Multi-Resource Effects of Harvest, Site Preparation, and Planting in Pine Flatwoods

1983 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 6-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benee F. Swindel ◽  
Wayne R. Marion ◽  
Larry D. Harris ◽  
Larry A. Morris ◽  
William L. Pritchett ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Woody Species ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Multidisciplinary Study ◽  
Pine Flatwoods ◽  
Suspended Sediment Concentrations ◽  
Bedload Sediment ◽  
Natural Stands ◽  
Resource Effects ◽  
Harvest Site

Abstract A multidisciplinary study of the environmental and ecological effects of harvest, site preparation, and planting of pine flatwoods forests under two distinct management regimes is described, and important results are reported for several resources. Bedload sediment production was negligible regardless of treatment. Water yield increased during treatments, but returned to preharvest levels the following year. Stormflow increased--especially for intermediate-sized storms. Peakflow rates increased only when the stream channel was exposed to more intensive site preparation. Water quality alterations were small and transient; potassium, calcium, and suspended sediment concentrations increased. Except for calcium, nutrients in rainfall exceeded nutrients in runoff and pulpwood harvest removals. Soil and nutrient relocation with windrowing was substantial. Floral composition was dramatically altered: woody species diminished; herbaceous species increased. Plant species diversity was initially increased by less intensive practices, not diminished by more intensive practices. Small mammal populations--depauperate in the natural stands--remained so after planting. Winter bird densities increased--especially on the perimeter of undisturbed cypress domes and within clearcut pinelands.

scholarly journals Effects of Mechanical Site Preparation on the Abundance and Diversity of Ground-Layer Vegetation in Adirondack Northern Hardwood Stands

2007 ◽  
Vol 24 (1) ◽  
pp. 14-21 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jodi A. Forrester ◽  
Kimberly K. Bohn
Keyword(s):  
Acer Saccharum ◽  
Sugar Maple ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Fagus Grandifolia ◽  
Ground Layer ◽  
American Beech ◽  
Mechanical Site Preparation ◽  
Northern Hardwood ◽  
Fern Species

Abstract Forest management in northern hardwoods benefits from the use of site preparation treatments when the amount of American beech (Fagus grandifolia Ehrh.) and fern species in the understory interferes with regeneration of more desirable species, e.g., sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marshall). We assessed the cover and diversity of herbaceous and woody species in the ground layer of three Adirondack northern hardwood stands before and 3 years after a mechanical site preparation that removed all trees less than 14 cm with a brush saw. The treatment significantly increased the cover of all species cumulatively, with herbaceous, shrub, and arborescent species increasing significantly more in treated plots than in untreated plots. Sugar maple cover increased more in treated plots than in untreated plots, although American beech did as well. Species richness increased significantly more in treated plots than in untreated plots, but differences in diversity and evenness were not significantly different because of treatment after 3 years. Multivariate analysis indicated only minor changes in the plant community composition. Results show that mechanical site preparation techniques are a viable option for promoting abundance and maintaining diversity of the ground-layer vegetation in northern hardwood forests.

Vascular plant community dynamics following hexazinone site preparation in the lower Coastal Plain

1993 ◽  
Vol 23 (10) ◽  
pp. 2216-2229 ◽  
Author(s):  
R. Neal Wilkins ◽  
Wayne R. Marion ◽  
Daniel G. Neary ◽  
George W. Tanner
Keyword(s):  
Plant Community ◽  
Community Dynamics ◽  
Vascular Plant ◽  
Species Abundance ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Application Rate ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Herbaceous Vegetation ◽  
Growing Seasons ◽  
Species Abundance Distributions

