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Research article1997Peer reviewed

Vegetation control by steam treatment in boreal forests: a comparison with burning and soil scarification

Norberg, G; Jaderlund, A; Zackrisson, O; Nordfjell, T; Wardle, DA; Nilsson, MC; Dolling, A

Abstract

The Vaccinium myrtillus L. - feather moss vegetation community immobilizes nutrients in surface organic layers and suppresses growth of coniferous seedlings in northern boreal forests. On a site dominated by this type of vegetation, a new site preparation technique, involving steam treatment to kill ground vegetation, was tested and compared with conventional site preparation techniques such as soil scarification and burning. Steam treatment was as efficient as burning and soil scarification in reducing competing vegetation. After 4 years, Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) seedlings planted in the burned and scarified treatments had lower growth, needle dry weight, and nitrogen contents compared with seedlings in sites treated with steam. Soil microflora recovered quickly after steaming, suggesting that steaming does not directly cause long-term soil sterilization. We interpret the superior growth of P. sylvestris seedlings in steamed plots as being due to both strongly reduced resource competition and enhanced release of nutrients in the remaining humus. We conclude that steam treatment has the potential to be an efficient and environmentally acceptable method to reduce the negative influences that ericaceous ground vegetation has on the growth of planted coniferous seedlings.

Published in

Canadian Journal of Forest Research
1997, Volume: 27, number: 12, pages: 2026-2033
Publisher: NATL RESEARCH COUNCIL CANADA

      SLU Authors

    • Norberg, Gisela

      • Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

      • Jäderlund, Anders

        • Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

        • Zackrisson, Olle

          • Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

            • Dolling, Ann

              • Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

              • Nordfjell, Tomas

                • Department of Operational Efficiency, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

                • Wardle, David

                  • Department of Forest Vegetation Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences

                UKÄ Subject classification

                Soil Science
                Forest Science

                Publication identifier

                DOI: https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-27-12-2026

                Permanent link to this page (URI)

                https://res.slu.se/id/publ/115300