Tests of age-independent competition indices for individual trees in natural hardwood stands

Recent studies have demonstrated that simple indices of competition that incorporate competitor size and inter-tree distances generally perform as well in predicting individual tree growth as more complex approaches of assessing spatial pattern. A major limitation of diameter-distance indices, however, is that their numerical values decrease in a given stand over time even when the stocking level remains constant. In this paper two modifications are proposed which make the index essentially independent of age, thus necessitating only one competition-growth regression for each species on a given site and allowing comparisons between different stands. Tests of several index designs in three evenaged temperate hardwood stands indicated that the correlation between competition and growth is optimal over a wide range of competition radii and that the inclusion of inter-tree distances is of little value despite considerable small-scale variability in the stocking level around individual trees. Highest correlations were obtained when competitors were defined to be only those trees of equal or higher crown class than the subject tree. In these hardwood stands a comparison of the size of a subject tree to that of the competitors was necessary for reasonable correlations with growth. These correlations varied greatly among species even within a single stand and appear to be related to the shade tolerance of the species. For general use the index (ΣD_j)/D_i is recommended, where D_j is the diameter of competitor j and D_i is the diameter of subject tree i. This index can be computed rapidly in the field and does not require mapping of stem positions.     

Performance of northern red oak enrichment plantings in naturally regenerating Southern Appalachian hardwood stands

The limited success of methods to naturally regenerate northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) has increased the use of artificial techniques to improve overall oak composition. Enrichment plantings are often recommended as a means to supplement species composition within the existing natural reproduction. Previous enrichment efforts have often resulted in low survival and poor growth, generally due to poor planting stock quality and a lack of competition control. In this study, high quality northern red oak seedlings were established on four recently harvested sites in western North Carolina using one of four competition control treatments (untreated, year 1 control, year 2 control or a weed mat) in a 1.2 × 1.2 m area around each seedling with or without a soil fertility amendment. The 3 year results show that competition control and fertilization treatments had few positive impacts on survival and growth of the planted seedlings. These results suggest that either the treatment area was insufficient to adequately release the seedlings, or other factors like belowground competition from existing advance reproduction and/or stump sprouts may be important determinants of the overall success of northern red oak enrichment plantings on recently harvested sites.     

Post-breeding bird responses to canopy tree retention, stand size, and edge in regenerating Appalachian hardwood stands

Avian use of even-aged timber harvests is likely affected by stand attributes such as size, amount of edge, and retained basal area, all characteristics that can easily be manipulated in timber harvesting plans. However, few studies have examined their effects during the post-breeding period. We studied the impacts of clearcut, low-leave two-age, and high-leave two-age harvesting on post-breeding birds using transect sampling and mist-netting in north-central West Virginia. In our approach, we studied the effects of these harvest types as well as stand size and edge on species characteristic of both early-successional and mature forest habitats. In 2005-2006, 13 stands ranging from 4 to 10 years post-harvest and 4-21 ha in size were sampled from late June through mid-August. Capture rates and relative abundance were similar among treatments for generalist birds. Early-successional birds had the lowest capture rates and fewer species (∼30% lower), and late-successional birds reached their highest abundance and species totals (double the other treatments) in high-leave two-age stands. Area sensitivity was evident for all breeding habitat groups. Both generalist and late-successional bird captures were negatively related to stand size, but these groups showed no clear edge effects. Mean relative abundance decreased to nearly zero for the latter group in the largest stands. In contrast, early-successional species tended to use stand interiors more often and responded positively to stand size. Capture rates for this group tripled as stand size increased from 4 to 21 ha. Few birds in the forest periphery responded to harvest edge types despite within-stand edge effects evident for several species. To create suitable habitat for early-successional birds, large, non-linear openings with a low retained basal area are ideal, while smaller harvests and increased residual tree retention would provide habitat for more late-successional birds post-breeding. Although our study has identified habitat use patterns for different species in timber harvests, understanding habitat-specific bird survival is needed to help determine the quality of silvicultural harvests for post-breeding birds.     

