https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/massey/oai:mro.massey.ac.nz:10179/12956
type: CreativeWork
name: Implications of tree management on poplar and willow pasture-tree systems : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Plant Science, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
description: Willow and poplar trees planted at wide spacing have proved their effectiveness as a biological method to control soil erosion in pastoral hill country. Due to lack of management, many trees aged 30+ years have grown very large (>60 cm diameter at breast height), resulting in excessive shading of understorey pasture. The large trees are also prone to breakage of branches and toppling during strong winds, potentially damaging farm infrastructure or injuring livestock. Management of tree size can coincide with providing edible poplar and willow foliage as a source of supplementary fodder in summer droughts. Trees can be pollarded, involving total canopy removal, but the effects of pollarding on tree root dynamics are poorly understood. This thesis evaluated the effect of the tree canopy removal on the root dynamics and root non-structural carbohydrate dynamics of pollarded mature willow and poplar trees and decapitated young willow and poplar trees grown from cuttings. Impacts of tree canopy removal when trees were at different phenological stages were also studied in pollarded mature willow trees and decapitated young willow and poplar trees. Finally, herbage accumulation under pollarded trees was contrasted with herbage accumulated under unpollarded (UP) trees and in open pasture sites (OP) away from direct tree influence. Pollarding did not impose a unique impact on the root structure of mature willow and poplar trees. However some similarities were found in both species. For instance, pollarding had its main impact in the roots closest to the trunk and above 300 mm soil depth. In these root sections disrupted by pollarding, fine root length and mass of pollarded (P) trees were, one year after above-ground removal, from 2× to 4× less than equivalent unpollarded (UP) trees. However, one year after pollarding, pollarded trees recovered or maintained the initial fine root densities recorded in the same trees prior to pollarding. The study conducted with young willow a…
abstract: Willow and poplar trees planted at wide spacing have proved their effectiveness as a biological method to control soil erosion in pastoral hill country. Due to lack of management, many trees aged 30+ years have grown very large (>60 cm diameter at breast height), resulting in excessive shading of understorey pasture. The large trees are also prone to breakage of branches and toppling during strong winds, potentially damaging farm infrastructure or injuring livestock. Management of tree size can coincide with providing edible poplar and willow foliage as a source of supplementary fodder in summer droughts. Trees can be pollarded, involving total canopy removal, but the effects of pollarding on tree root dynamics are poorly understood. This thesis evaluated the effect of the tree canopy removal on the root dynamics and root non-structural carbohydrate dynamics of pollarded mature willow and poplar trees and decapitated young willow and poplar trees grown from cuttings. Impacts of tree canopy removal when trees were at different phenological stages were also studied in pollarded mature willow trees and decapitated young willow and poplar trees. Finally, herbage accumulation under pollarded trees was contrasted with herbage accumulated under unpollarded (UP) trees and in open pasture sites (OP) away from direct tree influence. Pollarding did not impose a unique impact on the root structure of mature willow and poplar trees. However some similarities were found in both species. For instance, pollarding had its main impact in the roots closest to the trunk and above 300 mm soil depth. In these root sections disrupted by pollarding, fine root length and mass of pollarded (P) trees were, one year after above-ground removal, from 2× to 4× less than equivalent unpollarded (UP) trees. However, one year after pollarding, pollarded trees recovered or maintained the initial fine root densities recorded in the same trees prior to pollarding. The study conducted with young willow a…
author: Maldonado Garcia, Noel Mauricio
keywords: Pollarding, Willow, Poplar, Agroforestry, Research Subject Categories::FORESTRY, AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES and LANDSCAPE PLANNING::Plant production::Forestry
date published: 2016
date modified: 2026-07-27T20:18:03Z
provider: Massey University
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Massey University