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Reproduction in Group Selection Openings 8 Years After Harvest in a Bottomland Mixed Hardwood Forest

Informally Refereed

Abstract

Eight-year reproduction was inventoried in permanent plots in 10 small patch cuts in a mixed bottomland forest by the Tombigbee River in western Alabama. Overall, there was adequate reproduction of commercial tree species (1174 stems per acre), but there were some scattered unstacked areas. The overall reproduction of oaks was relatively poor (an average of 340 per acre and less than 20 percent milacre plot stocking) and cherrybark, Shumard, and swamp chestnut oak reproduction was probably not sufficient to recover their proportions that existed in the preharvest overstory. Water/willow oaks were more successful than the other oaks and may attain equal or higher levels in the future stand compared to the preharvest overstory. Understocked areas in the patches resulted primarily from development of heavy woody vine and shrub cover, with grapevine the most important problem. The eight-year stocking of oaks originated primarily from advance reproduction less than one foot tall and from post harvest germination of acorns. The contribution of large advance oak reproduction was very small, due to the very low numbers present before harvest.

Citation

Golden, Michael S. 2002. Reproduction in Group Selection Openings 8 Years After Harvest in a Bottomland Mixed Hardwood Forest. In: Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS–48. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pg. 395-400
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/4791