Individual-tree diameter growth model for sugar maple trees in uneven-aged northern hardwood stands under selection system

An individual-tree diameter model was developed for sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) in northern hardwood stands managed under selection system. We fitted long-term remeasurement data to a linear mixed model to account for the temporal autocorrelation of the remeasurements. The model was evaluated using independent data from two physiographic regions and representing a range of tree diameter classes, residual basal areas and years since cut. We compared our model to several individual-tree models based on data from stands with varied management histories. Several competition indices were also tested for an improvement in model fitting and prediction. Our model had lower bias and prediction error when compared to two previous models, as it better accounted for the increased diameter growth that occurred in trees from appropriately managed stands. The addition of a tree-specific competition index failed to improve model fit and predictive ability over stand-level basal area.     

Stand age and habitat influences on salamanders in Appalachian cove hardwood forests

We surveyed cove hardwood stands aged 15, 25, 50, and ≥85 years following clearcutting in the southern Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia to assess the effects of stand age and stand habitat characteristics on salamander communities using drift-fence array and pitfall methodologies from May 1994 to April 1995. Over a 60,060 pitfall trapnight effort, we collected 3937 salamanders represented by Desmognathus aeneus, Desmognathus monticola, Desmognathus ocoee, Desmognathus quadramaculatus, Eurycea bislineata, Gyrinophilus porphyriticus, Pseudotriton ruber, Plethodon glutinosus, Plethodon serratus, and Notophthalmus viridescens. Analysis of covariance with pitfall array to stream distance as the covariate showed that salamander species richness and diversity measures and numbers of Desmognathus aeneus and Desmognathus ocoee were highest in stands ≥85 years. Eurycea bislineata and Plethodon glutinosus were more abundant in stands ≤50 years old than in stands ≥85 years. Within cove hardwood stands, species richness and diversity measures and relative abundances of Desmognathus spp. and Gyrinophilus porphyriticus were negatively correlated with distance to stream. Species richness and diversity were positively correlated to amounts of emergent rock. Species richness, diversity and relative abundances of Desmognathus spp. were correlated with basal area within stands and extent of connected mesic, cove hardwood habitat and amount of cove habitat within 1 km radius among stands. Eurycea bislineata was negatively correlated with landform index, a measure of surrounding landform sheltering, and Plethodon glutinosus was positively correlated with elevation in cove hardwood stands. Our research indicates stand age is an important factor in explaining the abundance and community composition of salamanders in southern Appalachian cove hardwood communities. Because southern Appalachian woodland salamander communities are slow to recover and are substantially changed following disturbances such as clearcutting, populations in small, isolated cove hardwood stands might be more vulnerable to extirpation or may require longer recovery times than those in larger coves. Managers may need to assess habitat features such as cove extent and habitat connectivity to minimize impacts on these taxa by forest management activities in southern Appalachian cove hardwood communities.     

Long-term effects of single prescribed fires on hardwood regeneration in oak shelterwood stands

One of the arguments against using prescribed fire to regenerate oak (Quercus spp.) forests is that the improvement in species composition of the hardwood regeneration pool is temporary and multiple burns are necessary to achieve and maintain oak dominance. To explore this concern, I re-inventoried a prescribed fire study conducted in the mid-1990s to determine the longevity of the effects of a single prescribed fire on hardwood regeneration. The initial study was conducted in three oak shelterwood stands in central Virginia, USA. In 1994, each stand was divided into four treatments (spring, summer, and winter burns and a control) and the hardwood regeneration was inventoried before the fires. During the burns, fire intensity was measured and categorized in each regeneration sampling plot. Second-year postfire data showed marked differences in species mortality rates, depending on season-of-burn and fire intensity: oak and hickory (Carya spp.) regeneration dominated areas burned by medium- to high-intensity fire during the spring and summer while yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera) and red maple (Acer rubrum) seedlings dominated unburned areas and all areas treated with low-intensity fire regardless of season-of-burn. The treatments were re-inventoried in 2006 and 2007 to determine whether these fire effects were still present. The new data show that the species distributions by season-of-burn and fire intensity found in 1996 still existed 11 years after the treatments. The fact that fire effects in oak shelterwood stands can last at least a decade has important management implications for resource professionals interested in sustaining oak forests in the eastern United States.     

