Functional ecology of advance regeneration in relation to light in boreal forests

Messier, C.; Doucet, R.; Ruel, J-C.; Claveau, Y.; Kelly, C. et Lechowicz, M.J. (1999). « Functional ecology of advance regeneration in relation to light in boreal forests ». Canadian Journal of Forest Research, 29, pp. 812-823.

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Résumé

This paper reviews aspects of the functional ecology of naturally established tree seedlings in the boreal forests of North America with an emphasis on the relationship between light availability and the growth and survival of shade tolerant conifers up to pole size. Shade tolerant conifer species such as firs and spruces tend to have a lower specific leaf mass, photosynthetic rate at saturation, live crown ratio, STAR (shoot silhouette area to total needle surface area ratio), and root to shoot ratio than the shade intolerant pines. The inability of intolerant species such as the pines and aspen to survive in shade appears to be mainly the result of characteristics at the shoot, crown, and whole-tree levels and not at the leaf level. Although firs and spruces frequently coexist in shaded understories, they do not have identical growth patterns and crown architectures. We propose a simple framework based on the maximum height that different tree species can sustain in shade, which may help managers determine the timing of partial or complete harvests. Consideration of these functional aspects of regeneration is important to the understanding of boreal forest dynamics and can be useful to forest managers seeking to develop or assess novel silvicultural systems.

Type: Article de revue scientifique
Mots-clés ou Sujets: functional ecology, advance regeneration, light, boreal forests, seedlings, light availability,
Unité d'appartenance: Faculté des sciences > Département des sciences biologiques
Déposé par: Christian Messier
Date de dépôt: 08 janv. 2009
Dernière modification: 01 nov. 2014 02:08
Adresse URL : http://archipel.uqam.ca/id/eprint/1612

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