Tree-level response to thinning

Stem growth is slow within the boreal forest, resulting in typically smaller stems that yield little value for high operational costs. In these environments, increased volume of individual stems usually results in higher economic return due to higher proportions of sawlogs. However, little knowledge exists on the response of individual stems to silvicultural treatments such as thinning, and how they interact with site and climatic conditions. In addition, clearcutting in the boreal forest has resulted in stand homogenization. Marilou Yargeau, an MSc student, will evaluate different thinning scenarios as a tool to restore old-growth forest attributes. She will conduct case studies in the boreal conditions with the objective to model how the growth of individual stems responds to various forms of thinning. Predictions will be integrated into stand-level stem size distributions, which can then be input into wood processing simulators to optimize revenue estimates against silvicultural costs. Outcome: Integration of stem-size distributions to existing growth and yield models with a possibility to simulate the effects of various thinning scenarios.

Marilou Yargeau, MSc at Université Laval
Main Partner: Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs (Québec)
Professor Evelyne Thiffault
Collaborator Miguel Montoro Girona