User: | Open Learning Faculty Member:
I have established 5 permanent sampling plots with 30 replicates (Western Red Cedar trees). To date, I have had no difficulties in the field implementing my sampling strategy, but I did have to change my predictor variable from continuous to categorical.
I am beginning to think that my hypothesis is false, but it should correspond with another hypothesis. My research has been monitoring the response of immature Western Red Cedar from the recent removal of the adjacent mature forest. I predicted that the trees with the most sun exposure, as a result of logging, would die. Further research into the silvics of Western Red Cedar is helping to clarify my understanding of this organism. The reddening of the foliage after abrupt exposure to the sun is different than red flagging from drought conditions.
Frequently at work (as a harvest monitor) I observe that the equipment operators will retain a few understory trees as a “best practice” for clear-cut silviculture systems; However, usually, the Cedar trees die within the first few years of being exposed to full sun.
My question was:
Why wouldn’t the understory Cedar trees begin to thrive? The trees have more available light, moisture, and nutrients after harvesting.
My other question which formed the focus for my research is:
What will happen to the immature trees when industry harvests next to an established plantation? Harvesting can occur next to plantations as early as 7 – 10 years after the plantation has been planted. Will the Cedar trees established along the boundary of mature forests be able to withstand the abrupt change?
Currently, it seems that I have underestimated the resistance of the immature Cedar. Western redcedar is considered a stress tolerator with the ability to grow over a wide range of conditions (Antos et al, 2016). It is the beginning of July and only a few trees are showing more than 1% of their foliage to be scalded from sun exposure.
Reference:
Joseph A. Antos, Cosmin N. Filipescu, Roderick W. Negrave (2016). Ecology of western redcedar (Thuja plicata): Implications for management of a high-value multiple-use resource. Forest Ecology and Management, Volume 375, Pages 211-222.
