On 4 July 1977, the Flambeau River Hemlock–Hardwood Scientific Area (Sawyer County, WI) was leveled by a downburst of hurricane-force winds. This paper documents preblowdown and postblowdown composition in a 61-ha portion of a state Scientific Area. Total stand basal area after the blowdown was reduced to 6% of prestorm levels. Total seedling density increased greatly following the blowdown, especially that of Betula alleghaniensis Britt. Acer saccharum Marsh, continued to dominate the relatively unaffected sapling layer. A dense shrub layer of Sambucus pubens Michx. developed. Such massive blowdowns do not appear uncommon in northern Wisconsin. Implications for forest regeneration and structure are discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.