Articles containing the keyword 'growth studies'

Growth-promoting effects of enhanced caron dioxide levels upon forest tree seedlings grown in plastic houses was studied in 1964 and 1965 in the Forest Breeding Foundation in Haapastensyrjä near Loppi in Southern Finland. In both years more vigorous height and weight growth, and development of root system was achieved when the CO₂ concentration was increased to 0.2% than in the normal conditions (CO₂ 0.03%). The CO₂ concentration was increased by burning propane in the plastic houses. Burning continued for four hours per day either at 8–10 and 14–16 a clock or 6–10 a clock. Growth was not affected by the time of the treatment, and it was equally high in 0.1% and 0.2% concentrations.

Treatment of the seedlings with 100–200 ppm gibberellic acid (GA) increased the height growth of healthy, well-rooted seedlings. Treatment with a concentrated (600 ppm) dosage, as well as treatment with a combination of GA and 1-naphtyl acetic acid (NAA) caused serious defects in grafts of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.). GA treatments did not induce flower formation in pine. Red light during the night seemed to enhance growth of grafts of silver birch (Betula pendula Roth) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) H. Karst.).

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

• Hårdh, E-mail: jh@mm.unknown

The objective of this study has been to discover some of the basic principles on which an increment for a large forest area might be forecast. Because the stands in a large forest area vary considerably in density and are subject to different kinds of treatment, the main interest falls on the stand characteristics which determine the increment percentage in such forest conditions as these. The material used in the study has been published earlier, it consisted of sample plots of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) stands (Nyyssönen 1954).

Increment functions are of great importance in the increment forecast for cutting budget. Because 60-80% of the variation in the increment percentage can be explained by stand characteristics in circumstances where the age of the stand is 40-130 years and the volume vary with a coefficient of variation 0.6-0.7, regression equations for increment percentage may be based on a number of sample plots smaller than in a growing stock inventory in the same conditions. It is possible to get accurate results with relatively small number of sample plots. Furthermore, the smaller amount of increment sample plots makes it possible to develop measurement techniques.

The increment functions enable study of increment as a biological process. However, conclusions about biological process on the basis of regression equations should be made with caution. Still, regression analysis is a powerful tool in yield studies.

The PDF includes a summary in Finnish.

• Kuusela, E-mail: kk@mm.unknown
• Kilkki, E-mail: pk@mm.unknown

The aim of the study was to investigate effect of growth conditions on germination and growth of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and Norway spruce (Picea abies (L.) Karst.) seedlings in greenhouse conditions. Germination of seeds becomes markedly slower as the soil temperature decreases. It seems that low temperatures affect more Norway spruce than Scots pine. When temperature rises, the fresh weight of the seedlings increases more in pine seedlings than in spruce seedlings. Accordingly, lower temperatures affect less the weight growth of spruce seedling than that of pine seedlings.

An experiment testing how root competition affect germination showed that adjacent seedlings decrease germination of seeds more than shading with branches. The effect was strongest on pine and spruce seedlings when the shading tree species was fast growing birch (Betula sp.). On the other hand, shading affected most height growth of birch seedlings. Growing space can vary in relatively large range without it affecting greatly tree growth.

The PDF includes a summary in German.

• Aaltonen, E-mail: va@mm.unknown