Author: Jacob Blue
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 136

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Author: Brian Murphy
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 200

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The current oak-hickory overstory that exists in the productive uplands of Southern Illinois is a result of a disturbance regime that lasted thousands of years. The species mix that is currently regenerating under this overstory is a consequence of the historic disturbance regime being severely altered in the last century. As the importance and value of the oak-hickory forest type is widely recognized, land managers seek effective ways to ensure the perpetuation of an oak-hickory component in future stands. Across its range, forest management activities are being implemented in an effort to promote oak, with mixed results. The current study was conducted in the eastern portion of the Shawnee National Forest on private land, with the exception of some Burn only and control stands which were located on Forest Service land. Treatments for these stands fell within five distinct groups: TSI, Burn, TSI/Burn, TSI/Harvest, TSI/Harvest/Burn, plus a control group. Data was collected on overstory, regeneration, and site characteristics. The change in height and abundance of oak seedlings across treatment groups was analyzed with an ANCOVA test. The competitive position of oak and hickory seedlings relative to all seedlings was analyzed with an ANOVA test. The results revealed that TSI only may actually put oak regeneration at a disadvantage, possibly because it only increases the amount of light enough to promote shade tolerant species. The TSI/Harvest/Burn group showed potential to increase the size and abundance of oak regeneration, suggesting the need for higher disturbance intensity in order to increase oak regeneration. When competitive position of oak and hickory seedlings were analyzed, the burn only group showed the greatest increase over the control group, reinforcing the idea that fire naturally selects for oak. Management activities should focus on using heavy disturbance to establish oak regeneration, then fire to ensure that they are competitive enough to eventually reach the overstory.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages :

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Author: Patrick D. Keyser
Publisher: CRC Press
ISBN: 9781498742870
Category : Technology & Engineering
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Eastern oak forests, one of the largest deciduous forest complexes in the world, are highly prized for their aesthetics, biodiversity, ecological services, and economic productivity. Appropriate management is required due to ecological stressors, but many landowners are not familiar with the practical steps to maintain viability or to achieve specific goals. This book is the definitive practical guide for anyone interested in improved stewardship of eastern oak forest ecosystems. Specific chapters include wildlife, silvics, and use of prescribed fire, use of herbicides, artificial regeneration, natural regeneration, as well as woodland, savannah management, and bottomland oak management.

Author: Jillian Pastick
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages :

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Oak forests are complex, fire-dependent ecosystems, critical for supporting ecosystem services such as biodiversity and carbon storage. However, throughout eastern North America, previously oak-dominant ecosystems have undergone shifts in species composition and structure, primarily as a result of human influences. Land managers face the challenge of restoring oak ecosystems and promoting oak regeneration in urban and suburban natural areas, where high-intensity silvicultural treatments are often not feasible. To investigate management alternatives, an adaptive management experiment was implemented in Lake County, IL in 2012, in which five thinning treatments of varying intensity, timing, and spatial aggregation were replicated across three study areas. I monitored the survival, growth, and morphology of planted oak seedlings and quantified microclimatic responses to the overstory thinning strategies. Understory light availability, soil temperature, and atmospheric temperature differed among treatments, suggesting that overstory thinning affected understory microclimates. Even though light availability was significantly increased by canopy thinning, survival and growth of planted oak seedlings did not differ among treatments. Overall high seedling survival rates suggest that current conditions in these sites are amenable to oak regeneration even with only subcanopy-focused management. However, further monitoring will be needed to assess the potential for canopy thinning treatments to influence transitions to the sapling and canopy layers. The results of this adaptive management experiment demonstrate a lower intensity alternative to traditional even-aged silvicultural methods that could be utilized for oak woodland management and restoration in urban ecosystems and natural areas throughout the eastern U.S.

Author: Beverly J. Cory
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Electronic dissertations
Languages : en
Pages : 59

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Oak woodlands and forests in much of eastern North America are undergoing a decline as a result of changes in disturbance regimes and herbivore populations. This conservation concern has stimulated research focusing on oak woodland regeneration. To address possible changes in tree species composition in the Cross Timbers region, a post oak (Quercus stellata) / blackjack oak (Q. marilandica) dominated, xeric vegetation type extending from Texas into Kansas, I compared canopy gap size, frequency, cause, and identities of replacement species in gaps within five young woodlands and three old woodlands in southeastern Kansas. There was no difference in gap characteristics due to woodland age, but a weak difference due to site. There was a significant difference between gap replacement species and current canopy composition. Blackjack oak was over-represented as a replacement species in canopy gaps, but this may be due to its prolific resprouting. Eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana) was also over-represented in gaps, but this was due to over-representation at one site. Overall, there was no evidence of a trend to large imminent change in woodland composition. Large deer populations have been hypothesized to retard forest and woodland regeneration through intensive browsing of saplings. To address possible negative effects of white-tail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) browsing on oak regeneration in a Cross Timbers woodland, I used fencing to manipulate deer access to post oak saplings that occurred in varying sizes of canopy gaps. Light availability had a positive effect on sapling growth. Though intensity of deer browse was low, and all saplings survived, browse-excluded saplings showed greater growth than exposed saplings. Browse intensity and effect on saplings was independent of light availability. While current deer densities in Kansas Cross Timbers woodlands are not severely affecting juvenile oaks in the short term, further increases in densities should be avoided.

Author: Devin Pratt Bendixsen
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 117

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Oak decline has greatly altered the structure and composition of temperate hardwood forests and is caused by a complex interaction of environmental stresses and pests. These stresses can be biotic or abiotic and can be diverse, ranging from insect infestation to drought. Oak decline affected Okmulgee Game Management Area (OGMA) in eastern Oklahoma between 2007 and 2008. The purpose of this study was to determine the causes and ecological effects of oak decline in a xeric oak-hickory forest of eastern Oklahoma.

Author: Rebecca R. Tyler
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Forest conservation
Languages : en
Pages : 66

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Invasive woody plants and trees can have a negative impact on desired tree regeneration in the understory of forest stands, and forage density in grassland sites. An assessment of chemical and mechanical treatments on woody plants in the understory of forestland and in grassland is needed. Two experiments were set up in two forest stands and in two grassland/forest edge sites, with two treatment times during the growing season in the first year of the study. On the forestland sites, chemical and mechanical treatments were applied on undesired woody plants to see if they effect the regeneration of desired tree species (oak, hickory, elm, hackberry, and black walnut). Results showed that the percentage of cover of desired tree natural regeneration was significant from year 1 to year 2. On the grassland sites, I assessed forage density before/after treatments to quantify the difference in the reduction of competition from the undesired woody plants. Results showed there was an overall forage production increase from year 1 to year 2 due to the elimination of woody species the first year of the study. There was a negative forage response from the early summer treatment and a positive forage response from the late summer treatment. Results of this study will be helpful to forest practitioners and landowners that seek to manage dense understories and woody plant species in pastures.

Author:
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Tariff
Languages : en
Pages : 34

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Author: John M. Lhotka
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 184

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