Immediate and Delayed Effects of Severe Winds on an Old-Growth Forest in Kentucky: A Forty-Year Retrospective

Abstract

Wind disturbance is an important factor that can affect the development of the forests of the Central Hardwood Region of the United States. However, there have been few long-term studies of the recovery of these systems following wind damage. Long-term studies of protected forest systems, such as Dinsmore Woods in Northern Kentucky, within the fragmented forest of this region are valuable as they provide a resource to document and understand the effect of both abiotic and biotic challenges to forest systems. This study is a 40-year analysis of both overstory and understory changes in the forest system at Dinsmore Woods as the result of damage caused by severe winds in the spring of 1974. The forest was surveyed before and immediately following the windstorm and then at 10-year intervals. Although the windstorm had an immediate effect on the forest, the pattern of damage was complex. The forest canopy (diameter at breast height (DBH) ≥ 30 cm) experienced an irregular pattern of damage while in the subcanopy (DBH ≤ 30 cm) there was a 25% reduction in total basal area. However, the major effects of the windstorm were delayed and subsequently have altered forest recovery. Ten years following the disturbance declines were seen in total density and basal area in the canopy and subcanopy of the forest as a consequence of windstorm damage. In the past 20 years the total basal area of the canopy has increased and exceeds the pre-disturbance total basal area. In contrast, the subcanopy total basal area continued to decline 20 years post-disturbance and has not recovered. Further openings in the canopy and subcanopy due to the delayed windstorm effects helped to establish a dense understory of native shrubs and sugar maple which have affected tree regeneration and is reflected in the continual decline in species diversity in the subcanopy and sapling strata over the 40-year period.

Long‐term effects of a tornado: Impacts on woody native vegetation and invasive Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii) in an urban forest

“…In addition, seedling recruitment now almost exclusively favors sugar maple. Prevalence of sugar maple was also detected in northern Kentucky 30 years after a tornado (Held et al, 1998(Held et al, , 2006Held & Bryant, 1989;Held & Winstead, 1976;Jones-Held et al, 2019). Other woody species such as oak and tulip poplar at the Benedict Preserve will likely persist in small numbers within the damaged area, given the proximity to seed-producing adult trees nearby in the undisturbed forest.…”

“…Due to its greater competitive ability, dispersal of seeds by birds, past historical use for erosion control along roadways, and presence as ornamental shrubs in the surrounding residential area, honeysuckle is already established in southwestern Ohio (Luken & Thieret, 1996 ) and can easily invade forest edges and move into interiors. In a northern Kentucky forest, honeysuckle had become a dominant component of the understory 40 years after the site was impacted by a tornado (Jones‐Held et al., 2019 ). However Romano et al.…”

“…Due to its greater competitive ability, dispersal of seeds by birds, past historical use for erosion control along roadways, and presence as ornamental shrubs in the surrounding residential area, honeysuckle is already established in southwestern Ohio (Luken & Thieret, 1996) and can easily invade forest edges and move into interiors. In a northern Kentucky forest, honeysuckle had become a dominant component of the understory 40 years after the site was impacted by a tornado (Jones-Held et al, 2019). However Romano et al (2013) only saw Amur honeysuckle, Lonicera japonica (Japanese honeysuckle) and Rosa multiflora (multiflora rose) in a few plots 2 years after a derecho in southern Illinois, but Daniels and Larson (2020) noted that invasive species may increase over time but will eventually be shaded out as the forest overstory recovers.…”

“…near future. Amur honeysuckle also increased in percent cover several years after a tornado in Illinois (Daniels & Larson, 2020) and was identified as a dominant understory species in Kentucky albeit 40 years after the tornado (Jones- Held et al, 2019).…”

Influence of Different Thinning Treatments on Stand Resistance to Snow and Wind in Loblolly Pine (Pinus taeda L.) Coastal Plantations of Northern Iran

“…Among these, stand conditions are the only ones possible to control and manage. Age, structure, stem density, stem weight, basal area, tree species, slenderness coefficient, width and length of tree crowns, soil depth, soil moisture content, and topography are the main stand characteristics that can influence stand resistance to snow and wind damage [8][9][10][11][12]. Therefore, the effects of stand structure and configuration on snow and wind loading have been analyzed in several studies [13,14].…”