Regeneration in bottomland forest canopy gaps six years after variable retention harvests to enhance wildlife habitat
General Technical Report
SRS-175
Edited by: James M. Guldin
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Abstract
To promote desired forest conditions that enhance wildlife habitat in bottomland forests, managers prescribed and implemented variable-retention harvest, a.k.a. wildlife forestry, in four stands on Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge, LA. These treatments created canopy openings (gaps) within which managers sought to regenerate shade-intolerant trees. Six years after prescribed harvests, we assessed regeneration in 41 canopy gaps and 4 large (>0.5-ha) patch cut openings that resulted from treatments and in 21 natural canopy gaps on 2 unharvested control stands. Mean gap area of anthropogenic gaps (582 m²) was greater than that of natural gaps (262 m²). Sweetgum (Liquidambar styraciflua) and red oaks (Quercus nigra, Q. nuttallii, and Q. phellos) were common in anthropogenic gaps, whereas elms (Ulmus spp.) and sugarberry (Celtis laevigata) were numerous in natural gaps. We recommend harvest prescriptions include gaps with diameter >25 m, because the proportion of shade-intolerant regeneration increased with gap area up to 500 m². The proportion of shade-intolerant definitive gap fillers (individuals likely to occupy the canopy) increased with gap area: 35 percent in natural gaps, 54 percent in anthropogenic gaps, and 84 percent in patch cuts. Sweetgum, green ash (Fraxinus pennsylvanica), and red oaks were common definitive gap fillers.
Suggested Citation
Twedt, D.J., Somershoe, S.G., 2013, Regeneration in bottomland forest canopy gaps six years after variable retention harvests to enhance wildlife habitat: General Technical Report SRS-175, 9 p.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Federal Government Series |
| Title | Regeneration in bottomland forest canopy gaps six years after variable retention harvests to enhance wildlife habitat |
| Series title | General Technical Report |
| Series number | SRS-175 |
| Year Published | 2013 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station |
| Publisher location | Asheville, NC |
| Contributing office(s) | Patuxent Wildlife Research Center |
| Description | 9 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Report |
| Larger Work Subtype | Federal Government Series |
| Larger Work Title | Proceedings of the 15th biennial southern silvicultural research conference (Tech. Rep. SRS-GTR-175) |
| First page | 261 |
| Last page | 269 |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Other Geospatial | Tensas River National Wildlife Refuge |