Eight Plantations of Lodgepole Pine in West Central Alberta

Lodgepole pine seedlings in eight plantations established between 1972 and 1976 in west central Alberta had very similar early height growth compared with natural wildlings or seedlings which have grown on site from seed.Smaller root collar diameters, lighter seedlings, less root extension and growth, and possible development of shoot/root ratios exceeding 8.0 in planted stock later than seven years from seed germination, are the only measures to suggest that planted stock might be developing non-normal growth patterns in later years.The study showed that the planted stock maintained and increased its height-growth-lead over natural wildlings for at least four years after outplanting because of the head start in the nursery. This advantage represented an ever-decreasing part of the total seedling height and was estimated to have virtually no long-term significance because natural wildlings grew more rapidly in height than planted seedlings, year for year.