Long-term responses of ecosystem components to stand thinning in young lodgepole pine forest: IV. Relative habitat use by mammalian herbivores

Pre-commercial thinning (PCT) is a silvicultural practice that can provide diverse understory and overstory vegetation conditions. We tested the hypothesis that relative habitat use by snowshoe hare (Lepus americanus), mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus), and moose (Alces alces) would increase in response to enhanced abundance of herbs and shrubs, and species diversity and structural diversity of conifers, in heavily thinned (≤1000 stems/ha) stands, at 12–15 years post-thinning. Replicate study areas were located near Penticton, Kamloops, and Prince George in south-central British Columbia, Canada. Each study area had three young pine stands thinned to densities of 500 stems/ha (low), 1000 stems/ha (medium), and 2000 stems/ha (high), with an unthinned young pine and old-growth pine stand for comparison.

Relative habitat use, based on counts of fecal pellets and pellet-groups, was similar among the five treatment stands for hares (P = 0.24), deer (P = 0.23), and moose (P = 0.16). However, low-density stands (500 stems/ha) had ca. 3–20 times as many deer pellet-groups, and ca. 2–4 times as many moose pellet-groups, than other stands. Low-density stands had significantly greater canopy openness, volume of shrubs <2 m, and horizontal hiding cover <1.6 m than other treatments. Relative habitat use by deer and moose was positively related to understory characteristics such as enhanced abundance of forage and security cover. These results support our hypothesis that deer and moose responded positively to enhanced volume of herbs and shrubs as well as to species diversity and structural diversity of conifers and overall vegetation in heavily thinned (≤1000 stems/ha) stands at 12–15 years post-thinning. Our results suggest that ungulate management would be enhanced if greater emphasis was placed on forage enhancement throughout the year, which differs from current management recommendations which tend to focus on winter range and snow-interception cover.     

Effects of selective thinning on growth and development of beech (Fagus sylvatica L.) forest stands in south-eastern Slovenia

We studied the effects of two types of selective thinning on beech stands formed by a shelterwood cut in 1910 — with lower number of crop trees and higher thinning intensity (T1) and higher number of crop trees with lower thinning intensity (T2). The stands were thinned in 1980, 1991 and 2001. Despite a lower stand density after thinning, the annual basal area increments of thinned stands in both thinning periods (1980–1991 and 1991–2002) were around 20% higher compared to those of the control (unthinned) stands. The mean annual basal area increment of dominant trees was 30–56% larger in the thinned plots compared to the control plots. Of 176 initial crop trees in the T1, 72% were chosen again during the last thinning. In the T2, 258 crop trees were chosen in the first thinning, and only 62% of these trees were chosen again during the last thinning. Only crown suppression and diameter classes of crop trees significantly influenced their basal area increment when diameter classes, crown size, crown suppression, and social status were tested. In the thinned stands, the dominant trees are more uniformly distributed if compared to the dominant trees in the control plots. Finally, the herbaceous cover and the species diversity were higher in the thinned plots.     

Snow damage in lodgepole pine stands brought into thinning and fertilization regimes

Several heavy wet snowfalls occurred during 2007-2009 across a broad-scale thinning and fertilization experiment to bring overstocked juvenile lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta var. latifolia) in the foothills of Alberta, Canada into an intensive management regime. We examined the bending and breakage of trees in relation to thinning and fertilization and used a multimodel information-theoretic approach to model stand and tree level predictors of snow damage. Fertilized stands suffered the greatest amount of snow damage, and this was most noteworthy when stands were also thinned; here 22% (17% broken stems) of trees were damaged compared to 8% (4% broken stems) in the thinned and unfertilized stands. At the stand level, needle weight and crown cover were reliable predictors of snow damage. At the tree level, separate models were developed for each combination of thinning and fertilization. All models used total tree volume; usually the smaller trees in the stands were more susceptible to damage but in the thinned and fertilized stands larger but slender trees with large asymmetrical crowns tended to be damaged. Also, trees with lower total stem volume were more susceptible to damage. Only in the thinned and fertilized stands were variables related to crown shape and asymmetry important predictors of snow damage. We conclude that snow damage is an important agent for self-thinning in unthinned stands and fertilization tends to exacerbate damage because of increase in foliage size. In areas with regular occurrence of heavy snow, we do not recommend fertilization at the same time as thinning, as the larger and more economically important trees in the stand are at risk.     

