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The longevity of a single 22.4 Mg * [ha.sup.-1] application of dolomitic limestone at four northern hardwood stands was evaluated over 30 years (1986-2016) to determine whether changes in soils, foliage, and tree growth were sustained on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau in northern Pennsylvania, USA. In limed plots, soils, sampled to 45-55 cm depth, and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) and black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) foliage had significantly (P [less than or equal to] 0.05) greater concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) through 2016 compared with samples from unlimed plots. Ca and Mg capitals (g * [m.sup.-2]) in the Oi through A horizons combined were greater on limed plots than unlimed plots, largely due to increases in the thickness and nutrient concentration in the A horizon. Over 30 years, sugar maple basal area increment ([cm.sup.2] * [year.sup.-1] BAINC) was greater in limed plots (30.6 [cm.sup.2] * [year.sup.-1] vs unlimed 13.3), American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) BAINC was unaffected by lime application, and black cherry BAINC was reduced in limed plots compared with unlimed plots. The sustained effect of this one-time lime treatment shows the strong role of efficient nutrient cycling in forests and suggests that the benefits over a substantial portion of a stand rotation may increase the feasibility of operational liming. Key words: forest liming, base cations, exchangeable calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg), percent carbon (C) and nitrogen (N), basal area increment, sugar maple, American beech, black cherry. La longevite d'une application unique de 22,4 Mg * [ha.sup.-1] de calcaire dolomitique dans quatre peuplements de feuillus nordiques situes dans la partie non glaciere du plateau des Alleghany dans le nord de la Pennsylvanie, aux Etats-Unis, a ete evaluee sur une periode de 30 ans (1986-2016) pour determiner si les changements dans le sol, le feuillage et la croissance des arbres ont persiste. Dans les parcelles qui avaient ete chaulees, les sols echantillonnes jusqu'a une profondeur de 45-55 cm, ainsi que le feuillage de l'erable a sucre (Acer saccharum Marsh.) et du cerisier tardif (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), avaient des concentrations de calcium (Ca) et de magnesium (Mg) significativement plus elevees (P [less than or equal to] 0,05) jusqu'en 2016 comparativement aux echantillons provenant de parcelles non chaulees. Les capitaux en Ca et Mg (g * [m.sup.-2]) dans les horizons Oi a A combines etaient plus eleves dans les parcelles chaulees que dans les parcelles non chaulees, surtout a cause de l'augmentation de l'epaisseur et de la concentration des nutriments dans l'horizon A. Sur 30 ans, l'accroissement de la surface terriere (AST [cm.sup.2] * [an.sup.-1]) de l'erable a sucre etait plus eleve dans les parcelles chaulees (30,6 contre 13,3 [cm.sup.2] * [an.sup.-1] dans les parelles non chaulees). L'application de chaux n'a pas eu d'effet sur l'AST du hetre d'Amerique (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) et a reduit l'AST du cerisier tardif dans les parcelles chaulees comparativement aux parcelles non chaulees. L'effet persistant de cette application unique de chaux illustre le role majeur du recyclage efficace des nutriments dans les forets et indique que les benefices qui perdurent pendant une partie importante de la periode de revolution d'un peuplement peuvent augmenter la faisabilite du chaulage operationnel. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles : chaulage en foret, cations basiques, calcium (Ca) et magnesium (Mg) echangeables, pourcentage de carbone (C) et d'azote (N), accroissement de la surface terriere, erable a sucre, hetre d'Amerique, cerisier tardif., Introduction Forest liming is used to alter soil acidity, counter effects of long-term acidic inputs, and improve the growth and health of trees (Long et al. 2011; Court et al. [...]

