MANAGEMENT
NOTES
Number. 3
AN EVALUATION OF HEIGHT AND SURVIVAL
or 10 AND 12 YEAR OLD HARDWOOD PLANTINGS
IN PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
by William M. Glen 1993
The Prince Edward Island Forestry Branch established a number of small observation
plantations with hardwood species in the early 1980's. The plantings of yellow birch, butternut
and walnut were carried out in cooperation with the P.E.I. Provincial Parks and the P.E.I.
National Park.
Map showing locations
Dalvay
MacPhail
Brudenell
This report summarizes the height and survival information for the following plantations:
1980 1980 1980 1982 -
yellow birch on 3 site types at MacPhail Provincial Park
butternut on 2 site types at MacPhail Provincial Park
butternut and walnut on 1 site type at Brudenell Provincial Park
yellow birch on 2 sites at Dalvay, PEI National Park
This is a publication of the P.E.I. Department of Energy and Forestry, Forestry Division, P.O. Box 2000 Charlottetown, P.E.I.,
C1A 7N8
YELLOW BIRCH
The seed source for the material was a mixture of P.E.I. collections from selected
trees and stands. Planting stock used in both the 1980 and 1982 plantations was grown by
the Forestry Branch as container stock transplanted into nursery beds for 2 years and then
out-planted as 0+2 stock 60-90 cm in height. Stock was lifted prior to leaf out and stored
for a short period of time in cold storage. The trees were shipped in a covered truck with
the roots packed in moist peat moss, all trees shipped were planted the same day. An
experienced crew used spades to plant the trees into pits (approx 20cm square and deep).
Macphail Plantings. 1980
The three site types used were a section of an old agricultural field with heavy
grass cover, a small (.4 ha) clear-cut in a white spruce stand growing on farmer
agricultural land and patch cuts (100-150 m2in area) in a white spruce stand on former
agricultural land.
Spiral tree guards and Radvanyi poison bait feeding stations (Radvanyi, 1974) were
used to control meadow vole in the field. No site preparation or follow-up maintenance
was carried out.
Figure 1 shows the height growth that has resulted from these plantings and Figure II
shows the survival.
Dalvav Plantings. 1982
The sites selected in the National Park were three patch cuts in white spruce
growing on former agricultural land (150-300 m ) and a small shaded forest glen amid
circa 1940 plantations on old field dominated by fireweed (800 m2 ). Figure III shows the
height growth of the plantations and Figure II the survival of both the Macphail and
Dalvay plots.
DISCUSSION
The survival and growth of the yellow birch appears to be directly related to the
size of the opening into which the seedlings were planted. The patch cut and the small
field site at Dalvay had shade cast by the surrounding 15 meter tall stands, while the large
field site and the clear-cut did not have the benefit of shade.
This assumption is further supported by the observation that the trees planted at
MacPhail in the clear-cut next to the southern edge are taller than those further out in the
cut. (This edge was removed in 1985/86 but the height differences are still evident)
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Figure I
Figure II
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Figure III
Yellow birch is considered to be intermediate in shade tolerance and grow well in small openings in
the forest (Burns and Honkala). The creation of similar conditions and planting have resulted in
the seedlings performing well in terms of height and survival.
BUTTERNUT/WALNUT
The seed sources used were the walnut tree located in the cemetery, Central Bedeque,
P.E.I. and butternut nuts were collected from Summer Street, Summerside and the Agriculture
Research Station grounds in Charlottetown. The stock for these plots was grown by the PEI
Forestry Branch as bareroot seedlings. They were undercut twice while in the seed beds and out
planted as 60-90 cm tall stock. The stock was handled in the same way as the yellow birch.
The sites at MacPhail and Brudenell were both in fields with heavy grass cover. Spiral tree
guards were used at both sites. The MacPhail blocks were sheltered by a hedgerow and adjacent
forested blocks; the Brudenell site was not sheltered. The hedgerow planted at MacPhail involved
the planted stock in the spaces between 15+ meter tall white spruce around the homestead. No site
preparation or maintenance was carried out on the blocks. Figure IV & V show the height and
survival of these plantings.
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Figure IV
Figure V
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DISCUSSION
The nut trees, as with the yellow birch, have grown better where shelter and shade was
available. The hedgerow planted at Macphail provides an excellent example. The blocks at
Macphail also show superior height growth with increasing shelter/shade from surrounding trees.
The form of the trees for timber production is poor and could probably be improved if shade could
be uniformly provided. The use of nursery species such as larch might provide the required shade.
SUMMARY
The results of these observation.blocks have indicated that yellow birch can be successfully
grown when conditions are similar to those in which the species naturally grows. Side shade is
required to cause the trees to assert apical dominance and to control branching. Conditions which
provide this shade (i.e., patch cuts, strip cuts, or possibly nursery species planted at the same time)
are necessary if timber production and reasonable survival are the goals of establishment.
REFERENCES
Burns, R. N. and Honkala, B. H.;l990; Silvics of North America Volume 2 Hardwoods,
Agriculture Handbook 654, United States Department of Agriculture, Washington D.C.,
U.S.A.
Radvanyi, A.,1974, Small Mammal Census and Control on a Hardwood Plantation, Proceedings
6th Vertebrate Pest Conference, Anaheim, California
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