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Efficacy and non-target impact of midstory injection in bottomland hardwoods

Informally Refereed

Abstract

The need for midstory control in bottomland hardwood regeneration work has been well documented. However, only a few research efforts have documented the efficacy of such efforts and the potential negative effects on non-target stems. This potential negative impact is extremely important in these stands where individual stem values are characteristically high. As part of an oak regeneration project, this study is designed to evaluate the efficacy of midstory control on target species as well as incidental damage to non-target stems. During this study, approximately 72,000 midstory stems were injected during August and September, 2009. These stems were located on 90 acres of bottomland hardwood stands within minor stream bottoms in northern Mississippi. All midstory stems except oaks which were ≥ l inch diameter at breast height (d. b. h.) received one hack per three inches d. b.h. and one ml of a 20 percent volume to volume Arsenal AC aqueous solution per hack. Ninety 0.025-acre plots will be evaluated in August 2010 to determine the effectiveness of the injection. Injected midstory stems within a plot will be recorded as dead or alive. All non-target stems on the plots will be evaluated for mortality or damage. In addition, any damage noted on non-target stems across the study areas outside the measurement plots will be recorded and reported. Results will be reported as percentages by species and diameter class. This information will be of great value to hardwood mangers using the wide spacing imazapyr injection method for control of undesirables.

Parent Publication

Citation

Alkire, Derek K.; Ezell, Andrew W.; Self, Andrew B.; Demarais, Stephen; Strickland, Bronson K. 2012. Efficacy and non-target impact of midstory injection in bottomland hardwoods. In: Butnor, John R., ed. 2012. Proceedings of the 16th biennial southern silvicultural research conference. e-Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-156. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 3-6.
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/41358