Abstract
Forest stands with advanced symptoms of forest decline located on the Allegheny National Forest in northwestern Pennsylvania were studied to describe contemporary stand structure and composition, and the status of regeneration. Across all 340 stands, 12 percent of the total basal area per acre was in dead trees and 16 percent was in trees at high risk of mortality. For sugar maple, 59 percent of the basal area was dead or at risk. Prior to recent mortality, sugar maple was the dominant species; now it ranks third behind black cherry and red maple. Beech and red maple were the other important decline species, with 28 and 20 percent of their basal area dead or at risk, respectively. Regeneration was adequate in only 8 percent of the sampled stands. Vegetation that interferes with regeneration was prevalent throughout the stands sampled. Sparse regeneration and the abundance of interfering vegetation raise serious concerns about regeneration and maintenance of forest cover.
Citation
McWilliams, William H.; White, Robert; Arner, Stanford L.; Nowak, Christopher, A.; Stout, Susan L. 1996. Characteristics of Declining Forest Stands on the Allegheny National Forest. Res. Note NE-360. Radnor, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiment Station. 9 p.
