review of the regeneration dynamics of North American boreal forest tree species

• Published in: Canadian journal of forest research Vol. 29; no. 6; pp. 824 - 839
• Main Authors: Greene, D.F, Zasada, J.C, Sirois, L, Kneeshaw, D, Morin, H, Charron, I, Simard, M.J
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Ottawa, Canada NRC Research Press 01.06.1999; National Research Council of Canada; Canadian Science Publishing NRC Research Press
• Subjects: basal area; Biological and medical sciences; Birch trees; Boreal forests; Breeding; Conferences; Coniferous trees; Dispersal; disturbed soils; forest ecology; Forest floor; Forest management; Forest management. Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration; forest trees; Forestry; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Hardwoods; Herbivory; literature reviews; Microclimate; mortality; natural regeneration; Organic matter; Plant species; R&D; recruitment; Research & development; seed banks; seed dispersal; seed dormancy; seed productivity; Seedlings; soil organic matter; Spatial distribution; species differences; stand density; Stand types and stand dynamics. Silvicultural treatments. Tending of stands. Natural regeneration; Trees; North America; America; Forests; Seed production; Germination; Natural forest regeneration; Review; Vegetation dynamics; Perturbation; Forecast model; Survival; Dispersion
• ISSN: 0045-5067; 1208-6037
• DOI: 10.1139/x98-112

In this review, we forcus on the biotic parameters that are crucial to an understanding of the recruitment dynamics of North American boreal tree species following natural (fire, budworm infestation, windthrow) or human-induced (clearcut, partial cut) disturbances. The parameters we emphasize are (i) the production of seeds and asexual stems (both of which, we argue, are a function of basal area density), (ii) the disperal of seeds by wind (or the dispersion of asexual stems) as a function of distance from source, (iii) dormant seed bank capacity, (iv) organic layer depth as a determinant of germinant mortality and asexual bud response, and (v) shade tolerance as a partial arbiter of the density of advance regeneration. Having identified the gaps in our knowledge, we conclude by suggesting a short-term research agenda whose completion would lead to the parameterized functions that would constitute the recruitment subroutine in a landscape-scale forest dynamics simulator.