Hardwood silviculture in Québec

Hardwood
Hardwood siviculture
siviculture
in
in Québec:
Québec: experiences
experiences gained
gained
and
and perspectives
perspectives at
at MNRF-DRF
MNRF-DRF
Ontario Hardwood Management Tour
Evening session
Hunstville, Ontario, October 20, 2010
Steve
Steve Bédard,
Bédard, M.
M. Sc.,
Sc., ing.f.
ing.f.
François
François Guillemette,
Guillemette, M.
M. Sc.
Sc. ,, ing.
ing. f.f.
Mathieu
Mathieu Fortin,
Fortin, Ph.
Ph. D.,
D., ing.
ing. f.f.
Josianne
Josianne DeBlois,
DeBlois, M.
M. Sc.,
Sc., stat
stat
Marilou
Marilou Beaudet,
Beaudet, Ph.
Ph. D.
D. biol.
biol.
Presentation Outline
• Introduction
• Long-term selection cutting studies
– Description of studies
– Results overview
• SaMARE growth and yield model
– Log grade sub model
• Most recent projects
– Group/patch studies
– Irregular shelterwood study
– Thinning studies
• Future directions
Introduction
• Public lands available for hardwood forest management
cover almost 32 000 km2
• Annual allowable cut of hardwoods ≈ 6,5 millions m3
(BFEC 2010)
• Important economic impact in many communities (52
mills, 35 mills >15 000 m3/yr (MRNF 2008))
• Volume attributed ≈ 3 millions m3 (MRNF 2007)
• Volume processed by mills ≈ 6,9 millions m3 (MRNF
2008)
Bioclimatic regions and public forest
Introduction
• Previous to the 1980s, diameter limit (mostly selective cutting) was
the most practiced type of cutting
• In the early 1980s, experimentation of selection cutting began
• In the 1990s, selection cutting gradually replaced diameter limit
cutting in order to improve stand quality
• At the end of the 1990s, group selection and patch cuttings were
introduced
• In the last five years a decrease in the demand for hardwoods
resulted in a large reduction of area harvested
• Recently other silvicultural sytems to restore impoverished or
highgraded stands are in development
Partially-cut areas of public forest
over the past 20 years in Québec
70
60
40
30
20
10
Year
Selection
Diameter limit
06
-0
7
04
-0
5
02
-0
3
00
-0
1
98
-9
9
96
-9
7
94
-9
5
92
-9
3
90
-9
1
88
-8
9
0
86
-8
7
000 ha
50
Long-term selection cutting studies
• Main objective(s)
– Assess the long-term effects of partial cutting on:
• forest growth and yield
• stand structure and composition
• stem quality (tree grade) and vigor developement
• quality of volume havested (grade and products)
Long-term selection cutting studies
Sources of data:
• Experimental plots network
– Established between 1983 and 1999 mostly in sugar maple
dominated stands (SM, YB, AB)
– 36 (0,5 ha) paired plots (control and selection cut)
– Second entry began in 1999 (n=10 stands)
• Monitoring plots network
– Established between 1995 and 1998
– 595 (1/25 ha) plots in 156 stands (control and selection cut)
– 444 plots in SM stands (212 control and 232 selection cut)
Long-term selection cutting studies
Experimental plots network
Monitoring plots network
Long-term selection cutting studies
•
Data collected (pre-cut,post-cut and every five
years post-cut)
– Species, Dbh (mm), Major defects, Vigour class
(1991) and Quality class (2004)
•
Harvested trees were bucked, and logs were
graded at the second entry (2005)
• Tree marking
– Experimental plots
• Carried out by the forest research team using a
bdq method (Majcen et al. 1990 marking guide)
– Monitoring program plots
• Carried out by the staff of the forest industry or
their contractors using MRNF standards
Main results
Pre-cut and post cut basal area
100%
90%
25,5 m2/ha
26.9
18,5 m2/ha
17.9
28,4 m2/ha
18,6 m2/ha
26.1
26.9
30.4
24.9
43.5
48.2
Pre-cut
Post-cut
Basa area (m2/ha)
80%
25.3
70%
60%
26.4
50%
40%
30%
20%
48.6
59.3
10%
0%
Pre-cut
Post-cut
Experimental plots
Monitoring plots
Cull
UGS
AGS
Main results
Basal area growth
Experimental plots 5 yr
Mortality
-0
.2
8
Gross growth
-0
.1
4
0.
17
0.
31
0.
32
0.
45
0.
46
0.