In Pennsylvania, two hypotheses compete to explain the chronic oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration problem: excessive deer browsing and soil cation depletion. We tested these hypotheses by evaluating the effect of forest liming and deer exclosure fencing on northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) seedling growth and nutrition in five oak shelterwood stands in Pennsylvania over 6 years. In each stand, four planting plots were located inside a 2.4 m high woven wire fence and another four were established outside the fence. About 225 northern red oak acorns were planted in each plot in spring 2004. Dolomitic limestone was applied to randomly selected plots at rates of 0, 4.5, 9.0, and 13.5 Mg * [ha.sup.-1] during May 2004. There were no statistically significant (P ≤ 0.05) growth responses to lime applications. The only significant growth responses resulted from the fence versus no-fence treatment. A significant (P < 0.003) fence x year interaction for seedling height and root collar diameter indicates differential impacts of deer browsing. By 2009, seedlings inside fences averaged 32 cm tall, while seedlings outside the fences averaged 17 cm. Similarly, root collar diameter averaged 6.6 mm outside the fences and 9.1 mm inside fences. Resume: En Pennsylvanie, deux hypotheses s'affrontent pour expliquer le probleme chronique de regeneration du chene (Quercus spp.): le broutement excessif du chevreuil et l'epuisement des cations du sol. Nous avons teste ces hypotheses en evaluant l'effet apres six ans du chaulage en foret et de l'utilisation de clotures pour exclure le chevreuil sur la nutrition et la croissance de semis de chene rouge (Quercus rubra L.) dans cinq peuplements soumis a une coupe progressive en Pennsylvanie. Dans chaque peuplement, quatre parcelles de plantation etaient situees a l'interieur d'une cloture grillagee de 2,4 m de haut et quatre autres etaient etablies a l'exterieur de la cloture. Environ 225 glands de chene rouge ont ete plantes dans chaque parcelle au printemps 2004. De la chaux dolomitique a ete appliquee dans des parcelles choisies au hasard a des taux de 0, 4,5, 9,0 et 13,5 Mg * [ha.sup.-1] durant le mois de mai 2004. Les applications de chaux n'ont eu aucun effet signifi-catif (P ≤ 0,05) sur la croissance. La seule reaction significative de la croissance etait associee au traitement d'exclusion. Une interaction significative (P < 0,003) entre le traitement d'exclusion et l'annee dans le cas du diametre au collet et de la hauteur des semis indique que l'impact du broutement des chevreuils varie. En 2009, les semis avaient une hauteur moyenne de 32 cm a l'interieur des exclos tandis qu'ils n'avaient en moyenne que 17 cm a l'exterieur. De meme, le diametre au collet etait en moyenne de 6,6 mm a l'exterieur des exclos et de 9,1 mm a l'interieur. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Regenerating oak (Quercus spp.) forests has been a persistent problem in Pennsylvania and other parts of the central hardwood region of eastern North America (Moser et al. 2006; McWilliams [...]

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) is a keystone species in the northern hardwood forest, and decline episodes have negatively affected the growth and health of sugar maple in portions of its range over the past 50+ years. Crown health, growth, survival, and flower and seed production of sugar maple were negatively affected by a widespread decline event in the mid-1980s on the unglaciated Allegheny Plateau in northern Pennsylvania. A long-term liming study was initiated in 1985 to evaluate responses to a one-time application of 22.4 Mg * [ha.sup.-1] of dolomitic limestone in four northern hardwood stands. Over the 23-year period ending in 2008, sugar maple basal area increment (BAINC) increased significantly (P ≤ 0.05) in limed plots from 1995 through 2008, whereas American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) BAINC was unaffected. For black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), the third principal overstory species, BAINC and survival were reduced in limed plots compared with unlimed plots. Foliar Ca and Mg remained significantly higher in sugar maple foliage sampled 21 years after lime application, showing persistence of the lime effect. These results show long-term species-specific responses to lime application. L'erable a sucre (Acer saccharum Marshall) est une espece cle de la foret feuillue nordique et les episodes de deperissement ont eu un effet nefaste sur la croissance et la sante de cette essence dans certaines parties de son aire de repartition au cours des 50 dernieres annees et un peu plus. Un episode generalise de deperissement, survenu au milieu des annees 1980 sur le Plateau d'Alleghany qui a echappe a la glaciation dans le nord de la Pennsylvanie, a eu un effet nefaste sur la sante de la cime, la croissance, la survie ainsi que la production de fleurs et de graines de l'erable a sucre. Une experience de chaulage a ete initiee en 1985 pour evaluer la reponse a long-terme a une application unique de 22.4 Mg * [ha.sup.-1] de chaux dolomitique dans quatre peuplements de feuillus nordiques. Pendant la periode de 23 ans qui s'est terminee en 2008, l'accroissement en surface terriere de l'erable a sucre a significativement (P ≤ 0.05) augmente dans les parcelles chaulees tandis que celui du hetre d'Amerique (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) n'a pas ete affecte. Dans le cas du cerisier tardif (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), la troisieme espece en importance de l'etage dominant, le chaulage a reduit sa surface terriere et sa survie comparativement aux arbres dans les parcelles temoins. Le Ca et le Mg foliaires sont demeures significativement plus eleves dans le feuillage de l'erable a sucre echantillonne 21 ans apres l'application de chaux indiquant que la chaux avait un effet persistant. Ces resultats montrent que les reactions a l'application de chaux sont propres a chaque espece. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Concern for the effects of acid deposition on forest soils has led to interest in forest liming as a remedial measure. The northeastern United States has received historically high [...]

