Liming has a limited effect on sugar maple – American beech dynamics compared with beech sapling elimination and canopy opening

Abstract

Sugar maple (SM, Acer saccharum Marsh.) dominated forests of North America are increasingly affected by many human-induced modifications in environmental conditions. As a remedy, adapted silvicultural treatments are needed. Even though it is generally accepted that SM health is related to soil fertility and even though there is extensive literature on SM – American beech (AB, Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) regeneration stand dynamics related to light availability, the interaction between these two factors has rarely been studied. Our main objective was thus to verify the possible role of a light–soil interaction on SM–AB stand dynamics. We used a factorial design with three factors (harvest intensity, liming, and AB sapling elimination) to test this interaction. Our results showed that the radial growth of SM and AB tree and sapling growth was positively affected by canopy opening but not by liming. Liming did not favour AB seedlings, whereas it favoured SM seedlings in specific canopy opening situations, confirming, albeit partially, the light–soil interaction hypothesis. Overall, liming had very limited effects on SM–AB stand dynamics compared with canopy opening and AB sapling elimination treatments. We do not advocate the extensive use of liming, as other silvicultural strategies tested provided more promising results to favour SM over AB.