Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-8ctnn Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-21T11:15:08.506Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Vegetation Control and Soil Moisture Depletion Related to Herbicide Treatments on Forest Plantations in Northeastern Oregon

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 May 2018

Elizabeth Cole ,
Amanda Lindsay ,
Michael Newton  and
John D. Bailey
Elizabeth Cole*
Affiliation:
Senior Faculty Research Assistant, Forest Engineering, Resources and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
Amanda Lindsay
Affiliation:
District Silviculturist, Blue Mountain Ranger District, US Forest Service, John Day, OR, USA
Michael Newton
Affiliation:
Professor Emeritus, Forest Engineering, Resources and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
John D. Bailey
Affiliation:
Professor, Forest Engineering, Resources and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA
*
*Author for correspondence: Liz Cole, Forest Engineering, Resources and Management, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331. (E-mail: liz.cole@oregonstate.edu)
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Abstract

Reforestation in the Inland Northwest, including northeastern Oregon, USA, is often limited by a dry climate and soil moisture availability during the summer months. Reduction of competing vegetative cover in forest plantations is a common method for retaining available soil moisture. Several spring and summer site preparation (applied prior to planting) herbicide treatments were evaluated to determine their efficacy in reducing competing cover, thus retaining soil moisture, on three sites in northeastern Oregon. Results varied by site, year, and season of application. In general, sulfometuron (0.14 kg ai ha–1 alone and in various mixtures), imazapyr (0.42 ae kg ha–1), and hexazinone (1.68 kg ai ha–1) resulted in 3 to 17% cover of forbs and grasses in the first-year when applied in spring. Sulfometuron+glyphosate (2.2 kg ha–1) consistently reduced grasses and forbs for the first year when applied in summer, but forbs recovered in the second year on two of three sites. Aminopyralid (0.12 kg ae ha–1)+sulfometuron applied in summer also led to comparable control of forb cover. In the second year after treatment, forb cover in treated plots was similar to levels in nontreated plots, and some species of forbs had increased relative to nontreated plots. Imazapyr (0.21 and 0.42 kg ha–1) at either rate, spring or summer 2007, or at lower rate (0.14 kg ha–1) with glyphosate in summer, provided the best control of shrubs, of which snowberry was the dominant species. Total vegetative cover was similar across all treatments seven and eight years after application, and differences in vegetation were related to site rather than treatment. In the first year after treatment, rates of soil moisture depletion in the 0- to 23-cm depth were correlated with vegetative cover, particularly late season soil moisture, suggesting increased water availability for tree seedling growth.

