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Third-year growth and bole-quality responses to thinning in a late-rotation red oak-sweetgum stand in East Texas

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Three thinning treatments were applied to an 80- to 90-year-old stand dominated by red oaks (Quercus spp.) and sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua L.) along the Neches River in East Texas: (1) unthinned control, (2) light thinning (70 to 75 percent residual stocking), and (3) heavy thinning (50 to 55 percent residual stocking). Three years after treatment, both thinning regimes had significantly increased diameter growth of individual trees, especially the red oaks. Thinning had little effect on the production of epicormic branches on butt logs of residual trees, even among red oaks. Within the range of residual stand density evaluated in this study, we found no differences between light thinning and heavy thinning in either diameter growth or production of epicormic branches by residual red oaks. Residual stand density, at least within fairly broad limits, had little effect on the initial response of individual red oaks to thinning.

Parent Publication

Citation

Meadows, James S.; Skojac, Daniel A., Jr. 2006. Third-year growth and bole-quality responses to thinning in a late-rotation red oak-sweetgum stand in East Texas. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-92. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 599-605
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/23472