The effect of microsite on seedling establishment and growth
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Date
1985
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Publisher
University of New Brunswick
Abstract
The effect of the biological microsite on seedling establishment and growth was investigated at two field test sites. Six different microsite categories, created by the Cazes and Heppner (C and H) Plough, were described. Black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) BSP) seedlings were planted on 50 microsites of each category, at each site, in order to evaluate the relative effects of the microsites on seedling development. Differences in mean height, root collar diameter and volume increments between microsites were significant, at the 0.05 level of confidence, at one site but not at the other site. Seedlings planted on bare mineral soil and seedlings planted on undisturbed organic matter exhibited the worst growth at both sites. The ongoing influence of the control-release fertilizer Osmocote 18-6-12 is believed to have temporarily masked the expected effects of the microsites on the seedlings.