Variation of wood density and hydraulic properties of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco) clones related to a heat and drought wave in France

Drought response of three Douglas-fir clones (slow, intermediate and fast growing) inhabiting two different climatic regimes in France was examined. We used the hydraulic conductivity and the percent loss of conductivity due to embolism from stems and branches as well as wood microdensity measurements to determine the role of genetics in the control of embolism in this species. Conductivity and tree-ring’s microdensity variables (ring width: RW, mean ring density: MRD, minimum ring density: MID and maximum ring density: MAD) were compared in growth rings in all three clones during a typical year (2002) vs. an extremely dry year (2003). A new method was developed in order to assess axial hydraulic specific conductivity (K_s) within tree rings. The results show that branches are more resistant to embolism than stems, and that there are significant differences in embolism resistance among the clones between the two sites. K_s varied between years, sites and clones but the site exerted the most significant effect. Lartimache (more humid site during 2003) trees showed substantially higher K_s than those inhabiting Chassenoix (strongly affected by the 2003 heat and drought wave site). Wood analysis showed a significant year effect for all ring variables and a significant clone effect for all ring variables except for MAD, while the site effect was significant for MRD and MAD. The existence of a genetic control for the study traits indicates that Douglas-fir populations introduced in France may have a selection potential to face extreme climate events like the 2003 heat and drought wave.     

Kalmia removal increases nutrient supply and growth of black spruce seedlings: An effect fertilizer cannot emulate

In Canada's eastern boreal forest, the stagnant growth of black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) seedlings is often observed in the presence of ericaceous shrubs such as Kalmia angustifolia L. Many mechanisms, including allelopathic interference, reduced soil N mineralization, soil enzymes inhibition, and direct resource competition have been proposed to explain poor spruce growth in the presence of Kalmia. However, the relative importance of direct competition versus indirect interference remains unclear. Our objective was thus to adequately isolate the “Kalmia effect” from other growth-limiting factors and to determine if removal of Kalmia also resulted in fundamental changes in the biochemical properties of the forest floor. By sampling plots established in 2000, we evaluated how Kalmia eradication and spot fertilization influenced soil nutrient availability, N mineralization rates, microbial basal respiration and biomass, as well as planted black spruce seedling growth, dimensions, and foliar nutrient concentrations 6 years later. We measured higher extractable-P, mineralizable-N, seedling dimensions and growth rates, as well as lower extractable-K, total-K, basal respiration and microbial biomass, in plots without Kalmia than in those where Kalmia had been maintained from 2000 to 2006. Our results thus confirmed that Kalmia eradication over 6 years not only improved the growth and nutrition of black spruce seedlings, but also resulted in fundamental changes in the biochemical properties of the forest floor. We demonstrated that along with direct competition for resources, Kalmia interferes indirectly with black spruce by modifying nutrient cycling and energy fluxes in soil. Higher indices of available C in plots with Kalmia corroborates that Kalmia tannins or rhizodeposition may reduce N mineralization by stimulating microbial immobilization, a relation that however needs to be confirmed with longer term laboratory incubations. Our results indicated that although it had a positive influence on seedling growth, the fertilization effect was confined to the first few years following treatment application, and failed to influence soil processes as did Kalmia eradication. Further monitoring will indicate if the increased litterfall in fertilized plots will eventually initiate a second wave of fertilizer-induced changes to soil processes, as observed in other ecosystems.     

Modeling of light transmission under heterogeneous forest canopy: an appraisal of the effect of the precision level of crown description

• Context  

Light availability in forest understory is essential for many processes; it is, therefore, a valuable information regarding forest management. However, its estimation is often difficult and direct measurements are tedious. Models can be used to compute understory light, but they often require a lot of field data to accurately predict light distribution, particularly in the case of heterogeneous canopies.     

Improvement of direct tree seeding with cover crops in afforestation: Microclimate and resource availability induced by vegetation composition

The low cost of direct tree seeding makes it increasingly useful for afforestation. However, the success of the technique is often unpredictable due to a series of different adverse biotic and abiotic factors. A plant cover with low competitive ability towards resources could offer a natural alternative to the herbicides currently used to control weeds. The effects of cover plants on availability of resources and microclimate were studied in a field experiment in the central France during three years. An experiment design crossing three mixtures of tree seeds with four vegetation compositions (a bare soil, flora of the meadow, and two mixtures of cover plants) was established and repeated randomly in three blocks in a meadow. Vegetation composition, tree seedling emergence, light availability, soil water content, and temperatures under each treatment were measured. The vegetation composition of the meadow stayed stable, with grass species dominating. The cover plants sown disappeared rapidly after one or two years. Outcome of direct seeding of trees depended on the vegetation treatment. Bare soil gave the highest emergence rate while meadow vegetation gave the lowest, with the mixture of cover plants being intermediate. Light availability and soil water content were very low under the meadow vegetation but were very high on the bare soil, again with cover plant mixtures being intermediate. This study confirms that a bare soil obtained by herbicide is a secure way to ensure tree seedling establishment in afforestation by direct seeding. However, with the onus currently on reducing herbicide use, the results suggest that sowing a mixture of cover plants could be an acceptable alternative to herbicides. The cover plants could offer protection against frost, scorching temperatures, or the water run-off encountered on bare soil. However, there are also a number of unresolved issues that need be addressed before the cover plants technique can be recommended.     

