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Home → Publications → Forest Nursery Notes → 2008 Winter Forest Nursery Notes → 2008 Winter Forest Nursery Notes - New Nursery Literature → How to Shift Unproductive Kalmia Augustifolia-- Rhododendron Groenlandicum Heath to Productive Conifer Plantation

How to Shift Unproductive Kalmia Augustifolia-- Rhododendron Groenlandicum Heath to Productive Conifer Plantation

Thiffault, N. and Jobidon, R. Canadian Journal of Forest Research 36:2364-2376. 2006.

Conifer-regeneration failure is often observed on sites invaded by ericaceous shrubs. In northeastern Quebec. Canada, these sites are frequently characterized by dense Kalmia angustifolia L. — Rhododendron groenlandicum (Oeder) K.A. Kron & Judd cover. Such failures are potential consequences of nutrient limitation, allelopathy. or low soil temperatures. Conversion of productive forests into heaths poses a threat to the ma intenance of forest productivity and biodversity . We evaluated scarification, spot fertilization, and increased seedling foliar N concentration as treatments to promote planted black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) seedling survival and growth. We measured seedling. vegetation, and soil responses to the treatments for 5 years following planting. Scarification had positive impacts on seedling growth: the differences between scarified and unscarified plots increased over time, and double-pass scarification proved slightly more effective than a single-pass treatment.


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Author(s): Nelson Thiffault, Robert Jobidon

Section: Weed Control

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