Composition and Structure of a 1930s-Era Pine-Hardwood Stand in Arkansas

Abstract

This paper describes an unmanaged 1930s-era pine-hardwood stand on a minor stream terrace in Ashley County, AR. Probably inventoried as a part of an early growth and yield study, the sample plot was approximately 3.2 ha in size and contained at least 21 tree species. Loblolly pine comprised 39.1% of all stems, followed by willow oak (12.7%), winged elm (9.6%), sweetgum (7.8%), water oak (6.7%), white oak (6.2%), red oak (4.9%), and hickory (4.6%). Pine, sweetgum, and oak dominated the midcanopy and overstory, with few late successional species. Stand basal area averaged 32 m2/ha, with 409 live trees/ha. The dominance of shade intolerant species, the lack of very big trees, and a scarcity of snags suggested that this stand was second-growth and likely arose from a disturbance in the mid-19th Century. Because this forest was sampled in the 1930s, its composition and structure should better reflect mature presettlement pine-hardwoods on minor stream terrace sites than modern examples.