Cleavitt et al. (2018, Can. J. For. Res. 48(1): 23-31, doi:10.1139/cjfr-2017-0233) report a lack of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) regeneration in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), Watershed 5 (W5), following whole-tree clearcut harvesting and purport that harvesting-induced soil calcium depletion contributed to regeneration failure of this species. In New England, clearcutting is a silvicultural strategy used to promote less tolerant species, especially birch (Betula spp.; Marquis (1969), Birch Symposium Proceedings, USDA Forest Service; Leak et al. (2014), doi:10.2737/NRS-GTR-132), which is just the outcome that the authors report. While this study reports an impressive, long-term data set, given broad interest in sugar maple and sustainability of forest management practices, we feel that it is critical to more fully explore the role of nutrition on sugar maple dynamics, both prior to and during the experiment, and to more fully review the scientific record on the role of whole-tree clearcutting in nutrient-induced sugar maple dynamics. Key words: sugar maple, whole-tree harvest, management implications, regeneration, calcium. Cleavitt et al. (2018, Can. J. For. Res. 48(1): 23-31, doi:10.1139/cjfr-2017-0233) indiquent qu'il y a un probleme de regeneration de l'erable a sucre (Acer saccharum Marsh.) a la foret experimentale de Hubbard Brook dans le bassin versant 5 a la suite d'une coupe a blanc par arbre entier et pretendent que l'appauvrissement du sol en calcium cause par la recolte a contribue a l'echec de la regeneration de cette espece. En Nouvelle-Angleterre, la coupe a blanc est une strategie sylvicole utilisee pour favoriser les especes moins tolerantes, particulierement le bouleau (Betula spp.; Marquis (1969), Birch Symposium Proceedings, USDA Forest Service; Leak et al. (2014), doi:10.2737/NRS-GTR-132), ce qui correspond justement au resultat que rapportent les auteurs. Alors que cette etude presente un ensemble impressionnant de donnees a long terme, etant donne qu'il y a un vaste interet pour l'erable a sucre et la durabilite des pratiques d'amenagement forestier, nous croyons qu'il est essentiel d'explorer davantage le role de la nutrition sur la dynamique de l'erable a sucre, tant avant que durant l'experience, et de revoir en profondeur les donnees scientifiques sur le role de la coupe a blanc par arbre entier sur la dynamique de l'erable a sucre engendree par les elements nutritifs. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: erable a sucre, recolte par arbre entier, consequences de l'amenagement, regeneration, calcium., Cleavitt et al. (2018) report a lack of sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) regeneration in Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest (HBEF), Watershed 5 (W5), following whole-tree clearcut harvesting and purport that [...]

Abstract: Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) decline has occurred throughout its range over the past 50 years, although decline symptoms are minimal where nutritional thresholds of Ca, Mg, and Mn [...]

Abstract: Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) decline disease on the Allegheny Plateau (region 1) resulted in high levels of mortality during the 1990s. Sugar maple was predisposed to decline because [...]

Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) decline disease, decreased growth, and regeneration failure have been related to a low supply of Ca and Mg. There is increased interest in augmenting cation availability via liming, but there is little information on the amounts of lime required and the longevity of the lime treatment. A single application of 22.4 Mg ha-1 of dolomitic limestone in 1985 at four forested sites in Potter County, PA has shown that soil, soil water, and sugar maple foliage chemistry are significantly altered by liming and the changes in soils and foliage persist as long as 21-yr post-treatment. By 2001, only 3 kg ha-1 of lime remained undissolved while increases in exchangeable Ca and Mg, and pH continued through 2006 at depths up to 35 to 45 cm. Exchangeable Mn and Al concentrations were significantly reduced by lime application, though effects were slower to develop at deeper depths. Soil solution chemistry from 1996 was highly variable but reflected the changed soil nutrients. On limed plots, sugar maple foliage had elevated concentrations of Ca and Mg in 2006 samples, indicating the persistence of the lime treatment. Comparison of Ca/Al ratios in soil solution, soils, and foliage show inconsistencies from previous published risk thresholds. Species-specific thresholds of Ca and Mg availability in soil and foliage have better potential management application and should be more rigorously tested as stress indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Use of herbicides in forestry to direct successional trajectories has raised concerns over possible direct or indirect effects on non-target organisms. We studied the response of forest birds to an operational application of glyphosate and sulfometuron methyl herbicides, using a randomized block design in which half of each 8ha block received herbicide and the other acted as a control, on shelterwood seed-cut Allegheny hardwood stands in northwestern Pennsylvania. We monitored birds using 50m radius point counts in two pretreatment years and for 10years post-treatment (1992–2004). Fences were erected six years after herbicide treatment in response to increased deer browsing at a subset of sites. Avian responses to herbicide treatment varied by nesting guild: we detected no response by cavity-nesters, but documented declines in the shrub-, ground- and canopy-nesting guilds. Responses were short-lived (2–4years post-treatment), but shrub-nesters did not recover until fencing provided regenerating vegetation respite from browsing. Thus, apparent responses of birds to herbicide were confounded with deer browsing in this study. High species turnover, even within control plots, suggests that avian communities may be assessed more appropriately assessed at larger spatial scales than those used in this study (6.5–8ha). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Shelterwood seed cutting in conjunction with herbicide site preparation has proven effective at regenerating Allegheny hardwood forests, but the long-term impact of this silvicultural system on herbaceous vegetation has not been determined. From 1994 to 2004, we studied the impacts of operational herbicide site preparation using glyphosate plus sulfometuron methyl herbicides in the context of a shelterwood seed cut. Our study took place on 10 partially cut sites on the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania. Half of each site received herbicide and half did not in a split-plot design with repeated measures. Fences were erected after year six because deer impact had increased. Resilience of individual species and the community were determined using measures of percent cover by species or species groups and indices of diversity and similarity comparing post-treatment to pre-treatment conditions and controls. In the short term, abundance of all species was reduced and there were four fewer species on average in treated areas. No species was eliminated by herbicide across all sites in the long term. Graminoids were more abundant on treated plots after year six. Targeted ferns remained less abundant on treated than control plots after 10years. Species richness recovered within 4years following treatment. Shannon Diversity and Shannon Evenness were greater in treated than in control plots over the full study period, but the differences were not significant in any single year. The richness-based Jaccard index of similarity did not differ between control and treatment plots after year two, while relative abundance influenced indices showed significant differences through year eight. Results suggest that herbaceous layer vegetation is resilient to the disturbance created by herbicide-shelterwood treatments. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study which aims to determine the relationship of factors that affect health and growth of Sugar maple Acer saccharum in the northeastern U.S. It assesses the presence of nutrients such as calcium (Ca), magnesium (Mg), and manganese (Mn) through foliar and soil analysis. It shows that the growth of the maple tree as manifested by basal area increment (BAI) estimates were largely influenced by the presence of Mg and Ca in spite of the absence of defoliation process.

Determines the effects of lime fertilization on sugar maple in Pennsylvania. Responses of tree vitality to lime additions; Changes in foliar and soil elements; Correlation between tree growth and crown vitality.

Presents a letter to the editor in response to comments made on the thirty years of change in forest soils of the Allegheny Plateau, Pennsylvania.

A correction to the article "Linking Environmental Gradients, Species Composition and Vegetation Indicators of Sugar Maple Health in the Northeastern United States," by Stephen B. Horsley, Scott W. Bailey, Todd E. Ristau, Robert P. Long and Richard A. Hallett, published in issue 38, is presented.

Abstract unavailable [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]