Influence of canopy structure on the survival and growth of underplanted seedlings |
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Authors: | John M Lhotka Edward F Loewenstein |
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Institution: | (1) Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0073, USA;(2) School of Forestry and Wildlife Sciences Building, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849-5418, USA |
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Abstract: | This study explores the indirect relationship between forest structural measures and initial seedling survival and growth
along a structural gradient between 64% to 92% canopy closure. The gradient was created by applying various levels of midstory
removal to fifty 0.05 ha areas located within a mixed-hardwood riparian forest corridor. Twelve yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) and cherrybark oak (Quercus pagoda Raf.) containerized seedling pairs were underplanted within each area. Canopy closure was estimated using hemispherical photography;
height-to-canopy and basal area were recorded at each seedling pair. Survival, basal diameter, and height were monitored through
two growing seasons. Species-specific mortality and height growth models were developed for one and two growing seasons following
underplanting. The interaction of height-to-canopy and basal area along with canopy closure were found to be the most strongly
related to mortality. Height to the forest canopy and initial seedling size explained the most variance in height increment.
Although the height increment models possess limited predictive power (R2 range from 0.22 to 0.36), both mortality and growth analyses emphasize the importance of quantifying vertical canopy structure,
along with the more commonly considered horizontal measures of forest structure (basal area and stem density), when evaluating
seedling development beneath a forest canopy. |
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Keywords: | Forest structure Regeneration Selection silviculture Uneven-aged silviculture Liriodendron tulipifera Quercus pagoda |
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