A basal area increment model for individual trees growing in even- and uneven-aged forest stands in Austria

Because of the gradual shift from pure even-aged forest management in central Europe, existing yield tables are becoming increasingly unreliable for forest management decisions. Individual tree-based stand growth modeling can make accurate stand growth predictions for the full range of conditions between pure even-aged and mixed-species uneven-aged stands. The central model in such a simulator is basal area increment for individual trees. Spatial information is not needed, and age and site index are intentionally not used to gain generality for all possible stand conditions. A basal area increment model is developed for all the main forest species in Austria: spruce (Picea abies), fir (Abies alba), larch (Larix decidua), Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris), black pine (Pinus nigra), stone pine (Pinus cembra), beech (Fagus silvatica), oak (Quercus robur, Quercus petraea and Quercus cerris), and for all other broadleaf species combined. The Austrian National Forest Inventory provided 5-year basal area increment from 44 761 remeasured trees growing on 5416 forested plots in the 1980s. This large sample is representative of forest conditions and forest management practices throughout Austria and therefore provides an excellent data base for the development of an increment model. The resulting increment model explained from 20 to 63% of the variation for all nine species and from 33 to 63% of the variation if the minor species Pinus cembra is excluded. These results compared quite closely with those of Wykoff for mixed conifer stands in the Northern Rocky Mountains. In the Austrian model, size variables (breast height diameter and crown length) accounted for 14–47% of the variation in basal area increment, depending on tree species. The best competition measure was the basal area of larger trees, which provides a tree-specific measure of competition without requiring spatial information; crown competition factor provided only minor improvement. Competition variables accounted for 9% of the variation on average, and up to 15% for some species. Topographic factors (elevation, slope, aspect) explained up to 3% of the variation, as did soil factors. Remaining site factors; such as vegetation type and growth district accounted for a maximum of 3% of the variation in increment. In total, site factors explained from 2 to 6% of the variation. Even though site factors account for a small percentage of the variation, they are not only significant, but serve to localize a particular prediction. These species-specific interrelationships between basal area increment and the various size, competition, and site varibles correspond quite well with ecological expectations and silvicultural understanding of these species in Austria. Because the sample base is so strong, the resulting growth models can be recommended not only for all of Austria but for surrounding regions with similar growth conditions.     

Five-year radial growth of red oaks in mixed bottomland hardwood stands

We studied the relationships among 5-year radial (diameter and basal area) growth of red oak (genus Quercus, subgenus Erythrobalanus) crop trees and predictor variables representing individual tree vigor, distance-dependant competition measures, and distance-independent competition measures. The red oaks we examined are representative of the commercially and ecologically important oak species of the bottomland hardwood forests of the southeastern US. The crown class score, a quantitative measure of crown class and tree vigor, performed best in accounting for the variability in tree diameter growth. Plot-level variables failed to account for a significant proportion of the variability in tree radial growth. The basal area of the first-order neighbors that were taller than the crop trees and located within 2.4 times the mean overstory crown radius had the highest negative correlation with crop tree 5-year radial growth. Red oaks were a major part of these competitors and likely exerted the greatest competitive pressure. However, crop tree radial growth was positively associated with the basal area of the red oaks which were indirect (second order) neighbors and which were taller than the crop trees. It is possible that indirect neighbors do not compete with the crop trees, but they likely compete with the direct competitors of the crop trees, thus having an indirect positive influence on crop tree growth. Such reasoning is consistent with previously observed spatial dependence up to four times the mean overstory crown radius. The findings may have implications for thinning hardwoods stands and crop tree management in that foresters need to take into account (1) oak intra-genus competition, (2) the negative competitive effect of direct neighbors, and (3) the potentially positive effect of the indirect neighbors, the competitors’ competitors.     

