Silvicultural Treatments

Treatment Responses


Silvicultural Treatments

chemical preparation – is included as a keyword under site preparation for publications that examine the use of chemical means, including the use of pre-emergent herbicides, to control unwanted vegetation in preparation for planting.

chemical release – is included as a keyword under release treatments for publications that examine the use of chemical techniques (i.e. herbicides) to control unwanted vegetation in favour of the growth of Douglas-fir trees. See release treatments for further specifications for the use of this keyword.

commercial thinning – is included as a keyword under thinning for publications that examine thinning treatments which produce merchantable timber. This keyword is included only if it could be conclusively determined from the abstract that the thinning was a commercial thinning.

fertilization – is included as a keyword for publications that examine the use of fertilizers to improve growth and site nutrient status. This includes publications that study the use of both synthetic or biosolid fertilizers.

genetic tree improvement – is included as a keyword for publications that deal with tree breeding (including outcrossing and self pollination), progeny development, and early selection testing to create genetically improved stock. Sub-keywords under genetic tree improvement : tree grafting.

manual release – is included as a keyword under release treatments for publications that examine the use of manual techniques to control unwanted vegetation in favour of the growth of Douglas-fir trees. This can include manual removal (i.e. cutting) of unwanted vegetation, mulching, or animal grazing. See release treatments for further specifications of the use of this keyword.

mechanical preparation – is included as a keyword under site preparation for publications that examine mechanical manipulations to a site in preparation for planting. This includes but is not limited to bedding, chopping, disking, scarifying, and raking.

nursery fertilization – is included as a keyword under nursery operations for publications that investigate seedling fertilization in the nursery. This is included as a separate keyword to distinguish it from fertilization of trees in actual forest plantations.

nursery operations - is included as a keyword for publications that investigate treatments dealing with seedling production in nurseries. This treatment class includes anything before the actual planting of the seedling in the ground, for example, lifting, pre-planting storage or transportation. Also included are publications that compare the success of various types of planting stock (since planting stock is the result of nursery operations and not the planting operations themselves). Publications that examine correlations between tree characteristics in the nursery and success after outplanting are also included under nursery operations due to the implications for nursery culling. Sub-keywords under nursery operations : nursery fertilization, nursery pruning.

nursery pruning – is included as a keyword under nursery operations for publications that deal with the pruning of seedlings in the nursery. This is included as a separate keyword to distinguish it from the pruning of trees in actual forest plantations.

planting operations – is included as a keyword for publications that examine any aspect seedling outplanting. This includes initial spacing trials, studies that investigate planting techniques, inoculation of planting holes, underplanting of seedlings beneath overstories, or interplanting of Douglas-fir seedlings with other tree species.

precommercial thinning - is included as a keyword under thinning for publications that examine thinning treatments of Douglas-fir stands to achieve silvicultural objectives, but where no merchantable timber is produced from the treatments. This keyword is included only if it could be conclusively determined from the abstract that the thinning was a precommercial thinning.

prescribed fire – is included as a keyword under site preparation for publications that examine the use of deliberate and controlled burning to modify and prepare the site in preparation for planting. This includes both broadcast burning and pile and burning.

pruning – is included as a keyword for publications that examine responses due to the removal of side branches or multiple leaders from standing trees to achieve certain silvicultural objectives.

release treatments – is included as a keyword for publications that investigate treatments aimed at favouring the growth of Douglas-fir by controlling unwanted vegetation. Unlike chemical preparation, release treatments and the sub-keywords under release treatments refer specifically to vegetation management treatments applied once the seedlings are already in the ground. This keyword also applies to treatments applied in mature stands if the purpose is to improve the growth of Douglas-fir trees (e.g. hardwood thinning). Sub-keywords under release treatments: chemical release, and manual release.

seed orchard management – is included as a keyword for publications that examine management practices dealing with the actual mechanics of seed production in a seed orchard. This includes parent-tree and seed protection treatments, or parent-tree cultural treatments aimed at increasing flowering and pollination rates, seed yield, health, and viability.

site preparation – is included as a keyword for publications that examine site manipulations, either mechanical, chemical, or fire, in preparation for planting of seedlings. Sub-keywords under site preparation: mechanical preparation, chemical preparation, and prescribed fire.

thinning – is included as a keyword for publications that examine the use of stand density management (with the exception of initial density, which falls under planting operations) to achieve silvicultural objectives. Included with this keyword are publications that study tree or stand response to varying thinning methods, thinning regimes, or thinning intensities. Sub-keywords under thinning: precommercial thinning, and commercial thinning.

tree grafting – is included as a keyword under genetic tree improvement for publications that examine tree grafting in seed orchards. If grafting compatibility is a response measured, then it is included under the response category of tree/stand health.

tree/stand protection – is included as a keyword for publications that implement silvicultural treatments with the purpose of studying their effect on biotic or abiotic threats to Douglas-fir, or on the change in Douglas-fir response to these threats. This keyword is included for publications that examine treatments aimed directly at protecting a tree or stand. It is also included for publications that examine the use of another silvicultural treatment such as thinning or genetic tree improvement, to achieve tree or stand protection objectives.




