Effect of gap size on composition and structure of regeneration 19 years after harvest in a southeastern bottomland forest, USA

McNab, W. Henry; Kilgo, John C.; Blake, John I.; Zarnoch, Stanley J.

doi:10.1139/cjfr-2020-0181

Title: Effect of gap size on composition and structure of regeneration 19 years after harvest in a southeastern bottomland forest, USA

Journal Article · Wed Aug 19 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Canadian Journal of Forest Research

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1139/cjfr-2020-0181· OSTI ID:1811473

McNab, W. Henry ^[1]; Kilgo, John C. ^[2]; Blake, John I. ^[2]; Zarnoch, Stanley J. ^[3]

USDA Forest Service, Asheville, NC (United States)
USDA Forest Service, New Ellenton, SC (United States)
USDA Forest Service, Clemson, SC (United States)

Following timber harvests in bottomland mixed-oak (Quercus L.) stands, desirable oak advance regeneration can be overgrown by shade-intolerant pioneer species. We investigated the effects of group selection opening size on composition of tree regeneration 19 years postharvest in an oak-dominated bottomland forest and compared results with earlier findings to evaluate development trends. In response to six opening sizes (7–40 m radii), we evaluated regeneration density and dominance of four tree species groups: conifers, hard mast, shade-intolerant hardwoods, and shade-tolerant hardwoods. Our objectives were to determine the optimum gap size for regenerating oaks and test the delayed oak dominance hypothesis, in which oaks slowly gain dominance as pioneer species undergo self-thinning. Opening size influenced conifer regeneration but minimally affected hardwoods. Hard mast species density was less than that of either intolerant or tolerant species regardless of opening size. Future stem density trends suggest increasing intolerant species and constant mast and tolerant species. Modeled future height trends suggest increasing mast species dominance over intolerant pioneers after 30 years. Furthermore, our results suggest that gap-based silviculture can be used to regenerate bottomland hardwood stands with desirable species including oaks; larger gaps favor conifers but there was no optimum size to enhance oak regeneration.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Cite

Export

Save

Research Organization:: USDA Forest Service Savannah River, New Ellenton, SC (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Environmental Management (EM)

Grant/Contract Number:: EM0003622

OSTI ID:: 1811473

Report Number(s):: 21-07-P; 21-07-P; TRN: US2213168

Journal Information:: Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 51, Issue 3; ISSN 0045-5067

Publisher:: Canadian Science PublishingCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

References (37)

