Regeneration and Understory Conditions

1. Regeneration and Understory Conditions William H. McWilliams, Randall S. Morin, Tonya W. Lister, and James A. Westfall USDA Forest Service, Northeastern Research Station, Forest Inventory and Analysis Review Basic Hypotheses Methods Results of Regeneration Study Result of Exotics Study

2. Hypotheses Hypothesis1: advance regeneration is bleak Hypothesis2: understory vegetation is extensive? Hypothesis3: native invasive species are everywhere Hypothesis4: non-native invasive species are everywhere and expanding

3. Regeneration Study Dan Devlin, Matt Keefer, Stephen L. Sterner NE RWU 4152: Pat Brose, Steve Horsley, Susan Stout NE RWU 4557: Kurt Gottschalk, Gary Miller NE RWU 4801: William H. McWilliams, Tonya W. Lister, and James A. Westfall Robert White, Lois DeMarco Jim Finley, Peter Gould, Kim Steiner

4. Five-Year Panel Year One Year Two Regeneration Sample Year Three Year Four Year Five 1 2 3 4 3 5 4 1 5 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 3 1 4 5 1 2 3 Study Design: Regeneration Study Samples Interpenetrating Sub-Panel of FIA Sample Locations

5. Sampling Protocols: Three Levels Sample Location Level Deer Impact: Record on of five Deer Impact classes: (after Marquis et al. 1994) Very Low Low Medium High Very High Microplot Level Condition class Site limitations Dominant Tree: If present, record the species of the most dominant tree at least 5.0 inches in diameter. Seedling Tally: Count all established seedlings at least 2” tall by: Species Seedling Source (stump sprout and other) Stump Sprout Other Seedling Competitive oak, hickory, walnut, or butternut seedling Height Class 2 inches to 6 inches 3 feet to 5 feet 6 inches to 1 foot 5 feet to 10 feet 1 foot to 3 feet Greater than 10 feet Numbers of seedlings Subplot Level Condition Class Site Limitations Associated Understory Vegetation: Assign Percent cover classes to Species/Life Form. Species/Life Form Shrubs (detailed code) Vines (detailed code) Fern (Bracken, Hay-Scented, and New York) Other fern Grass Other herbaceous Percent Cover Class (after Marquis et al 1994) The Subplot is also where Exotic Invasives Are Tallied

6. Degree of Establishment Tally Requirements: All seedlings (trees less than 1.0-inches DBH) rooted within the microplot, and At least 2-inches tall with at least two normal-sized leaves that do not still bear cotyledons, and Tug Test – the standard “tug test” is used to determine whether seedlings have been established in the previous year’s growing season. Seedlings that slip out of the ground with a “slight” tug should not be tallied. Examination of roots systems will reveal that seedlings that don’t slip out have more developed root systems than first-year seedlings.

7. Established = 0.20 in. Root Length = 3 ft. (not shown) Competitive = 0.75 in. 1-inch 1-inch Root Length = 8 ft. (not shown) Degree of Establishment for Large-Seeded Species Based on Root-Collar Diameter (Brose unpublished)

8. Species Composition Group (Timber Management) Desirable Black cherry Oak Sugar maple Red maple Conifer Hickory Yellow-Poplar Ash Basswood Cucumbertree Walnut Butternut Commercial Black cherry Oak Sugar maple Red maple Conifer Hickory Yellow-Poplar Ash Basswood Cucumbertree Walnut Butternut Birch Beech Blackgum Elm Black locust Hackberry Aspen All Woody Black cherry Honey Locust Oak Sassafras Sugar maple Ironwood Red maple Ailanthius Conifer Mountain ash Hickory Blue beech Yellow-Poplar Hawthorn Ash Dogwood Basswood Redbud Cucumbertree Pin cherry Walnut Striped maple Butternut Hercules club Birch Scrub oak Beech Chokecherry Blackgum Shadbush Elm Black locust Hackberry Aspen

9. Other Dominants Black cherry Oak Sugar maple Red maple White pine Eastern hemlock Hickory Yellow-Poplar Ash Black birch Beech Other High Canopy Species All Woody Black cherry Oak Sugar maple Red maple White pine Hickory Eastern hemlock Hickory Basswood Yellow-Poplar Ash Black birch Beech Other High Canopy Species All Other Woody Species 2Other Dominants: All other native species that typically exhibit the ability to form high canopy. 3All Woody: all other woody tree species, such as striped maple, hawthorn, hornbeam, pin cherry, etc.. Species Composition Group (Canopy Replacement) Dominant Black cherry Oak Sugar maple Red maple White pine Eastern hemlock Hickory Yellow-Poplar Ash Black birch Beech 1Dominants: includes species that account for at least 2 percent of total live-tree biomass within the state and typically form high canopy.