Keywords

Aaron Hager, University of Illinoisaminopyralidglyphosatehexazinoneimazapyrsulfometuroncommon snowberry, Symphoricarpos albus (L.) S. F. Blake.western larch, Larix occidentalis Nutt.Douglas-fir, Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Francosite preparationvegetation management
Type
Weed Biology and Competition
Information
Weed Technology , Volume 32 , Issue 4 , August 2018 , pp. 461 - 474
Copyright
© Weed Science Society of America, 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Aavik, T, Pussa, K, Roosaluste, E, Moora, M (2009) Vegetation change in boreonemoral forest during succession – trends in species composition, richness, and differentiation diversity. Annales Botanici Fennici 46:326–335 Google Scholar
Biring, B, Yearsley, HK, Hays-Byl, W (2000) Pinchi Lake operational herbicide monitoring: 10-year conifer and vegetation responses in the sbsdw3. Victoria BC, Canada: Ministry of Forests Research Program Extension Note 46. 6 pGoogle Scholar
Biring, BS, Comeau, PG, Fielder, P (2003) Long-term effects of vegetation control treatments for release of Engelmann spruce from a mixed-shrub community in southern British Columbia. Ann For Sci 60:681–690 Google Scholar
Biring, BS, Hays-Byl, WJ, Hoyles, SE (1999) Twelve-year conifer and vegetation responses to discing and glyphosate treatments on a BWBSmw backlog site. Victoria BC, Canada: Ministry of Forests Research Program, Working Paper 43. 34 pGoogle Scholar
Blake, PM, Hurst, GA, Terry, TA (1987) Responses of vegetation and deer forage following application of hexazinone. South J Appl For 11:176–180 Google Scholar
Cole, EC, Newton, M, White, DE (1986) Response of northwestern hardwoods, shrubs, and Douglas-fir to Arsenal® and Escort®. Pages 93–101 in Proceedings of the 39th Meeting Western Society of Weed Science. San Diego, CA: Western Society of Weed ScienceGoogle Scholar
Cole, EC, Newton, M, White, DE (1988) Efficacy of imazapyr and metsulfuron methyl for site preparation and conifer release in the Oregon Coast Range. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University College of Forestry Forest Research Laboratory Research Note 81. 7 pGoogle Scholar
Dinger, EJ (2012) Characterizing Early-Seral Competitive Mechanisms Influencing Douglas-fir Seedling Growth, Vegetation Community Development, and Physiology of Selected Weedy Plant Species. Ph.D dissertation. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 212 pGoogle Scholar
Dinger, EJ, Rose, R (2009) Integration of soil moisture, xylem water potential, and fall-spring herbicide treatments to achieve the maximum growth response in newly planted Douglas-fir seedlings. Can J For Res 39:1401–1414 Google Scholar
Dinger, EJ, Rose, R (2010) Initial fall-spring vegetation management regimes improve moisture conditions and maximize third-year Douglas-fir seedling growth in a Pacific Northwest plantation. N Z J For Sci 40:93–108 Google Scholar
Duguid, MC, Ashton, MS (2013) A meta-analysis of the effect of forest management for timber on understory plant species diversity in temperate forests. For Ecol Manag 303:81–90 Google Scholar
Dyksterhuis, EL, High, CT (1985) Soil survey of Union County area, Oregon. US Department of Agriculture Soil Conservation Service, Oregon Agricultural Experiment StationGoogle Scholar
Emmingham, WH, Oester, PT, Fitzgerald, SA, Filip, GM, Edge, WD (2005) Ecology and management of eastern Oregon forests. Manual 12. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Extension Publication. 208 pGoogle Scholar
Ferguson, DE (1999) Effects of pocket gophers, bracken fern, and western coneflower on planted conifers in northern Idaho – an update and two more species. New For 18:199–217 Google Scholar
Freedman, B, Morash, R, MacKinnon, D (1993) Short-term changes in vegetation after the silvicultural spraying of glyphosate onto regenerating clearcuts in Nova Scotia, Canada. Can J For Res 23:2300–2311 Google Scholar
Gardner, WH (1986) Water content. Pages 493–544 in Klute A, ed. Methods of Soil Analysis: Part 1. Physical and Mineralogical Methods. Madison WI: Soil Science Society of America Google Scholar
Graham, RT, Jain, TB, Cannon, P (2005) Stand establishment and tending in the Inland Northwest Pages 47–78 in Harrington CA, Schoenholtz SH, tech eds. Productivity of Western Forests: A Forest Products Focus. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. General Technical Report PNW-GTR-642Google Scholar
Hann, WJ, Jones, JL, Karl, MG, Hessburg, PF, Keane, RE, Long, DG, Menakis, JP, McNicoll, CH, Leonard, SG, Gravenmier, RA, Smith, BG (1997) Landscape dynamics of the basin. Pages 337–1057 in Quigley TM, Arbelbide SJ, tech eds. An assessment of ecosystem components in the interior Columbia basin and portions of the Klamath and Great Basins. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station General Technical Report PNW-GTR-405Google Scholar
