Ice storm damage: Effects of competition and fertilization on near-ground vegetation

Abstract

Increasing ice damage to tree canopies led to increased cover of near-ground deciduous tree species, herbaceous species, and total vegetative cover but reduced fern cover in managed sugar maple stands in southeastern Ontario. Near-ground vegetation did not respond to the addition of fertilizers [2000 kg/ha of dolomitic lime, 200 kg/ha of both phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), or both lime and P and K]. Vegetation management with glyphosate in these stands reduced near-ground deciduous tree cover 86%, while grass and sedge cover were reduced 69%, and shrub cover was reduced 98% two years after treatment. Although species richness was initially reduced by vegetation management, species richness levels on treated plots were comparable to, or higher than, those on untreated plots by two years after treatment.