Abstract
Seeding clearcuts with grasses and legumes is used to increase ungulate forage, reduce browsing on seedlings, reduce competition with seedlings, or control erosion, but the effects on native plants and conifer seedlings are poorly known. Also, a shift to spring or no burning of clearcuts may alter the effectiveness of seeding and interactions with native species and conifer seedlings. The effects of burning (none, spring) and forage grass seeding (0, 22, or 44 kg/ha seed, plus fertilizer) on seeded forage production, native and exotic plant cover and richness, and the survival and growth of planted western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) seedlings on two clearcuts in coastal forest of western Washington, USA, were quantified over 5 years. Forest vegetation in the study area is in the westerm hemlock series, with adjacent upslope areas in the Pacific silver fir (Abies amabilis) series. Burning doubled production of seeded grass, but seeding rate (22 kg/ha vs. 44 kg/ha) had no effect. Grass biomass peaked in 3 years, then declined to negligible levels. Detrimental effects of both burning and seeding on native species appeared small and short-lived over a 5-year period. Native plant species richness decreased after burning, but after 5 years nearly equalled that of unburned areas. Native plant species richness was unaffected by seeding rate. Native plant cover increased with time after clear felling regardless of treatment. In burned areas, seeding reduced native cover slightly. Exotic species richness and cover were highest in burned areas. About 25% of the planted western hemlock seedlings died, mostly during the first year. Mortality was 64% higher in seeded, burned areas than in unseeded, burned areas. Final seedling height was 4% higher in the burned than unburned areas, and seeding rate had no effect on height. Results of this study likely would apply to similarly treated western hemlock plant associations in coastal forests.
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Claims 14
Claim · model-written summary
Burning doubled the production of seeded grass compared with no burning.
Verbatim
e0“The effects of burning (none, spring) and forage grass seeding (0, 22, or 44 kg/ha seed, plus fertilizer) on seeded forage production, native and exotic plant cover and richness, and the survival and growth of planted western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) seedlings on two clearcuts in coastal forest of western Washington, USA, were quantified over 5 years”
e1“Burning doubled production of seeded grass, but seeding rate (22 kg/ha vs. 44 kg/ha) had no effect. Grass biomass peaked in 3 years, then declined to negligible levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Seeding rate (22 vs. 44 kg/ha) had no effect on the production of seeded grass.
Verbatim
e1“Burning doubled production of seeded grass, but seeding rate (22 kg/ha vs. 44 kg/ha) had no effect”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass biomass peaked at 3 years.
Verbatim
e1“Grass biomass peaked in 3 years, then declined to negligible levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Grass biomass then declined to negligible levels after its peak.
Verbatim
e1“Grass biomass peaked in 3 years, then declined to negligible levels”
Claim · model-written summary
Native plant species richness decreased after burning.
Verbatim
e2“Native plant species richness decreased after burning, but after 5 years nearly equalled that of unburned areas”
Claim · model-written summary
After 5 years, native plant species richness nearly equalled that of unburned areas.
Verbatim
e2“Native plant species richness decreased after burning, but after 5 years nearly equalled that of unburned areas”
Claim · model-written summary
Seeding rate did not affect native plant species richness.
- Taxon
- Native plant speciese3
- Treatment
- seeding ratee3
- Outcome
- Native plant species richnesse3
- Direction
- unaffectede3
Not reportedComparator
Verbatim
e3“Native plant species richness was unaffected by seeding rate”
Claim · model-written summary
Native plant cover increased with time after clear felling regardless of treatment.
Verbatim
e3“Native plant cover increased with time after clear felling regardless of treatment”
Claim · model-written summary
In burned areas, seeding reduced native plant cover slightly.
Verbatim
e3“Native plant cover increased with time after clear felling regardless of treatment”
e4“In burned areas, seeding reduced native cover slightly”
Claim · model-written summary
Exotic species richness and cover were highest in burned areas.
Verbatim
e4“Exotic species richness and cover were highest in burned areas”
Claim · model-written summary
About 25% of planted western hemlock seedlings died, mostly in the first year.
- Taxon
- western hemlock
.jpg?width=60)
Tsuga heterophyllae5 - Outcome
- diede5
- Value
- 25%e5
- Qualifier
- mostly during the first yeare5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
.jpg?width=500)
Verbatim
e5“About 25% of the planted western hemlock seedlings died, mostly during the first year”
Claim · model-written summary
Seeding increased western hemlock seedling mortality by 64% in burned areas compared with unseeded burned areas.
- Taxon
- western hemlockTsuga heterophyllae0
- Treatment
- seedede5
- Outcome
- Mortalitye5
- Direction
- highere5
- Value
- 64%e5
- Comparator
- unseeded, burned arease5
- Setting
- burned arease5
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the survival and growth of planted western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) seedlings”
e5“Mortality was 64% higher in seeded, burned areas than in unseeded, burned areas”
Claim · model-written summary
Final seedling height of western hemlock was 4% higher in burned than in unburned areas.
- Taxon
- western hemlockTsuga heterophyllae0
- Treatment
- burnede6
- Outcome
- Final seedling heighte6
- Direction
- highere6
- Value
- 4%e6
- Comparator
- unburned arease6
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the survival and growth of planted western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) seedlings”
e6“Final seedling height was 4% higher in the burned than unburned areas, and seeding rate had no effect on height”
Claim · model-written summary
Seeding rate had no effect on western hemlock seedling height.
- Taxon
- western hemlockTsuga heterophyllae0
- Treatment
- seeding ratee6
- Outcome
- heighte6
- Direction
- had no effecte6
Not reportedComparator
Organisms pictured · Representative pictures of the matched species, not figures from the paper.
Verbatim
e0“the survival and growth of planted western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) seedlings”
e6“Final seedling height was 4% higher in the burned than unburned areas, and seeding rate had no effect on height”
The same questions in other papers
fire · growth · Tsuga heterophylla (western hemlock)Results agree
1 paper in the same direction as this paper
- positive
Claims are grouped by organism, treatment and what was measured or targeted. A paper counts as positive when any of its claims in the group is positive.