Harper, GJ, Herring, LJ, Hays-Byl, WJ (1997) Conifer and vegetation response in the BWBSmw1 12 years after mechanical and herbicide site preparation. Victoria BC, Canada: Ministry of Forests Research Program Working Paper 29 Google Scholar
Harrington, TB, Slesak, RA, Schoenholtz, SH (2013) Variation in logging debris cover influences competitor abundance, resource availability, and early growth of planted Douglas-fir. For Ecol Manage 296:41–52 Google Scholar
Harrington, TB, Tappeiner, JC II (1991) Competition affects shoot morphology, growth duration, and relative growth rates of Douglas-fir saplings. Can J For Res 21:474–481 Google Scholar
Hobbs, SD, Tesch, SD, Owston, PW, Stewart, RE, Tappeiner, JC II, Wells, GE, eds. (1992) Reforestation practices in southwestern Oregon and northern California. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 465 pGoogle Scholar
Hytönen, J, Jylhä, P (2011) Long-term response of weed control intensity on Scots pine survival, growth, and nutrition on former arable land. Eur J For Res 130:91–98 Google Scholar
Johnson, CG Jr, Clausnitzer, RR (1991) Plant associations of the Blue and Ochoco Mountains. Portland, OR: US Department of Agriculture Forest Service R6-ERW-TP-036-92 Google Scholar
Kelpsas, B, Landgren, C (2016) Forestry and hybrid cottonwoods. Pages K1–K23 in Peachey E, ed. PNW Weed Management Handbook. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Google Scholar
Lindsay, A (2011) Seedling Response to Vegetation Management in Northeastern Oregon. MS thesis. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. 184 pGoogle Scholar
Newton, M (1973) Forest rehabilitation in North America: some simplifications. J For 71:159–162 Google Scholar
Newton, M, Cole, EC, Barry, JW (2009) “Waving wand” broadcast hand application of herbicides: technical basis and usage. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University Contributions in Education and Outreach No. 2. 30 pGoogle Scholar
Newton, M, Preest, DS (1988) Growth and water relations of Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) seedlings under different weed control regimes. Weed Sci 36:653–662 Google Scholar
Oliver, WW (1990) Spacing and shrub competition influence 20-year development of planted ponderosa pine. West J Appl For 5:79–82 Google Scholar
PRISM Climate Group (2017) PRISM Climate Data, Northwest Alliance for Computational Science and Engineering. http://prism.oregonstate.edu. Accessed: March 17, 2017Google Scholar
Ristau, TE, Stoleson, SH, Horsley, SB, deCalesta, DS (2011) Ten-year response of the herbaceous layer to an operational herbicide-shelterwood treatment in a northern hardwood forest. For Ecol Manage 262:970–979 Google Scholar
Robertson, NA, Davis, AS (2012) Sulfometuron methyl influences seedling growth and leaf function of three conifer species. New For 43:185–195 Google Scholar
Rose, R, Ketchum, JS (2002) Interaction of vegetation control and fertilization on conifer species across the Pacific Northwest. Can J For Res 32:136–152 Google Scholar
Rose, R, Rosner, LS, Ketchum, JS (2006) Twelfth-year response of Douglas-fir to area of weed control and herbaceous versus woody weed control treatments. Can J For Res 36:2464–2473 Google Scholar
Rosner, LS, Rose, R (2006) Synergistic stem volume response to combinations of vegetation control and seedling size in conifer plantations in Oregon. Can J For Res 36:930–944 Google Scholar
Sullivan, TP, Wagner, RG, Pitt, DG, Lautenschlager, RA, Chen, DG (1998) Changes in diversity of plant and small mammal communities after herbicide application in sub-boreal spruce forest. Can J For Res 28:168–177 Google Scholar
Thompson, DG, Pitt, DG (2003) A review of Canadian forest vegetation management research and practice. Ann For Sci 60:559–572 Google Scholar
Wagner, RG, Little, KM, Richardson, B, McNabb, K (2006) The role of vegetation management for enhancing productivity of the world’s forests. Forestry 79:57–79 Google Scholar
Wagner, RG, Robinson, AP (2006) Critical period of interspecific competition for four northern conifers: 10-year growth response and associated vegetation dynamics. Can J For Res 36:2474–2485 Google Scholar
Walstad, JD, Kuch, PJ, eds. (1987) Vegetation management for conifer production. New York, NY: John Wiley. 523 pGoogle Scholar
Zutter, BR, Glover, GR, Gjerstad, DH (1986) Effects of herbaceous weed control using herbicides on a young loblolly pine plantation. For Sci 32:882–899 Google Scholar