Canadian Forest Service Publications

Leaf-litter decomposition and macroinvertebrate communities in boreal forest streams linked to upland logging disturbance. 2008. Kreutzweiser, D.P.; Good, K.P.; Capell, S.S.; Holmes, S.B. Journal of North American Benthological Society 27: 1 -15.

Year: 2008

Issued by: Great Lakes Forestry Centre

Catalog ID: 28630

Language: English

Availability: PDF (request by e-mail)

Available from the Journal's Web site.
DOI: 10.1899/07-034R.1

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Abstract

A study was established between 1959 and 1961 to study the long-term responses of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) to precommercial thinning. Three nominal spacings of 4 ft (1.2 m), 6 ft (1.8 m), and 8 ft (2.4 m) were compared with an unthinned control in a randomized complete block design with five replicates. At the time of thinning, natural regeneration averaged 16years of age, 8years after harvest. Although thinning had minimal effect on gross total volume production over a 42 to 44year observation period, actual spacings between 2.1 and 2.5m produced an average of 360m3·ha-1 gross merchantable volume (GMV), representing a 21% gain over unthinned stands. The same spacings produced quadratic mean diameters of 21 and 23cm, respectively, compared with 18cm in the unthinned stands. These size increases translated to individual stem volume gains of 33% and 62%, significantly reducing the age at which thinned stands would meet a specified minimum requirement for merchantability or habitat. The mean annual increment of GMV ranged from 6m3·ha-1·year-1 in unthinned stands, to more than 7m3·ha·-1·year-1 in the thinned stands, and had not yet culminated an average of 50years postharvest.