Dynamique de la régénération d'une pessière à lichen dans la zone de la pessière noire à mousses, nord du Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean (Québec)

Regeneration dynamics have been studied in three open lichen–spruce woodlands located in the black spruce feather-moss forest zone. Black spruces (Piceamariana (Mill.) BSP) belonging to the adult stratum originated from a fire that occurred in 1877. Population history and ecology has been studied on...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Canadian Journal of Forest Research
Main Authors: Riverin, Stéphane, Gagnon, Réjean
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Canadian Science Publishing 1996
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/x26-168
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/x26-168
Description
Summary:Regeneration dynamics have been studied in three open lichen–spruce woodlands located in the black spruce feather-moss forest zone. Black spruces (Piceamariana (Mill.) BSP) belonging to the adult stratum originated from a fire that occurred in 1877. Population history and ecology has been studied on the basis of the establishment period of individuals. The age of black spruces belonging to the regeneration stratum was calculated by using the cross-dating method. The establishment period of the seedlings was determined by the age structure. The black spruces of these open forests belong to two different populations. The adult population originated from the 1877 fire whereas the regeneration population seems to have established itself following another fire that occurred in 1922–1923. Black spruce seedlings of the regeneration stratum are very old (60 years-old on average) in spite of a low height (mean height of 96 cm). Although these open forests are under favourable climatic conditions, they have dynamics similar to lichen–spruce woodlands of the taiga zone. In the last 45 years, no seedlings have settled in these sparse forests.