Croissance de sapinieres a bouleau blanc boreales issues de coupe avec protection de la regeneration | Growth of boreal balsam fir-white birch stands after harvesting with protection of regeneration
1992
Bertrand, L. | Belanger, L. | Beauregard, R.L.
Models of compatible volume and basal area growth and yield covering a period of 10 to 45 years after harvesting were developed for second growth boreal stands of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.). The 131 permanent plots used for the study were located near Matane, in the Gaspe Peninsula, and are part of the balsam fir - white birch ecoclimatic domain. These stands were harvested in 1934, 1944, and 1953, using a manual cut-and-bunch harvesting method that protected advance growth, and measures were taken in 1954, 1964, and 1978. The stands were moderately affected by spruce budworm outbreaks between 1950-1957 and 1975-1978. Years elapsed since release rather than total age was used as the temporal variable. Even though the characteristics of the coniferous natural regeneration were quite variable, total basal area explained an important part of growth variations of young fir stands by integrating both density and dimensions of the regeneration. Results show, within the limits of the observed densities (< 15 000 stems/ha, 10 years after harvesting), that stands with a higher basal area will have higher total and merchantable volumes at a given age; rotation age for maximum volume production will decrease correspondingly. Abundance of saplings in the initial natural regeneration can thus have an important impact on stand production and rotation age. In the case of nonoverdense young fir stands (< 15 000 stems/ha, 10 years after harvesting with no height growth impediment), the use of spacing treatments that significantly reduce total basal area could be questioned when pursuing maximum fiber production.
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