scholarly journals Crown Class Dynamics of Oaks, Yellow-Poplar, and Red Maple after Commercial Thinning in Appalachian Hardwoods: 20-Year Results

2009 ◽  
Vol 26 (4) ◽  
pp. 156-163 ◽  
Author(s):  
James S. Rentch ◽  
Gary W. Miller ◽  
Kurt W. Gottschalk

Abstract Silvicultural strategies are often planned to favor the growth and survival of desired species until they reach a competitive position in the upper canopy. Once desired species reach the upper canopy, they can persist and provide a variety of benefits for decades. Later, they can serveas a source of natural regeneration for sustaining species composition. Although information is available for promoting desired advance seedlings in the understory of mature stands and culturing desired saplings in the upper canopy of young stands, additional information is needed on promoting desired species at mid-rotation, when the stand first reaches commercial size classes. Crown class transition rates for a total of 2,668 white and chestnut oaks, northern red oak, scarlet and black oaks, yellow-poplar, red maple, blackgum, and black birch were observed for 20 years in a 53-year-old central Appalachian mixed-hardwood stand. Treatments included three residual stand densities after commercial thinning and an unthinned control. In general, the thinning treatments reduced mortality, increased crown class retention rates of codominant trees, and increased the ascension rates of trees in the intermediate crown class. After thinning, codominant trees exhibited the crown class stability of dominant trees, and intermediate trees exhibited greater survival and ascension to the upper canopy compared with unthinned controls. Very few suppressed trees improved canopyposition in thinning treatments; however, thinning did tend to reduce mortality of these trees. Crown class transition rates are presented to help forest managers understand how commercial thinning treatments can affect the composition of the upper canopy in the latter stages of stand development.

1987 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 212-212 ◽  
Author(s):  
Harry V. Wiant ◽  
Thomas B. Williams

Abstract Coefficients are provided for estimating dbh from stump measurements and estimating diameter and volume from groundline to dbh for northern red oak, white oak, red maple, and yellow-poplar. North. J. Appl. For. 4:212, December 1987.


2017 ◽  
Vol 2017 ◽  
pp. 1-14 ◽  
Author(s):  
Masoumeh Hassanzadeh ◽  
Ronald Sabo ◽  
Alan Rudie ◽  
Richard Reiner ◽  
Roland Gleisner ◽  
...  

TEMPO nanofibrillated cellulose (TNFC) from two underutilized Appalachian hardwoods, Northern red oak (Quercus rubra) and yellow poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera), was prepared to determine its feasibility to be used as template for antimicrobial metallic copper particles. In addition, a comparison of the TNFC from the two species in terms of their morphological, chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties was also performed. The woody biomass was provided in the form of logging residue from Preston County, West Virginia. A traditional kraft process was used to produce the pulp followed by a five-stage bleaching. Bleached pulps were then subjected to a TEMPO oxidation process using the TEMPO/NaBr/NaClO system to facilitate the final mechanical fibrillation process and surface incorporation of metallic copper. The final TNFC diameters for red oak and yellow poplar presented similar dimensions, 3.8±0.74 nm and 3.6±0.85 nm, respectively. The TNFC films fabricated from both species exhibited no statistical differences in both Young’s modulus and the final strength properties. Likely, after the TEMPO oxidation process both species exhibited similar carboxyl group content, of approximately 0.8 mmol/g, and both species demonstrated excellent capability to incorporate antimicrobial copper on their surfaces.


1983 ◽  
Vol 7 (2) ◽  
pp. 93-97 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil I. Lamson

Abstract In West Virginia crop trees were selected from 7- or 12-year-old yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.), basswood (Tilia americana L.), red maple (Acer rubrum L.), black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.), and northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) stump sprouts. Crop trees were dominant or codominant, well-formed sprouts that originated not more than 6 inches above groundline and did not fork in the lower 17 feet. Four treatments were evaluated: (1) control; (2) thinning; (3) pruning; and (4) thinning plus pruning. Five years after treatment the diameter (d.b.h.) growth of thinned sprouts was 1.5 times greater than that of control sprouts. Pruning did not cause a significant decrease in five-year d.b.h. growth. Height growth was not affected by the treatments. Most of the epicormic branches produced by pruning were dead five years after treatment. Natural pruning was reduced by thinning; the average clear bole length of thinned sprouts was about 2 feet shorter than that of the control sprouts. Survival was nearly 100 percent.


