Abstract
Trees serve important functions in riparian areas. Guidelines often suggest how riparian forests should be managed to sustain functions, including tree retention and increasing the component of conifers and later-successional species. While regeneration of early successional species is not discouraged, there is uncertainty about the ability to regenerate the latter along with more desirable species. We investigated the regeneration of species differing in successional status and growth forms under different amounts of residual basal area. The study was conducted in riparian sites in northern Minnesota USA. At each site, one portion of the riparian area was uncut, while a downstream area was harvested to 16 or 8 m2·ha-1. Woody vegetation was sampled before and five-years after harvesting and summarized as early, mid-, and late successional hardwoods, as well as conifers and shrubs. After five years, the density of early successional trees was lower at 16 m2·ha-1 compared to 8 m2·ha-1; densities in both treatments were lower than in clearcuts. Densities of mid- and late successional hardwoods and conifers did not increase in either treatment. The higher basal area treatment resulted in a lower density of shrubs, which might be important for establishing more desirable tree species, although this may require additional activities to promote establishment.
Highlights
Trees in riparian areas serve many important ecological functions, including shading of streams, bank stabilization and protection from erosion, interception and uptake of water and nutrients from the upland [1]-[4]
Many organizations and agencies have guidelines on how riparian forests should be managed to sustain ecological functions [9] [10]. These guidelines stress retention of trees in the riparian management zone (RMZ) and provide recommendations about minimum basal areas to be retained during harvesting
ADiameter at 1.4 m ≥ 12.7 cm; bRMZC = uncut RMZ; cRMZH = RMZ cut to 16 m2·ha−1; dRMZL = RMZ cut to 8 m2·ha−1; eMeans ± 1 standard error; fEarly successional includes paper birch, trembling aspen, big-tooth aspen, and balsam poplar; gMid-successional includes black ash, green ash, northern red oak, bur oak, silver maple, yellow birch, and American elm; hLate successional includes sugar maple, red maple, basswood, and ironwood; iConifers includes balsam fir, white spruce, black spruce, and northern white cedar
Summary
Trees in riparian areas serve many important ecological functions, including shading of streams, bank stabilization and protection from erosion, interception and uptake of water and nutrients from the upland [1]-[4]. Many organizations and agencies have guidelines on how riparian forests should be managed to sustain ecological functions [9] [10]. These guidelines stress retention of trees in the riparian management zone (RMZ) and provide recommendations about minimum basal areas to be retained during harvesting. The greater longevity of conifers and later successional hardwoods compared to early successional species provides for greater continuity of riparian function and larger potential tree sizes, resulting in higher inputs of coarse woody debris into aquatic habitats in the long run
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