10. Seedling Regeneration Stocking Requirements Two levels of acceptable seedling density per acre were used to account for the range of regeneration guidelines found in the literature (Leak 1980, Sander and others 1976, Marquis and Bjorkbom 1982). These two levels of regeneration stocking are referred to as “moderate-deer” and “high-deer,” respectively. The moderate-deer level requires at least 25 seedlings per microplot. The high-deer level requires at least 100 seedlings per microplot. The moderate-deer level is representative of guidelines developed for central hardwood stands. The high-deer level is reflective of higher levels required in regions with relatively high levels of deer impact. Weighted Counts: 2 to 6 inches 1 6 inches to 1 foot 1 1 to 3 feet 2 3 to 5 feet 20 5 to 10 feet 50 Greater than 10 feet 50

11. Use the Game Commission Wildlife Management Units for spatial analysis Eco-Regions Plateau Glacial Limit Central Appalachians Broadleaf Broadleaf Analyzing the Results Applied the regeneration guidelines and evaluated the results for the two species groupings and deer population levels after screening for samples where the forest floor would receive enough light for seedling development, or from 40 to 75 percent stocking based on relative stocking.

12. Percent of Samples Meeting Regeneration Criteria, TimberManagement (Samples from 40% to 75% Stocked – High Deer) Desirable Commercial Woody 34 % 47 % 54 % Interpretation: Desirable: about two-thirds would likely fail to regenerate. Commercial: about half would likely fail. Woody: about half would likely fail.

13. 16% No Data 0 – 33% 34-66% 67+% Percent of Samples Meeting Regeneration Criteria, Timber Management (Samples from 40% to 75% Stocked – High Deer) Wildlife Management Units

14. Percent of Samples Meeting Regeneration Criteria, Canopy Replacement (Samples from 40% to 75% Stocked – High Deer) Dominant Other High Canopy Woody 44 % 48 % 54 % Interpretation: Dominant: over half would likely fail to regenerate. Other High Canopy: about half would likely fail. Woody: about half would likely fail.

15. Wildlife Management Units 26% No Data Percent of Samples Meeting Regeneration Criteria, Canopy Replacement (Samples from 40% to 75% Stocked – High Deer) 0 – 33% 34-66% 67+%

16. 0 - 33% 34- 66% 67+% Percent of Samples with 30% or More Other Vegetation Cover (Samples from 40% to 75% Stocked – High Deer) Wildlife Management Units 95% No Data

17. No Data 0 - 33% 34- 66% 67+% Percent of Samples with 70% or More Other Vegetation Cover (Samples from 40% to 75% Stocked – High Deer) Wildlife Management Units 71%

18. Wildlife Management Units No Data 0 - 10% 11- 20% 21+% Percent of Samples with 30% or More Rhizomous Fern Cover (Samples from 40% to 75% Stocked – High Deer) 35%

19. Exotic Invasive Plants Study Shrubs (19) Japanese barberry European barberry Russian olive Autumn olive Winged Euonymous Border privet Common privet Bell’s honeysuckle Amur honeysuckle Morrow’s honeysuckle Standish honeysuckle Tartarian honeysuckle Common buckthorn Glossy buckthorn Multiflora rose Wineberry Japanese spiraea Linden viburnam Guelder rose Vines (8) Fiveleaf akebia Porcelain-berry Oriental bittersweet English ivy Japanese honeysuckle Mile-a-minute vine Kudzu Common periwinkle Forbes and Grasses (12) Garlic mustard Spotted knapweed Canada thistle Bull thistle Crown-vetch Giant hogweed Purple loosestrife Japanese stilt grass Reed canary grass Common reed Japanese knotweed Giant knotweed

20. Percent of Samples with Species Present Multiflora Rose

21. Percent of Samples with Species Present Ailanthus

22. Percent of Samples with Species Present European/Japanese Barberry

23. Percent of Samples with Species Present Honeysuckles

24. Percent of Samples with Species Present Japanese Honeysuckle

25. Percent of Samples with Species Present Oriental Bittersweet

26. Percent of Samples with Species Present Autumn/Russian Olive

27. Percent of Samples with Species Present Garlic Mustard

28. Percent of Samples with Species Present Japanese Stilt Grass

29. Percent of Samples with Species Present Reed Canary Grass

30. Percent of Samples with Species Present Japanese/Giant Knotweed

31. Percent of Samples with Species Present Giant Hogweed

32. ?

33. The End