IDE JA[H. anitoba. In Southeastern OF JACK PINE ON PREPARED SEEDBEDS A COMPENDIUM OF RESEARCH SURVIVAL AND GROWTH BY H. P.

Transcription

1 JA[H In Southeastern IDE anitoba A COMPENDIUM OF RESEARCH SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF JACK PINE ON PREPARED SEEDBEDS BY H. P. SIMS

2 JACK PINE IN SOUTHEASTERN MANITOBA; A COMPENDIUM OF RESEARCH, II. SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF JACK PINE ON PREPARED SEEDBEDS by H. P. Sims NORTHERN FOREST RESEARCH CENTRE INFORMATION REPORT NOR-X-50B DECEMBER 1972 CANADIAN FORESTRY SERVICE ENVIRONMENT CANADA STREET EDMONTON, ALBERTA, CANADA T6H 3S5

3 (ii) TABLE OF CONTENTS FOREWORD (iii) INTRODUCT ION 1 DESCRIPTION OF AREAS 1 EXPERIMENTAL METHODS 2 RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 3 CONCLUS IONS 3 REFERENCE 4 Figure 1. Figure 2. Figure 3. Middlebuster plow used for preor post-harvest scarification Shark finned barrel scarifier used for post-harvest scarification Furrow created by scarification showing five seedbed conditions Table 1. Three-year survival of jack pine seedlings planted on five seedbeds on each of three sites in southeastern Manitoba - three planting years cotnbined Table 2. Height growth, root-collar diameter and oven-dry weight three years after planting jack pine seedlings on five seedbed types on each of two sites in southeastern Manitoba 6

4 (iii) FOREWORD In 1967, research on problems related to the establishment and management of jack pine (Pinus divaricata (Ait.) Dumont = P. banksiana Lamb.) was intensified at the Forest Research Laboratory, Winnipeg, Manitoba, with the formation of an interdisciplinary Jack Pine Problem Area group. The group's attention was first turned to southeastern Manitoba where several new field studies were added to those already under way. In 1970, the Jack Pine Problem Area group was dissolved as a consequence of a government decision to close the Winnipeg Lab. Some of the group's studies were terminated and others have since been brought to conclusion. This series of Information Reports provides a "co-ordinated" means of reporting the results of Jack Pine Problem Area studies consistent with the group's aim: "To direct co-ordinated research to those problems which pertain to (1) the management of jack pine sites and (2) the establishment, management and use of jack pine". We dedicate these reports to Mr. C. C. Thomson, former Director of the Winnipeg Forestry Laboratory, who promoted the interdisciplinary research concept, encouraged group participation and individual criticism, and generally provided the milieu which allowed researchers of varied discipline and background to pool their talents and work together on forest research problems in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Additional copies of this, and other reports in the series, are available from: Information Officer Northern Forest Research Centre Canadian Forestry Service Environment Canada nd Street EDMONTON, Alberta T6H 3S5 R. F. DeBoo, Chemical Control Research Institute OTTAWA, Ontario R. C. Dobbs, Pacific Forest Research Centre VICTORIA, British Columbia (EDITORS)

5 SURVIVAL AND GROWTH OF JACK PINE PLANTED ON PREPARED SEEDBEDS, SOUTHEASTERN MANITOBA by H. P. Sims* INTRODUCTION Intensive management is required to regenerate jack pine on harvested areas in southeastern Manitoba. Various methods have been tried but up to now the most popular has been scarification followed by planting. The midd1ebuster plow (Fig. 1) and the shark-finned barrel scarifier (Fig. 2) have been used extensively and with success in southeastern Manitoba. Generally, seedlings are planted in the middle of the prepared furrow without regard to the suitability of other seedbeds created by the treatment (Fig. 3). This study was undertaken, from 1962 to 1966, to determine the quality of all the seedbeds in terms of survival and growth of planted stock. DESCRIPTION OF AREAS The experimental areas are located within the Rainy River (L.12) section of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence forest region (Rowe, 1959). * Forestry Officer, Northern Forest Research Centre, Canadian Forestry Service, Environment Canada, Street, Edmonton, Alberta. T6H 3S5