45
0.60
0.50
0.40
0.30
0.20
0.10
0.00
-0.10
-0.20
-0.30
-0.40
-0
.1
3
2
Basal area (m /ha/an)
Growth components
Experimental plots 15 yr
Net growth
Monitoring plots 5 yr
Main results
Mortality
Monitoring plots mortality
2
Basal area (m /ha/an)
0.16
0.14
0.12
0.10
0.08
0.15
0.06
0.04
0.06
0.06
AGS (V1)
UGS (V2-V3)
0.02
0.00
Post-cut class
Cull (V4)
Discussion
• Experimental plots results indicates that an average 20
yrs cutting cycle could be achieved (0,31m2/ha/yr after 15
yrs)
• A longer cutting cycle or an important reduction of
volume to be harvested at the next entry could be
expected in current forestry operations (0,17 m2/ha/yr after 5
yrs) paticularily in the western part of Québec
– Outaouais (0,07 m2/ha/yr)
– Temiscamingue (0,09 m2/ha/yr)
• The next intervention in some stands will probably be a
regeneration cut because of the low proportion of AGS
left standing
SaMARE growth and yield model
• Main objectives
– Develop models to assess the impact of
partial harvesting on:
• Stand dynamics (growth components, structure,
composition)
• Tree quality (grade) and vigour
– Assess the accuracy of prediction
SaMARE growth and yield model
• Model parameterization
– using data from the experimental plots
network presented earlier
• paired plots (control and selection cutting)
• Plot area of 0,5 ha (100 m x 50 m)
• Measurement period : 5 to 20 years
– Over 20 000 individual stems
• 5 individual species (SM, YB, AB, RM, BF)
• 3 species groups (Other tol. hdw, intol. hdw other softw)
SaMARE growth and yield model
• Single tree-based distance independent
model for hardwood stands
– 8 sub models
– 5-year steps
– parameterized using a mixed model
approach
– used Monte Carlo approach to assess the
accuracy of prediction
SaMARE
SaMARE model
model -- Flowchart
Flowchart of
of aa 5-yr
5-yr step
step
Mortality
Mortality sub
sub model
model
Input
Input tree
tree list
list
-- species
species
-- dbh
dbh
-- vigour
vigour
-- product
product
dbh
dbh increment
increment sub
sub model
model
Vigour
Vigour change
change sub
sub model
model
Output
Output
Net
Net volume
volume ::
F1,
F1, F2,
F2, F3,
F3,
Bolt
Bolt (F4),
(F4),
and
and pulp
pulp
Product
Product change
change sub
sub model
model
Log
Log grade
grade sub
sub model*
model*
Recruitment
Recruitment sub
sub model
model
Recruit
Recruit vigour
vigour sub
sub model
model
Recruit
Recruit dbh
dbh sub
sub model
model
Recruit
Recruit product
product sub
sub model
model
* Under development
Output
Output tree
tree list
list
-- species
species
-- dbh
dbh
-- vigour
vigour
-- product
product
Example of SaMARE output
Total basal area projection (four treatments)
30
30
28
28
24
24
2
Basal area
area (m
(m2/ha)
/ha)
Basal
26
26
22
22
20
20
18
18
16
16
14
14
12
12
Pe-cut
Pe-cut
00
55
10
10
15
15
20
20
25
25
Period
Period
Control
Control
R
R BA
BA 21
21 m2/ha
m2/ha
R
R BA
BA 18
18 m2/ha
m2/ha
R
R BA
BA 15
15 m2/ha
m2/ha
30
30
Example of SaMARE output
Basal area projection (%) by vigour class (30 yrs)
R BA 20 m2/ha
100%
90%
80%
100%
90%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
V4
V3
V2
V1
20%
10%
0%
% of basal area (m2/ha)
% of basal area (m2/ha)
Control
80%
70%
V4
60%
V3
50%
V2
40%
V1
30%
20%
10%
Pre-cut
0
5
10
15
20
25
0%
30
Pre-cut
Period
0
10
15
20
25
30
Period
R BA 15 m2/ha
R BA 18 m2/ha
100%
100%
90%
90%
80%
80%
70%
V4
60%
V3
50%
V2
40%
V1
30%
20%
10%
% of basal area (m2/ha)
% of basal area (m2/ha)
5
70%
V4
60%
V3
50%
V2
40%
V1
30%
20%
10%
0%
Pre-cut
0
5
10
15
Périod
20
25
30
0%
Pre-cut
0
5
10
15
Period
20
25
30
Example of SaMARE output
Net volume by log grade projection (SM and YB only- 30 yr)
R BA 21 m2/ha
Control
140
140
Net volume m3/ha
F2
100
F3
80
F4
F1+F2+F3
60
Pulp
40
Total
20
N e t v o lu m e m 3 /h a
