Identifying and Characterizing Important Trembling Aspen Competitors With Juvenile Lodgepole Pine in Three South-Central British Columbia Ecosystems

Authors

Teresa A. Newsome, BC Ministry of ForestsFollow
Jean L. Heineman, J. Heineman Forestry Consulting
Amanda F. Linnell Nemec, International Statistics and Research Corp.

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

International Journal of Forestry Research

Volume

2012

Publisher

Hindawi Limited

First Page

1

Last Page

12

Publication Date

3-18-2012

Abstract

Critical height ratios for predicting competition between trembling aspen and lodgepole pine were identified in six juvenile stands in three south-central British Columbia ecosystems. We used a series of regression analyses predicting pine stem diameter from the density of neighbouring aspen in successively shorter relative height classes to identify the aspen-pine height ratio that maximized R². Critical height ratios varied widely among sites when stands were 8-12 years old but, by age 14-19, had converged at 1.25-1.5. Maximum R² values at age 14-19 ranged from 13.4% to 69.8%, demonstrating that the importance of aspen competition varied widely across a relatively small geographic range. Logistic regression also indicated that the risk of poor pine vigour in the presence of aspen varied between sites. Generally, the degree of competition, risk to pine vigour, and size of individual aspen contributing to the models declined along a gradient of decreasing ecosystem productivity.

Recommended Citation

Newsome, T.A.; Heineman, J.L.; Linnell N.; Amanda F. 2012. Identifying and Characterizing Important Trembling Aspen Competitors with Juvenile Lodgepole Pine in Three South-Central British Columbia Ecosystems. Intl. J. For. Res. 12 p. [doi:10.1155/2012/573640].