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Rehabilitation and Regeneration of Degraded Forest Stands

Rehabilitation and Regeneration of Degraded Forest Stands. Mary Ann Fajvan and Susan Stout USFS Northern Research Station Acknowledgements: Jeff Stringer, Wayne Clatterbuck , Andy Ezell. Silviculture : Manipulating Stand Structure and Growth.

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Rehabilitation and Regeneration of Degraded Forest Stands

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  1. Rehabilitation and Regeneration of Degraded Forest Stands Mary Ann Fajvan and Susan Stout USFS Northern Research Station Acknowledgements: Jeff Stringer, Wayne Clatterbuck, Andy Ezell

  2. Silviculture: Manipulating Stand Structure and Growth

  3. Landowner Intentions: Manage for sustained yield of wood products and other services. Prescribed Fire Herbicides Thinnings Shelterwood Two-age Management Group Selection

  4. Landowner Goals vs.Land use history • Grazing • Fire • Disease/Insects • Logging damage • Harvesting • Deer browsing • Invasive plants • Sprouting-rot, quality • Disturbance Interactions

  5. Previous cutting, combined with other disturbances, can diminish the potential to sustain quality yields of timber • Single or repeated harvests where the majority or all of the desirable trees have been cut leaving a stand of undesirable species and low quality. • “High-grading” “Diameter-limit cutting” “Select Cut” “Exploitative Harvesting”

  6. Effects of Partial Harvesting on Stand Structure: 1995 WV Assessment • Average diameter decreased 10.2” 9.4” • Total basal area decreased 75.5 52.9 ft2/a • Percent stocking decreased 65% 45%

  7. Classification of Harvested Stands • Silvicultural treatment (4) • Nonsilvicultural treatment(23) Both will produce sawtimber in 10-15 years • Stand should be regenerated (31) • Regeneration has/should occur (16) • NS treatment, quality timber potential lost, fiber possible (25) Fajvan et al. May 1998. Journal of Forestry

  8. FUTURE? Effects of Diameter-limit Cutting on Sustainability Acknowledgements:Aaron Graves, Shawn Grushecky, Karl Knipling, Brian Tift, Travis Deluca

  9. Stand Structure Preharvest: 1993 Postharvest: 1995 BA 12-inch limit: 10-37, AGS 16 ft2/a BA 16-inch limit: 34-76, AGS 37 ft2/a Average dbh: 8.7-9.6 “ Species removed: 89-96% yellow-poplar and red oak Stand damage 15-25 ft2/a • Age: 60 • Average BA: 120 ft2/a • Average dbh: 11” • Species Composition • Yellow-poplar 50% • Red oak 30% • Red maple 10% • Black cherry 7% • White oak 3%

  10. Effects of Residual Trees on Regeneration Development After Diameter-limit Cutting Residual Clump Gap

  11. Regeneration Species Importance Values: 9 Years After Harvest

  12. Rehabilitate and Regenerate Future Sawlog? Retain AGS and seed trees Black Cherry Create/maintain gaps Reduce shade on saplings; liberation

  13. Management Options* for Degraded Stands: Rehabilitate, Regenerate, or Combination? Total Stand Rehabilitation Requirements: • A manageable stand of crop trees must exist • Owner must be willing to perform TSI and long-term management *Ezell, A.W. 2004. Evaluating high-graded hardwood stands. Mississippi State University Extension Service. Publication 1834.

  14. Adapting Stringer Guidelines to SILVAH System: Rehabilitate, Regenerate, or Combination? • Dr. Jeff Stringer, U Ky, developed “SilviculturalPresriptions for Degraded Stands” • Based on doing the best you can with what you have • Adapted these guidelines to SILVAH variables and inventory processes • Appropriate for stands with < 35% stocking of Acceptable Growing Stock and low amounts of Seed Source UGS

