Abstract
The management of second-growth Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood) forests for the purpose of restoration and ecological conservation is a growing trend. However, little is known about the long-term regenerative potential of this forest type in the absence of post-harvest management techniques such as thinning and planting. Data on forest composition and structure were collected on a chronosequence (80 - 160 years) of mature recovering stands in the southern coast redwood range using a replicated, randomized, plot design. Results indicated that many stand characteristics including tree density, canopy cover, redwood dominance, species richness, herbaceous cover, and shrub cover reached levels statistically equivalent with old-growth reference sites in recovering stands within the time frame of this chronosequence. The recovery of individual herbaceous understory species was inconsistent however. While the cover of redwood-associated species (Oxalis oregana, Trientalis latifolia, and Disporum hookeri) reached levels statistically equivalent to old-growth reference sites, others (Trillium ovatum and Viola sempervirens) did not. Total basal area and species evenness also trended toward, but did not reach, old-growth conditions. The arboreal aspects of coast redwood forests appear to be remarkably resilient following a single logging event, and recover rapidly in the absence of active restoration techniques. The protracted recovery of certain redwood associated herbaceous understory species will require further study.
Highlights
The majority of the original old-growth Sequoia sempervirens forest has been converted into managed timber stands and other land uses (Noss, 2000)
Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas fir), Notholithocarpus densiflorus, and Umbellularia californica (California bay laurel) all had significantly higher densities in old-growth stands compared to second-growth, and Quercus wislizenii, Arbutus menziesii both exhibited lower densities in oldgrowth stands
Average combined basal area in old-growth stands was significantly greater than in secondgrowth stands (p < 0.001). This pattern was repeated for individual species including Sequoia sempervirens, Pseudotsuga menziesii, and Notholithocarpus densiflorus (p = 0.000; p = 0.000; p = 0.000) suggesting that while the ratio of species within stands reached statistical equivalence with old-growth within the time frame of the chronosequence, total basal area did not
Summary
The majority of the original old-growth Sequoia sempervirens (coast redwood) forest has been converted into managed timber stands and other land uses (Noss, 2000). Preservation efforts have been successful in protecting most of the remaining old-growth in parks and preserves. While management of old-growth forests is mainly limited to preservation, management of previously harvested forests often includes some level of active restoration (O’Hara et al, 2010). Restoration is defined as “bringing back to a former position or condition” (Merriam-Webster, 2010). In North America the term “restoration” has sometimes been used to indicate an idealized pre-EuroAmerican condition, based on the unfounded assumption that the pre-European population did not actively manage forests (Litvalis, 2003; Anderson, 2006). Conditions found in currently extant reference sites with minimal anthropogenic disturbance is perhaps the best option for a restoration template (Laughlin et al, 2004; Josefsson et al, 2009), though these stands can vary significantly
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