Effect of site characteristics and 1st- and 2nd-year seedling densities on forest development in a northern hardwood forest

1992 ◽  
Vol 22 (12) ◽  
pp. 1860-1868 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sally W. Thurston ◽  
Marianne E. Krasny ◽  
C. Wayne Martin ◽  
Timothy J. Fahey
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Stand Age ◽  
Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Site Factors ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
White Ash ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Seed Availability ◽  
Soil Scarification

Factors influencing the initial colonization and subsequent (18-year) survivorship of trees were studied in two clear-cut watersheds in the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire. Variation in microsite conditions associated with the harvest operations (e.g., soil scarification, slash) and physical gradients within the watershed were particularly important in determining 1st- and 2nd-year densities of pin cherry (Prunuspensylvanica L.) and yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britt.), whereas factors relating to seed availability and the presence of advance seedlings and sprouts were important in determining 1st- and 2nd-year white ash (Fraxinusamericana L.) density. The 1st- and 2nd-year densities of sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.) and beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.) were relatively independent of factors measured in this study and were probably related to both seed availability and the presence of advance seedlings and sprouts. Physical site factors immediately following clear-cutting continued to be important in determining the density of pin cherry and yellow birch at stand age 18 years, whereas 2nd-year sugar maple and beech seedling and sprout densities were the most important factors in determining the densities of these species 18 years following clear-cutting.

Regeneration of Northern Hardwoods in the Northeast with the Shelterwood Method

1991 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 99-104 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter R. Hannah
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Canopy Cover ◽  
Additional Treatment ◽  
Northern Hardwoods ◽  
Seedling Density ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
White Ash ◽  
Soil Scarification ◽  
Preferred Species

Abstract Study plots (1/4 ac) were located in four northern hardwood stands in Vermont, and shelterwood canopy covers of 40, 60, 80, and 100%, and a control (no cutting) were established. Regeneration on small plots within the treated areas was sampled over a 3-year period and the composition of saplings determined after 6 years. While there were substantial increases in amount of regeneration under most canopy covers, there was no significant differences due to treatment. Some important trends, however, were evident. Sugar maple showed some increase in seedling density under most canopy densities with up to 68,000 new sugar maple seedlings per acre under 60% canopy cover. Yellow birch did best under 40 to 80% canopy cover and with good soil scarification. White ash increased under most densities but was best at about 80% canopy cover. Competitors, beech, striped maple, and hobblebush, increased under most densities. At about 60% canopy cover and less, raspberries and blackberries, pin cherry, and other shade-intolerant species increase in abundance. Among regeneration less than 3 ft all after 3 years, preferred species outnumbered less preferred species by 5 to 1. Among regeneration over 3 ft tall when examined 6 years after treatment, the less preferred species, on average, outnumber preferred species by 2 to 1 (sugar maple 0-3430/ac, yellow birch 0-1920/ac, beech 200-2220/ac and striped maple 0-3130/ac). Most beech regeneration seemed to arise as root suckers. Small striped maple grew rapidly and assumed dominance among the regeneration when released. Northern hardwoods have diverse composition in the overstory, and much of the regeneration tallied after 3 years was already in place when the shelterwood cuts were made. Advanced regeneration as well as new regeneration is the key to success, or failure, if it is predominantly undesirable species. In implementing a shelterwood in northern hardwoods, 60 to 80% canopy cover seems good for most species. All trees below the main canopy should be cut to create a high canopy shade. Undesirable species should be controlled by cutting or possibly herbicides before or when the stand is cut, with additional treatment as necessary to maintain desired composition. North. J. Appl. For. 8(3):99-104.

scholarly journals Radial growth of hardwoods following the 1998 ice storm in New Hampshire and Maine

2003 ◽  
Vol 33 (2) ◽  
pp. 325-329 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin T Smith ◽  
Walter C Shortle
Keyword(s):  
Radial Growth ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Growth Index ◽  
Ice Storm ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Annual Increment ◽  
White Ash ◽  
Class A ◽  
Mean Annual Increment

Ice storms and resulting injury to tree crowns occur frequently in North America. Reaction of land managers to injury caused by the regional ice storm of January 1998 had the potential to accelerate the harvesting of northern hardwoods due to concern about the future loss of wood production by injured trees. To assess the effect of this storm on radial stem growth, increment cores were collected from northern hardwood trees categorized by crown injury classes. For a total of 347 surviving canopy dominant and subdominant trees, a radial growth index was calculated (mean annual increment for 1998–2000 divided by the mean annual increment for 1995–1997). Sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britt.), white ash (Fraxinus americana L.), and red maple (Acer rubrum L.) categorized in injury class A (crown loss of less than one-half) had mean growth index values of approximately 1.0, indicating no loss of mean radial growth after 3 years. For injury class B (crown loss of one-half to three-quarters) and class C (crown loss greater than three-quarters), growth index values significantly decreased for sugar maple, yellow birch, and red maple. For white ash, growth index values of classes B and C were not significantly different from those of class A trees. Growth index values of A. saccharum and A. rubrum in injury class C were the lowest of those measured. These results indicated that the severity of growth loss due to crown injury depends on tree species and crown replacement as well as the extent of crown loss.

