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Scientia Silvae Sinicae ›› 2020, Vol. 56 ›› Issue (10): 83-92.doi: 10.11707/j.1001-7488.20201009

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Early Effects of Crop Tree Release Tending on Growth of Natural Secondary Quercus mongolica Forest

Xiaohong Zhang,Huiru Zhang*,Jun Lu,Xiangdong Lei   

  1. Key Laboratory of Forest Management and Growth Modelling, National Forestry and Grassland Administration Research Institute of Forest Resource Information Techniques, CAF Beijing 100091
  • Received:2018-12-02 Online:2020-10-25 Published:2020-11-26
  • Contact: Huiru Zhang

Abstract:

Objective: Effects of crop tree tending and thinning on growth of forest stand and single tree for typical natural secondary forest Quercus mongolica in Changbai Mountain was discussed, in order to provide a basis for reasonable forest management activities and to promote the restoration and sustainable management for natural secondary forests. Method: 16 plots of 0.09 hm2 (30 m×30 m) were set up in the Wangqing Forestry Bureau of Jilin Province in August 2013, to carry out crop tree release and thinning test. According to the thinning intensity, 4 levels of treatments had been set: weak (5%), mild (10%), moderate (20%) and control, each treatment had 4 replicates. Using remeasurement data in 2016, the early effects of different tending thinning intensities on the growth of stand were comparatively analyzed. Result: After 3 years of thinning treatment, the growth rate and accumulation rate of forest stand in thinning plots were significantly higher than those in control plots. There was no significant difference in three thinning intensities. DBH growth rate and volume growth rate of single tree in thinning plots were significant higher than those in control plots, which were increased with the increase of thinning intensity. The DBH growth rate of Quercus mongolica and Pinus koraiensis under moderate thinning was 1.51 and 1.67 times that of the control, respectively. The DBH growth rate and volume growth rate of seedlings, small-size trees and middle-size trees were significantly promoted by crop tree tending and thinning, and there was no significant difference for large-diameter trees between thinning and control. Regarding the crop trees, the DBH growth and volume growth rate were significantly bigger than those of control. The DBH growth of crop trees was 1.28-1.32 times of that of non-crop trees, while the volume growth was 2.13-2.69 times of that of non-crop trees. As the free growth space of crop tree increased, the DBH and volume growth of the crop trees were also increased. Conclusion: Thinning based on single crop tree could not only promote the growth of basal area and volume for forest stand, reduce the average DBH of damaged trees, increase the number of recruitment trees, but also significantly increase the growth of DBH and volume of single tree, especially the crop trees. The decisive factor affecting the growth of crop tree might be the free growth space. When Quercus mongolica, Tilla amurensis, and Fraxinus mandshurica were selected as crop trees, it would be suitable for the complete canopy release activity from four directions. When the Pinus koraiensis was selected as crop tree, it would be suitable for the incomplete canopy release activity from 2-3 directions.

Key words: crop tree release thinning, natural secondary forest, Quercus mongolica, free space to growth

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