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Using group selection to regenerate oaks in Northern Arkansas

Informally Refereed

Abstract

We examined the regeneration dynamics within group selection openings in 12 mature oak-hickory forests in the Ozark Mountains of northern Arkansas. Plots were established in openings harvested in 1991, 1994, 1995, and 1998. Seventy seven percent of the openings were < 0.4 acre, which is the frequently reported minimum opening size for successfully regenerating oaks. Openings were dominated by black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), and flowering dogwood (Cornus florida L.). White oak (Quercus alba L.) and red oak (Q. rubra L. and Q. velutina Lam.) density varied widely among study sites but averaged 9 percent. Most oaks were in a free-togrow position. No oaks were recorded in about one-third of the openings. The future species composition of the openings will probably be more diverse than that of the unharvested portions of the forests studied.

Parent Publication

Citation

Heitzman, Eric; Stephens, John. 2006. Using group selection to regenerate oaks in Northern Arkansas. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-92. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. pp. 547-550
https://www.fs.usda.gov/research/treesearch/23460