Andrew Price, J. Paul McLean, V. Stokes, Andrew David Cameron
{"title":"Effects of early respacing on physico-mechanical properties of naturally regenerated Picea sitchensis in Great Britain","authors":"Andrew Price, J. Paul McLean, V. Stokes, Andrew David Cameron","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0091","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0091","url":null,"abstract":"Natural regeneration can reduce costs compared with replanting. However, its use requires knowledge about how either active or passive management will affect the balance between quality and quantity in the timber supply. This study aimed to quantify the effects of respacing on volume recovery and wood properties. Two British forest experiments using Picea sitchensis with various respacing distances and an un-respaced control were assessed 21-22 years after the treatments were applied. Tree dimensions were measured and used to quantify slenderness, merchantable volume and sawlog-volume. Wood properties were assessed on a sub-sample using mechanical testing. Generalised linear mixed models were used to examine differences between treatments and sites. Respacing decreased slenderness and increased relative sawlog volume and branch size. Wider respacing reduced wood strength and the widest respacing reduced wood stiffness. Respacing did not affect wood density. However, at the relatively low productivity sites considered here, respacing to 2.1m represented the best compromise for current markets. In summary, not respacing improved some wood properties, but reduced tree stability and the proportion and volume of sawlogs, which will negatively affect forest value.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-03-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140228689","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"In situ three-dimensional visualization of Bursaphelenchus xylophilus inoculated in Pinus thunbergii using X-ray micro-computed tomography","authors":"Gou Nakajima, Taiichi Iki, Takuya Aikawa, Takumi Hara, Eisuke Ito, Katsunori Nakamura","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0200","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0200","url":null,"abstract":"Pine wilt disease, a devastating infectious disease of pine trees, is caused by the pinewood nematode, Bursaphelenchus xylophilus. It is important to understand the spatial dispersal processes of B. xylophilus within host-tree tissues to assess its pathogenic mechanism. However, this is not feasible with conventional microscopy-imaging techniques. In this study, we showed that X-ray micro-computed tomography (micro-CT) imaging can be a powerful tool for visualizing infected nematodes within host-tree tissues. We visualized 161 nematodes and 11 eggs within a Pinus thunbergii stem section, 47.3 mm3 in volume, using an appropriate segmentation of the micro-CT images. Quantitative measurements of the segmented region corresponding to the nematodes allowed for the calculation of the longitudinal length and a-value, which were similar to previous morphological descriptions of B. xylophilus. The technique adopted in this study can aid in understanding the behavior of and obtaining quantitative information on B. xylophilus within tree tissues.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140076875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Yann Baril-Chauvette, Pauline Suffice, André Desrochers
{"title":"Importance of high-resolution spatial data for the detection of winter wildlife responses to edges","authors":"Yann Baril-Chauvette, Pauline Suffice, André Desrochers","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2022-0102","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2022-0102","url":null,"abstract":"Several wildlife species are thought to avoid edges of large habitat gaps, such as clear-cuts, but detailed evidence is rarely available for edges of smaller gaps. We compared the responses of nine wintering mammal species to forest edges in southern Quebec, Canada, using high-resolution spatial data from Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) and low-resolution photo-interpretation. We defined edges of open areas as roads, lakes, rivers, or forest open areas. We geolocated mammal snow tracks along systematic transect lines between 2009 and 2018. We compared distances of snow tracks and reference points along transects to the nearest edge with linear models. LiDAR data revealed five species avoiding forest open area edges, whereas no avoidance was shown using photo-interpretation data. Weasels (Mustela sp.) were the only species showing a positive association with forest open area edges using photo-interpreted data. No significant response was detected for river or lake edges. Four species were positively associated with road edges. We conclude that avoidance of small forest open area edges is widespread in our study area, but it can only be detected with high-resolution spatial data. Our results imply that edge effect can operate at a fine scale and using appropriate spatial resolution is crucial to detect such effects.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140423381","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of breeding cost in the French maritime pine breeding program and perspectives for alternative strategies using molecular markers","authors":"Aline Fugeray-Scarbel, Stéphane Lemarié, Frédéric Bernier, Annie Raffin, Laurent Bouffier","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0125","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0125","url":null,"abstract":"The economic efficiency of conventional breeding strategies for forest trees based on biparental crosses is compared with that of alternative strategies based on pedigree reconstruction using molecular markers. Analyses of economic efficiency is based on comparisons of breeding scenarios corresponding to the same total investment. The first step is the description and cost evaluation of each basic operation, from crossing to genetic selection and clonal archive establishment. Breeding scenarios are then compared by stochastic sampling with a parametric genetic model (POPSIM), the comparison criteria in this case being genetic gain in the seed orchard for a given level of genetic diversity. Additionally, the economic gain resulting from the use of improved material is estimated for different levels of breeding investment. Our analysis shows that genotyping costs account for a much smaller proportion of total investment than phenotyping costs. We also show that, in comparisons of breeding scenarios corresponding to the same total investment, the three main breeding strategies (biparental crosses, polymix crosses, and open pollination) achieve similar genetic gains provided that sufficiently large numbers of parents are considered. These results open up promising perspectives for the wider integration of molecular markers into forest tree breeding strategies.