Altering successional trends in oak forests: 19 year experimental results of low- and moderate-intensity silvicultural treatments

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 2880-2895 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nicholas A. Povak ◽  
Craig G. Lorimer ◽  
Raymond P. Guries
Keyword(s):  
Forest Composition ◽  
Moderate Intensity ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Oak Regeneration ◽  
Widespread Application ◽  
Complete Dominance ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
Mesic Site ◽  
External Incentives

Intensive silvicultural treatments can sometimes prevent the conversion of an oak (Quercus spp.) forest to a forest composed of mesophytic competitors following harvest, but the required labor is a disincentive for many private landowners. In this study, shelterwood removal, commercial clear-cutting, understory control, and oak underplanting were conducted on mesic and dry–mesic sites in southwestern Wisconsin to evaluate the effect of these treatments on forest composition and to identify the least intensive combination needed for successful oak regeneration. Commercial clear-cutting, with or without prior herbicide spray of low vegetation and oak underplanting, resulted in nearly complete dominance by a wide array of non-oak species on both mesic and dry–mesic sites. In contrast, 153–903 ha–1 of the oaks that were underplanted on shelterwood – understory removal plots successfully achieved dominant or codominant status by age 19. Control of tall understory saplings was essential for successful oak regeneration on both sites. On the mesic site, oak underplanting was an additional necessary treatment, whereas natural regeneration was adequate in shelterwood plots on the dry–mesic site. The study suggests that successful oak regeneration can be obtained on productive sites in this region after a single application of a moderately intense silvicultural treatment, although the effort required for understory control may still be an obstacle to widespread application without external incentives.

Oak Regeneration Potential Increased by Shelterwood Treatments

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (4) ◽  
pp. 149-153 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard C. Schlesinger ◽  
Ivan L. Sander ◽  
Kenneth R. Davidson
Keyword(s):  
Hardwood Forest ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Density Level ◽  
Oak Regeneration ◽  
Regeneration Potential ◽  
Forest Region ◽  
Oak Trees ◽  
The Right ◽  
Method Show ◽  
Potential Tool

Abstract In much of the Central Hardwood Forest Region, oak species are not regenerating well, even though large oak trees are common within the existing forests. The shelterwood method has been suggested as a potential tool for establishing and developing advanced regeneration where it is lacking. The 10-yr results from a study of several variants of the shelterwood method show that on good sites in the Missouri Ozarks Region, a heavy understory treatment is most important, while on average sites, reducing the overstory density level is most important. The right combinations of overstory and understory treatments will likely be different for different stands and locations, but the shelterwood method does appear to be a useful silvicultural tool for perpetuating central hardwood oak forests. North. J. Appl. For. 10(4): 149-153.

scholarly journals Oak Regeneration in the Southern Appalachians: Potential, Problems, and Possible Solutions

1998 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 11-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
James E. Cook ◽  
Terry L. Sharik ◽  
David Wm. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Review Article ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Southern Appalachians ◽  
Limiting Factor ◽  
Oak Regeneration ◽  
Advance Regeneration ◽  
Southern Appalachian ◽  
Stump Sprouting ◽  
Low Levels ◽  
A Site

Abstract Despite the large volumes written about "oak regeneration problems" on mesic sites, very little has been presented on the extent of regional variation in oak regeneration. In this review article, we examine several important facets of oak regeneration for the Southern Appalachian region. We conclude that: (1) the amount of reproduction (seedlings and/or sprouts) is seldom a limiting factor because these oak forests have an average advance regeneration density of more than 9000/ha; (2) about 75% of all oak stems sprout after harvesting, which; (3) makes stump sprouts a major source of oak regeneration and a more important component than in the Midwest; (4) harvesting usually leads to an increase in the number of oak seedlings on a site (mean density for the first 3 yr equals 15,750/ha); (5) on sites of SI50 = 17-19m, oaks typically make up 25-40% of the canopy 2-3 decades after a harvest; (6) on sites of SI > 20m, clearcutting leads to very low levels (~10%) of oak representation in the subsequent forest, whereas a shelterwood harvest will result in 25-30% oak abundance; and (7) a harvest of an oak-dominated forest, without any other treatments, will lead to a 50-70% decline in oak. These results suggest that there is ample potential to regenerate current oak forests to oak, but new trials are needed with more species and on a greater range of sites. Increasing the size of the advance regeneration and maximizing stump sprouting are two ways to increase the amount of oak after harvest. However, regeneration cuts by themselves will not assure maintenance of the oak component; several treatments that have shown promise—midstory manipulation, fire, and weeding—are recommended for further study. South. J. Appl. For. 22(1):11-18.