The bottomland hardwood forest of the southern United States Kellison, Robert C.; Young, Michael J. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 90, Issue 2-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(96)03905-9	journal	February 1997
Vegetation Dynamics of the Forest Edge -- Trends in Space and Successional Time Matlack, Glenn R. The Journal of Ecology, Vol. 82, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.2307/2261391	journal	March 1994
A gap-based approach for development of silvicultural systems to address ecosystem management objectives Coates, K. Dave; Burton, Philip J. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 99, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(97)00113-8	journal	December 1997
Oak regeneration in southeastern bottomland hardwood forest Collins, Beverly; Battaglia, Loretta L. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 255, Issue 7 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2007.09.023	journal	April 2008
Improved harvesting systems for wet sites Stokes, Bryce J.; Schilling, Alvin Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 90, Issue 2-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(96)03907-2	journal	February 1997
Growth responses of 15 rain‐forest tree species to a light gradient: the relative importance of morphological and physiological traits Poorter, L. Functional Ecology, Vol. 13, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-2435.1999.00332.x	journal	June 1999
Challenges facing gap-based silviculture and possible solutions for mesic northern forests in North America Kern, Christel C.; Burton, Julia I.; Raymond, Patricia Forestry, Vol. 90, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1093/forestry/cpw024	journal	July 2016
Development of cherrybark oak and sweet gum in mixed, even-aged bottomland stands in central Mississippi, U.S.A. Clatterbuck, Wayne K.; Hodges, John D. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 18, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1139/x88-003	journal	January 1988
Using natural stand development patterns in artificial mixtures: A case study with cherrybark oak and sweetgum in east-central Mississippi, USA Lockhart, Brian Roy; Ezell, Andrew W.; Hodges, John D. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 222, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2005.09.029	journal	February 2006
The Demise of Fire and “Mesophication” of Forests in the Eastern United States Nowacki, Gregory J.; Abrams, Marc D. BioScience, Vol. 58, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1641/B580207	journal	February 2008
Selective depredation of planted hardwood seedlings by wild pigs in a wetland restoration area Mayer, John J.; Nelson, Eric A.; Wike, Lynn D. Ecological Engineering, Vol. 15 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0925-8574(99)00074-9	journal	September 2000
Height-Diameter Relationships in Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua)-Dominated Stands Lhotka, John M. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol. 36, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.5849/sjaf.10-039	journal	May 2012
Technical Note: Why Quadratic Mean Diameter? Curtis, Robert O.; Marshall, David D. Western Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol. 15, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1093/wjaf/15.3.137	journal	July 2000
Response of Quercus robur L. seedlings to north-south asymmetry of light within gaps in floodplain forests of Slovenia Diaci, Jurij; Gyoerek, Natalia; Gliha, Janez Annals of Forest Science, Vol. 65, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1051/forest:2007077	journal	January 2008
Woody regeneration in and around aging southern bottomland hardwood forest gaps: Effects of herbivory and gap size Holladay, C. -A.; Kwit, C.; Collins, B. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 223, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2005.11.004	journal	March 2006
Bottomland Hardwood Stand Development Following Clearcutting Bowling, Dale R.; Kellison, R. C. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol. 7, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1093/sjaf/7.3.110	journal	August 1983
Juvenile Tree Survivorship as a Component of Shade Tolerance Kobe, Richard K.; Pacala, Stephen W.; Silander, John A. Ecological Applications, Vol. 5, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.2307/1942040	journal	May 1995
Gap characteristics and gap regeneration in primary evergreen broad-leaved forests of western Japan Yamamoto, Shin-Ichi The Botanical Magazine Tokyo, Vol. 105, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02489401	journal	March 1992
Growth of Young Trees of Acer platanoides and Quercus robur Along a Gap- Understory Continuum: Interrelationships between Allometry, Biomass Partitioning, Nitrogen, and Shade Tolerance Niinemets, Ülo International Journal of Plant Sciences, Vol. 159, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1086/297553	journal	March 1998
A test of the delayed oak dominance hypothesis at mid-rotation in developing upland stands Steiner, Kim C.; Stein, Benjamin S.; Finley, James C. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 408 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2017.10.027	journal	January 2018
