Central Hardwood Forest Region Research Articles

Sustainability of White Oak (Quercus alba) Timber Supply in Kentucky

Abstract White oak is a major commercial tree species and an important timber resource in Kentucky. However, current forest inventory trends from the Central Hardwood Forest Region (CHFR) reveal a sustainability threat from declining white oak regeneration and recruitment leading to a disproportionate inventory structure. Using Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) data together with the Forest Vegetation Simulator (FVS), we performed a base run analysis of projected inventory levels of white oak sawlogs to better understand whether the inventory level is sustainable to support the current harvest level of white oak in the future. The projections were further examined by tree grades to provide a general outlook on the quality of white oak timber growing in Kentucky’s forests in posterity. By doing so, we generated results that indicate that projected inventory levels of white oak sawlogs cannot be considered sustainable to support current harvest levels from 2058 onwards. In addition, the long-term trends in inventory levels of high-quality white oak sawlogs would be continuously declining whereas that of low-quality sawlogs would be steadily increasing. On the brink of these significant inventory shifts, our study calls for proactive forest management approaches to stabilize the white oak timber resource supply in Kentucky and beyond.

Predicting and indexing ungulate browse intensity from local to regional scales

The intensity of browsing by white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus; hereafter deer) can be influenced directly by deer densities and food availability, and indirectly by landscape characteristics that influence these factors. However, the variables and spatial scales that influence browsing intensity likely differ in landscapes with varying composition and land use. Furthermore, because high browsing intensity can influence the structure and function of forests, determining the most effective and efficient indices of browsing intensity can aid forest management decisions. To evaluate differences in browsing intensity, we used Bayesian hierarchical models to estimate the probability of browsing for twigs from non-avoided species based upon woodlot and landscape-scale variables, which were calculated within 200, 500, 1000, and 1500 m buffers. We then evaluated the efficacy of the twig age, oak sentinel, and herbaceous indicator methods of indexing browsing intensity by correlating these to browsing intensity and deer density. We also evaluated the expense and required work time associated with each index method. Food availability seemed to drive browsing intensities in our study, however, deer density was also important in the region with the lowest cover of forest. When meaningful, landscape characteristics fit data best at the 500 m buffer size. The twig age method showed the strongest correlations to both browsing intensity and deer density and was among the most efficient methods, suggesting it is a reliable index of browsing intensity within Indiana and similar regions. Together, our results highlight that landscape characteristics can mediate the relationship between deer and forest plant communities, which emphasizes the need to tailor management actions to variable landscapes that may occur within a single state or region. Additionally, our results suggest that the twig age method is the most efficient and effective index to monitor browse intensity in agriculturally dominated landscapes, such as those of the Central Hardwood Forest Region.

Selection rankings of woody species for white-tailed deer vary with browse intensity and landscape context within the Central Hardwood Forest Region

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) selection of woody species can be influenced by deer densities, food availability, and local and regional landscape characteristics. Determining selection rankings across varying regional landscapes is important to the management of both deer and forests. However, these regional-scale rankings are currently lacking. Here, we develop selection rankings for 63 species within woodlots across the southern, central, and northern regions of Indiana by counting the number of available and browsed twigs by species along transects. We then classified species into five selection classes: highly selected, slightly selected, neutral, slightly avoided, and strongly avoided. Some species displayed consistent classification across regions, including selection for greenbrier (Smilax spp.), hackberry (Celtis occidentalis), white ash (Fraxinus americana), and white oak (Quercus alba) and avoidance of spicebush (Lindera benzoin) and pawpaw (Asimina triloba). For the 16 species that exhibited significant regional variation in selection, we modeled the probability of a twig being browsed using explanatory variables measured at the woodlot scale, and within 200, 500, 1000, and 1500 m buffers around woodlots. Browsing intensity within a focal woodlot was more often associated with increased selection of an individual species than other explanatory variables. Nonetheless, both woodlot and landscape-scale variables influenced selection of woody browse by deer. In general, factors that increased browsing opportunities (e.g., increased density of non-avoided twigs, increased forest edge density, and increased woodlot edge) increased the selection of an individual species, while those that decreased browsing opportunities (e.g., increased non-native stem density and increased avoided twig density) decreased selection. Our selection classifications for common species in the Central Hardwood Forest Region highlight species that may be at risk of being negatively affected by severe browsing, while simultaneously identifying species that decrease foraging habitat quality. Our results also provide evidence that local and regional conditions drive differences in selection; and thus, require evaluation prior to management. More broadly, we showcase that multiple variables and spatial scales can affect selection of individual browse species by deer and merit consideration by researchers when studying the effects of browsing on forest ecosystems.

