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Canopy disturbance and intertree competition: implications for tree growth and recruitment in two yellow birch–conifer stands in Quebec, Canada

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Journal of Forest Research

Abstract

Composition, structure, and species-specific patterns of recruitment and growth were characterized in two yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.)–conifer stands in Quebec, Canada, to improve our understanding of the dynamics of these complex ecosystems. The mixture of mid- and shade-tolerant species in the canopy, the inverse J-shape stem diameter distribution, and the age distribution were indicative that the two stands were in a late-successional stage. Recruitment of mid-tolerant species above 1.3 m in height appeared to be periodic and synchronized with historical spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) outbreaks, while the coniferous component of these mixedwood stands recruited continuously. Results suggest that recruitment of yellow birch and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) requires disturbances of a certain intensity that affect at least 25 % of the forest cover. In contrast, balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) can recruit under the canopy without relying on moderate or large canopy disturbances. Results suggest that the historical disturbance regime, and differences in shade tolerance between species, largely govern the contemporary composition of these stands. This study improves the comprehension of mechanisms that regulate the dynamics of yellow birch-conifer stands and will be useful for the subsequent elaboration of forest management strategies.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Patricia Raymond, Robert Jobidon, and two anonymous reviewers for revising an earlier version of the manuscript. We would also like to thank Maurice Gagnon for performing the core sampling and tree ring measurements in the laboratory. We finally acknowledge Jean-Pierre Lapointe, Carlo Gros-Louis, Julie Forgues, Daniel Guimond, Serge Williams, Éric Saulnier, and many summer students for field assistance over the years.

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  1. Ministère des Ressources naturelles et de la Faune, Direction de la recherche forestière, 2700, rue Einstein, Québec, QC, G1P 3W8, Canada

    Louis Duchesne & Marcel Prévost

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  1. Louis Duchesne
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  2. Marcel Prévost
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Correspondence to Louis Duchesne.

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Duchesne, L., Prévost, M. Canopy disturbance and intertree competition: implications for tree growth and recruitment in two yellow birch–conifer stands in Quebec, Canada. J For Res 18, 168–178 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-012-0338-1

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-012-0338-1

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