The resource link will access Part 1 of this presentation. Part 2 can be accessed here.
Steven Grossnickle, forest ecophysiologist for NurseryToForest Solutions, talks about the importance of giving consideration to ecophysiology and silvics when aiming for successful stand rehabilitation after a Mountain Pine Beetle attack. He cautions foresters against “turning a plant into a widget” and encourages the audience to remember they are working within a plant based system when making forestry decisions.
He discusses several factors that impact tree growth, such as air temperature and leaf drop, and what happens to the seedling around the air/soil interface, as well as seasonal response to drought. It is important to be aware that sometimes forestry solutions work, but sometimes they won’t and that is because something in this complex ecosystem is causing a limitation and the trick is to figure out what that is. Mountain Pine Beetle attacked sites have a stand structure with a wide array of environmental conditions, and silviculture practices have a direct influence on the site environment, thereby affecting: crop physiological response, and subsequent morphological development.
Grossnickle defines and explains the significance of silvics and ecophysiology as it relates to forestry and Mountain Pine Beetle attacks. It’s important, when there is a roadblock in the work being done, to be able to think of a solution from an ecophysiological perspective. Since there are multiple environmental conditions and tree species, and a wide range of plant species and growth, forestry solutions will not be one size fits all.
This presentation was a part of the Mountain Pine Beetle Information Exchange Forum, April 2014.
This presentation was recorded and originally hosted online by the Alberta Land Use Knowledge Network (LUKN).