Treatment Responses

carbon allocation - is included as a keyword for publications that examine the patterns of allocation of photosynthate within the tree, or the comparative growth rates of various components of the tree due to these differing allocation patterns. This includes publications that compare above to belowground allocation of photosynthate (e.g. root to shoot ratios), crown to stem allocation of photosynthate, or branch to foliage allocation of photosynthate.

computer modeling – is included as a keyword for publications that deal with, at least in part, the development of computer models and simulators. This includes publications where data simulations are run to test models. This keyword is also included for simulator guides, computer program descriptions, or publications that describe and lay out pertinent model development.

economics – is included as a keyword for publications that examine any financial aspect of the silvicultural treatment being investigated. This includes, but is not limited to, publications looking at treatment costs, revenues, financial feasibility issues, or net present values.

genetic relationships – is included as a keyword for publications that examine the genetic implications of a silvicultural treatment. This includes publications that examine silvicultural treatment effects on genetic diversity and variation, genetic correlations, or trait heritabilities.

growth – is included as a keyword for publications that examine changes in Douglas-fir size over time. This can include changes in height, diameter, basal area, volume, or biomass.

mycorrhizal response – is included as a keyword for publications that examine the response of mycorrhizal associations to the silvicultural treatment in question. This could include publications studying mycorrhizal formation, mycorrhizal abundance, or mycorrhizal species diversity.

photosynthesis – is included as a keyword for publications that measure some aspect of photosynthesis as a response variable. This could include publications that measure photosynthetic rate, photosynthetic efficiency, or net carbon intake.

regeneration – is included as a keyword for publications that examine silvicultural treatment effects on regeneration, but where the treatment is applied to a cohort other than the regeneration being measured. For example regeneration would be included as a keyword for a publication that examines the effects of overstory thinning on understory regeneration, since seedling response is being measured but the treatment is applied to the overstory. A publication that examines nursery treatment effects on seedlings would not have the keyword regeneration included, since the treatment is actually targeting the regeneration, therefore, regeneration response is already provided for by the response keywords listed for the seedlings.

reproduction – is included as a keyword for publications that monitor fertility and seed-related responses. This includes any response that is monitored up to and including actual seed germination. Examples include, but are not limited to, seed yields, pollination or seed fertilization rates, seed viability and germination parameters.

soil properties – is included as a keyword for publications that examine physical, chemical, biological responses of soil and soil processes to the silvicultural treatment in question. Litterfall rate and decomposition measurements are included under this keyword, as is soil disturbance.

stand conditions – is included as a keyword for publications that examine silvicultural treatment effects on non-crop species, including both plant and animal pest species. This therefore includes publications which study the efficacy of pest or vegetation management treatments by measuring the survival, health, or abundance of the weed or pest species directly. If the survival or health of only Douglas-fir trees are examined to determine treatment efficacy, then tree/stand health is included as a keyword, but stand conditions is not.

tree morphology – is included as a keyword for publications that examine silvicultural treatment effects on the external or internal structure of a Douglas-fir tree or a stand of Douglas-fir trees. Leaf area, root growth and development, stand diameter distributions, crown ratios, and stem taper are all included under this keyword.

tree phenology – is included as a keyword for publications that examine silvicultural treatment effects on the timing of any cyclic tree process or phenomena such as bud break, bud set, or initiation of dormancy.

tree physiology – is included as a keyword for publications that examine silvicultural treatment effects on the biological processes, capacities or functions of Douglas-fir trees. Tree and foliar nutrient status are included under this keyword. For publications dealing with cold, drought, and heat tolerance, tree physiology is included as a keyword if the study examines the underlying mechanisms or traits that influence response to extreme weather. If only actual physical injury, damage, or mortality are examined due to extreme weather then tree/stand health is included as a keyword but tree physiology is not.

tree/stand health – is included as a keyword for publications that examine damage, health, or mortality of Douglas-fir trees and stands due to either the application of the silvicultural treatment being tested, or due to the biotic or abiotic threats being examined as part of the study. Physical injury, damage, or mortality due to extreme weather conditions are included under this keyword.

wood quality – is included as a keyword for publications that examine silvicultural treatment effects on some aspect of wood quality. This includes, but is not limited to, final log and lumber grades, branch structure, wood density, or percent juvenilewood versus maturewood.

yield – is included as a keyword for publications that examine final wood output recovered from a stand whether that be in biomass or volume.