Evaluating the effect of precommercial thinning on the resistance of balsam fir to windthrow through experimentation, modelling, and development of simple indices

A tree-pulling experiment was carried out in stands of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) to evaluate the effects of early thinning on windthrow resistance. Forty trees from four stands were pulled over. Two stands had received a precommercial thinning 9 and 14 years previously, respectively, and the two others were unthinned controls. There were no significant inter-stand differences in the relationship between the critical turning moments required to overturn or snap the trees and their stem mass. The results were input into a model calculating critical wind speeds using the approach developed for the ForestGALES model. Simulations were run for four different stand densities. The mensurational characteristics for each run were taken from the results of a spacing trial established in balsam fir stands at Green River, New Brunswick. For stem breakage, the model predicted a gradual increase in critical wind speeds with wider spacing. The increase was smaller for tree overturning. The pattern of differences remained very similar after a simulated commercial thinning removing 30% of the basal area. Reductions in critical wind speeds were on the order of 4 m center dot s(-1) in all cases. Simple indices were developed that could estimate the relative results given by the model.