6 - 2 - The studies were carried out on fresh, moderately fresh and dry sites. Soils are fine to medium sand podzo1s with water table depths ranging from 3 to 7 ft. on the fresh site to 8 to 10+ ft. on the dry site. Vegetation of the fresh and dry sites is sparse and dominated by ericaceous plants. The moderately fresh site has a more dense cover composed of ericaceous plants and deciduous shrubs. EXPERIMENTAL METHODS In the fall of 1962, before logging, seedbeds were prepared using a tractor drawn midd1ebuster plow (Fig. 1). This equipment creates a flat-bottomed furrow approximately 30 inches wide and 3 to 6 inches deep, with an overturned sod ridge on each side. Five distinct seedbeds are created as shown in Figure 3. Plots were established on each site in 1962, 1963, and 1964 and planted with 25 jack pine seedlings (2-0 stock), five on each seedbed. In 1962 only two plots were established on the fresh site and three on each of the other sites. In both 1963 and 1964 three plots were established on each of the three sites; vegetation was cleared from the plots in these last two years to provide conditions similar to those existing in the spring of Precipitation during the week of planting varied from 0.5 to 1.6 inches over the three years and was considered adequate. Growth and mortality were measured in late summer and fall respectively of each year. Growth of seedlings on the fresh and dry sites was measured for three growing seasons. Seedlings were then harvested and root-collar diameters and oven-dry weights recorded. On the moderately fresh site, mammal browsing precluded any possibility of meaningful growth measurements.

7 - 3 - RESULTS AND DISCUSSION Percentage survival three years after planting is shown in Table 1. Survival on the fresh and dry sites was significantly l greater than on the moderately fresh site. There were no significant differences between seedbeds on the fresh site. On the moderately fresh site survival on the trough and base-of-north-facing-slope seedbeds was significantly greater than on the ridge seedbed. On the dry site a significant difference in survival occurred only between the ridge and trough seedbeds. Average 3-year height growth, root-collar diameter and ovendry weights are shown in Table 2. There were no significant differences between seedbeds for any of the growth parameters measured. Three-year growth was significantly greater on the fresh site than on the dry site. Oven-dry weight and root-collar diameter were considerably greater on the fresh site in 1962 but over all years the difference was not significant, probably because of a highly significant site x year interaction. CONCLUSIONS The favorable moisture conditions of fresh sites will probably provide for adequate planting survival on all seedbeds even during relatively dry years (e.g. 1964). 1 Level of Significance for all tests = P.05

8 - 4 - This study indicated that on the moderately fresh and dry sites all seedbeds except the ridge will provide adequate survival of planted stock up to three years. However, most cut-over pine sites in southeastern Manitoba eventually become overgrown with fairly dense lesser vegetation, particularly shrubs, grasses, and large perennials. The mineral soil seedbeds of the furrow bottom may provide an extra period of protection against competition for moisture and space. On the fresh and dry sites, height growth or size of planted stock to three years did not vary significantly between seedbeds. On the basis of results obtained, no change is recommended in the present practice of planting in the middle of the prepared furrow. REFERENCE Rowe, J. S Forest Regions of Canada. Dept. of Northern Affairs and Nat. Res., Canada. For. Br. Bull. 123: 71 pp.

9 - 5 - TABLE 1 Three-year survival of jack pine seedlings planted on five seedbeds on each of three sites in southeastern Manitoba - Three planting years combined. Site Fresh Dry Moderately fresh I Seedbed Survival! Survival Survival (%) (%) (%) - Trough 82 _ a Base of north facing slope Base of south facing slope ]j Undisturbed ' 51 I Ridge J I i All Seedbeds I I I i a Percentages for any seedbeds connected by same straight line not significantly different at the 5% level.

10 TABLE 2 Height growth, root-collar diameter ) and oven-dry weight three years after planting jack pine seedlings on five seedbed types on each of two sites in southeastern Manitoba. Year planted Dry Fresh... _])!'Y Fresh Dry Fresh Heigh t Growth (cm ) Seedbed Third Year Third Year Third Year Trough Base of northfacing slope Base of southfacing slope Undisturbed Ridge '\ 44.3 Oven-dry weisht (grams) Trough Base of northfacing slope Base of southfacing slope Undisturbed Ridge Trough 1.25 Base of northfacing slope 1.18 Base of southfacing slope Undisturbed Ridge Root-collar diam. (cm )

11 7 - I Figure l. Middlebuster used -harvest scarification. Figure 2. Shark filmed barrel scarifier for scarification.

12 - 8 - R BNF T BSF Figure 3. Furrow created by scarification showing five seedbed conditions: (U) Undisturbed, (T) Trough, (BNF) Base of north-facing slope, (BSF) Base of south-facing slope, (R) Ridge.