Effects of thinning on plant species diversity and composition of understory herbs in a larch plantation

The effects of thinning on plant species diversity and composition of understory herbs in a larch plantation were investigated. The relationships between plant species diversity and composition of understory herbs and light conditions were established. Twenty-five 1 m × 1 m plots and fifteen 13 m × 1 m transects were set up in unthinned and thinned stands, respectively. All the transects in the thinned stands were set across the thinned rows and unthinned rows, and each of them was divided into nine 1 m × 1 m sub-plots. The herb diversity and light conditions were observed in each plot and sub-plot. The results show that there was a significant difference in herb diversity between the thinned and unthinned stands. All biodiversity indices except for evenness index in the thinned stand were higher than those of the unthinned stand, i.e., the herb diversity increased after thinning. According to the changes in herb densities and whether one species could be found in a stand or not before and after thinning, all herb species were classed into three types: positive, neutral and negative species, which referred to a species newly appeared and having an obviously increased density after thinning, with no obvious changes in its appearance and density after thinning, and disappeared and having an obviously decreased density after thinning, respectively. Many new species were found in the thinned stand like Corydalis pallida, Prenanthes tatarinowii, Vicia unijuga and Sonchus brachyotus etc. However, most species found in both the thinned and unthinned stands were negative species. In all nine subplots, only 11 and 10 species were found in spring and in autumn respectively, accounting for 17.74% and 15.15% of all the species in the thinned stand, respectively. All biodiversity indices were the highest in the center sub-plots and most of them tended to reduce from middle to side sub-plots. There was a close correlation between most of the three types of species and light conditions which was similar to each other in the thinned and unthinned stands. __________ Translated from Chinese Journal of Ecology, 2006, 25(10): 1201–1207 [译自: 生态学杂志]     

Effect of thinning on allometry and needle-age distribution of trees in natural Abies stands of northern Japan

We tested the effects of thinning on allometry and needle-age distribution in natural stands of Abies sachalinensis Masters by comparing a thinned stand to an unthinned, control stand. Specifically, we attempted to clarify how allometry was altered after a thinning. We assumed that the needle-age distribution of trees in the thinned stand would show a younger composition than in the control stand, given the effect of improved light conditions on needle dynamics following a thinning. These investigations were conducted in dense Abies stands located in central Hokkaido, northern Japan, 19 years post-thinning. In the thinned stand, the ratio of individual needle mass to stem mass increased significantly, as compared to the control. A difference in the H–DBH relationship between the stands was probably related to this tendency. Mean needle age of trees differed significantly between the two stands, and the thinned stand showed a younger needle age than the control. Within each stand, dominant trees showed older mean needle age than codominant or suppressed trees. These tendencies may have been caused by differential needle dynamics affected by light conditions in the stands, and by different crown positions among the trees within a stand. In summary, trees in the thinned stand showed increased growth rates after thinning, which were caused by increased needle mass, younger composition of needles, and improved light conditions.     

