Rehabilitating Degraded Hardwood Stands on a Bottomland Terrace Site with Overstory Removal and Oak Enrichment Planting: 14-Year Results  

作　　者：Matthew G. Olson Shaik Hossain Kyle Cunningham Matthew H. Pelkki Chris Stuhlinger 

机构地区：[1]Arkansas Forest Resources Center, University of Arkansas, Division of Agriculture, Monticello, AR, USA [2]College of Forestry, Agriculture, & Natural Resources, University of Arkansas-Monticello, Monticello, AR, USA [3]Oak Ridge Institute for Science & Education, Oak Ridge, TN, USA [4]USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Monticello, AR, USA

出　　处：《Open Journal of Forestry》2018年第4期459-471,共13页林学期刊（英文）

摘　　要：Exploitative harvesting can lower stand quality in the short term and diminish forest productivity over the long term. In 2003, a rehabilitation experiment was installed in a southern hardwood stand on a bottomland terrace site, degraded by periodic exploitative cutting, to test the effectiveness of overstory removal and oak enrichment planting for improving stand quality and composition. Overstory removal treatments included clearcutting, stand improvement partial cutting, and an uncut control. Overstory treatment units were either planted with Nuttall oak (Quercus texana) seedlings or not planted. We revisited this study in 2017 to assess the outcome of oak enrichment planting across levels of overstory removal. Results in year 14 indicated poor survival of planted oaks under all overstory removal treatments (14% - 24%) and minimal height growth (0.3 m in 13 years) in areas treated with partial cutting and in uncut areas. Growth performance of planted oaks was significantly enhanced by clearcutting (p < 0.01). However, the overwhelming response of natural oak regeneration initiated by clearcutting trumped the contribution from enrichment planting on this low quality bottomland terrace site. Enrichment planting of Nuttall oak did not increase oak regeneration success in our study. The ineffectiveness of enrichment planting in this study was likely related to the shady understory of partially cut stands and intense competition in clearcuts. Additional treatments, such as pre-planting site preparation and post-planting release may be necessary for enhancing and maintaining competitiveness of planted red oak seedlings on similar sites.Exploitative harvesting can lower stand quality in the short term and diminish forest productivity over the long term. In 2003, a rehabilitation experiment was installed in a southern hardwood stand on a bottomland terrace site, degraded by periodic exploitative cutting, to test the effectiveness of overstory removal and oak enrichment planting for improving stand quality and composition. Overstory removal treatments included clearcutting, stand improvement partial cutting, and an uncut control. Overstory treatment units were either planted with Nuttall oak (Quercus texana) seedlings or not planted. We revisited this study in 2017 to assess the outcome of oak enrichment planting across levels of overstory removal. Results in year 14 indicated poor survival of planted oaks under all overstory removal treatments (14% - 24%) and minimal height growth (0.3 m in 13 years) in areas treated with partial cutting and in uncut areas. Growth performance of planted oaks was significantly enhanced by clearcutting (p < 0.01). However, the overwhelming response of natural oak regeneration initiated by clearcutting trumped the contribution from enrichment planting on this low quality bottomland terrace site. Enrichment planting of Nuttall oak did not increase oak regeneration success in our study. The ineffectiveness of enrichment planting in this study was likely related to the shady understory of partially cut stands and intense competition in clearcuts. Additional treatments, such as pre-planting site preparation and post-planting release may be necessary for enhancing and maintaining competitiveness of planted red oak seedlings on similar sites.

关 键 词：Southern USA HARDWOODS Supplemental Planting Nuttall OAK QUERCUS texana 

分 类 号：R73[医药卫生—肿瘤]