F1
120
120
F1
100
F2
F3
80
F4
60
F1+F2+
40
Pulp
20
Total
0
0
Pre-cut
0
5
10
15
20
25
Pre-cut
30
0
5
10
20
25
30
Period
Period
R BA 15 m2/ha
R BA 18 m2/ha
140
F1
100
F2
80
F3
F4
60
F1+F2+F3
40
Pulp
Total
20
N e t v o lu m e n e t m 3 \h a
140
120
Net v olum e m3 /ha
15
120
F1
100
F2
F3
80
F4
60
F1+F2+F3
40
Pulp
20
Total
0
0
Pre-cut
0
5
10
15
Period
20
25
30
Pre-cut
0
5
10
15
Period
20
25
30
Log grade sub model
• Main objective
– To model volume by log grades (F1, F2, F3, Bolt, Pulp) from
standing tree classification (ABCD, Vigour, MSCR)
• Database (mainly from MRNF-Forest management branch)
– 782 YB stems, 815 SM stems
– 8 operational cut blocks 2002-2007
• SM and YB dominated stands
• Outaouais and Mauricie regions
– Standing trees were classified (ABCD, MSCR, Vigour class)
– Harvested trees were bucked and log were graded (Petro, MRNF, bolt,
pulp)
• Two parts conditional model
– Part one: predict log grade occurence
– Part two: predict volume by log grade
Log grade sub model
Study sites location
Example of grade sub model
(ex. : sugar maple Log grade F2)
Sugar maple Log grade F2
1.000
0.700
0.600
V1 (AGS)
0.500
0.400
V3 (UGS)
V4 (Cull)
0.300
0.200
0.100
0.000
24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60
DBH (cm)
Sugar maple Log grade F2
0.500
0.450
0.400
Net volume (m3)
Probability
0.900
0.800
0.350
0.300
Vig 1 (AGS)
V3 (UGS)
0.250
0.200
V4 (Cull)
0.150
0.100
0.050
0.000
24 26 28 30 32 34 36 38 40 42 44 46 48 50 52 54 56 58 60
DBH (cm)
Group\patch studies
• Main objective
– Assess the effectivenness of group/patch and site
preparation to regenerate mid-tolerant species in SMYB and YB-BF dominated stands
• Establishment period 2000-2005
– Silvicultural gaps experimental studies (3 sites)
• Gap area (100 m2 to 1 600 m2)
• Exclosure (exclude deer)
– Group/patch monitoring network
• Group: 39 sites (gap diameters 500 m2 to 1000 m2)
• Patch: 32 sites (patch area 1 ha to 2 ha)
Group/patch studies
• Data collected in experimental sites
–
–
–
–
gap/patch area
Seedbed coverage (after ground scarification),
Seed tree location
Stem density after 2 yrs-5yrs and 10 yrs
• Data collected in monitoring sites
–
–
–
–
gap/patch area
Seedbed coverage (after scarification),
Stocking and height of target species and competitors (year 2)
Density and height of target species and competitors (year 5 and
year 10)
Group/patch studies
Sites location
Irregular shelterwood study
• Main objectives
– Improve quality of high graded stand with low proportion of AGS
(ex.: 5 to 8 m2/ha)
– Regenerate desired species
– Fill the gap between the selection system and the regular
shelterwood system (alternative to the regular shelterwood
system without final removal for at least 20-30 yrs)
– Maintain irregular structure or transform structure (irregular to
balanced uneven-aged) in the new context of ecosystem
management
• One experimental site in hardwoods
– 5 treatments X 4 replicates:
Control, Single tree and group (hybrid)
Contnuous cover IS (2 var.), Extended IS
Thinning studies
• Main objectives:
– Assess growth response and quality of thinned and
unthinned crop trees
– Determine the relevance of thinning for stands of
different ages
– Use thinning to convert form even aged to uneven aged
structure
• Commercial thinning
– 2 sites
• 80 yrs old even aged YB-SM stands (2006)
• 35 yrs old even aged SM-YB stands (2009)
• Precommercial thinning
– 4 sites
• 10-30 yrs old stands (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009)
Future directions
• Continue to follow experimental and monitoring networks
to:
• Assess the long-term impact on stand structure, growth and yield,
tree grade and eco. attributes (experimental sites 20-25 yr,
monitoring plots 10-20 yr).
