The effect of fire severity and salvage logging traffic on regeneration and early growth of aspen suckers in north-central Alberta

Abstract

Density and growth of trembling aspen (Populus tremuloides Michx.) were measured in the first two years following wildfire to determine the effects of: 1) fire severity and 2) salvage logging damage on sucker regeneration. Results indicate that stand leaf area was not affected by fire severity, although the greatest number of suckers was produced following high severity burns. In contrast, plots with the highest level of machine disturbance in the salvage-logging study had 60% fewer suckers compared to the non-trafficked plots. These suckers tended to be smaller and had less leaf area than the non-trafficked plots, resulting in a stand leaf area reduction of up to 75%. This suggests that salvage logging could have a negative impact on the future growth and productivity of regenerating aspen stands.