Aspen Bibliography

Effects of stand age and litter removal on the regeneration of Populus tremuloides

Document Type

Article

Journal/Book Title/Conference

Journal of Vegetation Science

Volume

5

Issue

4

First Page

561

Last Page

568

Publication Date

1994

Abstract

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the regeneration by root suckering of Populus tremuloides (quaking aspen) along a successional sere at Lake Duparquet in NW Québec with six sites of different ages - 46, 74, 120, 143, 167 and 230 yr since last fire. In 1990, in each of the sites, one 20 m x 20 m plot was cut. In each plot, 4-m2 plots were selected, both control and with litter removed. The number of suckers and their height were estimated for each plot in 1991, 1992 and 1993. Results showed that sucker production was not related to the number of P. tremuloides before the clearcut, but it was related to litter whereby increasing cover lowered the production. The number of suckers produced in the control plots did not show any significant difference along the successional sere for any of the three years. Scarified plots had more suckers than control plots, and this increase was more pronounced and significantly different for the younger stage. Regression analysis for the 1991 and 1992 data showed that sucker number in scarified plots decreased with increasing seral stage age. Mortality, after three growing seasons, was about 60% for all plots and was not affected by seral stage and treatment. We suggest that removal of litter in scarified plots exposed the roots to higher temperatures and caused wounds, both of which may have stimulated the production of suckers in young seral stages.

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