Changes in microclimate after stand conversion in two northern hardwood stands

Changes in air temperature, soil temperature, and soil moisture were monitored for 5 years in two northern hardwood stands after whole-tree harvesting and conversion to red pine (Pinus resinosa Ait.) plantations. Soil temperatures at a depth of 5 cm and maximum air temperatures 2 m above the soil surface were increased 5–25% after stand conversion. Soil moisture content at a depth of 5 cm was increased by 10–20% in one stand but not in the other. Differences in stand, soil, and topographical characteristics between the two stands did not have any apparent effect on the magnitude of air or soil temperature changes after stand conversion. However, higher initial stand density and soil water holding capacity appeared to be related to increased soil moisture content at one of the sites. The increased soil temperatures after conversion were not only a result of the removal of the northern hardwood canopy but also the removal and redistribution of the forest floor caused by whole-tree harvesting. Five years after stand conversion air temperature, soil temperature, and soil moisture showed no evidence of recovering from initial post-harvest levels.     

Solar equivalent leaf area: an efficient biometrical parameter of individual leaves, trees and stands

The solar equivalent leaf area (A(s)), a simply and easily determined biometrical parameter of leaves, trees and stands, was derived theoretically. The parameter is defined as projected leaf area weighted for the time integral of irradiance at a given location in the canopy relative to that of fully irradiated leaves at the top of the canopy. The efficiency of A(s) as a basis for estimating stand-area transpiration of a mature oak (Quercus robur L.) forest from measurements of transpiration by individual trees was compared with that of other stand and tree characteristics. Stand transpiration estimates based on A(s) were more precise and less prone to systematic error than estimates based on basal area, timber volume, projected tree crown area, projected leaf area, or leaf dry mass. Solar equivalent leaf area reflects both the amount and the physiological properties of leaves and can be used as a measure of tree size and functional capacity. It can be calculated from ordinary forest inventory data on trees and stands, adjusted according to simple phyllometric data. It appears to have wide application in ecological and forestry studies for relating the physiological characteristics of individual leaves to those of entire trees or stands.     

Vegetation response to strip cutting young hardwood stands in West Virginia

Three 21-year-old Appalachian hardwood stands were strip cut using three cutting widths (2.4-m, 3.7-m, and 4.9-m) and allowed to resprout. One year after strip cutting, we examined the vegetation response within the harvested strips relative to non-treated control areas, focusing on the sprouting ability of young hardwood stems and the herbaceous component for wildlife habitat. Results indicate the width of the strip cutting significantly affected the amount of biomass produced from stump sprouts (p = 0.042) and influenced species composition. Shade-intolerant species accounted for more of the biomass production within the wider cut strip widths, while shade-tolerant and shade-intermediate species were more prominent within the narrower cut strips. Cut strip width did not have a significant effect on the biomass of new seedlings germinating after the cuttings. Herbaceous vegetation was greater within the 4.9-m cut strips than in the control plots (p = 0.046); however, the amount of herbaceous biomass produced did not vary among months during the first growing season. Overall, our initial results suggest that strip cutting can provide benefits to wildlife and can possibly provide for additional biomass as the regrowth is harvested in the future.     

Nitrogen transformations and soil processes in a wastewater-irrigated,mature Appalachian hardwood forest

