Long-term snag and downed woody debris dynamics under periodic surface fire, fire suppression, and shelterwood management

2009 ◽  
Vol 39 (9) ◽  
pp. 1709-1721 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark C. Vanderwel ◽  
Jay R. Malcolm ◽  
Sandy M. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Periodic Surface ◽  
Surface Fire ◽  
Harvest Residues ◽  
Partial Harvesting ◽  
Fire Scenarios ◽  
Downed Woody Debris

There are pronounced differences in the processes that act to determine the type and amount of standing and downed coarse woody debris present under partial harvesting versus other noncatastrophic disturbances. To evaluate long-term differences in snag and downed woody debris (DWD) dynamics, we developed a simulation model to project snag density and DWD volume by size and decay class in white pine ( Pinus strobus L.) and red pine ( Pinus resinosa Ait.) dominated stands under (i) a high-retention shelterwood system, (ii) periodic surface fire, and (iii) fire suppression. Snag densities under a high-retention shelterwood system were consistently lower than those in the fire-suppression and surface-fire scenarios, even if no large snags were felled at the time of harvest. Regular inputs from harvest residues were important in maintaining the total volume of DWD, but this material tended to be concentrated in a narrow range of decay classes at any given time. Preserving existing DWD at harvest was less influential than the level of inputs from harvest residues. Active measures for snag creation and staggering of harvest stages among adjacent stands may help minimize differences in the overall supply and temporal variation of coarse woody debris between managed and both naturally disturbed and old-growth stands.

scholarly journals Decomposition of coarse woody debris in a long‐term litter manipulation experiment: A focus on nutrient availability

2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (4) ◽  
pp. 1128-1138 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evan M. Gora ◽  
Emma J. Sayer ◽  
Benjamin L. Turner ◽  
Edmund V. J. Tanner
Keyword(s):  
Nutrient Availability ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Litter Manipulation ◽  
Manipulation Experiment

Coarse woody debris in mid-aged stands: abandoned agricultural versus long-term forest land

2005 ◽  
Vol 35 (6) ◽  
pp. 1502-1506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Asko Lõhmus ◽  
Piret Lõhmus
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Dead Wood ◽  
No Reduction ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Large Diameter ◽  
Timber Harvesting ◽  
Forest Land ◽  
Successional Forests ◽  
Agricultural Areas

During the 20th century, large agricultural areas in Eastern Europe became forested after their abandonment. To explore the value of these new forests for biota, we assessed volumes of coarse woody debris (CWD) on random transects in mid-aged (40–75 years old) stands. In mixed and deciduous forests that were not forested in the 1930s, downed tree (log) volumes were about two times lower than in cutover sites. The effect on snag volume depended on site type and was generally nonsignificant. Large-diameter CWD showed similar proportions in the long-term and new forest areas, but large, well-decayed trunks tended to be less frequent in the latter. No reduction of dead wood volume was found in new pine stands, 98% of which had previously been classified as mires (bogs). Hence the origin of mid-aged successional forests had affected their CWD supply (particularly logs) to some extent, but the general scarcity of CWD all over the forest land indicated much larger (at least five-fold) losses due to timber harvesting. We conclude that naturally reforested areas should not be automatically excluded from reserve establishment or other CWD-related conservation programmes.

The effects of variable retention forestry on coarse woody debris dynamics and concomitant impacts on American marten habitat after 27 years

2020 ◽  
Vol 50 (9) ◽  
pp. 925-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ingrid Farnell ◽  
Ché Elkin ◽  
Erica Lilles ◽  
Anne-Marie Roberts ◽  
Michelle Venter
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Multiple Use ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
American Marten ◽  
Habitat Features ◽  
Decay Class ◽  
Retention Forestry ◽  
The Impact

Coarse woody debris (CWD) in the form of logs, downed wood, stumps and large tree limbs is an important structural habitat feature for many small mammal species, including the American marten (Martes americana). At a long-term experimental trial in northern temperate hemlock-cedar forests of British Columbia, Canada, we analysed the impact of varying amounts of overstory basal area retention: 0% (clearcut), 40%, 70%, and 100% (unharvested) on CWD volume, decay class, and inputs from windthrow over 27 years. We used CWD attributes (diameter, length, decay class, and height above the ground) known to be favourable for martens to create an index for assessing the impact of harvesting intensity on CWD habitat features. Stands with 70% retention had CWD attributes that resulted in CWD habitat features similar to unharvested stands. Clearcuts contained pieces that were smaller, more decayed, and closer to the ground, which contributed to a habitat that was less valuable, compared with stands that had higher retention. Over the 27-year period, windthrown trees were the majority of CWD inputs, and volume change was positively related to percent retention. Our results highlight that forest management influences CWD size and input dynamics over multiple decades, and the need for consideration of these impacts when undertaking long-term multiple-use forestry planning.

The Effect and Extent of Railroad Tie Drives in Streams of Southeastern Wyoming

1994 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 125-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Michael K. Young ◽  
David Haire ◽  
Michael A. Bozek
Keyword(s):  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Riparian Vegetation ◽  
Riparian Zone ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Channel Structure ◽  
National Forest ◽  
Stream Channel ◽  
Riparian Trees ◽  
Large Trees

Abstract Millions of railroad ties were floated (driven) down streams in southeastern Wyoming between 1868 and 1940. We identified 61 tie-driven streams in or near the Medicine Bow National Forest. We hypothesized that tie drives, and the stream clearing associated with driving, altered channel morphology and riparian vegetation. When comparing stream reaches of similar width and gradient, we found that tie-driven stream reaches contained less coarse woody debris and had significantly lower densities of large riparian trees than did unaffected reaches. Tie-driven reaches had lower channel complexity, a greater proportion of riffles, and fewer plunge and dammed pools than did unaffected reaches. We found significant relations among characteristics of the riparian trees, coarse woody debris, and stream channel structure. Recovery of the affected reaches may be contingent on the long-term increase in large trees in the riparian zone. West. J. Appl. For. 9(4):125-130.