Differential responses of vascular plant community compositions, diversities, and species-abundance distributions to hexazinone site preparation were evaluated on three 1-year-old clearcuts, each representing a point along a generalized edaphic gradient (xeric sandhill, mesic flatwoods, and hydric hammock). Foliar cover by species was sampled along four 20-m permanent line transects within each of three blocked replications of hexazinone treatments (0.0, 1.7, 3.4, and 6.8 kg/ha) at pretreatment and after the first and second growing seasons post-treatment. Cover by woody species decreased with increasing hexazinone rates on all sites (P < 0.05). Herbaceous vegetation recovered from first-season reductions to levels that did not vary with treatment (xeric sandhill and mesic flatwoods) or increased with increasing hexazinone rates (hydric hammock). Hexazinone tolerance by Gelsemiumsempervirens (L.) Ait.f. and Vaccinium spp. on the xeric sandhill and Ilexglabra (L.) Gray and G. sempervirens on the mesic flatwoods influenced diversity responses by woody and herbaceous vegetation. With increasing rates, herbaceous diversity decreased on the xeric sandhill, did not vary on the mesic flatwoods, and increased on the hydric hammock. Plant community responses to hexazinone were found to be functions of application rate, edaphic factors, adaptive strategies of resident species, and the presence or absence of hexazinone-tolerant species.

scholarly journals Carbon and ecohydrological priorities in managing woody encroachment: An UAV perspective 63 years after a control treatment

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Temuulen Tsagaan Sankey ◽  
Jackson Leonard ◽  
Margaret M. Moore ◽  
Joel B Sankey ◽  
Adam Belmonte
Keyword(s):  
Woody Species ◽  
Carbon Accumulation ◽  
Woody Encroachment ◽  
Control Treatment ◽  
Water Yield ◽  
Historical Records ◽  
Aboveground Carbon ◽  
Herbicide Treatment ◽  
Before And After ◽  
Woody Cover

Abstract Woody encroachment, including both woody species expansion and density increase, is a globally observed phenomenon that deteriorates arid and semi-arid rangeland health, biodiversity, and ecosystem services. Mechanical and chemical control treatments are commonly performed to reduce woody cover and restore ecohydrologic function. While the immediate impacts of woody control treatments are well documented in short-term studies, treatment impacts at decadal scales are not commonly studied. Using a controlled herbicide treatment from 1954 in the Sierra Ancha Experimental Forest in central Arizona, USA, we quantify woody encroachment and associated aboveground carbon accumulation in treated and untreated watersheds. Woody encroachment and aboveground carbon are estimated using high resolution multispectral images and photogrammetric data from a fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). We then combine the contemporary UAV image-derived estimates with historical records from immediately before and after the treatment to consider long-term trends in woody vegetation cover, aboveground carbon, water yield, and sedimentation. Our results indicate that the treatment has had a lasting impact. More than six decades later, woody cover in two treated watersheds are still significantly lower compared to two control watersheds, even though woody cover increased in all four drainages. Aboveground woody carbon in the treated watersheds is approximately one half that accumulated in the control watersheds. The historical records indicate that herbicide treatment also increased water yield and reduced annual sedimentation. Given the sustained reduction in woody cover and aboveground woody biomass in treated watersheds, we infer that the herbicide treatment has had similarly long lasting impacts on ecohydrological function. Land managers can consider legacy impacts from control treatments to better balance carbon and ecohydrological consequences of woody encroachment and treatment activities.

scholarly journals Underground deserts below fertility islands? – Woody species desiccate lower soil layers in sandy drylands

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Csaba Tolgyesi ◽  
Peter Torok ◽  
Alida Anna Habenczyus ◽  
Zoltan Batory ◽  
Valko Orsolya ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Balance ◽  
Woody Plants ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Site Conditions ◽  
Herb Layer ◽  
Soil Layers ◽  
Ground Water Recharge ◽  
Islands Of Fertility ◽  
Natural Stands ◽  
Regional Water