Effect of thinning on the development of compression wood in stems of Corsican pine

This study considered the effects of thinning on the development of compression wood in stems of 35-year-old stand of Corsican pine (Pinus nigra L.). Part of the stand had been thinned at 5-yearly intervals and part left unthinned. Twenty trees each from the thinned and unthinned stands were randomly selected and felled. Measurements were made on tree height, stem diameter, stem slenderness and canopy depth. Wood samples were removed from the central part of the main log and cross-sectional measurements made on ring width, basic density and compression wood content. Cross-sectional area of compression wood was found to be three time higher in stems from the unthinned trees in comparison with those from the thinned trees. No significant differences in mean radial ring width or basic density were found between treatments. Correlations indicated that, with increasing in stem diameter, compression wood content increased in the unthinned trees, while a decline in compression was observed in the thinned trees. Tree height was also positively correlated with compression wood content in unthinned trees, while no equivalent relationship was observed in thinned trees. Observations from this study, while not conclusive, suggest that phototropic stimulus may be producing stem inclinations in the unthinned stand as trees compete for space in the canopy, whereas crown competition has been largely eliminated in the thinned stand; and that this is responsible for compression wood levels recorded in this study.     

Line thinning promotes stand growth and understory diversity in Japanese cedar (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Cryptomeria japonica</Emphasis> D. Don) plantations

We studied the effects of line thinning on stand structure, microclimate and understory species diversity of two Cryptomeria japonica D. Don plantations in south-central Japan. In each of two study sites we compared stand structure between the thinned stand and an adjacent unthinned stand and found that line thinning increased the growth rate of residual trees such that stand basal area may recover within 10 years after thinning. In the thinned stand, more open canopy conditions resulted in higher maximum temperatures on the forest floor during the early growing season than in the unthinned stand. The thinned stand had greater understory plant species richness and biomass than the unthinned stand. This study suggested that line thinning could potentially enhance biodiversity while simultaneously increasing tree-growth rates in overstocked Cryptomeria japonica plantations.     

杉木林分密度效应研究

该项试验共分2个部分.(1)造林密度试验,小区面积为600 m2,5个处理,即1 667株.hm-2(A)、3 333株.hm-2(B)、4～983株.hm-2(C)、6 633株.hm-2(D)、9967株.hm-2(E);(2)造林密度调控试验,造林设计方法与造林密度试验相同,但在林分生长过程中,按密度管理图的密管线0.5为标准进行间伐,间伐后保留密度要与临近的下一个初植密度较稀植的林分密度基本相同,两者进行比较.试验结果(1)造林密度试验,优势高、平均高、平均胸径均随年龄的增加而递增,随密度的增加而递减,优势高9a、平均高6 a、平均胸径5 a,密度间差异已达显著性水平;林分蓄积量则随年龄增加而递增,5～7 a,密度间差异显著,8～18a,只有A密度与E、D密度差异显著;枝下高随密度、年龄的增加而递增,12～a后,C、D、E密度间的差异很小;冠幅随密度的增加而递减,随年龄的增加而递增,9～10a后,各密度则随年龄增加而缓慢递减.(2)造林密度调控试验,同一指数级,间伐后的林分与其密度基本相同未间伐的林分比较,其优势高、平均高差异不明显;立木蓄积前者小于后者;总蓄积(立木蓄积+间伐蓄积)前者大于后者;同一指数级,初植密度不同的林分,间伐后与密度基本相同未间伐林分的蓄积百分比,初植密度大的大于初植密度小的;指数级不同,而初植密度相同的林分,间伐后与密度基本相同未间伐的林分总蓄积百分比,高指数级的比值大于低指数级的比值.     

A simulation of the development and restoration of old-growth structural features in northern hardwoods

