decay of aspen and balsam poplar in alberta - Canadian Forest ...

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION ............................. ............. ........................... 1
MAJOR DECA Y·CAUSING AGENTS AND TYPES OF DECA Y .. ........................... 1
AGE·DECA Y RELATIONSHIPS. . . . . .... .. . . .... . .... . . . . .. ... .... . .... .. .. . . .. . . . . . .. .. 9
SITE· DECAY RELATIONSHiPS ...... .. ...... ........ ............... ................... 9
CLONE·DECA Y RELATIONSHIPS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
CULL EST IMATION WITH EXTERNAL INDICATORS .. ........ ............. ...... ....... 12
ASPEN AND BALSAM POPLAR DECAY MANAGEMENT.. .................. ............. 14
SIGNIFICANCE OF DECAY AND DISCOLORATION TO ASPEN AND BALSAM POPLAR
UTIL IZATION ................... .................... .................... ......... 16
Plywood......................... ................ . ............................. 16
Dimension lumber t boards, and timbers ..................................... ........ .
Wafer board. flakeboar, chipboard, and oriented strand board. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Pulp and paper .. ..................... ............... .................... ...... . 16
Integrated wood products complex. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
Conversion of biomass into energy and chemicals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 7
Cattle feed. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
Cultivation of edible mushrooms. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
CONCLUSIONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
RECOMMENDATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
REFERENCES 18
FIGURES
1.. Poplar distribution across Canada and estimated gross merchantable volume for each province or
region.. . . ... . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . ... . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .. . . . . . . . ... . . . . . . . .. . . 2
2. Potential annual forest yield of coniferous and deciduous (mostly poplar) species in Alberta. . . . . . . . 3
3. Pure aspen stand along a logging road near Blue Ridge, Alberta . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
4. A stand of mature aspen near Blue Ridge, Alberta, after softwood harvest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
5. Vertical section of an aspen stem with fruiting body of Phellinus tremulae and a column of advanced
decay bordered by characteristic black lines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
6. Cross section of an aspen stem with advanced decay caused by Phellinus tremulae . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
7. Relation of rotten knot and decay column of Phellinus tremulae in aspen . ....... .............. 5
8. A fruiting body (conk) of Phellinus tremulae on aspen . ... . . . . . . . . .. . .. . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . ... . . 5
9. Fruiting structure of Peniophora polygonia on aspen. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
10. Large scars (cracks) on mature balsam poplar. . . ... . . .. . . . ... . .. .. . . . .. . ... .. .. . . . . . . .. . . 7
11. Dead branch and column of discolored incipient decay of aspen caused by Peniophora polygonia . . . 7
12. Fruiting bodies (mushrooms) of Pholiota destruens on balsam poplar. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
13. Brown butt rot of balsam poplar. probably caused by Armillaria mellea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
14. Butt rot (brown rot) of aspen caused by Armillaria mellea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . 8
IV
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