Growth and provenance of Norway maple (Acer platanoides) in lowland Britain
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Growth and provenance of Norway
maple (Acer platanoides) in lowland
Britain
GARY KERR1 AND JOHN NILES2
1
Forestry Commission Research Agency, Alice Holt Lodge, Wrecclesham, Farnham, Surrey, GU10 4LH,
England
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2
Believer, May Road,.Turvey, Bedford, MK43 8DT, England
Summary
The results of an experiment to investigate the early growth and form of ten different prove-
nances of Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) are described. Two sites were planted and after 8
years survival was 88 per cent and 95 per cent and height increment was 402 cm and 201 cm;
confirming the potential of Norway maple to be a productive forest tree. Provenances that per-
formed well were from Germany, the Netherlands, Denmark and Yugoslavia; exact locations
were not known for all seed collections. A provenance from Russia was included, material from
this far east has rarely been tested in Britain. However, as expected, its performance was rela-
tively poor. The main constraint to further planting of Norway maple is the palatability of the
bark to grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin.). However, it is a useful tree for high pH and
heavy soils and as an alternative species to sycamore (Acer pseudoplatanus L.).
The earliest cultivation of Norway maple in
Norway maple (Acer platanoides L.) is the most Britain was probably at Edinburgh Botanic
widespread native maple in Europe (Santamour Garden when George Sutherland included
and McArdle, 1982) ranging from southern Norway maple 'Laciniatum' in his Hortius
Scandinavia and the Ural Mountains south- Medicus Edinburgensis of 1683 (Hadfield,
wards over the greater part of Europe (not west- 1957). The date of its arrival is therefore usually
ern France or the British Isles) to northern quoted as 'pre 1683' as in Mitchell (1981).
Spain, northern Italy and Greece, extending into Because of its vigorous early growth, desirable
the Caucasus Mountains, Asia Minor and form and size, capacity to tolerate urban
northern Iran (Figure 1). Its natural range is impacts, the fact that it transplants well and
similar to that of sycamore (Acer pseudopla- grows on a variety of soils, and withstands ice
tanus L.), the notable difference being that the and snow damage better than other maples, it
natural range of sycamore does not extend as has become a popular urban tree in Britain and
far north. The two species are very similar in North America (Nowak and Rowntree, 1990).
their silvicultural characteristics. Many of these species characteristics would
C Institute of Chartered Foresters, 1998 Forestry, Vol. 71, No. 3 , 1998220 FORESTRY
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Figure \. Native range of Acer platanotdes.
indicate a wider use in Britain but sycamore has very tolerant of exposure and calcareous soils
been much preferred. In the Census of (Moffat and McNeil, 1994). The ability to tol-
Woodlands and Trees 1979—82, sycamore was erate high pH led Kerr and Evans (1993) to rec-
reported to be a major forest species covering ommend that it is one of a small number of
49426 ha but Norway maple, although recorded species meriting wider consideration for chalk
as a separate species was not reported on indi- downland planting.
vidually (Locke, 1987). In Forestry Commission Evans (1984) rates Norway maple as having
woodlands sycamore forms 1560 ha whereas considerable potential as a forest tree in Britain,
Norway maple is recorded in a mere 65 ha (J. suggesting that in 30—40 years it can reach 18—22
Gilbert, personal communication); although m in height and, if thinned correctly, achieve a
these figures do not include its presence in stem diameter of 40 cm in 40 years. This view is
mixed woodland. well supported by the few published studies in
The optimum sites for Norway maple are Britain that have included Norway maple.
deep, fertile, moist soils which are adequately Williamson et al. (1992) describe an experiment
drained and have a pH in the range 5.5-6.5. on thin (30 cm) silty loam soil of pH 7.9 over
Evans (1984) states it is probably less demand- chalk in which Norway maple grew over 1 m in
ing than sycamore regarding soil fertility and the first 2 years. Willoughby {personal commu-
also appears to be able to tolerate drier soils. nication) reported that after 4 years the same
These tolerances have made the species one that trees were 3.4 m tall with maintenance of 100
can be recommended for planting on disturbed per cent weed-free conditions. Good growth has
land. It is intolerant of acidic soils, moderately also been reported by Buckley et al. (1981). The
tolerant of air pollution and heavy soils, and timber of Norway maple is similar to sycamoreGROWTH AND PROVENANCE OF NORWAY MAPLE IN LOWLAND BRITAIN 221
in colour, grain and texture but is marginally Randomized block experiments were established
harder and heavier (Brazier, 1990). Therefore at two sites, Hatch and Centenary Wood in
there is a strong body of evidence to suggest that Bedfordshire. At Hatch there were two blocks
it could be a major forest tree. However, the and each of the 10 provenance plots contained
Achilles' heel of the species, in common with 16 trees, and at Centenary Wood there were
sycamore, is that the bark is very attractive to four blocks and each plot contained 25 trees.