Thinning treatments in second-growth forest may be a practical means of accelerating the development of certain old-growth structural features in regions where old stands are presently uncommon. We used CANOPY, an individual-tree model calibrated with data from thinned and unthinned stands, to simulate effects of thinning on growth rates and development of old-growth structural features in second-growth northern hardwoods. Three simulated, moderately heavy thinnings over a period of 45 years nearly doubled the predicted mean radial increment of canopy trees, percent of stand basal area in large trees, and area of canopy gaps. Compared to untreated stands, thinned stands had fewer dead trees per ha, but the dead trees were larger in size and the overall volume of snags and logs was little affected. In a 77-year old even-aged stand, moderately heavy thinning was predicted to reduce the time needed to attain the minimum structural features of an old-growth forest from 79 to 36 years. Simulated treatments in an older, uneven-aged stand gave mixed results; the moderately heavy treatment stimulated individual tree growth, but the removal of some medium-sized canopy trees in conjunction with natural mortality delayed the development of old-growth structure. Total volume of dead wood may still be deficient under the thinning regimes investigated in this study, but predicted live-tree structure 45 years after moderately heavy thinning was typical of stands in the advanced transition and steady-state stages of old-growth development. Results suggest that thinning can substantially accelerate the development of old-growth structure in pole and mature northern hardwoods, but response in older, uneven-aged stands is more modest, and treatments in these stands may need to be more conservative to achieve restoration goals.     

Commercial thinning that maintained species diversity of a mixed black spruce–jack pine stand enhanced productivity

Commercial thinning enables forest managers to meet timber production objectives. Thinning reduces tree density to alleviate competition for resources and favour growth of selected tree species. However, in doing so, thinning can homogenize the composition of mixed-species forests and raise biodiversity issues. There is increasing evidence that species richness can lead to higher productivity through a complementarity effect. Hence, thinning that would maintain species diversity of mixed-species forests could enhance stand productivity and help forest managers to reconcile timber production objectives and biodiversity issues. The objective of this study was to compare post-thinning stand production, experimentally over 10 years, in mixed and monospecific stands of black spruce (Picea mariana [Mill.] B.S.P.) and jack pine (Pinus banksiana Lamb.). The post-thinning stand production curve of the mixed stand converged toward that of the unthinned mixed stand while the production curves of the thinned and unthinned monospecific stands remained parallel. The convergent productivity of the mixed stand could be explained by a positive interaction between effects of thinning and niche complementarity. We propose that thinning that maintains species diversity of mixed stands could help forest managers who are implementing ecosystem management to reconcile timber production objectives with biodiversity issues.     

Wind and snow damage in a thinning and fertilization experiment in Picea abies in southern Sweden

Changes in susceptibility to wind and snow damage due to thinningand fertilization were examined in even aged Norway spruce (Piceaabies (L.) Karst.) stands in southern Sweden. The stands arepart of a nationwide experiment to investigate growth and yieldfollowing different thinning and fertilization regimes establishedbetween 1966 and 1983. The material used in this study included16 replications of seven treatments. The treatments were: threelevels of thinning from below (20–70 per cent); 20 percent thinning from above; thinning from below in combinationwith N and NP fertilization (thinning percentage 25–28per cent); and unthinned control. The stands have been censusedtwice for damage during an average period of 12 years. The degree of wind and snow induced damage varied between 9and 20 per cent of the basal area increment produced duringthe observation period. For treatments with high basal arearemoval, the highest relative number of trees damaged by windoccured during the first period after thinning. The denseststands (i.e. unthinned controls and stands thinned from above)showed a high proportion of snow damage throughout the observationperiod. The block effect was in general more significant thanthe effect of treatments on damage level. When analysing theinfluence of the block effect (i.e. of site and stand characteristics)on damage level, wind damage was best predicted by stand basalarea left after thinning and stand age, while snow damage wasbest predicted by latitude, altitude, site index, and standage. On average the tested site and stand characteristics explained17 per cent of the variation in wind damage and 36 per centin snow damage.     