1979 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 116-120 ◽  
Author(s):  
Douglas S. Powell ◽  
E. H. Tryon

We studied eight species of hardwoods to evaluate their ability to produce seedling sprouts (trees with stems that sprouted from a stump less than 2 in. (5 cm) in diameter at ground level) in the advance growth of undisturbed, mature stands on high-quality upland sites in West Virginia. The most reliable criterion used to measure this ability was the percentage of seedling sprouts, which indicated relatively good ability for white oak and black cherry; intermediate ability for dogwood, hickory, and white ash; and relatively poor ability for red maple, northern red oak, and sugar maple. Since the two oaks were at opposite ends of the spectrum, the results suggest that factors other than the ability to produce seedling sprouts may explain the growth of virtually pure oak stands on high-quality sites.


Plant Disease ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 93 (11) ◽  
pp. 1158-1162 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark J. Schall ◽  
Donald D. Davis

Verticillium albo-atrum causes unprecedented wilt and mortality of the invasive tree-of-heaven (Ailanthus altissima) within forests of south-central Pennsylvania. Stem inoculation of potted Ailanthus seedlings in the greenhouse and canopy Ailanthus trees in the field with V. albo-atrum resulted in 100% mortality. Stem inoculation of understory striped maple saplings in the field also resulted in 100% mortality. However, the high susceptibility of striped maple was not observed in naturally infected stands, where only 1% of striped maple saplings exhibited Verticillium wilt. Inoculation of chestnut oak, northern red oak, red maple, sugar maple, white ash, and yellow-poplar seedlings or canopy trees with V. albo-atrum did not induce wilt symptoms. Non-Ailanthus tree species growing adjacent to dead and dying Ailanthus trees in the field were asymptomatic. Pending further studies, V. albo-atrum should be considered as a potential biocontrol agent for invasive Ailanthus.


2008 ◽  
Vol 25 (1) ◽  
pp. 45-51 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gary W. Miller ◽  
Aaron T. Graves ◽  
Kurt W. Gottschalk ◽  
John E. Baumgras

Abstract The potential value increase of individual trees is an important factor in planning effective forest management strategies. Similar to other investments, trees with high potential value increase are retained and allowed to grow, and those with relatively low potential value increaseare harvested so that the proceeds may earn a higher rate of return elsewhere. Tree grade is used to assess the quality and value of wood within a tree; thus, projecting tree grade is an integral part of estimating potential value increase. This study measured the accuracy of projected treegrades over a period of 12–15 years for 588 black cherry, 404 northern red oak, 167 red maple, 191 white and chestnut oaks, and 450 yellow-poplar sawtimber trees in both thinned and unthinned stands. Projected grade was based on surface defects and percent volume deductions for sweep,crook, and rot at the time of the projection with the assumption that the threshold dbh for the highest possible grade would be reached in the future. This approach allows the forest manager to make grade projections based on what is visible and measurable on the tree, even if the tree iscurrently too small to qualify for higher grades. In general, grade projections were somewhat accurate, with 9% of trees higher than the projected grade, 80% projected correctly, and 11% lower than the projected grade. Trees that had a lower-than-projected grade usuallyexhibited additional deductions for percent cull volume and/or new epicormic branches. Grade projections were less accurate for larger, higher-quality trees because requirements for the top grade are more constraining and sensitive to changes in butt log characteristics than lower grades.For black cherry and northern red oak, grade projections in thinned stands were less accurate compared with unthinned stands because of resulting logging wounds or new epicormic branches.


HortScience ◽  
1997 ◽  
Vol 32 (3) ◽  
pp. 465F-465
Author(s):  
J.L. Sibley ◽  
D.G. Himelrick ◽  
W.A. Dozier

Poultry and coal production are two major industries concentrated in north-central Alabama. Standard surface coal mine reclamation procedures were compared to procedures utilizing poultry litter in an 3.24-ha mine site. Three 0.4-ha plots amended with litter at rates of 25, 50, and 100 mt/ha, were compared to a plot with mineral fertilizer (13N–13–P13K) at standard reclamation rates of 672 kg/ha, and a plot receiving no fertilizer or litter. All plots were amended with ground limestone and disced in 31 cm. A mix of fescue, lespedeza, rye, and clover was broadcast over all plots uniformly. Eight tree species; northern red oak, nuttall oak, willow oak, red maple, yellow poplar, royal paulownia, loblolly pine, and eastern red cedar were planted in all plots at 1482 trees/ha. Forage yields (1995–96) in litter-amended plots were two to three times higher than statewide hay production averages. High litter rates have had no negative effects on ground cover, tree survival, or ground water nitrates (NO3). This project demonstrates broiler litter use as an organic-matter amendment in a self-sustaining reclamation success.


1986 ◽  
Vol 16 (5) ◽  
pp. 885-891 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew J. Kelty

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.


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