Patterns of damage and mortality in red pine plantations following a major ice storm

Abstract

The impact of a major ice storm in eastern Ontario on 28 pine plantations (red pine, Pinus resinosa Ait.; Scots pine, Pinus sylvestris L.; white pine, Pinus strobus L.; and jack pine, Pinus banksiana Lamb.) was examined for 4 years after the event. Degree of crown loss and tree mortality were quantified in relation to tree and stand characteristics (e.g., tree species, diameter at breast height (DBH), stand density, stand edge versus interior). We also tested whether salvaging damaged material reduced subsequent tree mortality. Jack and Scots pine were 2.5 times more likely to be damaged by the ice storm than were red pine and white pine. Overstocked stands, and stands with lower mean DBH, were most susceptible to storm damage. Trees were five times more likely to be damaged in the interior versus the edge of a stand, in contrast with previous findings in hardwood stands. In unsalvaged stands, ca. 75% tree mortality was observed in severely damaged trees (>50% crown loss) compared with ca. 45% tree mortality in salvaged stands. Properly timed thinnings to increase diameter growth and the removal of dead and dying wood from heavily damaged stands are recommended to reduce the long-term effects of ice storms.