Effects of thinning level and site productivity on age-related changes in stand volume growth can be explained by a single rescaled growth curve

In this study, I developed a nonlinear mixed-effects model based on the Richards curve that describes the effects of thinning and site productivity on stand volume growth. I fitted the model to data from 29 long-term experimental monitoring plots in Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) plantations in northeastern Japan. Simulations using the model on high-productivity sites and at moderate thinning intensities indicated that net yields after ca. 80 years were lower in unthinned stands than in thinned stands; in other cases, such as at younger ages and at sites with low and average productivities, net yields were similar for each thinning intensity (including no thinning). These results could be attributed to the fact that the net current annual increment in stand volume (CAI_net) in the thinned stands exceeded that of the unthinned stands after a certain age (the “inversion” age) and to the negative correlation between site productivity and the inversion age. In addition, I found that a single rescaled growth curve was capable of describing the growth in stand volume at sites with different thinning histories and site productivities. This rescaled curve simply and clearly explained the effects of thinning and site productivity on stand volume growth. The existence of a single curve suggests that the positive effect of thinning on stand volume growth does not depend on site productivity, but it will require patient measurements over longer periods to reveal a positive effect at sites with low productivity.     

To thin or not to thin: bio-economic analysis of two alternative practices to increase amount of coarse woody debris in managed forests

Maintenance of biodiversity in commercial forests has become a main goal in forestry, and several new management principles to reach that goal have been introduced lately. For example, in even-aged forestry, tree retention (leaving a proportion of trees standing in clear-cut sites) is widely used to increase the structural diversity and the amount of dead wood in forests. However, the cost-efficiency of the new management principles is poorly studied. To increase the amount of dead wood, an alternative way could be a change in the thinning regime, so that the self-thinning builds up of woody debris of a growing stand. We used long-term (200?years) simulations to compare ecological and economical effects of the two alternative management practices to increase the amount of dead wood in forest stands: (1) green tree retention and (2) growing stands unthinned. We simulated stand growth and management of 12 pine and 12 spruce stands that represented sites in different parts of Finland. We found that growing stands unthinned produced about 5–6?times more dead wood than retention with 20 trees left per hectare. In terms of economical loss, leaving stands unthinned reduced the net present value of harvest revenues less than 20%. Consequently, leaving stands unthinned offers a cost-effective option to increase the amount of dead wood in commercial forests. The effects of unthinned management were, however, dependent on thermal sum and initial stand density, indicating that biodiversity-oriented management practices should be designed for local conditions.     

Should unthinned oak stands of advanced age (≥ 60 yr) be thinned?

ABSTRACT

Oaks (Quercus sp.) account for nearly one-third of the sawtimber harvest in Wisconsin. As trees age, their ability to respond to thinning is reduced; therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether thinning previously unthinned oak stands of advanced age (≥ 60 yr) would achieve biological, financial, and operational objectives. During 2014, we conducted an inventory of 25 oak stands in northern Wisconsin. Fifteen received their first thinning 8–14 yr ago at ages 60–78 yr and 10 had never been thinned. Stand-level volume growth, logging costs, and net present values were estimated for each site. The age and site index of the thinned and unthinned sites were not significantly different (p > .10). Thinned and unthinned sites grew comparable net volumes per ha (5.09 and 5.90 m³, respectively); however, because this growth was concentrated on fewer trees, the trees on the thinned sites responded vigorously to thinning. As age at first thinning increased, growth response was reduced (p = .067); however, thinning still increased the growth of residual trees. Thinned sites had higher net present values compared to unthinned sites (p < .01) and logging costs were 10.6% lower (p = 0.06). Overall, for stands between 60 and 78 years old, thinning was beneficial financially, operationally, and biologically.     

The Effects of Stand Thinning and Artificial Shading on Epicormic Bud Emergence in Pedunculate Oak (Quercus robur L.)