  15. Some new ideas and terminology • Normally, we call trees with no potential to produce a sawlog “UGS” – Unacceptable Growing Stock • Caused by poor form • Caused by poor health • Caused by undesirable species • In degraded stand situation, we separate these into • SSUGS – Poor form, good health, desirable species – still Seed Source • UGS – Undesirable species, poor health, unlikely to survive to produce seed

  16. Some new ideas and terminology • Normally, we look at stand level totals and averages • % stocked with desirable regeneration • % stocked with interfering plants • In degraded stands, we’re interested in each patch as a potential lifeboat for the stand • % stocked with desirable regenandno interference – “free to grow desirable regen”

  17. SILVAH & Degraded Stands: Current Procedure • If relative density (stocking) of AGS falls below 35%, SILVAH recommends regenerating • If stand level seed source for desirable species is limiting, SILVAH recommends stand-wide artificial regeneration (planting) • When desirable seed source BA falls below 25 ft2/acre in Allegheny/Northern Hardwoods • Below 40 ft2/acrein mixed oak stands • These prescriptions are both costly and risky • They ignore any positives in degraded stands

  18. Degraded Stand Inventory Procedure • Identify and evaluate AGS (age, vigor, form species) • Identify Seed Source Unacceptable Growing Stock (SSUGS) especially for at risk species. • Assess regeneration potential for desirables (sprouting too) • Assess site quality • Determine spatial distribution of AGS, SSUGS, regeneration

  19. Rehabilitation requirements: Minimum Basal Area: 20-30 ft2/acre saplings 40-50 ft2/acre poles/saw Above C level, with at least 35% AGS/SSUGS Spatial distribution of desirable trees Uniform Scattered Clumped

  20. Regeneration Requirements: AGS/SSUGS < 35% stocking, Regeneration Patches/Sources > 70%). • Total Stand Regeneration: • There are insufficient/unsuitable crop trees; current rotation is over • Owner must be willing to harvest low value, perform release operations and long-term management • Spatial distribution of any advance regeneration • Age of regeneration (development since harvest) • Composition/shade tolerance of regeneration • Competitive status: Crown class • Leave 5 seed trees/a; consider culls of desirables • Midstory canopy density; site prep on good sites for oak • Consider Planting

  21. Combined Rehabilitation and Regeneration Situation: Sufficient AGS/SSUGS present but widely scattered or clumped. Regeneration potential spatially irregular. Oak sapling

  22. Combined Rehabilitation and Regeneration Guidelines: • Maintain clumps of AGS • Keep/reduce BA <20 ft2/a in open areas • Retain seed trees (scattered or within clumps) • Maintain opening size 150’ diameter for oak; 1.25 ac for mixed species

  23. Do the best with what you have: • Use UGS of desirable spp. as seed source • Capitalize on ANY desirable advance regeneration • Practice a mix of releasing remaining AGS and regenerating where there are none (may include planting) • Likely to take many entries • As a forester, you need to feel good about each incremental improvement • Speed and effectiveness of rehabilitation depend upon • landowner’s willingness to invest (e.g. herbicide) • markets for small and/or poor quality material

  24. Chart O: Degraded Stand Analysis & Rx Are there enough AGS plus SSUGS to manage? YES NO SSUGS RD + AGSRD ≥ 35% and Seed Source BA ≥ 30 sq. ft./ac SSUGSRD + AGSRD < 35% or Seed Source BA < 30 sq. ft./ac Use traditional SILVAH charts for regeneration, retaining SSUGS and AGS for seed source Is desirable regeneration present? YES NO Any Des Regenand Any EstRegen No Deer > 0 Any Des Regenand Any Des Regen No Deer = 0 Release all Des Regen with 1 – 1.5 acre openings; work with AGS and SSUGS elsewhere; fence if needed YES Is Des Regen free to grow? Work with AGS and SSUGS to regenerate; supplement with art regen; fence if needed NO Treat interference to release Des Regen while creating 1 – 1.5 acre openings; work with AGS & SSUGS elsewhere; fence if needed

  25. Degraded conditions cannot be corrected in one treatment Requires time, money, management skill and patience Best to PLAN BEFORE YOU CUT!

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