolating surficial geologic and regional soil survey information. The resulting soil inventory is presented as a series of topographical cross sections through the city, and displays information to stakeholders by reference to cultural features including street addresses. The soil inventory is compiled into soil management groups for general descriptions of the soil units and for initial recommendation for reclamation strategies.

Description: Huffman, T., Coote, D. R. and Green, M. 2012. Twenty-five years of changes in soil cover on Canadian Chernozemic (Mollisol) soils, and the impact on the risk of soil degradation. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 471–479. Agricultural soils that are covered by vegetation or crop residue are less susceptible to degradation by wind and water erosion, organic matter depletion, structural degradation and declining fertility. In general, perennial crops, higher yields, reduced tillage and continuous cropping provide more soil cover than annual crops, lower yields, intensive tillage, residue harvesting and fallowing. This study presents a model for estimating the number of days in a year that the soil surface is protected and demonstrates its application on the Canadian prairies over the period from 1981 to 2006. Over the 25-yr study period, the average soil cover on Canadian prairie soils increased by 4.8% overall. The improvement came primarily as a result of widespread adoption of no-till and a decline in the use of summerfallow, but the gains were offset to a great deal by a shift from higher-cover crops such as wheat, oats and barley to more profitable but lower-cover crops such as canola, soybeans and potatoes. The implication of these trends is that, even though protection of prairie agricultural soils has improved over the past 25 yr, soil cover could decline dramatically over the next several decades if crop changes continue, the adoption of conservation tillage reaches a peak and residue harvesting for biofuels becomes more common.

Description: Carrera-Hernández, J. J., Mendoza, C. A., Devito, K. J., Petrone, R. M. and Smerdon, B. D. 2012. Reclamation for aspen revegetation in the Athabasca oil sands: Understanding soil water dynamics through unsaturated flow modelling. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 103–116. Reclamation of mined areas in the Athabasca oil sands region is required by law, with the ultimate goal of revegetating to species characteristic of predisturbance native plant communities. To develop adequate reclamation strategies, an analysis of soil water dynamics is of utmost importance, as is understanding the impact of the thickness of the reclamation cover. In this work, soil water dynamics and fluxes at the water table were simulated for three reclamation scenarios and compared with the fluxes obtained for natural conditions assuming that aspen is the target reclamation species. According to the simulations, a reclamation thickness between 0.5 and 1.0 m can be used to provide water for revegetation. The numerical simulations show that the reclaimed landscapes have fluxes at the water table that exhibit less fluctuation than natural conditions. To limit the interaction between the water table and atmospheric fluxes, and to limit upward flux, the water table should be deeper than 2.0 m on reclaimed landscapes that use aspen for revegetation, particularly when reclamation takes place during a dry climatological cycle.

Description: Yan, Y., He, H., Zhang, X., Chen, Y., Xie, H., Bai, Z., Zhu, P., Ren, J. and Wang, L. 2012. Long-term fertilization effects on carbon and nitrogen in particle-size fractions of a Chinese Mollisol. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 509–519. The response of soil organic matter (SOM) dynamics to long-term fertilization may be deduced from changes in the accumulation and distribution of different soil organic carbon (SOC) and nitrogen (N) pools. The SOC and N in particle-size fractions were therefore measured to assess the influences of pig manure and synthetic fertilizer application on the characteristics of these pools. A long-term fertilization experiment, established in 1979 in the Mollisol area (Gongzhuling, China) was used for this study. Composite soil samples (0–20cm) were collected in 2005 from 12 treatment plots that had received annual applications of pig manure, synthetic fertilizers or combinations of both. Soils were fractionated into fine clay (

Description: Gagnon, B., Ziadi, N. and Grant, C. 2012. Urea fertilizer forms affect grain corn yield and nitrogen use efficiency. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 341–351. Controlled-release urea may be a good management strategy to increase the efficiency of N fertilizers. In a 3-yr study (2008–2010) conducted on a clay soil near Quebec City, Canada, we compared the effect of polymer-coated urea (PCU), nitrification inhibitor urea (NIU), dry urea and urea ammonium nitrate 32% (UAN) on corn yield, plant N accumulation and soil NO3-N remaining at harvest. Corn was fertilized with urea and PCU at 50, 100 and 150 kg N ha−1 in addition to an unfertilized control (0 N), and NIU and UAN at 150 kg N ha−1. Urea, PCU, and NIU were pre-plant broadcast whereas UAN was side-banded at the six-leaf stage of corn. Response to N fertilization occurred in all years, but the magnitude of the response varied with years. In wet years (2008 and 2009), PCU and NIU resulted in higher grain yield than urea, but the increase was greater for PCU (+0.8 to 1.6 Mg ha−1) than for NIU (+0.3 to 0.6 Mg ha−1). In a dry year (2010), no significant difference was found between urea, PCU and NIU. Yields and apparent N recovery were comparable for PCU and UAN except in the dry year, when plant N accumulation was much higher for the UAN treatment. At harvest, soil NO3-N was increased by PCU in all years. Economic analysis revealed that despite 30% higher cost, PCU gave comparable net returns at equivalent N rate than UAN in wet years. We conclude that controlled-release urea, particularly PCU, would be an additional option to farmers instead of sidedressed UAN application for fertilizing corn grown in eastern Canada.

Description: Wang, E., Cruse, R. M., Chen, X. and Daigh, A. 2012. Effects of moisture condition and freeze/thaw cycles on surface soil aggregate size distribution and stability. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 529–536. Freeze/thaw cycles can affect soil aggregate stability, which in turn impacts wind and water erosion. The objectives of this laboratory study were: (1) to determine the effect of variable freeze/thaw cycles and soil water conditions on aggregate size distribution and stability; and (2) to evaluate differences in aggregate size distribution and stability between disturbed soil and undisturbed soil cores as affected by freeze/thaw cycles and soil water conditions. Surface soil was collected before freezing in late fall of 2009. Aggregates isolated from disturbed soil or intact soil cores were subjected to a factorial combination of 3 gravimetric water content treatments: 0.15 m3 m−3, 0.23 m3 m−3 or 0.30 m3 m−3, and 3 freeze/thaw treatments: 0, 3, or 9 cycles. A freeze/thaw cycle involved soil freezing at –10∘C for 24 h, followed by thawing at 5∘C for 24 h. Most aggregate size classes were affected significantly (P5 mm. Dry-sieved aggregates were relatively more sensitive to the freeze/thaw treatment than wet-sieved aggregates. The mean weight diameter (MWD) of dry-sieved aggregates was significantly (P

Description: Sui, Y.-y., Jiao, X.-g., Liu, X.-b., Zhang, X.-y. and Ding, G.-w. 2012. Water-stable aggregates and their organic carbon distribution after five years of chemical fertilizer and manure treatments on eroded farmland of Chinese Mollisols. Can. J. Soil Sci. 92: 551–557. Water-stable aggregates are the foundation for both water and fertility conservation and nutrient release in the soil. We investigated the effects of 5 yr of different fertilizer treatments (chemical fertilizer and fertilizer+manure) on water-stable aggregates and their organic carbon distribution patterns within five different simulated erosion levels (removal of 0, 5, 10, 20, and 30 cm of topsoil) in an eroded Black soil of northeast China. Water-stable aggregates greater than 0.25 mm in size and aggregate-associated-carbon (AAC) contents in the aggregates were greater in the soils with fertilizer+manure application than those with chemical fertilizers alone. Both water-stable aggregates and AAC contents declined (P