Search

The longevity of a single 22.4 Mg·ha−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 ≤ 0.05) greater concentrations of calcium (Ca) and magnesium (Mg) through 2016 compared with samples from unlimed plots. Ca and Mg capitals (g·m−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 (cm2·year−1 BAINC) was greater in limed plots (30.6 cm2·year−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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Environmental Reviews is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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-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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 are met. Here, we show that availability of these elements also controls vascular plant species composition in northern hardwood stands and we identify indicator species of these nutrient thresholds. Presence and abundance of vascular plant species and data on 35 environmental variables were collected from 86 stands in New Hampshire and Vermont (NHVT) and Pennsylvania and New York (PANY). Nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination was used to determine which variables affected presence and abundance of species; both measures gave similar results. A base cation – acid cation nutrient gradient on axis one accounted for 71.9% (NHVT) and 63.0% (PANY) of the variation in the nonmetric multidimensional scaling ordination. Measures of Ca, Mg, and pH formed the base end and Al, Mn, K, soil acidity, and organic matter the acid end in both subregions. In both subregions, sugar maple foliar Mg and Ca had the strongest association with the base end of axis 1; exchangeable Al in NHVT and foliar Mn in PANY were strongly associated with the acid end. McNemar’s exact test and indicator species analysis were used to determine which species were present in stands that met the nutritional thresholds for Ca, Mg, and Mn foliar chemistry. McNemar’s exact test identified 16 species in NHVT and PANY, 16 additional species in NHVT only, and 12 additional species in PANY only. Indicator species analysis identified a subset of these species with the highest frequency of occurrence. Indicator species could provide land managers with a diagnostic tool for determining where on the landscape sugar maple is “at risk” or likely to remain healthy in the face of stresses. Le dépérissement de l’érable à sucre (Acersaccharum Marshall) est survenu partout dans l’aire de répartition de cette essence au cours des 50 dernières années mais il y a très peu de symptômes de dépérissement aux endroits où les seuils nutritionnels pour Ca, Mg et Mn sont atteints. Nous montrons ici que la disponibilité de ces éléments régit également la composition en espèces de plantes vasculaires dans les peuplements de feuillus nordiques et nous identifions des espèces indicatrices des seuils pour ces nutriments. La présence et l’abondance des espèces de plantes vasculaires ainsi que 35 variables environnementales ont été mesurées dans 86 peuplements des tats du New Hampshire et du Vermont (NHVT) ainsi que ceux de la Pennsylvanie et de New York (PANY). L’ordination de mesures multidimensionnelles non paramétriques a été utilisée pour déterminer quelles variables influencent la présence et l’abondance des espèces; les deux mesures ont produit des résultats similaires. Un gradient de nutriments allant des cations basiques à acides sur l’axe un expliquait 71,9% (NHVT) et 63% (PANY) de la variation dans l’ordination. Les mesures de Ca, Mg et de pH formaient la partie basique et Al, Mn, K, l’acidité du sol et la matière organique formaient la partie acide dans les deux sous-régions. Dans les deux sous-régions, le Mg et le Ca foliaire de l’érable à sucre était le plus étroitement associé à la portion basique de l’axe un; l’Al échangeable dans la sous-région NHVT et le Mn foliaire dans la sous-région PANY étaient fortement associés à la portion acide. Le test de McNemar et l’analyse des espèces indicatrices ont été utilisés pour déterminer quelles espèces étaient présentes dans les peuplements où les seuils nutritionnels pour Ca, Mg et Mn étaient atteints dans les feuilles. Le test de McNemar a identifié 16 espèces dans les deux sous-régions, 16 autres dans la sous-région NHVT et seulement 12 autres dans la sous-région PANY. L’analyse des espèces indicatrices a identifié un sous-ensemble des ces espèces dont la fréquence était la plus élevée. Les espèces indicatrices pourraient fournir aux aménagistes du territoire un outil de diagnostique pour déterminer à quel endroit le paysage d’érable à sucre est à risque et où il restera sain face aux stress. Note : l.7 de l’abstract, saccharum Marshall au lieu desaccharum Marsh. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Forest Research is the property of Canadian Science Publishing and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

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.

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. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.