Although previous studies have shown stand thinning increasesoak wood quality defects due to epicormic branch development,thinning failed in experiments at three different sites to stimulateepicormic bud emergence or later growth in either the first,second or third years. This was in spite of much higher irradiancesbeneath the thinned canopies, which transmitted 73 percent morelight than the unthinned stand during the summer months. Irradiancesbeneath the thinned stands were increased by only 13 percentin the period during the spring when the epicormic shoots emergedfrom the bole of the trees, preceding expansion of the leafcanopy. When, using artificial shading, the intensity of lightincident on the bole of trees in a thinned stand was reducedby 80 percent, without affecting bark tempertures, the numbersof epicormic shoots which emerged was similar to that on unshadedtrees. Epicormic shoot emergence from the boles of thinned treeswas completely prevented by excluding light from the bole withaluminium foil, which also reduced bark temperatures. When thefoil was substituted by black polythene, which raised bark temperatures,the inhibition of epicormic shoot emergence was only 88 percent. These results indicate that epicormic shoot emergence is notstimulated by increased exposure of the epicormic buds to lightin thinned stands, and that light is not normally a major factorcontrolling epicormic bud emergence. The decrease in wood qualityassociated with epicormic shoots produced by thinned standsappears on this evidence to be the result of a long term promotionof epicormic branch growth and longevity. Thinning in July,rather than during the winter months, inhibited epicormic shootemergence the next spring.     

Vegetation structure, floristic composition and growth characteristics of Aucoumea klaineana Pierre stands as influenced by stand age and thinning

The coastal forest of Gabon abounds in monospecific secondary Aucoumea klaineana stands derived from natural regeneration after shifting cultivation. This paper aims to describe the changes in the structure and dynamics of these stands with age. It then assesses the impact of selective thinning in the upper storey on both structural and dynamic parameters.

The experiment consisted of 34 Permanent Plots in stands from establishment to more mature stages (ca. 50 years old). Thirteen plots (17–45 years old) were thinned. More than 80% of the removal came from supernumerary dominant A. klaineana.

A. klaineana represented 60% of the total density in stands ca. 15 years old but >90% of the dominant trees in older stands. The changes with age in the floristic composition of the unthinned stands showed three successional stages during which pioneer species associated with A. klaineana (from establishment to ca. 15 years) were progressively replaced by mature forest species.

Basal area increased and density decreased with age before reaching stable values at ca. 40–45 years. Mortality was very high in young stands but decreased in the older ones. Mortality generally affected small diameter individuals in the dominated storey. Diameter and basal area increments showed that the stand growth resulted from the growth of dominant A. klaineana. Diameter increments of A. klaineana were elevated during the first years of colonisation (1.9 cm/year) and were still ca. 0.7 cm/year for 50-year-old dominant trees.

Thinning did not increase the mortality of the dominant population. It favoured the individual growth of A. klaineana. The gain was substantial for dominated trees and small dominant trees (from 60 to 100%) but was lower for large dominant trees (ca. 25–30%). Therefore, stimulation of individual growth did not compensate for the loss of basal area at the stand level.     

林分断面积生长模拟理论与技术研究

林分断面积是众多测树因子中的核心因子。文中对林分断面积生长规律及其模拟技术研究进展进行了综述, 分析了自然生长林分与间伐林分断面积生长的异同, 并重点从生长方程的选取、断面积模型的分类研制、研制途径及间伐指标、林分自变量及密度指标以及单木竞争指标等5个方面探讨了林分断面积模拟研究进展, 指出林分断面积生长模拟理论与技术领域存在的问题及未来研究重点, 以期为相关研究提供借鉴与参考。     

Individual tree growth response to variable-density thinning in coastal Pacific Northwest forests

