Competing Vegetation Benefits Lodgepole Pine

Removing Sitka alder and herbs from cutblocks when planting lodgepole pine may do more harm than good to the crop trees.

Tree Harvesting Needs Changing for Seedling Survival

The hot, dry forests of southern BC’s Interior Douglas-fir biogeoclimatic zone are difficult to regenerate after partial retention harvesting.

Policy of Reforesting With Local Tree Seed Questioned

Seed from lodgepole pine trees in southern British Columbia produces faster-growing trees in many other areas of the province than does local seed.

Pines Commonly Graft to Nearby Neighbours

Densely growing lodgepole pines readily form root grafts with nearby pines at any early age.

Tree Seedlings Fail to Thrive in Small Clearings

Many tree seedlings planted close to timberline in clearings smaller than 0.1 ha don’t survive, and those that do live grow very slowly.

Less Site Preparation Will Lower Timber Yields

Planting trees without site preparation will end up costing the province of British Columbia considerably in future timber production.

Old-growth Fosters Seedling Root Fungi

Douglas-fir seedlings growing near old-growth patches benefit by acquiring more ectomycorrhizal fungi.

Older Lodgepole Pines Fend Off Stem Rust

Observations have failed to reveal whether ageing or increasing height enables lodgepole pine trees to resist infection from western gall rust.

Weevils Widely Scattered Through Pine Forests

In young lodgepole pine plantations of central British Columbia, Warren root collar weevils attacked anywhere from 10 to 45% of saplings.

Growing Birch Alongside Conifers Has Advantages

The body of research into the pros and cons of growing conifers among broadleaf trees in British Columbia’s Interior Cedar Hemlock biogeoclimatic zone leads scientists to advocate for a new approach to regenerating forests.

Planted Pines Have Severely Deformed Roots

Nearly two-thirds of planted lodgepole pines have severely deformed roots, compared with 9% of naturally regenerated pines, finds a study near Prince George in central British Columbia.