SITE CHARACTERISTICS, GROWTH AND NUTRITION OF NATURAL RED PINE STANDSIN NEWFOUNDLAND

Red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) is rare (< 15 000 mature trees) in Newf oundland and is known from only 22 locations in the central region. Re d pine occupies 3 major site types in Newfoundland: 1) red pine on med ium-textured sands (RP1), 2) red pine on coarse-textured glacio-fluvia l deposits (RP2), and 3) red pine on Folisols over bedrock (RP3). The succession of red pine site types after cutting is from red pine to Ka lmia - black spruce (Picea mariana (Mill.) B.S.P.) for RP1, and to Cla donia-Kalmia - black spruce for types RP2 and RP3. Succession after fi re is usually to the pre-fire type, but this depends on the severity o f the fire. Although occupying a relatively poor site, red pine at 60- 70 years reaches heights in excess of 18 m, dbh in excess of 40 cm, an d individual tree volumes greater than 1 m(3) were recorded in 75 stem -analyzed fire-killed trees. Black spruce on that same site produces l ess than one-third that volume in 60 years. Merchantable volume of 140 -280 m(3) ha(-1) were recorded i.e., Canada Land Inventory (CLI) fores t capability class 5 and class 4 ratings. This raises the CLI rating t wo capability classes if red pine were occupying these poor quality si tes over black spruce. In terms of nutrition, even the best growing re d pine are nitrogen (N) deficient as shown by foliar analysis. All nat ural stands have foliar N concentrations below 1.3% which is the criti cally low level shown in the literature. Immediately after fire, folia r concentrations reach this level but are usually about 1% or less. Mo st other nutrients are low but are within the generally reported adequ ate levels in testing for P, K, Ca and Mg. Fire influences soil nutrie nt availability as pH increases in the RP1 type. Burning temperature a lso affects soil pH and the understory vegetation. The RP2 type loses more N in hotter bums on this site type and more N is tied up in these ortstein hardpan soils. The pattern of regeneration following wildfir e is related to slope, density, age and species mixture of the stand a s well as the thickness and composition of the duff layer.