Wastewater bioremediation has been practised successfully in several forests without significant adverse effect on water quality of adjacent aquatic systems. However, long-term success of wastewater irrigation systems depends on an overall positive response of the forest ecosystem to substantial amounts of added water and nutrients over time. Municipal wastewater irrigation effects on the fate of added nitrogen in a mature Appalachian hardwood forest were investigated during the first 2 years of irrigation. Wastewater was secondarily treated, chlorinated, and sprayed on the study site at five rates. Forest litter N decreased on irrigated sites due to increased litter decomposition rates. Nitrogen mineralization potential (N₀) decreased greatly in soils irrigated at a rate of 140 cm year⁻¹ for 2 years. Net nitrification and relative nitrification (the amount of NO₃⁻-N as a proportion of the total mineral N) increased proportionally with irrigation rate. The highest irrigation rates increased denitrification activity and contributed significantly to the bioremediation process by removing nitrate that otherwise would have been subject to leaching. The increase in NO₃⁻ production in the soil and limited N sequestration by the forest system nevertheless resulted in a net loss of N via leaching. Nitrate concentrations of soil water increased owing to irrigation, with the highest rate at 11 mg 1⁻¹ on sites receiving 70 cm year⁻¹. During the 2-year period, the forest ecosystem experienced a net leaching loss of N that ranged from 14.8 to 105 kg N ha⁻¹ year⁻¹, depending on the application rate. It is likely that this mature hardwood forest will continue to lose N, and that little or no additional N will be sequestered.     

Models for predicting height and diameter of individual trees in young Picea abies (L) karst. stands

Models for predicting height and diameter of individual trees in young Picea abies (L.) Karst. stands were developed. Data collected in a large survey of young forest stands in Sweden (the HUGIN young stand survey) were used in the construction of the models. Models were developed both with and without competition indices included. When constructing the competition indices trees within three metres from the subject tree were regarded as competitors. Functions with competition indices included (distance dependent) will be useful in analyses of the development of stands with different stand structure, whereas functions without competition indices (distance independent) will be useful in systems for long‐term forecasts of yield.     

Influence of some hardwood barks as soil amendments onRotylenchulus reniformis reproduction and growth response of sunflower

Four hardwood barks (HWB) i. e.Acacia arabica (AA),Ficus sycomorus (FS),Morus alba (MA) andZiziphus spinachristi (ZS) were tried as soil amendments at 0.5, 1.0 and 1.5% rates w/w for control ofRotylenchulus reniformis and improvement of cv. Giza 1 sunflower growth under greenhouse conditions. All HWB with various concentrations significantly (P≤0.01) reduced numbers of larvae in soil, both females and eggmasses on roots, total final nematode population as well as the nematode build-up as compared to control. 1.5% rate of ZS, AA and MA barks were most effective in reducing numbers of larvae in soil, total final nematode population and the nematode build-up. Also, 1.5% rate of each of FS and AA barks were most effective in reducing numbers of females or eggmasses, respectively. On the other hand, the least reduction in the previous nematode stages and rate of build-up was observed with 0.5% dose of FS bark. Shoot weights were increased significantly with both of 1.0% and 1.5% doses of each of FS and ZS barks and only with 1.5% dose of MA bark. Both shoot lengths and root weights increased significantly with 1.5% dose of all HWB or with 1.0% dose of each of AA and ZS barks as compared to control. No significant increase in root lengths was observed. Generally, there were positive significant correlations between doses of HWB, each of the reductions in the previous nematode stages and increases in sunflower growth criteria.     

不同树种在落叶松林伐后更新生长情况试验

本文通过落叶松迹地不同树种更新生长情况对比,阐述了落叶松伐后不宜继续更新落叶松,而应更新刺槐的观点,为今后落叶松迹地更新开创了一条新路     

Diameter distribution of trees in natural stands managed on polycyclic cutting system

Diameter frequency distribution in a specific stand provides basic information for forest resources management.In this study,four probability models were applied to analyze diameter distribution of natural forests after selective cutting with different intensities (low intensity of 13.0% in volume,medium intensity of 29.1%,high intensity of 45.8%,and extra-high intensity of 67.1%).The results show that the skewness and kurtosis of the four models are positive except that of low intensity selective cutting,which suggest that the number of small-size trees dominate the stand.The more intensity of selective cutting,the wider range of diameter distributions.The diameter structure of selective cutting with low intensity met Weibull and Beta distributions;that of medium intensity met Weibull,negative exponential as well as Gamma distributions;that of high intensity cutting met Weibull and negative exponential distributions,but that of extra-high intensity could not meet any above model.Weibull distribution model fits better than others regarding the structure of diameter distribution in natural forests managed on polycyclic cutting system.The results will provide basic information for sustainable management for mixed natural stands managed on a polycyclic cutting system.     