grey squirrels (Sciurus carolinensis Gmelin.). The trees were planted in February 1989 at 2 X
Although effective methods of grey squirrel con- 2 m spacing. The heights of a random sample of
trol exist, the lack of a co-ordinated, consistent trees were measured from each provenance after
approach to its control means that it is one of planting and subsequently the height of each
the main problems of producing quality timber tree planted was measured in February 1992,
from broadleaved woodlands in Britain (Kerr then annually until April 1997. In addition, in
and Evans, 1993). April 1997, the length of the longest branch was
There is little, if any, published information measured to enable form to be compared.
on the effects of provenance on the growth and The Hatch site (NGR TL159481) is flat, lying
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early form of Norway maple in Britain. The at 25 m a.s.l. and sheltered by a large hedge on
main purpose of this paper is to describe the the east side. The soil is a well drained loam
results of a provenance experiment, planted at derived from river terrace gravels with a pH
two sites, to investigate the early growth and 6.0-7.8. The Centenary Wood site (NGR
form of 10 provenances of Norway maple. TL061348) is a light clay soil (pH 7.4-8.1) devel-
oped from chalky boulder clay with gently slop-
ing ground and a southern aspect lying at 75 m
a.s.l.
Materials and methods All results were subject to analysis of vari-
Ten provenances from five European countries ance. Survival data were transformed by arcsine
were supplied from four nurseries (Table 1). before analysis, but actual percentages are
Table 1: Survival, growth and form of 10 provenances of Norway maple
Mean Mean
Mean length of height:
Survival (%) Mean height longest branch
Location height increment branch length
of seed Centenary (cm) (cm) (cm) ratio*
Country collection Codet Hatch Wood Both sites Both sites Both sites Both sites
Germany 8°3222 FORESTRY
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1992 1993 1995 1996 1997
Year assessed
Figure 2. Norway maple trials: mean height of trees at Hatch.
presented for clarity. Survival data are shown with a mean height increment of 402 cm (50.3
for each site separately but height, height incre- cm a"1) compared with 201 cm at Centenary
ment and form data were combined for both Wood (25.1 cm a"1). Over both sites, three
sites to improve the precision of the analyses. provenances HI, H2 and D2, were generally
taller than the others although only significantly
(PGROWTH AND PROVENANCE OF NORWAY MAPLE IN LOWLAND BRITAIN 223 branch showed that four provenances (Dl, R, (1984) could be achieved. Growth has also been Hu and Y) had short branches, but that only Dl relatively good at Centenary Wood which has a and R were significantly shorter (P
224 FORESTRY
(HI) and worst (Hu) of these seven provenances References
would be of some importance if the tree were Brazier, J.D. 1990 The timbers of farm woodland
being grown commercially. There were few dif- trees. Forestry Commission Bulletin No 91. HMSO,
ferences in form between provenances except London, 8pp.
that the shorter provenances also tended to have Buckley, C.P., Chilton, K.G. and Devonald, V.G.
small branches. 1981 The influence of sward control on the estab-
It is unfortunate that the exact location of all lishment and early growth of ash (Fraxinus excel-
the seed collections was not recorded as coun- sior L.) and Norway maple {Acer platanoides L.).
try-wide recommendations for provenance are J. Environ. Manage. 13, 223-240.
subject to large variation, for example the con- Evans, J. 1984 Silviculture of broadleaved woodland.
Forestry Commission Bulletin No 62. HMSO,
trasting performance of Dl and D2, both from
London, 232pp.
Denmark. These results are also of interest as Hadfield, M. 1957 British Trees, A Guide for
planting material from as far east as Russia has Everyman. J.M. Dent, London, 468pp.
rarely been tested in Britain. It would be Kerr, G. and Evans, J. 1993 Growing broadleaves for
expected to perform poorly and this is timber. Forestry Commission Handbook No 9.
Downloaded from http://forestry.oxfordjournals.org/ by guest on March 23, 2015
confirmed for Norway maple by the poorer sur- HMSO, London, 95pp.
vival and growth of the Russian provenance. Locke, G.M.L. 1987 Census of woodlands and trees
However, the experiments reported here demon- 1979-92. Forestry Commission Bulletin No 63.
strate that good growth and form of Norway HMSO, London, 123pp.
maple can be achieved from a wide range of Mitchell, A.F. 1981 The native and exotic trees in
Britain. Arboriculture Research Note 29/81/S1LS.
sources in Europe.
AAIS, Farnham, Surrey, 4pp.
Moffat, A. and McNeil, J. 1994 Reclaiming disturbed
Acknowledgements land for forestry. Forestry Commission Bulletin No
110. HMSO, London, 103pp.
The authors would like to thank Bedfordshire County Nowak, D.J. and Rowntree, R.A. 1990 History and
Council who established and maintained the experi- range of Norway maple. / . Arboric. 16, 291-296.
ments and Pamela Stephenson for help with assess- Santamour, F.S. and McArdle, A.J. 1982 Checklist of
ments. Dave West and staff of the Forestry cultivated maples III. Acer platanoides L. J.
Commission Research Agency's Technical Support Arboric. 8, 241-246.
Unit carried out the final assessment and Tracy Williamson, D.R., McDonald, H.G. and
Houston and Juliet Streeter analysed the data. Nowakowski, M.R. 1992 Vegetation management
during the establishment of farm woodlands.
Aspects Appl. Biol. 29, 203-210.
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