Studies of interactions between coastal hardwoods and conifers (1121.01)

• To document the effects of differing amounts of red alder on soil nitrogen availability and the growth and yield of conifers, under varying site conditions
• To improve understanding of both the competitive and beneficial effects of red alder when grown with conifers

• Gough Creek 
• Waterloo Creek
• Holt Creek
• East Wilson Creek
• Malcolm Knapp Research Forest

• Douglas-fir (Fd)
• Western redcedar (Cw)
• Red alder (Dr)
• Bigleaf Maple (Mb)
• Paper Birch (Ep)

Additive mixedwood design:
50/50 mix of Fd / Cw planted at 1150 sph with varying Dr added at 0, 50, 100, 200 and 400 sph

Replacement Series:
Uniform planting density of 742 sph maintained while varying planted Fd and Dr proportions; 0/100, 50/50, 75/25, 89/11, 100/0. (50/50 Mb/Dr)

• Comeau, P. and D. Sachs. 1992. Simulation of the consequences of red alder management on the growth of Douglas-fir using FORCYTE-11. For. Can. and B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. FRDA Rep. 187.

• Comeau, P.G., G. Harper, B. Biring, P. Fielder, and B. Reid. 1997. Effects of red alder on stand dynamics and nitrogen availability FRBC Project HQ96400-RE (MOF EP 1121.01). B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Exten. Note 09.
• Comeau, P.G., G.J. Harper, B.S. Biring, and K.D. Thomas. 1996. Field studies of red alder-conifer mixtures. In: Proc. Designing Mixedwood Experiments Workshop, Mar. 2, 1995, Richmond, B.C. P.G. Comeau and K.D. Thomas (editors). B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Work. Pap. No. 20.
• Comeau, P.G., G.J. Harper, and B. D'Anjou. 1995. Effects of red alder on stand dynamics and nitrogen availability – EP 1121. For. Can. and B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. FRDA Memo No. 223.

• Comeau, P., P. Fielder, G. Harper, and K. Thomas. 2007. Assessing the competitive effects of red alder on coastal conifer plantations. FORREX For. Res. Exten. Partnership. LINK Newsl. 9(1):12–13.
• K.D. Thomas, G.J. Harper, P.G. Comeau, and P. Fielder. 2006. Effects of red alder on stand dynamics and nitrogen availability (MOF EP1121.01). B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. Exten. Note 76.

• Comeau, P.G., B. D'Anjou, and G. Harper. 1993. BC-B03 Effects of red alder density on conifer growth and nitrogen availability. In: A summary of vegetation management research 1993/94 (D. Dowsling, compiler). B.C. Min. For., Victoria, B.C. FRDA Memo No. 215, pp. 7.

• Cortini, F. and P.G. Comeau. 2008. Effects of red alder and paper birch competition on juvenile growth of three conifer species in southwestern British Columbia. For. Ecol. Manag. 256:1795–1803.

• Cortini, F., P.G. Comeau, T. Wang, D.E. Hibbs, and A.A. Bluhm. 2012. Climate effects on red alder growth in the Pacific Northwest of North America. For. Ecol. Manag. 277:98–106.

• Fang, C. 2018. Effects of red alder density on growth of Douglas-fir and western redcedar. MSc thesis. Univ. Alberta, Edmonton, Alta.

• Fang, C., P.G. Comeau, and G.J. Harper. 2019. Effects of red alder on growth of Douglas-fir and western redcedar in southwestern British Columbia. For. Ecol. Manag. 434:244–254.