Light and regeneration patterns following silvicultural gap establishment in Quercus dominated stands of the northern Cumberland Plateau, USA

• Published in: Forest ecology and management 2022-02, Vol.505, p.119871, Article 119871
• Main Authors: Patterson, Clinton P., Hackworth, Zachary J., Lhotka, John M., Stringer, Jeffrey W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Edge effects; Gap-based silviculture; Irregular; Light transmittance; Oak regeneration; Shelterwood
• ISSN: 0378-1127; 1872-7042
• DOI: 10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119871

•Gap-based regeneration treatments yielded wide light transmittance gradient.•Edge effects drove light patterning within gaps and into surrounding forest matrix.•Oak competitiveness highest in gap edge locations.•Gap edge environment key locale for developing oak advance reproduction. We assessed short-term light and regeneration dynamics following silvicultural gap creation in intermediately productive oak (Quercus)-dominated stands of the Northern Cumberland Plateau, USA. We established 12 experimental units comprising a harvest gap (30-m radius) and a matrix zone extending 30 m beyond the circumference of the gap. Midstory removal was performed using manual felling and chemical deadening within the matrix zone of six experimental units, while those of the other six units remained undisturbed as controls. Belt transects extending 60 m from the gap center to the end of the matrix zone were delineated within each unit to quantify spatial light patterns and regeneration dynamics of oaks and woody competitors. Mean light transmittance ranged from 86% full sun at the gap center to50% of non-oak stems were taller than the average oak seedling (50 cm). At the gap edge and within the adjacent forest matrix,