Early Dominance of Pioneer Hardwood After Clearcutting and Removal of Advanced Regeneration

1993 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-19 ◽  
Author(s):  
David M. Smith ◽  
P. Mark S. Ashton
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Direct Seeding ◽  
Black Cherry ◽  
Yellow Birch ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Hardwood Species ◽  
Black Paper ◽  
Root Suckers

Abstract Clearcut openings were created in mixed stands of southern New England hardwoods, hemlock, and white pines to observe the development of new stands in which all species started simultaneously. All preexisting woody plants, except beech root-suckers and very small seedlings of red oak and hemlock, were eliminated. Natural seedfall was augmented by direct seeding of some species. The main result, after 2 decades, was replacement of the predominant hardwood species of the old stand by black, paper, and yellow birch. Pin cherry and gray birch were initially prominent, especially near the centers of openings, but had died or become moribund. Hemlocks and white pines from new seed persisted in the bottom strata. Except for the birches and black cherry, the hardwood species of the previous stand showed little or no capacity to develop from seed that germinated after clearcutting and removal of advanced growth. North. J. Appl. For. 10(1):14-19.

Impact of Deer Browsing on Regeneration in Mixed Stands in Southern New England

1995 ◽  
Vol 12 (3) ◽  
pp. 115-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Kittredge ◽  
P. Mark S. Ashton
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Tree Species ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Tree Species Composition ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Pine Seedlings ◽  
Species Specific

Abstract Browsing preferences by white-tailed deer were evaluated for 6 tree species in northeastern Connecticut. Deer density averaged 23/mile². Deer exhibited no species-specific preferences for seedlings greater than 19 in. For seedlings less than 19 in., hemlock and black birch were preferred. Red maple, sugar maple, and white pine seedlings were avoided. Red oak seedlings were neither preferred nor avoided. A much higher proportion of seedlings greater than 19.7 in. in height was browsed, regardless of species. Browsing preferences for species in the smaller seedling class, combined with a lack of preference for species in the larger class may result in future stands with less diverse tree species composition. Deer densities in excess of 23/mile² may be incompatible with regeneration of diverse forests in southern New England. North. J. Appl. For. 12(3):115-120.

Development patterns in two hemlock–hardwood stands in southern New England

1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 885-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Kelty
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Height Growth ◽  
Northern Red Oak ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
Clear Cutting ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Hardwood Species ◽  
Constant Rate

Two forest stands, composed primarily of northern red oak (Quercusrubra L.), red maple (Acerrubrum L.), and eastern hemlock (Tsugacanadensis (L.) Carr.), were studied by stand-reconstruction techniques to determine the pattern of development of canopy structure. One stand had originated following clear-cutting 87 years ago; the other, following catastrophic windthrow 44 years ago. Juvenile height growth of the hardwood species was much greater than that of hemlock and a stratified canopy developed by age 30 years, with hardwoods forming an overstory canopy above hemlock. Hemlocks maintained overstory positions only if they were 3 m or more in height immediately following canopy disturbance. In the older stand, hardwood height growth was about twice that of the tallest understory hemlocks during the first 30 years. The hardwood overstory slowed after that and grew at the same rate as the tallest understory hemlocks, which maintained a constant rate of height growth, and a constant to accelerating rate of basal area growth for much of the 87-year measurement period. The height growth of the tallest understory hemlocks was apparently limited in part by breakage of terminal shoots, caused by abrasion against branches of overstory hardwood crowns.

scholarly journals Effects of Deer Settling Stimulus and Deer Density on Regeneration in a Harvested Southern New England Forest

2013 ◽  
Vol 2013 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin J. Barrett ◽  
Oswald J. Schmitz
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Forest Regeneration ◽  
Thermal Environment ◽  
Plant Cover ◽  
Forest Harvesting ◽  
Regeneration Capacity ◽  
Regeneration Failure ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Deer Density