AbstractWoody plants in water-limited ecosystems affect their environment on multiple scales: locally, natural stands can create islands of fertility for herb layer communities compared to open habitats, but afforestation has been shown to negatively affect regional water balance and productivity. Despite these contrasting observations, no coherent multiscale framework has been developed for the environmental effects of woody plants in water-limited ecosystems. To link local and regional effects of woody species in a spatially explicit model, we simultaneously measured site conditions (microclimate, nutrient availability and topsoil moisture) and conditions of regional relevance (deeper soil moisture), in forests with different canopy types (long, intermediate and short annual lifetime) and adjacent grasslands in sandy drylands. All types of forests ameliorated site conditions compared to adjacent grasslands, although natural stands did so more effectively than managed ones. At the same time, all forests desiccated deeper soil layers during the vegetation period, and the longer the canopy lifetime, the more severe the desiccation in summer and more delayed the recharge after the active period of the canopy. We conclude that the site-scale environmental amelioration brought about by woody species is bound to co-occur with the desiccation of deeper soil layers, leading to deficient ground water recharge. This means that the cost of creating islands of fertility for sensitive herb layer organisms is an inevitable negative impact on regional water balance. The canopy type or management intensity of the forests affects the magnitude but not the direction of these effects. The outlined framework of the effects of woody species should be considered for the conservation, restoration, or profit-oriented use of forests as well as in forest-based carbon sequestration and soil erosion control projects in water-limited ecosystems.

scholarly journals A Case for Direct Seeding of Woody Species on Highway Roadsides

1987 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 176-179
Author(s):  
P. Lloyd Hipkins ◽  
James S. Coartney
Keyword(s):  
Native Species ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Past Experience ◽  
Direct Seeding ◽  
Maintenance Costs

The use of woody species on highway rights-of-way is a long standing practice which is coming under closer scrutiny as costs of landscape materials and maintenance increase. Direct-seeding of woody species may be an option to help control establishment costs. The use of native species may help to reduce maintenance costs as well as the mortality experienced with exotic landscape cultivars. Past experience has shown that successful direct-seeding can be accomplished with proper site preparation and planting techniques.

Nutrient Conservation in Forestry: A Perspective

1981 ◽  
Vol 5 (2) ◽  
pp. 50-59 ◽  
Author(s):  
George W. Bengtson
Keyword(s):  
Cost Effective ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Effective Practices ◽  
Southern Pine ◽  
Fertilization Practice ◽  
Alternative Techniques ◽  
Available Information ◽  
Nutrient Conservation ◽  
Harvest Site ◽  
Forest Managers

Abstract Losses of plant nutrients and costs of their replacement after various methods of harvest and site preparation are estimated and discussed. Current fertilization practice in southern pine silviculture is reviewed, and factors limiting its effectiveness and means of maximizing benefits are emphasized. The intent is to encourage southern forest managers to use presently available information to evaluate alternative techniques of harvest, site preparation, and fertilization, and to devise more ecologically acceptable and cost-effective practices.

scholarly journals Urban Naturalization for Green Spaces Using Soil Tillage, Herbicide Application, Compost Amendment and Native Vegetation

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 854
Author(s):  
Jaime Aguilar Rojas ◽  
Amalesh Dhar ◽  
M. Anne Naeth
Keyword(s):  
Soil Amendment ◽  
Woody Species ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Green Spaces ◽  
Total Carbon ◽  
Soil Tillage ◽  
Individual Plant ◽  
Urban Green ◽  
Urban Green Spaces ◽  
Compost Amendment

Naturalization is a new and promising ecological approach to green space development for urban environments, although knowledge is sparse on techniques to implement it. We evaluated naturalization of eight native trees and shrubs, with site preparation (tillage, herbicide) and soil amendment (compost rates) treatment combinations at six sites in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Soil texture improved with all compost rates, and acidity, electrical conductivity and total carbon increased, especially with 100% compost. Soil nutrients generally increased with compost then declined within a year. Plant species with highest potential for use in urban green spaces were Picea glauca, Symphoricarpos albus and Rosa acicularis. Herbicide was the most influential site preparation treatment, positively increasing survival and growth of planted woody species, while negatively lowering non-native species cover and increasing noxious weed cover. Soil amendment with compost influenced cover not species richness, with high compost amendment reducing vegetation cover across sites, and increasing individual plant size. This study suggests amendment of soil with compost and appropriate site preparation can positively influence naturalization of these woody species for urban green spaces.