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140423763","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Bastien Vandendaele, O. Martin-Ducup, Richard A. Fournier, Gaetan Pelletier
{"title":"Evaluation of mobile laser scanning acquisition scenarios for automated wood volume estimation in a temperate hardwood forest using Quantitative Structural Models","authors":"Bastien Vandendaele, O. Martin-Ducup, Richard A. Fournier, Gaetan Pelletier","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0202","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0202","url":null,"abstract":"This study explores how data from a handheld mobile laser scanning (MLS) system and quantitative structural models (QSM) can be used to estimate tree structural attributes. Four MLS acquisition scenarios were investigated in a 1-ha temperate hardwood stand, including 15 m and 35 m parallel lines, nine circular plots, and a 20 m × 20 m grid. Results were compared against terrestrial laser scanning and destructive field measurements. All acquisition scenarios yielded comparable results, except for the 35 m scenario, which showed greater variability. The 20 m × 20 m grid scenario showed the highest accuracy, with a RMSE of 0.41 m (2.07%) for tree height, 3.98 cm (14.93%) for diameter at breast height, 0.21 m³ (19.28%) for merchantable wood volume, and 0.07 m³ (10.11%) for merchantable stem volume. A bias < 5% was observed for these key attributes, except for an 11.68% bias in merchantable wood volume. Overestimation of branch volume was identified as the primary source of bias related to merchantable wood volume. This study highlights MLS's potential for accurate, non-destructive estimation of tree structural attributes, while pointing out the need to refine noise removal and to assess the most suitable acquisition scenarios for various forest types.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140431480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Janne Toivonen, Annika Kangas, M. Maltamo, Mikko Kukkonen, P. Packalen
{"title":"Mapping large European aspen (Populus tremula L.) in Finland using airborne lidar and image data","authors":"Janne Toivonen, Annika Kangas, M. Maltamo, Mikko Kukkonen, P. Packalen","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0271","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0271","url":null,"abstract":"European aspen is a keystone species in boreal forests, which support numerous ecologically important and endangered species. As detection of those species by remote sensing is impossible, we instead investigated the detection of large aspen trees using airborne laser scanning and aerial image data. However, this is a challenge due to their low quantity and scattered occurrence. The performance was assessed with representative and unrepresentative (where aspens were over-represented) samples of the population. First, we detected individual trees and then the Random Forest (RF) classifier was used to identify large aspens. The RF classification was implemented with and without Synthetic Minority Oversampling Technique (SMOTE) to balance the training data due to the rarity of large aspens. At the tree-level, the best F1-score (0.44) was obtained when the unrepresentative plot data were used with SMOTE. However, the F1-score decreased to 0.21 when the representative data were used. The best plot-level (plots with at least one aspen tree) F1-score with the representative plot data was 0.41. We conclude that although data augmentation may improve the result, it is difficult to detect large aspen trees in genuine populations.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140438423","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
L. Guindon, Francis Manka, David L.P. Correia, P. Villemaire, Byron Smiley, Pierre Bernier, Sylvie Gauthier, André Beaudoin, Jonathan Boucher, Yan Boulanger
{"title":"A new approach for Spatializing the CAnadian National Forest Inventory (SCANFI) using Landsat dense time series","authors":"L. Guindon, Francis Manka, David L.P. Correia, P. Villemaire, Byron Smiley, Pierre Bernier, Sylvie Gauthier, André Beaudoin, Jonathan Boucher, Yan Boulanger","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0118","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0118","url":null,"abstract":"Accurate and fine-scale forest data are essential to improve natural resource management, particularly in the face of climate change. Here, we present SCANFI, the Spatialized CAnadian National Forest Inventory, which provides coherent, 30m resolution 2020 wall-to-wall maps of forest attributes (land cover type, canopy height, crown closure, aboveground tree biomass, main species composition). These maps were developed using the National Forest Inventory (NFI) photo-plot dataset, a systematic regular sample grid of photo-interpreted high-resolution imagery covering all of Canada’s non-arctic landmass. SCANFI was produced using temporally harmonized summer and winter Landsat imagery along with hundreds of tile-level regional models based on a multi-response k-nearest neighbours and random forest imputation method. This approach revealed the importance of radiometric variables in predicting vegetation attributes, namely winter radiometry, as the large-scale climate gradients were controlled at the tile-level. Cross-validation analyses were done, which revealed robust model performance for structural attributes (biomass R2=0.76; crown closure R2=0.82; height R2=0.78) and tree species cover. SCANFI attributes were also validated with several independent external products, ranging from ground plot-based tree species cover to satellite LiDAR height. The methodology can be used to map time series of these attributes and all other additional variables associated with the NFI photo-plots.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140441521","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Martin Barrette, I. Auger, N. Thiffault, Julie Barrette