Elevated deer densities have led to reports of forest regeneration failure and ecological damage. However, there is growing evidence that the biophysical conditions of a forest that make it attractive to deer may be a contributing factor in determining browsing levels. Thus, an understanding of settling stimulus—how attractive an area is to deer in terms of food-independent habitat requirements—is potentially important to manage deer browsing impacts. We tested the settling stimulus hypothesis by evaluating the degree to which thermal settling stimulus and deer density are related to spatial variation in browsing intensity across different forest harvesting strategies over the course of a year. We determined if deer were impacting plant communities and if they resulted in changes in plant cover. We quantified the thermal environment around each harvest and tested to see if it influenced deer density and browsing impact. We found that deer had an impact on the landscape but did not alter plant cover or diminish forest regeneration capacity. Deer density and browse impact had a relationship with thermal settling stimulus for summer and fall months, and deer density had a relationship with browse impact in the winter on woody plants. We conclude that thermal settling stimulus is an important predictor for deer density and browsing impact.

The influence of species composition on the growth of individual red oaks in mixed stands in southern New England

1988 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 1550-1555 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Kittredge Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Species Composition ◽  
New England ◽  
Canopy Structure ◽  
Basal Area ◽  
Basal Area Increment ◽  
Red Oak ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Red Oaks ◽  
Oak Trees

Research in 40- to 60-year-old even-aged mixed hardwood stands in southern New England suggests a stratified canopy structure by species, with red oak crowns occupying the uppermost canopy stratum. The basal area growth of individual red oak trees with crowns in this uppermost canopy stratum is negatively related to the basal area of neighboring oaks with crowns in the same stratum. The total basal area of neighboring trees with crowns in this stratum has no effect on individual oak growth. Similarly, the basal area of trees in lower strata has no significant effect on the growth of oaks with crowns in the uppermost canopy stratum. Crown width of individual oaks is negatively related to the basal area of neighboring oaks with crowns in the uppermost canopy stratum. Also, both the total foliar biomass per tree and the efficiency of that foliage in producing basal area increment are negatively related to the quantity of surrounding oaks with crowns in the uppermost canopy stratum. These results imply that basal area increment of individual red oaks in the overstory depends on the species composition of the mixture (i.e., the proportion of red oaks in the mixture) and the resulting competition for growing space in the canopy.

Natural Regeneration Patterns in Even-Aged Mixed Stands in Southern New England

1990 ◽  
Vol 7 (4) ◽  
pp. 163-168 ◽  
Author(s):  
David B. Kittredge ◽  
P. Mark S. Ashton
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Natural Regeneration ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Principal Component ◽  
Red Oak ◽  
Red Maple ◽  
White Pine ◽  
Mixed Stands ◽  
Southern New England ◽  
Pine Regeneration

Abstract A regeneration survey in southern New England in three different cover types indicated that most of the seedlings present were less than 19.7 in. in height. Although red oak was a principal component of the overstory, it represented a small proportion of regeneration. Black birch and red maple were common regeneration components. There was a general relationship between overstory density and the amount of regeneration. To obtain natural regeneration, a general broad optimum range of overstory densities between 20-80 ft²/ac of basal area is suggested. Successful red oak and sugar maple regeneration was obtained with overstory densities of these species between 20-40 ft²/ac. A higher proportion of these species did not result in more regeneration. White pine regeneration was closely related to the amount of white pine in the overstory, however. The density of mountain laurel seemed to have little effect on the establishment of regeneration. The greater the length of time since last harvest, the more oak seedlings would be present in hard-wood stands. The opposite was true for red maple, black birch, and hemlock. North. J. Appl For. 7:163-168, December 1990.

The forests of Southern New England, 2012

2015 ◽  
Author(s):  
Brett J. Butler ◽  
Susan J. Crocker ◽  
Grant M. Domke ◽  
Cassandra M. Kurtz ◽  
Tonya W. Lister ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
New England ◽  
Southern New England
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