Poster: Ecophysiology
Abs #
4: Effects of forest management (stand thinning) on cellular levels of amino acids, polyamines and inorganic ions in the foliage of balsam fir and red spruce trees.
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Presenter: |
Minocha, Rakesh , rminocha@hopper.unh.edu | Authors | Minocha, Rakesh (A) Long, Stephanie (A) Wagner, Robert G. (B) | | Affiliations: |
(A): USDA Forest Service, NERS, Durham, NH, USA
(B): University of Maine, Department of Forest Ecosystem Science, Orono, ME USA
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A study was launched to monitor early changes in foliar physiological of pre-commercially thinned (PCT) and non-PCT spruce-fir stands in northern Maine caused by various thinning treatments. Commercial thinning treatments in 42 years old PCT stand included 3x2 Factorial combination of three levels of timing of entry for thinning (0, 5, and 10 year) and two levels of relative density reduction (33% and 50%) plus an untreated control. The other site had never received PCT and was 58 years old. Treatments in this stand included a factorial combination of level of relative density reduction (33% or 50% and thinning method (low, dominant, or crown). Low thinning removed stems from the smallest diameter classes, dominant thinning removed trees from the largest diameter classes, and crown thinning removed dominant competitors around selected crop trees that were spaced at a 1/3 spacing to tree height ratio. In July of 2003 red spruce and balsam fir foliar samples were collected at the two sites from up to 25-canopy trees/species/ treatment. Data pooled by thinning method or by density reduction indicated that thinning significantly increased cellular levels of inorganic phosphorus, amino acids, and polyamines for both spruce and fir. The increases were generally greater for higher thinning intensity treatments. It may be possible within 3-4 years to determine the relationship between physiological parameters and overall changes in tree and stand growth associated with the thinning treatments. In the future, this information may be used to guide the selection of proper management practices.
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