Soil Moisture, Soil Temperature, and Seedling Growth in Response to Interspecific Competition and Woody Debris in Northern Idaho
A study evaluated the effects of varying levels of competing vegetation and coarse woody debris on microsite conditions around Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii [Mirb.] Franco var. glauca [Beissn.] Franco) and western larch (Larix occidentalis Nutt.) seedlings at a high-productivity site and a low-productivity site in northern Idaho. Five vegetation-control treatments (0-, 25-, 50-, 75-, and 100-percent control) were maintained for 2 years. Soil moisture was positively influenced by the presence of coarse woody debris and negatively influenced by increasing levels of competition. Seedling stem diameter tended to be larger when there was less competing vegetation. The findings of this study bring together the common practices of vegetation management and slash retention, showing how both can create a more hospitable planting site by lowering soil temperatures and maintaining higher levels of soil moisture in the summer. This paper was presented at The Reforestation Pipeline in the Western United States–Joint Annual Meeting of the Western Forest and Conservation Nursery Association, the Intertribal Nursery Council, and the Intermountain Container Seedling Growers Association (Missoula, MT, September 27–29, 2022).
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Author(s): Joshua Mullane, Andrew S. Nelson
Publication: Tree Planters' Notes - Volume 66, Number 1 (2023)
Volume: 66
Number: 1