Contrasting downed woody debris dynamics in managed and unmanaged northern hardwood stands

2008 ◽  
Vol 38 (11) ◽  
pp. 2850-2861 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark C. Vanderwel ◽  
Hilary C. Thorpe ◽  
Jennifer L. Shuter ◽  
John P. Caspersen ◽  
Sean C. Thomas
Keyword(s):  
Matrix Model ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Fruiting Bodies ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Decay Class ◽  
Species Type ◽  
Downed Woody Debris ◽  
Cut Surface ◽  
Selection Silviculture

The reported effects of selection silviculture on downed woody debris (DWD) vary. To investigate the processes underlying potential management impacts on DWD stocks and fluxes, we conducted a repeated census of downed wood in selection-harvested, selectively harvested, and unmanaged (old-growth) stands in central Ontario. DWD was significantly more abundant in stands harvested within the last 20 years than in stands harvested earlier, and shifted towards more advanced decay classes over the first 20 years after harvest. These results are consistent with persistence of a harvest-related DWD pulse for up to two decades in managed stands. The transition of DWD from early and middle decay classes to more advanced decay classes proceeded more slowly in managed than unmanaged stands. Species type, identity of fungal fruiting bodies, presence of a cut surface, and plot moisture class were significant predictors of variation in decay dynamics within particular decay classes; however, these factors did not account for observed differences in decay-class transitions between managed and unmanaged stands. A decay class matrix model projected DWD half-lives of 19 years for unmanaged stands and 21 years for managed stands. Over the long term, slower decay dynamics may help somewhat in maintaining relatively high DWD abundances in stands managed under selection silviculture.

The relationship between forest management and amphibian ecology: a review of the North American literature

1995 ◽  
Vol 3 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 230-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Phillip G. deMaynadier ◽  
Malcolm L. Hunter Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Forest Management ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Long Term Effects ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Forest Practices ◽  
Logging Roads

Questions about the compatibility of forest harvesting practices and conservation of biological diversity are largely driven by concerns that habitat quality for many species may be degraded in intensively managed forest landscapes. We review the literature on relationships between common forest harvesting practices and the distribution and abundance of amphibians, a group that has attracted considerable attention in recent years because of their potential ecological importance in forest ecosystems and because of reports of widespread population declines. Clear-cut harvesting generally has negative short-term impacts on local amphibian populations, especially salamanders. An analysis of the results of 18 studies that examined the effects of clear-cutting on amphibians yielded a 3.5-fold median difference in abundance of amphibians on controls over clear-cuts. However, research on the influence of forest age suggests that the long-term effects of forest harvesting on amphibians are variable, and for many species these effects can be mitigated if regeneration practices leave adequate microhabitat structure intact. In contrast, long-term effects can be significant in forest plantations, which are often associated with intensive site preparations and stand management practices that modify levels of coarse woody debris and other microhabitats. Other forest practices reviewed for their effect on amphibians include prescribed fire, logging roads, and streamside harvesting. We discuss problems commonly encountered in the experimental design and measurement of forest amphibian populations, including a notable lack of pretreatment data, and outline several aspects of amphibian–forestry relationships in need of further research. Management recommendations relevant to conserving upland and riparian zone amphibian habitat during forest harvesting are offered.Key words: amphibians, clear-cutting, coarse woody debris, forest management, logging roads, plantations, prescribed fire, riparian, succession.

scholarly journals The Role of Postfire Coarse Woody Debris in Aspen Regeneration

2001 ◽  
Vol 16 (2) ◽  
pp. 61-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.J. Ripple ◽  
E.J. Larsen
Keyword(s):  
Populus Tremuloides ◽  
Cervus Elaphus ◽  
Coarse Woody Debris ◽  
Fire Suppression ◽  
Woody Debris ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Ungulate Browsing ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
Climate Fluctuation

Abstract The paucity of aspen (Populus tremuloides) regeneration in the western United States and on Yellowstone National Park's (YNP) northern range has been of concern to managers and scientists for much of the 20th century, with the effects of ungulate browsing, climate fluctuation, and fire suppression being vigorously debated. We analyzed the interaction of fire and elk (Cervus elaphus) browsing in YNP, specifically the role of coarse woody debris as a mechanism for assisting aspen regeneration. We hypothesized that fallen conifers killed in the 1988 YNP fires would provide refugia, allowing a limited amount of aspen regeneration under the current levels of heavy ungulate browsing. We located burned sites on YNP's northern range and searched for “jackstraw piles,” where fallen conifers provided aspen refugia from ungulate browsing. We discovered that aspen suckers protected by fallen conifer barriers were on average over two times the height of adjacent unprotected suckers. Paired t-tests showed a highly significant difference between the aspen heights within the protected jackstraw sites (>0.8 m high) and those in the open that were subjected to elk browsing (P = 0.000). These results illustrate the role that fallen conifers can play in aspen regeneration as well as the interaction of the ecological processes of wildfire, ungulate browsing, and seral stage development. West. J. Appl. For. 16(2):61–64.

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