EFFECT OF DIRECTED BURNING AND SCARIFICAT ION ON NEWLY PLANTED SEEDLINGS AND THEIR INTERACTION WITH COMPETING VEGETATION

In 1990, a jack pine forest was clear-cut on an 15 ha area and divided into 40 plots. Tn 1991, ten plots were burned-over under varying cond itions to obtain different fire intensities and ten plots were scarifi ed. Each plot was planted in 1992 with red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) and white pine (P. strobus L.) seedlings. Survival rate and health of the seedlings was evaluated for the first two years after planting and the non-crop vegetation was assessed using a competition index develo ped for conifer management in Ontario. Our results show seedling survi val rate, health, biomass and height to be improved when planted on bu rned-over of scarified sites and that fire intensity influences certai n of those characteristics.