Forest floor fuel dynamics in mixed-oak forests of south-eastern Ohio

2006 ◽  
Vol 15 (4) ◽  
pp. 479 ◽  
Author(s):  
John B. Graham ◽  
Brian C. McCarthy
Keyword(s):  
Repeated Measures ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Fire Regime ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Fuel Loading ◽  
South Eastern ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
Fuel Dynamics ◽  
Over Time

Silvicultural treatments alter fuel dynamics in forested systems, which may alter fire regime. Effects of thinning and prescribed fire on forest-floor fuels were studied in mixed-oak forests of south-eastern Ohio to examine fuel dynamics over time. Fuel characteristics were measured before, immediately after, and 3 years following fire and thinning treatments along 20-m transects (n = 432) following Brown’s planar intersect method. Measurements were taken to determine litter, duff, 1-h, 10-h, 100-h, and 1000-h sound (1000S) or rotten (1000R) fuel mass. Coarse woody debris (CWD) was sampled on 432 additional 80-m2 belt-transects. Repeated-measures analysis of variance with post-hoc Bonferonni comparisons was used to analyse the change in the fuels over time. The specific effects of silvicultural treatments varied over time with changes in larger, sound fuels (1000S and CWD) persisting longer than changes to finer (litter, duff, 1-h, 10-h, and 100-h) or less-sound (1000R) fuels, which appear to be more transient. Unlike in western North America where fuels accumulate over time, decomposition and productivity appear comparable in eastern mixed-oak forests. Aside from their impact on decomposition or productivity rates, silvicultural treatments appear to have little impact on fine-fuel loading in these systems.

Trends in the frequency, extent, and severity of spruce budworm outbreaks in eastern Canada

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 539-547 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. R. Blais
Keyword(s):  
20Th Century ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Spruce Budworm ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Eastern Canada ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
The Past ◽  
Spruce Stands ◽  
History Of

The history of spruce budworm (Choristoneurafumiferana (Clem.)) outbreaks for the past 200 to 300 years, for nine regions in eastern Canada, indicates that outbreaks have occurred more frequently in the 20th century than previously. Regionally, 21 outbreaks took place in the past 80 years compared with 9 in the preceding 100 years. Earlier infestations were restricted to specific regions, but in the 20th century they have coalesced and increased in size, the outbreaks of 1910, 1940, and 1970 having covered 10, 25, and 55 million ha respectively. Reasons for the increase in frequency, extent, and severity of outbreaks appear mostly attributable to changes caused by man, in the forest ecosystem. Clear-cutting of pulpwood stands, fire protection, and use of pesticides against budworm favor fir–spruce stands, rendering the forest more prone to budworm attack. The manner and degree to which each of these practices has altered forest composition is discussed. In the future, most of these practices are expected to continue and their effects could intensify, especially in regions of recent application. Other practices, including large-scale planting of white spruce, could further increase the susceptibility of forest stands. Forest management, aimed at reducing the occurrence of extensive fir–spruce stands, has been advocated as a long-term solution to the budworm problem. The implementation of this measure at a time when man's actions result in the proliferation of fir presents a most serious challenge to forest managers.

Spatial simulation of forest succession and timber harvesting using LANDIS

2000 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 32-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
Eric J Gustafson ◽  
Stephen R Shifley ◽  
David J Mladenoff ◽  
Kevin K Nimerfro ◽  
Hong S He
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Prescribed Burning ◽  
Forest Succession ◽  
Forest Type ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Size Class ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Wide Range

