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The effects of early and intense pruning on light penetration, tree growth, and epicormic shoot dynamics in a young hybrid larch stand

  • Original Article
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Journal of Forest Research

Abstract

We examined the effect of early and intense pruning on light intensity under the canopy, individual growth, diameter–height relationships, and epicormic shoot dynamics in young hybrid larch (Larix gmelinii var. japonica × L. kaempferi) to establish a new effective management method for hybrid larch plantations. The objective is to produce high-quality wood while reducing silviculture costs using a combination of low-density planting and early and intense pruning. In a young hybrid larch plantation, we pruned branches to two different heights (2 and 4 m above ground level) using a no-pruning treatment as a control. Although the growth rates were lower in the heavy pruning treatment (4 m above the ground level) than in other treatments in the year following pruning, when measured 4 years later, growth did not differ between treatments. The number of epicormic shoots increased in the year following pruning, as did the relative photosynthetic photon flux density (rPPFD). The number of epicormic shoots was also dependent on the size of individual trees. However, survival of epicormic shoots was not sufficiently high to be problematic for high-quality timber production. If branches are pruned carefully such that the rPPFD does not rise above 20%, the emergence of epicormic shoots can also be controlled. Our results indicate that early and intense pruning is an effective component of a new management system for hybrid larch plantations.

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Acknowledgments

We thank members of the Silviculture Section, Hokkaido Forestry Research Institute, for help with the field measurements and laboratory work. Special thanks go to Seizaburo Izumi, Iwamizawa Park, for offering the use of his forest land as our study site. This study was partly supported by Grants-in-Aid from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan (No. 20380084 and 20370014).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Doto Branch Station, Hokkaido Forestry Research Institute, Nishi 2, Shintoku, Hokkaido, 081-0038, Japan

    Mika Takiya

  2. Faculty of Agriculture, Yamagata University, 1-23 Wakabamachi, Tsuruoka, 997-8555, Japan

    Hiromasa Koyama

  3. Graduate School of Horticulture, Chiba University, 648 Matsudo, Matsudo, Chiba, 271-8510, Japan

    Kiyoshi Umeki

  4. Hokkaido Forestry Research Institute, Koshunai Bibai, Hokkaido, 079-0198, Japan

    Michiyasu Yasaka, Yasuyuki Ohno, Ichiro Watanabe & Kazuhiko Terazawa

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  1. Mika Takiya
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  2. Hiromasa Koyama
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  3. Kiyoshi Umeki
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  4. Michiyasu Yasaka
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  5. Yasuyuki Ohno
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  6. Ichiro Watanabe
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  7. Kazuhiko Terazawa
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Correspondence to Mika Takiya.

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Takiya, M., Koyama, H., Umeki, K. et al. The effects of early and intense pruning on light penetration, tree growth, and epicormic shoot dynamics in a young hybrid larch stand. J For Res 15, 149–160 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-009-0167-z

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10310-009-0167-z

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