Modeling forest site productivity using mapped geospatial attributes within a South Carolina Landscape, USA Parresol, B. R.; Scott, D. A.; Zarnoch, S. J. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 406 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2017.10.006	journal	December 2017
Influences of herbivory and canopy opening size on forest regeneration in a southern bottomland hardwood forest Castleberry, Steven B.; Ford, W. Mark; Miller, Karl V. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 131, Issue 1-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(99)00200-5	journal	June 2000
Understory Light Conditions Associated with Partial Overstory Removal and Midstory/Understory Control Applications in a Bottomland Hardwood Forest Cunningham, K. Kyle; Peairs, Stephen E.; Ezell, Andrew W. Forests, Vol. 2, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.3390/f2040984	journal	November 2011
Impacts of White-Tailed Deer on Forest Regeneration in Northwestern Pennsylvania Tilghman, Nancy G. The Journal of Wildlife Management, Vol. 53, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2307/3809172	journal	July 1989
Soil-Seed Bank Survival in Forests of the Southern United States Meadows, James S.; Bonner, Frank T.; Haywood, James D. New Forests, Vol. 32, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-006-9007-6	journal	October 2006
Patterns of seedling and overstory composition along a gradient of hurricane disturbance in an old-growth bottomland hardwood community Battaglia, Loretta L.; Sharitz, Rebecca R.; Minchin, Peter R. Canadian Journal of Forest Research, Vol. 29, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1139/x98-187	journal	January 1999
Silvicultural systems for southern bottomland hardwood forests Meadows, James S.; Stanturf, John A. Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 90, Issue 2-3 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(96)03898-4	journal	February 1997
Growth and Development of Two Sweetgum-Red Oak Stands From Origin Through 29 Years Johnson, Robert L.; Krinard, Roger M. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol. 12, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1093/sjaf/12.2.73	journal	May 1988
Fire in floodplain forests in the southeastern USA: Insights from disturbance ecology of native bamboo Gagnon, Paul R. Wetlands, Vol. 29, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1672/08-50.1	journal	June 2009
Silvicultural methods of oak regeneration with special respect to shade tolerant mixed species von Lüpke, Burghard Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 106, Issue 1 https://doi.org/10.1016/S0378-1127(97)00235-1	journal	July 1998
Regeneration Patterns of European Oak Species (Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl., Quercus robur L.) in Dependence of Environment and Neighborhood Annighöfer, Peter; Beckschäfer, Philip; Vor, Torsten PLOS ONE, Vol. 10, Issue 8 https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0134935	journal	August 2015
Forest development in North America following major disturbances Oliver, Chadwick Dearing Forest Ecology and Management, Vol. 3 https://doi.org/10.1016/0378-1127(80)90013-4	journal	January 1980
Food abundance does not determine bird use of early-successional habitat Champlin, Tracey B.; Kilgo, John C.; Moorman, Christopher E. Ecology, Vol. 90, Issue 6 https://doi.org/10.1890/08-1190.1	journal	June 2009
Effect of gap size on mid-rotation stand structure and species composition in a naturally regenerated mixed broadleaf forest Lhotka, John M. New Forests, Vol. 44, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-012-9319-7	journal	March 2012
Height Growth and Site Index Curves for Cherrybark Oak and Sweetgum in Mixed, Even-Aged Stands on the Minor Bottoms of Central Mississippi Clatterbuck, Wayne K. Southern Journal of Applied Forestry, Vol. 11, Issue 4 https://doi.org/10.1093/sjaf/11.4.219	journal	November 1987
Herbivorous Insect Response to Group Selection Cutting in a Southeastern Bottomland Hardwood Forest Ulyshen, Michael D.; Hanula, James L.; Horn, Scott Environmental Entomology, Vol. 34, Issue 2 https://doi.org/10.1603/0046-225X-34.2.395	journal	April 2005
Canopy Gaps and the Two Major Groups of Forest Trees Whitmore, T. C. Ecology, Vol. 70, Issue 3 https://doi.org/10.2307/1940195	journal	June 1989

Similar Records

Delayed tree mortality and Chinese tallow (Triadica sebifera) population explosion in a Louisiana bottomland hardwood forest following Hurricane Katrina

Journal Article · Sat Oct 15 00:00:00 EDT 2016 · Forest Ecology and Management · OSTI ID:1811473

Henkel, Theryn K.; Chambers, Jeffrey Q.; Baker, David A.

Seasonal relationships between birds and arthropods in bottomland forest canopy gaps.

Other · Fri Dec 31 00:00:00 EST 2004 · OSTI ID:1811473

Method for applying group selection in central appalachian hardwoods. Forest Service research paper (Final)

Technical Report · Wed Mar 01 00:00:00 EST 1995 · OSTI ID:1811473

Miller, G W; Schuler, T M; Smith, H C

Related Subjects

60 APPLIED LIFE SCIENCES
dominance hypothesis
group selection
opening size
Quercus
self-thinning

Title: Effect of gap size on composition and structure of regeneration 19 years after harvest in a southeastern bottomland forest, USA

Citation Formats

References (37)

Similar Records

Related Subjects