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Effects of forest floor planting and stock type on growth and root emergence of Pinus contorta seedlings in a cold northern cutblock

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Abstract

A two-year field trial was conducted to determine the growth response, and root emergence pattern of interior lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta Dougl. var. latifolia Engelm.) seedlings in response to container type and forest floor removal. Seedlings were grown in StyroblocksTM, CopperblocksTM, or AirBlocksTM, and were planted directly into the undisturbed forest floor or into manually prepared planting spots where the forest floor had been scraped away to expose the mineral soil. Seedlings planted into scalped planting spots exhibited marginally but significantly (7%) greater above-ground growth rates (seedling stem volume); whereas seedlings planted into the forest floor produced significantly more (11%) new roots. There were no differences in above- or below-ground biomass. Seedlings grown in CopperblockTM containers produced a higher proportion of roots near the top of the plug when tested at lifting, however this pattern was not observed in the field. Given that scalping is more costly than forest floor planting, and that the increased shoot growth was relatively small, we recommend that forest floor planting be considered as an alternative to manual spot scalping for sites, such as the site tested here: those with cold, but well-drained soils and where competition from other plants is not a serious problem.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Biology Department, Okanagan University College, 3333 University Way, Kelowna, BC, V1V 1V7, Canada

    D. Bruce Campbell & Melanie D. Jones

  2. Department of Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, 4-42 Earth Science Building, Edmonton, AB, T6G 2E3, Canada

    Janusz J. Zwiazek

  3. New Forest Treeworks, 8640 Honeymoon Dr. S., Prince George, BC, V2K 5J8, Canada

    Steven Kiiskila

  4. Department of Forest Sciences, University of British Columbia, 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada

    Leanne J. Philip

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  1. D. Bruce Campbell
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  2. Steven Kiiskila
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Correspondence to D. Bruce Campbell.

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Campbell, D.B., Kiiskila, S., Philip, L.J. et al. Effects of forest floor planting and stock type on growth and root emergence of Pinus contorta seedlings in a cold northern cutblock. New Forest 32, 145–162 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-005-5037-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-005-5037-8

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