Author： Sokol Kerry A. Greenwood Michael S. Livingston William H.
Publisher： Society of American Foresters
ISSN： 0742-6348
Source： Northern Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol.21, Iss.2, 2004-06, pp. : 69-73
Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.
Abstract
Diameter-limit harvesting has long been suspected as a dysgenic forestry practice, but a conclusive, practical demonstration of the effects of this selection technique on residual tree performance is lacking. To determine the effects of repeated diameter-limit harvesting on the phenotypes of residual trees, we compared radial growth patterns of residual red spruce trees (with ages greater than 100 years) after diameter-limit harvests with those of residual trees in stands subjected to positive selection harvesting. After nearly 50 years of repeated harvesting, residual trees in the diameter-limit stands were nearly 40% smaller and had grown 32% slower than residual trees in positive selection stands. Furthermore, diameter-limit residuals were initially smaller and remained significantly smaller than positive selection residuals throughout their lifespan, despite major release events. After release, the diameter-limit trees responded with increased growth rates, but the increase was relatively small. Growth rates were consistently and significantly lower for diameter-limit residuals until the final 20 yr when growth rates in each treatment converged. Our results indicate that red spruce stands subjected to repeated diameter-limit harvesting will develop progressively less valuable growing stock with limited growth potential.
Related content
Access to resources
Recommend
