Effects of Forest Management on the Insect Assemblage of Black Cherry (Prunus serotina) in the Allegheny National Forest

Abstract

Over the last decade, the Allegheny National Forest (ANF) in the USA has experienced issues with the regeneration of black cherry (Prunus serotina). This study was conducted to investigate the effects of silvicultural treatment on the insect communities that may affect black cherry pollination and regeneration. We conducted a 2-year study to compare the abundance, richness, and diversity of insects in unmanaged, shelterwood seed-tree, and shelterwood clear-cut stands. Using pan traps, we sampled insects at the ground level and in the canopies of flowering mature black cherry trees. The results of this study showed significant increases in the abundance of insects captured in shelterwood seed-tree stands and in species richness and diversity of insects captured in the canopy of black cherry in shelterwood removal stands, indicating that silvicultural treatment affected the insect community significantly. The dominant insect order was Diptera (true flies, 72.91%, n = 12,668), and Anthalia bulbosa (Diptera: Hybotidae) was the dominant species comprising 33% of all insects found in the canopy of flowering black cherry. The findings in this study could help land managers in managing black cherry for its pollination and natural regeneration.

Diversity of Beetles Captured in Pitfall Traps in the Șinca Old-Growth Forest, Brașov County, Romania: Forest Reserve versus Managed Forest

“…Probably a dataset including information collected using other sampling methods (flight traps, etc.) would provide a wealth of information, especially on xylobiont species, as has been found in other studies [26,69,86,87].…”

Study of Natural Regeneration of Sogdian Ash (Fraxinus Sogdiana Bunge) and Silvicultural Measures to Promote it in the Sharyn River Floodplain of Almaty Region

“…Species of Fraxinus L. are important for landscaping, sawn timber and woody plantations. For instance, China has solved the problems of poor cold adaptation associated with the introduction of Fraxinus sogdiana to Maoershan (Heilongjiang Province, north-eastern China), improved the pest resistance of Fraxinus mandshurica, and also took advantage of the characteristics of F. mandshurica and F. sogdiana by performing their interspecific hybridisation 37,38) .…”