Competitive effects of woody and herbaceous vegetation in a young boreal mixedwood stand
Man, C.D, P.G. Comeau and D.G. Pitt. 2006. M.Sc. Thesis. Dept. Renewable Resources, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB
Abstract
The influence of aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) and herbaceous (forb and grass) vegetation on resource
availability and white spruce (Picea glauca (Moench) Voss) growth were examined as part of a long-term experiment es-
tablished in 2002 near Whitecourt, Alberta, Canada. During the 2005 growing season, we examined the effects of herbi-
cide treatments designed to control only woody (triclopyr ester) or both woody and herbaceous (glyphosate) vegetation on
leaf area index (LAI) of both the woody and herbaceous components and relationships among LAI and light, soil moisture,
air temperature, soil temperature, nitrogen availability, and spruce growth. Treatments reduced LAI and increased light,
soil nitrogen availability, and white spruce growth. There were no apparent effects of the treatments on soil moisture in
2005. Both the woody and herb%u2013grass layers appear to be competing for light and soil nitrogen in this young plantation.
Controlling only woody vegetation resulted in an increase in herbaceous and total LAI (dominated by the grass Calama-
grostis canadensis (Michx.) Beauv.). Spot treatment, involving control of vegetation within a 2 m radius of spruce seed-
lings while leaving 1 m of untreated ground between treated spots, may be a promising alternative to classical broadcast
treatments for establishing spruce in a mixedwood stand. Spot treatments provided good growing conditions and reduced
exposure of spruce seedlings to summer and winter frost injury during the first 3 years after planting.
