Trends and silvicultural significance of upland forest successions in southern New England,

Abstract

under whose joint direction this work was carried out, for their many helpful suggestions and aid, both in the field work and in the preparation of the manuscript. Most of the field work was done on lands owned by the New Haven Water Company, which are used by the Yale School of Forestry for investigative purposes. TRENDS AND SILVICULTURAL SIGNIFICANCE OF UPLAND FOREST SUCCESSIONS IN SOUTHERN NEW ENGLAND INTRODUCTION THE problems encountered in the silvicultural treatment of southern New England forests are many. They result largely from the extremely diverse and complex conditions under which the forest is developed. Due to the glaciated nature of the region the soil character changes radically within relatively short distances. With changes in soil from place to place come minor changes of forest composition. One of the chief reasons for the problems which the silviculturalist encounters in this region is the large number of species which make up the stands. There are approximately thirty commercially important forest trees in southern New England. The complicated character of the stands makes a knowledge of their development indispensable to silvicultural practice. It is well known that forest vegetation is continually undergoing change; it is unstable. This means that it must be studied not as a static but as a dynamic entity ; in other words, it must be considered from the point of view of its successional development. The importance of a knowledge of forest succession is readily apparent when it is considered that all silvicultural-practice, including forest-protection, induces successional change. The amount of change produced is dependent, of course, on the magnitude of the disturbance brought about by the silvicultural operations. Experience has demonstrated that, after all, silviculture which recognizes the tendencies of nature is the best silviculture. The farther the silviculturalist departs from natural tendencies the greater the chance of producing conditions which will eventually prove inimical, if not disastrous, to successful crop production. On the other hand, the application in practice of the facts and principles of forest succession may often be made with little or no extra initial cost and with considerable ultimate gain. UPLAND FOREST SUCCESSIONS The object of the present study is to determine the trends and silvicultural significance of the upland forest successions in southern New England. DEFINITIONS OF ECOLOGICAL TERMS SINCE there is some diversity in usage of ecological terms by various authors, it may be desirable to define those used in this report. The terminology adopted is that of Nichols (1923). Association-a plant community characterized by its essentially homogeneous physiognomy, ecological structure, and noristic composition, at least in regard to dominant species. Stand-used in the same sense as the term association, with reference to a particular piece of vegetation. Christopherson (1925). Plant community-any group of plants growing together. Succession-the replacement, in t...

Small Mammals in Old Field Succession

“…Each species in the shrub and tree strata was identified and tabulated and .the frequency of the grasses and herbs was estimated. Relative abundance of these plants was expressed in terms of the frequency index developed by Lutz ( 1928).…”

“…Except for Dalke's ( 1942) work with the cottontail rabbits in Connecticut little information is available on the relationship of small mammals to old field succession in New England. Most of the work in this region has emphasized the silvicultural and vegetational aspects of succession (Lutz 1928, Bromley 1935, Raup 1940.…”

Decomposition of green foliage in eastern hemlock forests of southern New England impacted by hemlock woolly adelgid infestations

“…Hemlock stand conditions, community structure, and rates of functional processes are regionally unique and easily distinguished from those of other forest types (Lutz 1928;Rogers 1980;Abrams and Orwig 1996). Eastern hemlock stands are characterized by nearly monospecific canopies, depauperate understories, and deep, acidic forest floors (Daubenmire 1930;Rogers 1978Rogers , 1980.…”

A Study of the Origin of Hemlock Forests in Southwestern Nova Scotia

“…Friesner and Potzger (8) found that hemlock could withstand more rigorous environmental conditions than certain hardwood species, and Lutz (15) reported that this species survived under conditions which would be fatal for others. Such severe conditions, however, do not exist in the area studied, and could not account for the abundance of hemlock there.…”

“…Merrill and Hawley (20) and Lutz (15) observed that hemlock may become established under other species and owing to its shade tolerance may persist in suppression for long periods of time. Due to the longevity of hemlock, it is possible that it might outlive competing species and form a pure stand.…”