Effect of shading,mulching and vegetation control on Douglas-Fir seedling growth and soil water supply

Harsh environmental conditions on many harvested sites in southwest Oregon necessitate site modifications for successful regeneration of Douglas-fir Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco]. We conducted a 2-year study with 350 seedlings to assess the effects of twelve soil-shading, mulching, and vegetation control techniques on seedling growth and soil temperature and moisture environments. Treatments modified a variety of environmental conditions. Major effects of treatments were to lower soil surface temperature, reduce soil surface evaporation, and reduce vegetative competition for soil water. These modified conditions affected seedlings by adjusting the timing of seedling growth and reducing soil water loss to increase available water for seedling use. Final seedling shoot volume and stem diameter both differed among treatments. Seedlings in treatments where competing vegetation was controlled showed significantly greater growth than seedlings in other treatments. Soil water loss in treatments where either soil surface evaporation was controlled by mulching, or where competing vegetation was controlled, was significantly less than water loss from the shaded and control treatments. Soil water loss in treatments with vegetation controlled by herbicide was significantly less than in treatments with vegetation controlled by scalping. Seedlings showed greatest growth with treatments that elicited the most efficient use of available microsite water either by reducing soil surface evaporation or vegetation competition.