Seedling Recruitment and Stand Regeneration in Spruce-Fir Forests of the Great Smoky Mountains

Abstract

highest elevations (1980+ m). In other collection years fir production ranged from 300,000 to 500,000 seeds/ha, with the exception of 1990 (complete seed failure). Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) seed production was highest at lower elevations. The majority of fir (88-100%) and spruce (54-100%) seeds were empty. Spruce seed viability was highest in 1987 and increased with decreasing elevation (18-41%) while fir seed viability in that year was lower (6-9%). Spruce and hardwood germinal (< 1 year) and seedling (1 year to 1.37 m) densities tended to decrease with increasing elevation while fir germinal counts increased at higher elevations. No fir germinals were found in 1989 or 1990. Spruce seedling and understory densities were greatest at 1675 m elevation. Stem densities (seedlings, understory, and overstory) tended to decrease with increasing size with the exception of red spruce at 1525 and 1980 m elevation classes where understory densities were less than overstory densities.