Harvest, Site Preparation, and Firebreak Effects on Hydrology and Sediment Transport in Coastal Plain Headwater Streams

2011 ◽  
Vol 54 (6) ◽  
pp. 2117-2127 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. B. Terrell ◽  
W. B. Summer ◽  
C. R. Jackson ◽  
M. Miwa ◽  
D. G. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Sediment Transport ◽  
Coastal Plain ◽  
Headwater Streams ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Harvest Site

scholarly journals The Combined Role of Retention Pattern and Post-Harvest Site Preparation in Regulating Plant Functional Diversity: A Case Study in Boreal Forest Ecosystems

Forests ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1006 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liping Wei ◽  
Nicole J. Fenton ◽  
Benoit Lafleur ◽  
Yves Bergeron
Keyword(s):  
Plant Species ◽  
Functional Diversity ◽  
Prescribed Fire ◽  
Boreal Forests ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Post Harvest ◽  
Clear Cut ◽  
Understory Diversity ◽  
Forest Attributes ◽  
Harvest Site

Changes in the light availability in forests generated by diversified retention patterns (e.g., clear cut, partial harvest) have been shown to strongly filter the plant species present. Modified soil microsite conditions due to post-harvest site preparation (e.g., mechanical site preparation, prescribed fire) might also be an important determinant of plant diversity. The objective here was to detect how retention pattern and post-harvest site preparation act as filters that explain the understory functional diversity in boreal forests. We also assessed whether these effects were dependent on forest attributes (stand type, time since fire, and time since harvest). We retrieved data from seven different studies within 101 sites in boreal forests in Eastern Canada. Our data included forests harvested with two retention patterns: careful logging and clear cut, plus unharvested control forests. Three post-harvest site preparation techniques were applied: plow or disk trenching after careful logging, and prescribed fire after clear cut. We collected trait data (10 traits) representing plant morphology, regeneration strategy, or resource utilization for common species. Our results demonstrated significant variation in functional diversity after harvest. The combined effect of retention pattern and site preparation was the most important factor explaining understory diversity compared to retention pattern only and forest attributes. According to RLQ analysis, harvested forests with site preparation favored traits reflecting resistance or resilience ability after disturbance (clonal guerilla species, geophytes, and species with higher seed weight). Yet harvested forests without site preparation mainly affected understory plant species via their light requirements. Forest attributes did not play significant roles in affecting the relationship between site preparation and functional diversity or traits. Our results indicated the importance of the compounding effects of light variation and soil disturbance in filtering understory diversity and composition in boreal forests. Whether these results are also valid for other ecosystems still needs to be demonstrated.

Forage Yields Improved by Site Preparation in Pine Flatwoods of North Florida

1984 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 181-185 ◽  
Author(s):  
Clifford E. Lewis ◽  
Benee F. Swindel ◽  
Louis F. Conde ◽  
Joel E. Smith
Keyword(s):  
Timber Harvest ◽  
Site Preparation ◽  
Forage Plants ◽  
Pine Flatwoods ◽  
Pine Stands ◽  
Forage Yields

Abstract In the 3 years following two methods of timber harvest, two intensities of site preparation, and planting of pines, yields of desirable forage plants increased four to sevenfold on flatwoods of north Florida. Vegetation on two watersheds was measured before clearcutting of pine stands and 1, 2, and 3 years after site preparation and planting. Woody competition remained suppressed after 3 years and forage yields averaged 1,400 lb/ac. The fear that site preparation for planting pines depletes forage appears to be unfounded.

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