Theoretical Overview of Successional Considerations in Vegetation Management

Abstract

Forest succession most relevant to forestry originates following forest harvesting or wildfire. That following harvesting is most often also influenced by site preparation procedures for reforestation. The resultant vegetation succession is dependent on the type, degree, and timing of the disturbance, the site characteristics and conditions, and the microclimate. Subsurface organs, including roots, rhizomes, and stumps, allow most species of shrubs occurring on moist and wet forest sites to survive burning and crushing. Establishment and survival of some forbs, such as fireweed and bracken fern, are greatly facilitated by burning. Effective non-chemical techniques for providing desirable forest tree species a successional advantage over competing forest species are discussed. These involve different silvicultural systems, time of logging, type of scarification, time and degree of burning, time of planting, size of seedlings, and other reforestation considerations.