Effects of clear-cutting on the vegetation and soil of an eastern hemlock dominated ecosystem, western Upper Michigan

1984 ◽  
Vol 14 (6) ◽  
pp. 914-923 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Hix ◽  
Burton V. Barnes
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Mineral Soil ◽  
Mixed Forest ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Eastern Hemlock ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Nutrient Contents ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Recreation Area

The effects of clear-cutting on the vegetation and soil of an ecosystem dominated by eastern hemlock (Tsugacanadensis (L.) Carr.) were studied at four locations along the boundaries of the Sylvania Recreation Area (Ottawa National Forest) in western Upper Michigan, U.S.A. The position of commercially clear-cut areas along the boundaries of the relatively undisturbed 8500-ha tract provided the opportunity to examine the probable effects of clear-cutting after an average of 46 years afterward. Clear-cutting resulted in the virtual elimination of hemlock from the overstory; it was replaced by a mixed forest of red maple (Acerrubrum L.), yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britt.), sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.), and balsam fir (Abiesbalsamea L.). The ecological species groups characteristic of the ground cover of the uncut plots were not substantially different from the groups now present on the clear-cut plots. The thickness, mass, and nutrient (K+, Mg2+, Ca2+) contents of the forest floor decreased significantly, and the acidity and nutrient contents of the upper mineral soil increased slightly. The replacement of hemlock by hardwoods has slowly decreased the acidity and apparently increased the rate of nutrient cycling. It appears that without major disturbance, such as fire, hemlock is not likely to regain dominance following clear-cutting owing to failure to regenerate naturally.

Compétition pour le rayonnement solaire en début de succession secondaire dans une érablière à bouleau jaune et hêtre

1983 ◽  
Vol 13 (3) ◽  
pp. 514-521 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. Bellefleur ◽  
G. LaRocque
Keyword(s):  
Solar Radiation ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Herbaceous Species ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Radiation Interception ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Surface Soil Temperature ◽  
Succession Secondaire ◽  
Rayonnement Solaire

We demonstrate that sugar maple (Acersaccharum Marsh.), yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britton), and beech (Fagusgrandifolia Ehrh.) compete for solar radiation against other woody species (noncommercial) and herbaceous species, following clear-cutting. The experiment was carried out at the Duchesnay Forest Station (Quebec, Canada) in a sugar maple – yellow birch – beech community and consisted of one control and two treatments: (1) elimination of noncommercial woody species and (2) elimination of noncommercial woody species and herbaceous species. The graph of solar radiation interception versus cover indicates that crown overlapping does not contribute significantly to any increase in solar radiation interception. Surface soil temperature is strongly linked to the decrease in solar radiation due to its interception by plants.

scholarly journals Decaying Logs as Germination Sites in Northern Hardwood Forests

1997 ◽  
Vol 14 (4) ◽  
pp. 178-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gregory G. McGee ◽  
John P. Birmingham
Keyword(s):  
New York ◽  
Forest Floor ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Ground Cover ◽  
Tree Regeneration ◽  
Red Spruce ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Northern Hardwood Forests ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Soil Scarification

Abstract While several authors have noted tree regeneration on decaying logs, the role that "nurse logs" play in maintaining tree diversity in eastern North American forests has remained unquantified. We sampled small seedling (≤ 5 cm high) densities of seven tree species on and directly adjacent to logs in two northern hardwood stands in the Adirondack mountains of New York. Polar ordination of 42 microsite plots revealed distinctly different small seedling communities on logs vs. forest floor. Yellow birch and red spruce densities were 24 times and 5 times greater on logs than forest floor, while those of sugar maple and striped maple were 8 times and 4 times greater on the forest floor. Maintaining a natural level (~5% ground cover) of well distributed logs can supplement site preparation techniques such as soil scarification to provide regeneration sites for yellow birch and red spruce, particularly in heavily stocked northern hardwood stands. North. J. Appl. For. 14(4):178-182.

scholarly journals Height Development of Upper-Canopy Trees Within Even-Aged Adirondack Northern Hardwood Stands

2004 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 117-122 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralph D. Nyland ◽  
David G. Ray ◽  
Ruth D. Yanai
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Growth Patterns ◽  
Betula Alleghaniensis ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
White Ash ◽  
Advance Regeneration ◽  
Canopy Trees

