Development of Stump Suckers by Betula pubescens at Different Light Intensities

Young trees (4-5 year old) of Betula pubescens Ehrh. growing in a stand in the middle of Sweden (lat. 60 degrees 15'N) were cut in early June to stump heights of 0 and 10 cm. The birch stumps were exposed to different relative light intensities (100, 50, 25 and 10%) for 100 days until mid September. Five stumps per treatment were used in a randomized complete block with seven blocks on mesic dwarf-shrub type with low herbs and three blocks on moist dwarf-shrub type. The number of sprouting stumps was correlated with relative light intensity and forest type. 2.5 % of the stumps of mesic and 14 % of moist forest type did not produce suckers. On mesic forest type, 7% of the stumps exposed to 10% light did not sprout compared with 1.4, 3.0 and 0% at 25, 50 and 100% light, respectively. At stump height 0 cm fewer sprouting stumps were produced than at 10 cm. The mean height of suckers was significantly lower at 10% light intensity than at other levels. The number of suckers per sprouting stump was not related to light intensity but to forest type. More suckers were produced on mesic than on moist forest type. The dry weight of suckers was significantly lower at 10 and 25% relative light intensity than at 50 and 100%. On moist forest type, the dry weight of suckers was lower than on mesic forest type.