• Assess the effects of Group/patch on regeneration (10 yr)
• Assess the impact Irregular shelterwood on stand structure growth
and yield, tree grade, regeneration and eco. attributes(0-5yr)
• Assess the effectivness of thinning on crop trees quality (0-5yr)
• Establish new experimental sites (Irr. Shelterwood, group
selection and thinning)
• Add replicates in other conditions (diff. eco regions, sites)
• Improve sample distribution (ex. stands of diff. ages-thinning
studies)
Future directions
Modeling
•
•
•
•
Improve long-term forecast and quality changes after
selection cutting with new remeasurements (20-25 yr postcut and 5-10 yr after 2nd entry)
Improve grade model (sample other species, other regions,
improve sample diameter distribution, use our network)
Predict product with log grade (actual collaboration with U.
Laval and FPInnovations)
Develop a distant dependent model to assess the impact of
partial harvesting on stand dynamics (growth and yield,
stand quality, tree grade) with an emphasis on
regeneration (Group/patch cuttings, irregular shelterwood)
Acknowledgments
Dr. Zoran Majcen (retired) who established the selection-cutting studies
Jocelyn Hamel, Pierrot Boulay, Étienne Boulay, Jean François Leblond,
Pierre Laurent, Éric Labrecque for field measurements
Michel Letarte for the log grade database
Michel Huot for the english revision and comments
Denis Hotte,Jean Noël and Étienne Boulay for the maps production
Recent published papers
Selection cutting studies
Bédard S. and Z. Majcen. 2001. Ten-year response of sugar maple-yellow birch-beech
stands to selection cutting in Québec. NJAF 18 (4) 119-126
Bédard, S. et Z. Majcen, 2003. Growth Following Single-tree Selection Cutting in Quebec Northern
Hardwoods. For. Chron. 79 : 898-904.
Majcen, Z., S. Bédard et S. Meunier, 2005. Accroissement et mortalité quinze ans après la coupe de
jardinage dans quatorze érablières du Québec méridional. Gouv. du Québec, min. des Ress. nat.
Dir. rech. for. Mémoire de recherche forestière n° 148. 39 p.
Guillemette, F. S. Bédard et M. Fortin. 2008. Evaluation of a tree classification system in relation to
mortality risk in Québec northern hardwoods. For. Chron. 79 : 898-904
Guillemette, F., S. Meunier, M.-C. Lambert and S. Bédard. Effets réels des coupes partielles
pratiquées de 1995 à 1999 dans des érablières. Gouv. du Québec, min. des Ress. nat. Dir. rech.
for. Rapport hors série. 55 p.
Growth and yield modeling
Fortin, M., S. Bédard, J. DeBlois and S. Meunier. 2008. Accounting for error correlations in diameter
increment modelling : a case study applied to northern hardwood stands in Quebec, Canada.
Canadian Journal of Forest Research 38: 2274-2286.
Fortin, M., S. Bédard, J. DeBlois and S. Meunier. 2008. Predicting individual tree mortality in northern
hardwood stands under uneven-aged management in southern Québec, Canada. Annals of
Forest Science 65 : 205.
Recent published papers
Fortin, M., and J. DeBlois. 2007. Modeling tree recruitment with zero-inflated models: The example of
hardwood stands in southern Québec, Canada. Forest Science 53(4) : 529-539.
Fortin, M., S. Bédard, J. DeBlois and S. Meunier. Assessing and testing prediction uncertainty for
single tree-based models: A case study applied to northern hardwood stands in southern Québec,
Canada. Ecological Modelling 220: 2770-2781
Fortin, M., S. Bédard et J. DeBlois. 2009. SaMARE : un modèle par tiges individuelles destiné à la
prévision de la croissance des érablières de structure inéquienne du Québec méridional. Gouv. du
Québec, min. des Ress. nat. Dir. rech. for. Mémoire de recherche forestière n° 155. 43 p.
Fortin, M. F. Guillemette and S. Bédard. 2009. Predicting volumes by log grades in standing sugar
maple and yellow birch trees in southern Quebec, Canada. Canadian Journal of Forest Research
39: 1928–1938.
Group selection cutting
Bédard, S. and J. DeBlois. 2010. Effets de trouées sylvicoles sur l’établissement de la régénération
d’une érablière à bouleau jaune après cinq ans. Gouv. du Québec, min. des Ress. nat. Dir. rech.
for. Mémoire de recherche forestière n° 159. 27 p.
Irregular shelterwood
Raymond, P. S. Bédard, V. Roy, C. Larouche and S. Tremblay. 2009. The Irregular Shelterwood
System: Review, Classification, and Potential Application to Forests Affected by Partial
Distrubances. Journal of Forestry. Dec. 2009. 405-413.