Abstract Knowledge of the relative rates of height growth among species is necessary for predicting developmental patterns in even-aged northern hardwood stands. To quantify these relationships, we used stem analysis to reconstruct early height growth patterns of dominant and codominant sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.), yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton), white ash (Fraxinus americana L.), and America beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) trees. We used three stands (aged 19, 24, and 29 years) established by shelterwood method cutting preceded by an understory herbicide treatment. We analyzed 10 trees of each species per stand. Height growth was similar across stands, allowing us to develop a single equation for each species. Our data show that yellow birch had the most rapid height growth up to approximately age 10. Both sugar maple and white ash grew more rapidly than yellow birch beyond that point. Beech consistently grew the slowest. White ash had a linear rate of height growth over the 29-year period, while the other species declined in their growth rates. By age 29, the heights of main canopy trees ranged from 38 ft for beech to 51 ft for white ash. Both yellow birch and sugar maple averaged 46 ft tall at that time. By age 29, the base of the live crown had reached 17, 20, 21, and 26 ft for beech, sugar maple, yellow birch, and white ash, respectively. Live–crown ratios of upper-canopy trees did not differ appreciably among species and remained at approximately 40% for the ages evaluated. These results suggest that eliminating advance regeneration changes the outcome of competition to favor species other than beech. North. J. Appl. For. 21(3):117–122.

scholarly journals Glaze Damage in a Young Yellow Birch Stand in Southern Quebec, Canada

2001 ◽  
Vol 18 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-18 ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard Zarnovican
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Ice Storm ◽  
Storm Damage ◽  
Linear Modeling ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Precommercial Thinning ◽  
White Ash ◽  
Hardwood Species ◽  
Log Linear ◽  
Ice Storm Damage

Abstract The relationships between three hardwood species, social position of trees, precommercial thinning treatment and ice storm damage were studied in a young hardwood stand in southern Quebec. The association between these variables was determined using log-linear modeling. Severity of the glaze damage was much higher for yellow birch than for sugar maple and white ash. As for the thinning treatment, yellow birch had the highest damage when heavy thinning from below was used. North. J. Appl. For. 18(1):14–18

scholarly journals Results of Research in Northern Hardwood Silviculture at Dudswell

1977 ◽  
Vol 53 (4) ◽  
pp. 223-225 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Roberge
Keyword(s):  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Poor Quality ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Artificial Regeneration ◽  
Research Results ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Clear Cutting

The stand improvement and regeneration treatments carried out by the Department of Fisheries and the Environment of Canada at Dudswell Experimental Forest in cooperation with Domtar Ltd. are producing results after 15 years of observations. These are directly applicable to management for timber, recreation, wildlife, and water in Quebec hardwood stands dominated by sugar maple, beech, yellow birch, or red maple. Research results indicate marked advantages, in stands of good quality hardwoods, of thinnings taking 30 to 40% of the total volume and of group or strip selection cutting, and, in stands of poor quality hardwoods, of strip clear cutting. Site preparation and artificial regeneration are not required to obtain a stand of a quality at least equal to that of the original stand.

Influence of cutting methods on natural and artificial regeneration of yellow birch in Quebec northern hardwoods

1977 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 175-182 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. R. Roberge
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Group Selection ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Artificial Regeneration ◽  
Selection Cutting ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Notable Increase ◽  
Artificial Seeding

This is an interim assessment of a thinning and of a group-selection cutting associated with various treatments to increase yellow birch (Betulaalleghaniensis Britton) regeneration and production. Ten years after cutting, improved quality, health, and growth rate of trees were observed where thinning had been carried out with a very abundant regeneration which was growing well in clear-cut patches. Ground scarification with or without artificial seeding stimulated yellow birch establishment, but the effects of stimulation did not last and had disappeared 5 years after scarification. Only planting resulted in a notable increase in stocking of dominant yellow birch still conspicuous 5 and 10 years after clear-cutting and in a percentage of yellow birch stems in the main story superior to that of the original stand.

Effects of Thinning, Patch Clearcutting, Site Preparation, and Planting on Development of Yellow Birch in Quebec

1988 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 248-251 ◽  
Author(s):  
Marcien R. Roberge
Keyword(s):  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Partial Mortality ◽  
Soil Scarification ◽  
Quality Health ◽  
Artificial Seeding

Abstract This is a report of a 1964 thinning and patch clearcutting to increase the proportion of yellow birch in a sugar maple-yellow birch stand in the Dudswell Forest. In 1984, 20 years after treatment, improved quality, health, and growth of thinned stands were observed. Dieback or partial mortality of the crown varied between 0 and 10% in thinned plots and between 25 and 50% in unthinned plots. Despite this dieback in unthinned plots, net growth between 1979 and 1984 was 6 m3/ha. The abundant natural regeneration was growing well, especially in the openings created by clearcutting. Soil scarification, with or without yellow birch artificial seeding, stimulated yellow birch establishment, but the effect did not persist and had disappeared by 1969 or within 5 years. Planting yellow birch increased the number of dominant yellow birch saplings in 1969 and in 1974 or for 10 years. In 1979, when the first release cutting was carried out in the patches clearcut 15 years before, yellow birch dominated in 4% of the subplots; this increased to 18% after the release cutting. From 1979 to 1984, released yellow birch saplings doubled in diameter and were of better quality than the unreleased ones. North. J. Appl. For. 5:248-251, December 1988.

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