{"title":"Are operational plantations meeting expectations? A large-scale assessment of realized vs anticipated yield in eastern Canada","authors":"Martin Barrette, I. Auger, N. Thiffault, Julie Barrette","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0224","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0224","url":null,"abstract":"Forest plantations play an increasingly important role in meeting global demand for wood. They usually have higher yield than naturally regenerated forests. Thus, plantations can support economically viable wood production, enable forest conservation elsewere, help mitigate climate change by contributing to carbon sequestration and increase forest resilience and resistance to biotic and abiotic stressors. If yield of plantations is not as high as anticipated, then their use could generate important sustainability issues. There are still major gaps in our understanding of the factors that influence yield, even with respect to black spruce, white spruce, and jack pine, three of the most commonly planted tree species in northeastern North America. Our objective was to evaluate the yield of forest plantations of these species over a 416 000 km2 region that was representative of northeastern North American forests. Contrary to our prediction, realized yield of operational plantations was consistently lower than anticipated. Site index and competition both played a significant role in determining the yield of plantations. In the context of uncertain realized yield of operational plantations, we emphasize the necessity of relying on adaptive management to determine harvest levels that are compatible with sustainable management objectives.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139960609","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Lower wood stiffness in old-growth than in post-cut and post-fire stands indicates forest structure is a key driver of wood properties in black spruce","authors":"Lady Cardona, Pierre-Luc Couillard, Alexis Achim","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0199","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0199","url":null,"abstract":"Forest fires and logging drive the structure of boreal forest landscapes. According to recent studies, stand origin is a key driver of the variation in wood properties in black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP.), although the underlying mechanisms remain to be elucidated. By comparing post-cut, post-fire and old-growth forests, this study aimed to better distinguish the effects of stand structure from those of the seed or layer origin of the trees on wood properties. We conducted comparative analyses based on ecological characteristics of the sites and static bending tests of small, defect-free wood specimens. Black spruce stands with a regular structure established after logging or fire exhibited higher stiffness at a given cambial age than old-growth forests with irregular structures, as well as lower wood density in the first 40 rings near the pith. However, the bending strength was comparable in all three types of forests studied. Differences in wood stiffness among stand types appeared to be driven more by stand structure than by the seed or layer origin of the stems.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"139962061","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"Evaluation of branch sampling, ocular assessments, and aerial surveys for estimating spruce budworm defoliation","authors":"Shawn D. Donovan, David A. MacLean","doi":"10.1139/cjfr-2023-0240","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2023-0240","url":null,"abstract":"We compared three methods for estimating current-year spruce budworm (Choristoneura fumiferana Clem.) defoliation from 2014 to 2021 using a network of 99 permanent sample plots in central Gaspé Peninsula, Québec. Percent current-year defoliation was measured by assessing shoots from mid-crown branches, ocular ratings of all individual trees using binoculars, and provincial government aerial surveys. Ocular survey defoliation differed from branch sample defoliation in 5–6 out of 7 years, consistently underestimating defoliation, across the full range of defoliation severity observed. Nested mixed-effects models for fir-spruce combined, balsam fir, white spruce, and black spruce ocular survey defoliation bias resulted in marginal R2 of 0.40, 0.47, 0.82, and 0.86, respectively. Current defoliation severity and its interaction with previous year defoliation and weather conditions significantly affected ocular survey bias. Correspondence of aerial survey estimates and mean plot defoliation occurred in only 43% of all plot-years and ranged from 14–58% in individual years. Differences between aerial survey defoliation and plot values mainly resulted from assigning an adjacent class (e.g., light <30% assigned as moderate 31–70% defoliation) or misplaced defoliation polygon boundaries, suggesting that assignment of aerial survey defoliation to plots or specific ground areas needs ground truth sampling.","PeriodicalId":9483,"journal":{"name":"Canadian Journal of Forest Research","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.2,"publicationDate":"2024-02-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140454569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}