Objectives:

• To assess the effect on survival and early growth of three planted species, using:
  • selected methods of site preparation and their resultant differences in intensity
  • different sizes of stock as expressed in different cavity sizes
  • "Tiller stretch net" as a method of protecting the seedlings from ungulate browsing.
• To assess the effect of site preparation on selected soil micrometeorological parameters, and to relate these to differences in seedling performance resulting from site preparation.

Experimental Design:

Treatments:

• Three site preparation treatments are being tested. These are disk trenching, deep ripper tooth ploughing and shallow ripper tooth ploughing.
• Three species (larch, fir and lodgepole pine) in up to three cavity sizes (211, 313, and 415) were planted.
• Half the seedlings of each species-stock size combination protected with "Tiller stretch net".

Layout:

• There are three blocks, each containing three plots.
• One site preparation treatment is randomly allocated to each plot.
• In half of each plot, the seedlings are protected by the nets, in the other half, they are not.
• In each half plot, there is one line of each species-stock size combination, seven lines of 25 seedlings in all.

History:

• 1991 - Layout and site preparation
• 1992 - Plantation and first assessment
• 1993 - Second year assessment
• 1994 - Third year assessment

Status: Dormant

Reports and Publications:
None to date.

Comments:

This project was established by Chris Thompson. Since his retirement, it has been overseen by Deb Delong.