{{short description|Forest management term}} {{over-quotation|date=May 2018}}
'''Conifer release''' is a term used in forest management circles to denote selective silvicide and herbicide use, in order to promote conifers at the expense of alternate species. An Oregon State University Extension Service specialist wrote in 2014 that:<ref>[https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/downloads/cr56n115b library.oregonstate.edu: "Introduction to Conifer Release"], EC1388</ref> {{cquote|On sites recently reforested after a timber harvest, competing plants grow quickly. Competition for essential growth elements—sunlight, moisture, and nutrients—often depresses the vigor and survival of the desired crop trees. Competition comes from grasses, broadleaf weeds (called forbs), shrubs, or less valuable tree species. }}
==History== Weyerhauser used Glyphosate as early as 1979 for its conifer release programme.<ref>{{harvnb|Ghassemmi|Dellarco|Fargo|Painter|1981|p=A-150}}</ref>
Scientists noted in 1997 that the below- and near-ground microclimates were affected by conifer release treatments.<ref>{{harvnb|Reynolds|Simpson|Lautenschlager|Bell|1997}}</ref>
Scientists at the Lakehead University used Vision (a trade-mark of Monsanto) in 1998 to suppress ''Vaccinium'' blueberry production and hence to promote conifer release in a jack pine plantation.<ref>{{harvnb|Moola|Mallik|Lautenschlager|1998}}</ref>
==List of herbicides== A partial list of common pesticides employed as early as 1981 for conifer release is found below.<ref>{{harvnb|Ghassemmi|Dellarco|Fargo|Painter|1981|p=iii}}</ref> *Amitrole *Aminocarb (Matacil)<ref name=":0">{{harvnb|Sundaram|Sundaram|1987}}</ref> *Atrazine *Dalapon *Dicamba *2,4-D *Fosamine ammonium *Glyphosate (Vision) *Hexazinone *Mexacarbate (Zectran)<ref name=":0" /> *MSMA *Picloram *Simazine *Triclopyr
==References== {{reflist}}
===Bibliography=== *{{cite journal |title=Effects of conifer release treatments on the growth and fruit production of Vaccinium spp. in northwestern Ontario |first1=F.M. |last1=Moola |first2=A.U. |last2=Mallik |first3=R.A. |last3=Lautenschlager |journal=Canadian Journal of Forest Research |year=1998 |volume=28 |issue=6 |pages=841–851 |doi=10.1139/x98-046 |bibcode=1998CaJFR..28..841M }} *{{cite journal |url=https://cfs.nrcan.gc.ca/publications?id=9848 |title=Alternative conifer release treatments affect below- and near-ground microclimate |year=1997 |last1=Reynolds |first1=P.E. |last2=Simpson |first2=J.A. |last3=Lautenschlager |first3=R.A. |last4=Bell |first4=F.W. |last5=Gordon |first5=A.M. |last6=Buckley |first6=D.A. |last7=Gresch |first7=D.A. |journal=The Forestry Chronicle |volume=73 |issue=1 |pages=75–82 |doi=10.5558/tfc73075-1 }} *{{cite book |title=Environmental Fates and Impacts of Major Forest Use Pesticides |year=1981 |publisher=Office of Pesticides and Toxic Substances, United States Environmental Protection Agency |last1=Ghassemmi |first1=Masgood |last2=Dellarco |first2=Michael |last3=Fargo |first3=Linda |last4=Painter |first4=Page |last5=Painter |first5=Pam |last6=Quinlivan |first6=Sandra |last7=Scofield |first7=Robert |last8=Takata |first8=Anne | oclc=1231777595 |location= Redondo Beach, Calif. }} *{{cite journal |first1=Kanth M. S. |last1=Sundaram |first2=Alam |last2=Sundaram |year=1987 |title=Role of Formulation Ingredients and Physical Properties on Droplet Size Spectra, Deposition, and Persistence of Aerially Sprayed Aminocrab and Mexacarbate in Forest Litter and Soil Samples |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=d5ekOigOK7gC&pg=PA139 |journal=Pesticide Formulations and Application Systems |volume=7 |issue=986 |pages=139–51 |isbn=978-0-8031-0970-4 }}
Category:Ecological processes Category:Habitat management equipment and methods Category:Forest management