Ten-year regeneration responses to varying levels of overstory retention in two productive southern British Columbia ecosystems

Published source details Newsome T.A., Heineman J.L., Nemec A.F.L., Comeau P.G., Arsenault A. & Waterhouse M. (2010) Ten-year regeneration responses to varying levels of overstory retention in two productive southern British Columbia ecosystems. Forest ecology and management, 260, 132-145.
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This study is summarised as evidence for the following.

	Action	Category
	Use partial retention harvesting instead of clearcutting Action Link

Use partial retention harvesting instead of clearcutting

A replicated, randomized, controlled study in 1994-2005 in temperate coniferous woodland in British Columbia, Canada (Newsome et al. 2010) found that partial-cutting decreased the cover of understory conifers compared with clearcutting at one of two sites. At one site cover of tall (2-10 m) understory conifers was higher in clearcut (12%) than partial-cut plots (3-6%). Cover of other plants was similar between treatments: tall shrubs (clearcut: 19%; partial-cut: 13-15%), short (<2 m) shrubs (clearcut: 39%; partial-cut: 24-28%), short conifers (clearcut: 2%; partial-cut: 4-5%), herbs (clearcut: 37%; partial-cut: 36-41%) and mosses and lichens (clearcut: 6%; partial-cut: 12-22%). At a second site, cover of plant groups was similar between treatments: tall conifers (clearcut: 8%; partial-cut: 6-8%), short conifers (clearcut: 10%; partial-cutt: 10-14%), tall shrubs (clearcut: 12%; partial-cut: 3-4%), short shrubs (clearcut: 41%; partial-cut: 19-28%), herbs (clearcut: 23%; partial-cut: 21-22%) and mosses and lichens (clearcut: 6%; partial-cut: 13-19%). Data were collected in 2004-2005 in 16 subplots (200 m²) within each of four clearcut and eight partial cut (25-50% of basal area retained) treatment plots (1 ha) in each of two sites. Treatments were applied in 1994-1996.