Competitive relations of red oak
and sugar maple seedlings in oak
and pine soils
K.C. Major, P. Nosko and J.P. Dech
Nipissing University
Background
• Superior silvicultural techniques are
required to reliably regenerate red oak
• Oak and pine have a similar
regeneration niche
• Long history of coexistence
• Could planting oak under or with pine
be an effective silvicultural approach?
Background
• Buckley et al 1998
– Found decreased oak acorn and seedling
survival in pine shelterwood in comparison
to that of oak
• Hartman et al 2005
– Found inferior red oak and superior red
maple regeneration under oak shelterwood
in comparison to that of pine
Background
Direct Oak
Promotion
Aboveground
•Climatic
•Logistic
•Frost Protection
Reduced
Competition
•Drought
Oak
Recruitment
Promotion
•Litter Depth
Direct Oak
Promotion
Belowground
•Soil Chemistry
•Microflora
• Beneficial ECM
Fungi
Reduced
Competition
•Lower Nutrients
•Decreased pH
Objectives
1. Compare the growth of red oak and
sugar maple seedlings under three
competition scenarios;
a) Intraspecific (two conspecific seedlings
per pot)
b) Interspecific (one seedling of each
species per pot)
c) No competition (each species planted
alone)
Objectives
2. Determine whether the soil origin
(hardwood forest soil vs. pine forest
soil) will impact the growth rates of red
oak and sugar maple seedlings under
the three competition scenarios.
Methods
•
Soil collected from six
forest stands
–
•
3 oak and 3 pine
Oak and maple potted in
3 competition scenarios
–
–
–
•
No competition
Intraspecific competition
Interspecific competition
Left to grow for 100 days
–
Nipissing Greenhouse
Methods
Methods
Measurements
• Stands
– Stand Speciation
– Canopy Closures
– Duff Compositions
• Soils
– pH
– Nutrients (N, K, P, Mg)
• Seedlings
– Heights and Diameters
– Drymasses
Preliminary Findings
Preliminary Findings
Mean Veridical Growth in Hardwood Soil
Mean Veridical Growth in Pine Soil
18.00
18.00
Red Oak
Sugar Maple
16.00
16.00
14.00
14.00
Height Growth (cm)
Height Growth (cm)
Red Oak
12.00
10.00
8.00
6.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
6.00
4.00
4.00
2.00
2.00
0.00
0.00
None
Intraspecific
Competition Type
Interspecific
Sugar Maple
None
Intraspecific
Competition type
Interspecific
Preliminary Findings
Mean Stem Drymass in Hardwood Soil
Mean Stem Drymass in Pine Soil
6.00
6.00
Sugar Maple
Red Oak
5.00
5.00
4.00
4.00
Drymass (g)
Drymass (g)
Red Oak
3.00
3.00
2.00
2.00
1.00
1.00
0.00
0.00
None
Intraspecific
Competition Type
Interspecific
Sugar Maple
None
Intraspecific
Competition Type
Interspecific
Preliminary Findings
Root Mass Ratio (Coarse)
(Hardwood Soil)
Root Mass Ratio (Coarse)
(Pine Soil)
60%
60%
Red Oak
Sugar Maple
Sugar Maple
Intraspecific
Interspecific
50%
% of Total Drymass
50%
% of Total Drymass
Red Oak
40%
30%
20%
40%
30%
20%
10%
10%
0%
0%
None
Intraspecific
Competition Type
Interspecific
None
Competition Type
Expected Significance
• Enhanced recruitment of oak in pine soils has
been observed in the field; experimental
confirmation is required
• A better understanding of the mechanisms by
which oak recruitment can be enhanced by
pine-conditioned soils is necessary
• This knowledge may be an effective
silvicultural tool when managing for oak
Acknowledgments
Field and Lab Support
– PERL Team
•
•
•
•
–
–
–
–
–
–
Lisa Robinson
Tara Diebolt
Nicole Quint
Shawn Splint
Sam Howard
Tanya Lafond
Chris Major
Karen Major
Dave Vadnais
Henri Menard
Funding and Logistical
Support
– Forestry Research
Partnership
– NSERC
– Nipissing University
– Nipissing Forest Resource
Management Inc.
– Forestry Futures Trust
– OMNR
Preliminary Findings
Hardwood Stand Composition
Sugar Maple
Red Oak
350
Other Tree Spp.
300
White Pine
Importance Value (Maximum 300)
Importance Value (Maximum 300)
350
Pine Stand Composition
250
200
150
100
50
Red Pine
300
250
200
150
100
50
0
0
SKI
TWR
Site
PUC
Mean
BLK
KLK
HWY
Site
Mean
Preliminary Findings
Mean Total Seedling Drymass in Hardwood
Soil
20.00
20.00
Sugar Maple
Red Oak
18.00
18.00
16.00
16.00
14.00
14.00
12.00
Drymass (g)
Drymass (g)
Red Oak
Mean Total Seedling Drymass in Pine Soil
10.00
8.00
12.00
10.00
8.00
6.00
6.00
4.00
4.00
2.00
2.00
0.00
Sugar Maple
0.00
None
Intraspecific
Competition Type
Interspecific
None
Intraspecific
Competition Type
Interspecific
Seedling Stock
• Richardson’s Pineneedle
Farms
• Pontypool, Ontario
• 2+0 Bare root seedlings
• 6”-12” Height class