The LANDIS model simulates ecological dynamics, including forest succession, disturbance, seed dispersal and establishment, fire and wind disturbance, and their interactions. We describe the addition to LANDIS of capabilities to simulate forest vegetation management, including harvest. Stands (groups of cells) are prioritized for harvest using one of four ranking algorithms that use criteria related to forest management objectives. Cells within a selected stand are harvested according to the species and age cohort removal rules specified in a prescription. These flexible removal rules allow simulation of a wide range of prescriptions such as prescribed burning, thinning, single-tree selection, and clear-cutting. We present a case study of the application of LANDIS to a managed watershed in the Missouri (U.S.A.) Ozark Mountains to illustrate the utility of this approach to simulate succession as a response to forest management and other disturbance. The different cutting practices produced differences in species and size-class composition, average patch sizes (for patches defined by forest type or by size class), and amount of forest edge across the landscape. The capabilities of LANDIS provide a modeling tool to investigate questions of how timber management changes forest composition and spatial pattern, providing insight into ecological response to forest management.

scholarly journals Group selection harvesting supports diversity of forest specialist carabids

2019 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bela Tóthmérész ◽  
Tibor Magura ◽  
Szabolcs Mizser ◽  
David D. Nagy
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Environmental Changes ◽  
Control Area ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Pitfall Traps ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Specialist Species ◽  
Selection Harvesting

Increased fragmentation and considerable environmental changes in native forests caused by the timber-oriented forest managements are threatening the biodiversity of forests. As a remediation, uneven-aged approach is recommended during forest management, because this is less intensive and could be less harmful than even-aged practices. We tested the effects of clear-cutting (as even-aged method) and group selection harvesting (as uneven-aged method) on carabids in lowland oak forests. Pitfall traps and litter sifting were used during the study. We found that the total number of species was significantly higher in the gaps harvested by group selection and in the clear-cut than in the mature forests (control area). The species richness of forest specialist species was significantly lower in the clear-cuts than in the other area. Our findings demonstrated that the conventional clear-cutting caused a decrease in the number of forest specialist species. Therefore, group selection method should be favoured during forest management to maintain diversity.

Carbon dynamics of aboveground live vegetation of boreal mixedwoods after wildfire and clear-cutting

2010 ◽  
Vol 40 (9) ◽  
pp. 1862-1869 ◽  
Author(s):  
Meelis Seedre ◽  
Han Y.H. Chen
Keyword(s):  
C Sequestration ◽  
Stand Development ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Silvicultural Treatments ◽  
C Pools ◽  
Understory Plants ◽  
Standing Trees ◽  
Central Canada ◽  
Vegetation Carbon ◽  
Boreal Mixedwoods

Live vegetation carbon (C) pool dynamics are central to understanding C sequestration of forest ecosystems. Despite its importance, how aboveground live C pools change with stand development in boreal mixedwoods is poorly understood. We quantified aboveground live C pools (i.e., trees, >4 m in height; saplings and shrubs, 1.3–4 m in height; and understory plants, <1.3 m in height) in a postfire chronosequence ranging from 1 to 203 years and a postlogging chronosequence ranging from 1 to 27 years in the boreal mixedwoods of central Canada. The tree C pool of postfire stands increased from 0 to 109.2 Mg/ha from 1 to 92 years after fire and then declined to approximately 70 Mg/ha in 140- and 203-year-old stands. Carbon pools of saplings and shrubs and understory plants also changed with stand development and stand origin. Of the three age classes compared, postlogged stands had significantly higher vegetation C than postfire stands 1 and 27 years after disturbance, but there was no difference in 9-year-old stands. Higher values of live vegetation C in postlogged stands was attributed to live standing trees left after logging and silvicultural treatments that helped trees to establish during stand initiation.

scholarly journals Rodent-mediated plant community competition: what happens to the seeds after entering the adjacent stands?

2020 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Haibin Kang ◽  
Mingjie Chang ◽  
Shutong Liu ◽  
Zhi Chao ◽  
Xinping Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Seed Dispersal ◽  
Plant Communities ◽  
Pine Forests ◽  
Forest Community ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Scatter Hoarding ◽  
Dispersal Distances ◽  
Seed Fates ◽  
Developmental Dynamics

