Effects of Various Silvicultural Systems on Regeneration in Mixed Hardwood Stands of the Southern Appalachians

This study investigated the effects of clear-cutting and several other commonly used silvicultural systems on regeneration at seven sites in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. These even-aged oak dominated stands ranged in age from 63 to 100 yr and were located on medium qualit...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of sustainable forestry 2011-08, Vol.30 (5), p.419-440
Main Authors: Atwood, Chad J, Fox, Thomas R, Loftis, David L
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Acer
analysis of variance
Appalachian hardwoods
canopy
clear-cut
clearcutting
commercial harvest
Forest management
Forestry
group selection
hardwood
hardwood forests
herbicides
leave-tree
Liriodendron tulipifera
Mountains
oak regeneration
overstory
Prunus
Prunus serotina
Quercus
Reforestation
seedlings
shelterwood
shelterwood systems
site index
sprouting
stems
stump sprouts
Sustainability
Trees
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Summary:This study investigated the effects of clear-cutting and several other commonly used silvicultural systems on regeneration at seven sites in the Appalachian Mountains of Virginia and West Virginia. These even-aged oak dominated stands ranged in age from 63 to 100 yr and were located on medium quality oak sites (site indices from 18 to 23 m, base age 50). The treatments evaluated included a clear-cut, commercial harvest, shelterwood, leave-tree, group selection, preharvest herbicide, and control.Mixed model ANOVA was used to analyze treatment response in five species groups: (a) oak (Quercus spp.); (b) maple (Acer spp.); (c) black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.); (d) miscellaneous overstory hardwoods; and (e) midstory species that typically do not occupy main canopy positions in mature stands. Response variables included stem density, importance value, average height for all regeneration, and the tallest 365 stems ha⁻¹. Comparisons were made among treatments, species groups, and between regeneration of sprout and seedling origin.Alternative systems with residual trees reduced the regenerations overall mean height growth compared to the clear-cut by 0.34 to 0.74 m. Current conditions indicate oak will be a lesser component of the future stand, represented mostly through stump sprouting, and maple will likely increase in proportion among all treatments.
ISSN:1540-756X
1054-9811
1540-756X
DOI:10.1080/10549811.2011.541020