Abstract
To determine the effects of intermediate silvicultural treatments on bottomland hardwoods, two types of thinning (crown thinning and low thinning) and one level of fertilizer (200 lb/ac N + 50 lb/ac P) were applied to a predominantly red oak stand in southeastern Texas. Treatments were applied in a 3 × 2 factorial arrangement as a randomized complete block design of 12 ac in size. Crop trees were selected prior to the treatments, and diameter at breast height measurements were taken pre-treatment and for three proceeding years to assess diameter growth response of all trees. Epicormic branching measurements were also taken for three years post-treatment to evaluate epicormic branching response of all crop trees to crown thinning, low thinning and fertilization. Furthermore, reproduction plots were established pre-treatment to evaluate reproduction height growth response to all intermediate treatments. First-year results showed no significant difference in current annual increment (CAI) of crop-tree diameter growth response; however, second-year results of CAI diameter growth showed that crop trees in thinned plots achieved significantly more growth than in unthinned plots. With third-year results of CAI diameter growth, crop trees in crow-thinned plots grew significantly better than in both low-thinned and unthinned plots, all regardless of fertilization. Epicormic branching was generally greater in crown-thinned and fertilized plots immediately following treatment, and reproduction height growth was generally greater in crown-thinned, and in some cases, fertilized plots.
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