Crown release improves growth of 20-year-old Betula alleghaniensis in tolerant northern hardwood stands

Twenty-year-old overstocked naturally regenerated yellow birch (Betula alleghaniensis Britton) were thinned near Thessalon, Ontario. Treatments consisted of either a control, or the removal of all competing trees at 1, 2, 3, or 4 m around the boles of the crop trees. The size of the openings created around the crop tree crowns was found to be more strongly correlated to diameter, clear bole length, and crown increment than the removal of competing trees using fixed distance from the stem. Crop trees responded well to thinning. Five-year diameter increment and crown diameter growth were positively correlated to size of the opening created around the crop tree crown. However, the relationship between height growth and size of canopy opening was weak. Clear bole length was found to be negatively correlated to the size of canopy opening. Few epicormic sprouts developed on the stems when all competing trees were removed at 1, 2, or 3 m around the crop tree boles. However, release at 4 m greatly increased the number and size of epicormic sprouts. Providing about a 15-m² opening around the crop tree crown, corresponding to approximately a 3-m removal of competing trees around the bole, provided a good balance between diameter increment and stem quality maintenance.     

Species composition and dynamics in two hardwood stands in Vermont: a disturbance history

Stand composition and structure utilizing stem analysis was studied in two hardwood stands in Vermont. In a mixed hardwood stand with some white pine and hemlock, a major entry of new trees in the main canopy seems associated with harvesting coincident with land exchange. More recent partial cuttings have promoted establishment of new seedlings or development of suppressed advanced-growth shade-tolerant beech, (Fagus grandifolia, Ehrh.), hophornbeam (Ostrya virginiana, (Mill) K. Koch), and striped maple (Acer pensylvanicum, L.). Very few sugar maple and red oak seedlings and saplings are present.

In a northern hardwood stand some red spruce (Picea rubens, Sarg.), that were 240 to 306 years old, became established before any known harvest, and exhibited release following harvests of the mid-1800s. This major harvest, coupled with the differential growth between spruce and hardwoods, and seed/seedling availability, resulted in a major change in stand composition. Trees now in the main canopy of sampled stands appear to have either been released or newly established following various harvests. Harvests have been of such frequency that natural disturbances seem insignificant. Many of the competitive understory species have become abundant following harvests of the 1960s and 1980s and may have been present as advanced growth and responded to the release. Following the harvest of 1981–1982, abundant yellow birch became established on skid trails. Elsewhere in the stand, yellow birch seedlings and saplings are only in great abundance in areas that were possibly sizable gaps following earlier harvesting.

The dynamics of tree entry and growth in gaps of small or large size probably occur in a similar way in many other stands of the region. Though the sampling of this study is limited, there is no suggestion of continuous tree establishment at any particular location, the new age classes seem associated with either a gap or stand replacing disturbance attributed to harvesting.     

Forecasting development of understory American beech after partial cutting in uneven-aged northern hardwood stands

American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) in the understory of northern hardwood stands can interfere with the development of more desirable species such as sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.). Yet, managers have had only limited methods for identifying stands where beech might dominate a new cohort. We examined five uneven-aged stands in New York State to determine the degree of influence that understory beech has on species development after a cutting treatment. No significant differences between stands were found, allowing us to develop a single model for evaluation. Understory beech was assessed using a species index value (SIV), which measures the proportion of stems, weighted by height, for a species on a milacre plot. We used a 5×5 transition matrix to compare pre- and post-cut beech importance levels. Stand-level trends showed an overall increase in the proportion of sample plots with higher levels of understory beech after cutting, with the likelihood of change on individual plots dependent on their pre-cut status. Plots with either no beech or very high levels of beech changed little after cutting, while beech was more likely to reach critical levels of dominance when pre-cut SIV was medium or higher. The transition matrix gives forest managers a means to forecast the probable level of future beech importance following cutting, based upon precursor conditions.