Influence of soil drainage on early development and biomass production of young, herbicide-released fir-spruce stands in north central Maine
1992
Meng, X. | Seymour, R.S.
The hypothesis that soil drainage affects early development of managed balsam fir -- red spruce (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill. -- Picea rubens Sarg.) stands was examined by comparing age structures, growth rates of dominant trees, and aboveground biomass production (by components between well drained and poorly drained soils on the Chesuncook catena. Nearly all dominant trees of both fir and spruce originated between 1974 and 1977 as advance seedlings that averaged 6-8 years old at overstory removal and required an average of 4-5 years to reach breast height afterward. Older advance seedlings reached breast height sooner; neither age at overstory removal nor time to breast height were related to drainage. After trees reached breast height, growth in height and basal diameter was significantly greater on well drained soils for fir, but not for red spruce. As a result, total biomass production was greater on well drained soils (15.1 Mg/ha) than on poorly drained soils (9.4 Mg/ha), although biomass varied widely owing to irregular stocking. Biomass data are combined with other studies of Abies spp. in a chronosequence to examine leading hypotheses of foliar and total biomass accumulation over time.
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