Recovery of advance regeneration after disturbances: Acclimation of needle characteristics in Picea abies

Abstract

This study examined the effect of release on needle properties of Norway spruce advance regeneration in a gap clearing. Needle mass is a variable revealing the acclimation capacity of understorey saplings. Correlations between several needle variables were also examined. A model of needle mass increase over time was developed. Needle mass and shoot length in consecutive years help to describe the dynamics of the advance regeneration response. The analysis suggests that needle and shoot properties had reached new stable conditions 5 years after stand clearance.

Keywords:

• Acclimation
• advance regeneration
• correlation
• needle characteristics
• Picea abies

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by grant no. 4980 from the Estonian Science Foundation and by Metsämiesten säätiö. We are grateful to Marta Vicente and Imre Kari for help in data collection and analysis. We are very grateful to Keith Moser and John Stanturf for comments on the manuscript and English correction.