Summary:
Published in Canadian Journal of Forest Research 28: 1007-1015
Height and lateral growth, biomass distribution, leaf morphology, and crown architecture were studied in yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton), sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), and beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) seedlings growing under 1–50% of above-canopy light in a sugar maple stand, in Quebec. All three species showed increasing growth with increasing light, but growth of yellow birch was higher and more responsive than that of sugar maple and beech. All three species showed typical sun–shade morphological responses, such as decreasing specific leaf area and leaf area ratio, and increasing leaf area index, with increasing light availability. Sugar maple was morphologically more plastic than the other species. It showed variations in biomass allocation to leaves and branches, a decrease in branch length to seedling height ratio, and a marked increase in the ratio of leaf area to stem length. Although our results clearly demonstrate the ability of these three species to modify several of their morphological features in response to variations in light, they do not show a clear relationship between species shade tolerance and morphological response to light variations. We suggest that species-specific developmental patterns may act as important constraints to morphological acclimation to light variation.
Sector(s):
Forests
Catégorie(s):
Scientific Article
Theme(s):
Forestry Research, Forests, Silviculture
Author(s):
BEAUDET, Marilou and Christian MESSIER
Year of publication:
1998
Format:
PDF available upon request
How to get the publication:
Keyword(s):
régénération, lumière, érable à sucre, bouleau jaune, hêtre à grandes feuilles, coupe de jardinage, sylviculture des forêts naturelles feuillues, Acer saccharum, Betula alleghaniensis, Fagus grandifolia, article scientifique de recherche forestière, écologie forestière, sylviculture et rendement des forêts naturelles - peuplements feuillus, forest ecology, silviculture and yield of natural forests - hardwood stands, regeneration, light, sugar maple, yellow birch, American beech, selection cut