Thermal biology of Tuta absoluta: demographic parameters and facultative diapause

Journal of Pest Science - The South American tomato pinworm, Tuta absoluta, (SATP) is now a devastating pest worldwide of crops in the family Solanaceae. Most prior studies of SATP’s thermal...     

Influence of cambial age and climate on ring width and wood density in Pinus radiata families

? Context

The correlation between tree ring width and density and short-term climate fluctuations may be a useful tool for predicting response of wood formation process to long-term climate change.

? Aims

This study examined these correlations for different radiata pine genotypes and aimed at detecting potential genotype by climate interactions.

? Methods

Four data sets comprising ring width and density of half- and full-sib radiata pine families were used. Correlations with climate variables were examined, after the extraction of the effect of cambial age.

? Results

Cambial age explained the highest proportion of the ring to ring variation in all variables. Calendar year and year by family interaction explained a smaller but significant proportion of the variation. Rainfall had a positive correlation with ring width and, depending on test site, either a negative or positive correlation with ring density. Correlations between temperature during growing season and ring density were generally negative.

? Conclusion

Climate variables that influence ring width and wood density can be identified from ring profiles, after removing the cambial age effect. Families can be selected that consistently show desirable response to climate features expected to become prevalent as a result of climate change.     

Description of a new procedure to estimate the carbon stocks of all forest pools and impact assessment of methodological choices on the estimates

Forest ecosystems play a major role in atmospheric carbon sequestration and emission. Comparable organic carbon stock estimates at temporal and spatial scales for all forest pools are needed for scientific investigations and political purposes. Therefore, we developed a new carbon stock (CS) estimation procedure that combines forest inventory and soil and litter geodatabases at a regional scale (southern Belgium). This procedure can be implemented in other regions and countries on condition that available external carbon soil and litter data can be linked to forest inventory plots. The presented procedure includes a specific CS estimation method for each of the following forest pools and subpools (in brackets): living biomass (aboveground and belowground), deadwood (dead trees and snags, coarse woody debris and stumps), litter, and soil. The total CS of the forest was estimated at 86 Tg (185 Mg ha^?1). Soil up to 0.2 m depth, living biomass, litter, and deadwood CSs account, respectively, for 48, 47, 4, and 1 % of the total CS. The analysis of the CS variation within the pools across ecoregions and forest types revealed in particular that: (1) the living biomass CS of broadleaved forests exceeds that of coniferous forests, (2) the soil and litter CSs of coniferous forest exceed those of broadleaved forests, and (3) beech stands come at the top in carbon stocking capacity. Because our estimates differ sometimes significantly from the previous studies, we compared different methods and their impacts on the estimates. We demonstrated that estimates may vary highly, from ?16 to +12 %, depending on the selected methods. Methodological choices are thus essential especially for estimating CO₂ fluxes by the stock change approach. The sources of error and the accuracy of the estimates were discussed extensively.     

Ranking temperate woody species along a gradient of browsing by deer

As a result of diverse management policies, densities of red and roe deer have varied considerably for the last few decades in Europe. Their selective browsing on woody species can modify the interactions between competing species and thus change overall patterns of plant diversity in forests. However, no classification of woody species according to browsing by deer yet exists in Europe. The selectivity index, which measures the balance between availability and consumption of plant species by herbivores, could be used for such a classification. The aim of this study was, first, to rank woody species according to this selectivity index, then to test whether their rank changed when browsing pressure varied in space or time. We also explored morphological and ecological life traits (Ellenberg indicator values) that might explain differences in selectivity.In 2006, we re-sampled a network of 217 coupled floristic and browsing survey plots, which had been previously described twice (1976, 1981). The plots were located in the forest of Arc-en-Barrois (France), a large woodland area divided into a North and a South Forest which have had different histories of browsing pressure.For the three samples and the two forests, we calculated a selectivity index for 19 woody species. Dogwood (Cornus sp.) and field rose (Rosa arvensis) appeared to be the most selected species whereas beech (Fagus sylvatica), common mezereon (Daphne mezereum) and wild-service tree (Sorbus torminalis) were always avoided. The rank order of species according to their selectivity index remained stable over the three sample years and between the two forests (Spearman's rank correlations: ρ ≈ 0.8 spatially, and range from 0.3 to 0.8 temporally). This indicates that variations in browsing pressure did not strongly modify deer selectivity patterns. Selectivity was positively correlated with wood density and negatively correlated with maximum height of the species, but unrelated to other plant traits. Finally, selectivity can be seen as an intrinsic characteristic of those woody species, and could be used as an additional life trait when analyzing vegetation communities.     

Genetic variability of growth and wood chemical properties in a clonal population of Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis in the Congo

Thirty-four Eucalyptus urophylla × Eucalyptus grandis hybrids were evaluated with a view to selecting for improved growth and wood-quality traits for plantations in the Congo. Height, circumference at breast height and volume were measured at 12, 27, 37, 49 and 60 months. Lignin content, the syringyl/guaiacyl ratio and total extractives content were predicted by near-infrared spectroscopy using wood powder samples collected from trees at breast height. While wood chemical properties were stable and under strong genetic control, growth traits were not. The genetic correlation between lignin content and growth was weak and negative, whereas the environmental correlation was also weak but positive. The genetic improvement of E. urophylla × E. grandis clones, based on growth features, leads to a limited decrease in lignin content and syringyl content and to a limited increase in extractives content.