Abstract Background Seed dispersal by scatter-hoarding animals can affect the developmental dynamics of plant communities. However, how animals might participate in plant inter-community competition has rarely been investigated. Forest community junction is an area where the competition between plant communities is most prominent and animal activity is more frequent. At present, little is known about how scatter-hoarding animals might assist competitions by adjacent plant communities. Thus, for 3 years (2015–2017), we tracked the fate of 2880 tagged seeds (Quercus aliena var. acuteserrata, Pinus tabuliformis, and P. armandii seed) placed near an edge where the forest composition changes from a pine forest to an oak forest in northwestern China. Results We found that the seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands. In contrast to Pinus seeds, acorns that entered pine forests were characterized by higher caching rates and longer dispersal distances. Pinus seeds had the highest probability of being predated (85%) by rodents, and eleven Q. aliena var. acuteserrata seedlings were established in pine forests, although none survived in the later stages. In addition, rodents exhibited obvious selectivity in terms of the microhabitats for the seed caching sites. Conclusions Seed fates differed when Quercus and Pinus seeds entered adjacent stands. The predation pressure by rodents on the seeds of Pinus species limited the germination of seeds and seedling establishment in oak forests. The different seed fates after their bidirectional dispersal could affect the differences in natural regeneration between pine and oak forests, and they might increase the recruitment rates for oak at the edge of an adjacent community. Rodent-mediated seed dispersal could potential unintentionally affect the competition between plant communities.

scholarly journals Natural formation stands composition in clearings of XIX century oak forests (Tellermanovskoe experimental forestry IFS RAS)

2021 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 14-23
Author(s):  
V.G. Storozhenko ◽  
◽  
P.A. Chebotarev ◽  
V.V. Chebotareva ◽  
◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Tree Species ◽  
The State ◽  
Oak Forests ◽  
Late Nineteenth Century ◽  
Species Structure ◽  
Forest Steppe ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Xix Century ◽  
Mature Stands ◽  
Quantitative Indicators

The article presents archival information about the composition of the stands in the Tellerman experimental forestry of ILAN RAS, which were formed naturally on the felling of mature stands of the late XIX century in the upland oak forest and forestry care carried out in them. On sample plots in such stands, the species and layered composition of stands were studied, volumetric and quantitative indicators of the composition of tree species and stands were calculated, and the priority of the presence of various species in the formation of the layered structure of stands was determined. In the stands, the state of all tree species is determined, the quantitative indicators of natural renewal, the characteristics of which determine the species structure of the stands that appear on the area of continuous felling of mature stands. The studies revealed that in the late nineteenth century clear-cutting of mature oak stands formed a mixed deciduous forest of ash, maple, linden, elm mainly complex vertical structure without (or with small presence) oak in the dense undergrowth of the same species and the complete absence of oak undergrowth. Records of the state of the main tree species showed the highest points of weakening in oak trees, the lowest in ash and Norway maple trees. The method of reproduction of oak forests from stumps left after continuous logging of mature stands has shown its complete failure and contributes to the reduction of the area of oak forests, the loss of the gene resource of valuable species and the indigenous biodiversity of natural forest ecosystems of the forest-steppe.

scholarly journals RESOURCES OF WOODY PLANTS IN MYRTILLUS-TYPE BIRCH FOREST

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-101
Author(s):  
Chung Than' ◽  
Anatoliy Gryaz'kin ◽  
Ilya Syrnikov ◽  
Van VU
Keyword(s):  
Woody Plants ◽  
Birch Forest ◽  
Forest Composition ◽  
Forest Plot ◽  
Total Income ◽  
Total Cost ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Almost All ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Total Stock

The purpose of the work is the assessment of actual resources in myrtillus-type birch forest. The relevance of the research topic follows from the demand for natural resources deposited in the forest fund. Here, almost all the diversity of available resources is self-renewing without human intervention, most of which can be harvested annually. The results of material and monetary assessment of the main types of resources of a particular forest plot are presented using the example of myrtillus-type birch forest. Composition of the stand is: 65B21E8Al3Ols2Elm1Mp; relative density is 0.6; bonitet class — II; total stock of the stand – 344 m3/ha. The reserves of resources available on the forest plot were taken into account on the trial plot 100×50 m. Prices for all types of resources have been used as of 2019. It is shown that the cost of wood in the forest area is about 16% (200840 rubles/ha) of the total cost of all recorded types of resources. In the total volume, wood predominates - more than 36%. The share of industrial wood is slightly less - 34%. The total income from the sale of accounted species of wood resources in myrtillus-type birch forest with clear-cutting may amount to 1.1 million rubles/ha. Revenues from the sale of all types of resources without cutting stands make up more than 391 thousand rubles/ha. If you take into account other types of resources available in this birch forest (medicinal and honey plants, mushrooms and berries), then this amount will increase markedly.

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