The bottomland hardwood forest of the southern United States

Abstract

Bottomland hardwood forests are valued for timber production, water storage, enhanced water quality, nutrient cycling, erosion control and wildlife habitat. However, the majority of southern bottomland stands, 90% of which are in private ownership, are occupied by a degraded mixture of tree species, caused largely by repeated, incomplete harvests. They can be naturally regenerated to a stand of favorable species composition by removing the residual stand of merchantable and non-merchantable trees. For timber production, these systems respond best to even-aged management such as clearcutting, shelterwood cutting and patch clearcutting. Plant succession under such systems allows shade intolerant species to occupy the site, followed by species of increasing shade tolerance. Uneven-aged systems, such as individual-tree selection and group selection, are also viable regeneration methods, but they require great attention to detail and frequent stand entry. In areas of high sensitivity to timber harvesting, a two-aged system such as a leave-tree is recommended. Stand disturbance, either planned or unplanned, is needed to keep southern hardwood forest stands viable.