We examined 5-year basal area growth of nearly 2600 trees in stem-mapped plots at five locations differing in site characteristics, species composition, and management history on the Olympic Peninsula in Western Washington, USA. Our objectives were to determine if internal edges, the boundaries within the stand between components of the variable-density thinning, influenced individual tree growth, and whether incorporation of individual tree local competition indices in growth prediction models could account for treatment and edge effects. Treatment significantly affected tree growth at all sites, with trees in the thinned matrix displaying on average over 25% greater basal area growth than trees in unthinned patches. Proximity to canopy gaps created as part of the variable-density thinning increased basal area growth of trees in the thinned matrix by nearly 11%. In addition, growth of trees close to skid trails was 11% greater than trees located away from the trails. Past thinning history, and its effect on initial stocking rate, appeared to affect the magnitude of the edge effects. Blocks that had received earlier commercial thinnings, and thus had lower stocking at the onset of the study, displayed lower growth responses than previously unthinned blocks. Including local competition indices in the models generally reduced growth prediction error; however, the indices examined did not fully account for treatment or edge effects. Our results suggest that not accounting for internal edges in spatially complex stands could result in errors in projected growth of trees, although these edge effects are highly variable. Failure to account for the effects of internal edges could affect not just estimates of future stand yield, but also projections of future stand structure.     

Restoration thinning and influence of tree size and leaf area to sapwood area ratio on water relations of Pinus ponderosa

Ponderosa pine (Pinus ponderosa Dougl. ex P. Laws) forest stand density has increased significantly over the last century (Covington et al. 1997). To understand the effect of increased intraspecific competition, tree size (height and diameter at breast height (DBH)) and leaf area to sapwood area ratio (A(L):A(S)) on water relations, we compared hydraulic conductance from soil to leaf (kl) and transpiration per unit leaf area (Q(L)) of ponderosa pine trees in an unthinned plot to trees in a thinned plot in the first and second years after thinning in a dense Arizona forest. We calculated kl and Q(L) based on whole- tree sap flux measured with heat dissipation sensors. Thinning increased tree predawn water potential within two weeks of treatment. Effects of thinning on kl and Q(L) depended on DBH, A(L):A(S) and drought severity. During severe drought in the first growing season after thinning, kl and Q(L) of trees with low A(L):A(S) (160-250 mm DBH; 9-11 m height) were lower in the thinned plot than the unthinned plot, suggesting a reduction in stomatal conductance (g(s)) or reduced sapwood specific conductivity (K(S)), or both, in response to thinning. In contrast kl and Q(L) were similar in the thinned plot and unthinned plot for trees with high A(L):A(S) (260-360 mm DBH; 13-16 m height). During non-drought periods, kl and Q(L) were greater in the thinned plot than in the unthinned plot for all but the largest trees. Contrary to previous studies of ponderosa pine, A(L):A(S) was positively correlated with tree height and DBH. Furthermore, kl and Q(L) showed a weak negative correlation with tree height and a strong negative correlation with A(S) and thus A(L):A(S) in both the thinned and unthinned plots, suggesting that trees with high A(L):A(S) had lower g(s). Our results highlight the important influence of stand competitive environment on tree-size-related variation in A(L):A(S) and the roles of A(L):A(S) and drought on whole-tree water relations in response to thinning.     

Effects of five tree-selection strategies when thinning spruce (Picea abies) stands: a case study in a field trail in southern Sweden

The aim of this study was to show the effects of five tree-selection strategies when thinning on quality and growth properties of Norway spruce stands, and their potential for improving quality in the stands. The five strategies were thinning to retain high-quality (HQ) and low-quality (LQ) trees, thinning from above (A) and below (B) and thinning to obtain an even distribution of residual trees (S). The study was conducted in two planted stands close to rotation age, located in southern Sweden, which had been thinned twice since the establishment of the thinning experiment. In the two quality-based treatments trees were selected for harvest on the basis of the following growth and quality traits: tree class, vitality, dbh, height, straightness, branch diameter and quality defects. The quality traits were found to be largely independent of tree size, thus the selection strategies based solely on dbh (A and B) did not improve quality within the stands. Thinning targeting HQ traits promoted the retention and growth of HQ trees, and improved overall quality of the stands compared to the other treatments. HQ thinning increased the share of straight trees by 15%, on average. Significant proportions of stem crooks and quality defects detected before the first thinning were invisible 21 years after it. All thinned stands had higher proportions of naturally pruned trees than unthinned stands. The selection method had no influence on periodic annual increment after thinning.