Prescribing regeneration treatments for mixed-oak forests in the Mid-Atlantic region

Brose, Patrick H.; Gottschalk, Kurt W.; Horsley, Stephen B.; Knopp, Peter; Kochenderfer, James N.; McGuinness, Barbara J.; Miller, Gary W.; Ristau, Todd E.; Stoleson, Scott H.; Stout, Susan L.

doi:10.2737/nrs-gtr-33

Cited by 110 publications

(84 citation statements)

References 17 publications

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“…Additionally, shelterwood harvests can benefit forest-dwelling bats (Dodd et al, 2012) and wildlife that forage on hard and soft mast (Greenberg et al, 2007;Perry and Thill, 2003). The shelterwood harvesting sequence may include a variety of initial practices that retain canopy trees and establish or improve regeneration of oaks or other tree species of value (see Brose et al, 2008). How long conditions remain favorable during the sequence for the Cerulean Warbler and its associates requires further study.…”

Section: Medium Rba Forest Bird Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian response to timber harvesting applied experimentally to manage Cerulean Warbler breeding populations

Sheehan

Wood

Buehler

et al. 2014

Forest Ecology and Management

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b s t r a c tTimber harvesting has been proposed as a management tool to enhance breeding habitat for the Cerulean Warbler (Setophaga cerulea), a declining Neotropical-Nearctic migratory songbird that nests in the canopy of mature eastern deciduous forests. To evaluate how this single-species management focus might fit within an ecologically based management approach for multiple forest birds, we performed a manipulative experiment using four treatments (three intensities of timber harvests and an unharvested control) at each of seven study areas within the core Cerulean Warbler breeding range. We collected preharvest (one year) and post-harvest (four years) data on the territory density of Cerulean Warblers and six additional focal species, avian community relative abundance, and several key habitat variables. We evaluated the avian and habitat responses across the 3-32 m 2 ha À1 residual basal area (RBA) range of the treatments. Cerulean Warbler territory density peaked with medium RBA ($16 m 2 ha À1 ). In contrast, territory densities of the other focal species were negatively related to RBA (e.g., Hooded Warbler [Setophaga citrina]), were positively related to RBA (e.g., Ovenbird [Seiurus aurocapilla]), or were not sensitive to this measure (Scarlet Tanager [Piranga olivacea]). Some species (e.g., Hooded Warbler) increased with time post-treatment and were likely tied to a developing understory, whereas declines (e.g., Ovenbird) were immediate. Relative abundance responses of additional species were consistent with the territory density responses of the focal species. Across the RBA gradient, greatest separation in the avian community was between early successional forest species (e.g., Yellow-breasted Chat [Icteria virens]) and closed-canopy mature forest species (e.g., Ovenbird), with the Cerulean Warbler and other species located intermediate to these two extremes. Overall, our results suggest that harvests within 10-20 m 2 ha À1 RBA yield the largest increases in Cerulean Warblers, benefit additional disturbance-dependent species, and may retain closed-canopy species but at reduced levels. Harvests outside the optimum RBA range for Cerulean Warblers can support bird assemblages specifically associated with early or late (closed-canopy) successional stages.

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Section: Medium Rba Forest Bird Managementmentioning

confidence: 99%

Avian response to timber harvesting applied experimentally to manage Cerulean Warbler breeding populations

Sheehan

Wood

Buehler

et al. 2014

Forest Ecology and Management

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“…Prescribed burning is useful for controlling high density, smalldiameter competing woody vegetation. Brose et al (2008Brose et al ( , 2013 provided guidance for combining prescribed burning with the shelterwood method to promote oak regeneration. The role of fire in implementing the shelterwood method is limited to control of competing vegetation in the regeneration layer, it is a poor tool for managing overstory density as it takes substantially higher fire intensity to kill overstory trees, and there is less control over residual stand stocking and spatial arrangement of surviving trees.…”

Section: Combining Fire and Regeneration Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Restoring oak forests, woodlands and savannas using modern silvicultural analogs to historic cultural fire regimes

Dey

Guyette

Schweitzer

et al. 2015

Atti Del Secondo Congresso Internazionale Di Selvicoltura = Proceedings of the Second International Congress of Silviculture

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Variability in historic fire regimes in eastern North America resulted in an array of oak savannahs, woodlands and forests that were dominant vegetation types throughout the region. In the past century, once abundant savannahs and woodlands have become scarce due to conversion to agriculture, or development of forest structure in the absence of fire. In addition, the future dominance of oak forests is uncertain due to chronic low regeneration potential of oak across the region and insufficient overstory recruitment. Restoration of oak savannahs and woodlands, and sustaining oak forests are primary goals for land management agencies and conservation organizations. Insights learned from fire history research can be used to guide silviculture prescriptions to achieve these goals. Restoration of oak savannahs and woodlands requires a long-term regimen of prescribed burning, but it takes a combination of prescribed fire, timber harvesting and forest thinning to efficiently produce desired structure and composition. Sustaining oak savannahs and woodlands requires an occasional longer fire-free period to allow for replacement of the overstory by recruitment of trees from the reserve of oak sprouts that have accumulated in the understory. Prescribed fire is useful for sustaining oak forests, but it must be used judiciously to minimize timber damage and decreases in value. Integrating fire in a silvicultural prescription that uses the shelterwood regeneration method to promote competitive oak reproduction has been successfully applied in the eastern US to sustain oak forests. Restoration of oak ecosystems is possible but requires innovative combinations of traditional practices, including prescribed burning.

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“…• The shelterwood system and related management prescriptions described by Brose et al (2008) for oak/hickory and Marquis (1994) for maple/beech/birch can be highly successful at regenerating stands.…”

Section: • Competing Native Vegetation: Mountain Laurel (Kalmia Latifmentioning

confidence: 99%

Pennsylvania forests 2014

McWilliams¹,

Widmann²,

Butler³

et al. 2017

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This report summarizes the third cycle of annualized inventory of Pennsylvania with field data collected from 2009 through 2014. Pennsylvania has 16.9 million acres of forest land dominated by sawtimber stands of oak/hickory and maple/beech/birch forest-type groups. Volumes continue to increase as the forests age with an average of 2,244 cubic feet per acre on timberland. Sawtimber volume has risen 24 percent in 10 years to 115 billion board feet. Net growth outpaced removals by a ratio of 2.4:1 on timberland. Additional information on land-use change, fragmentation, ownership, forest composition, structure and age distribution, carbon stocks, regeneration, invasive plants, insect pests, and wood products is also presented. Sets of supplemental tables are available online at https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-RB-111 and contain: 1) tables that summarize quality assurance and 2) a core set of tabular estimates for a variety of forest resources. AcknowledgmentsThe authors would like to thank those who contributed to this assessment of Pennsylvania's forest resources. The dedicated and vital data collection staff who took the measurements upon which this analysis is based are:

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Prescribing regeneration treatments for mixed-oak forests in the Mid-Atlantic region

Cited by 110 publications

References 17 publications

Avian response to timber harvesting applied experimentally to manage Cerulean Warbler breeding populations

Avian response to timber harvesting applied experimentally to manage Cerulean Warbler breeding populations

Restoring oak forests, woodlands and savannas using modern silvicultural analogs to historic cultural fire regimes

Pennsylvania forests 2014

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