Selection Rankings of Woody Species for White-Tailed Deer Vary with Browse Intensity and Landscape Context within the Central Hardwood Forest Region

Selection Rankings of Woody Species for White-Tailed Deer Vary with Browse Intensity and Landscape Context within the Central Hardwood Forest Region

Fire history and vegetation data reveal ecological benefits of recent mixed-severity fires in the Cumberland Mountains, West Virginia, USA

BackgroundWithout periodic fire, fire-adapted plant communities across the Central Hardwood Forest Region (CHF) in the USA have undergone significant changes in forest structure and species composition, most notably a decrease in oak regeneration and herbaceous diversity and an increase in shade-tolerant, fire-sensitive tree species. In this study, we conducted a comparative analysis of two mixed pine-oak (Pinus-Quercus) forests with different land management histories in the Cumberland Mountains of southern West Virginia where fire ecology and fire effects are understudied. We reconstructed the fire history of both sites from fire-scarred shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.) and pitch pine (Pinus rigida Mill.) trees to describe variation in the fire regimes over time. We also made plant community measurements that spatially coincided with fire-scarred pines to assess present-day plant community structure in relation to recent fire history.ResultsBefore 1970, fires at Hite Fork and Wall Fork occurred frequently and almost exclusively in the dormant season, every 7–8 years on average. The fire regimes diverged in the Post-Industrial era (1970–2020), during which there was a single fire at Wall Fork, while six major fires, scarring more than 40% of sampled trees, occurred between 1985 and 2017 at Hite Fork. Four of these dormant-season fires correspond to late fall incendiary fires in the observational record. These differences in recent fire history had large effects on plant community structure. Recent mixed-severity fires at Hite Fork likely caused mortality of pole-sized trees and opened the canopy, creating conditions favorable for pine recruitment and resulted in significantly higher species richness in the herbaceous layer compared to Wall Fork, which exhibited the effects of mesophication.ConclusionsOur results suggest that frequent mixed-severity fire in pine-oak forests of the Cumberland Mountains can meet management objectives by reducing mesophytic tree abundance, increasing herbaceous diversity and pine recruitment, and generally promoting forest heterogeneity.

Midstory Removal Facilitates Growth but Reduces Competitiveness of Oak Reproduction Prior to and after Shelterwood Establishment Cutting

Abstract This study examined the influence of midstory removal applied 9 years prior to a shelterwood establishment cut on survival, growth, and competitive status of black oak (Quercus velutina Lam.), white oak (Quercus alba L.), and an oak competitor, red maple (Acer rubrum L.), immediately before and at 6 years following shelterwood cutting on intermediate productivity sites in the Central Hardwood Forest Region. We also examined height and density distributions of the regenerating cohort to quantify seedling establishment and to elucidate relative oak competitiveness at each time period. Although oak seedlings were taller 9 years after midstory removal than in undisturbed controls, the midstory removal treatment reduced the frequency of free-to-grow oaks (relative to understory competitors) and increased the size of red maple and relative density of large competitors. Height growth of all three species following establishment cutting was increased by prior midstory removal and dependent on seedling competitive position immediately before shelterwood establishment. Additionally, we observed increased seedling densities 6 years following shelterwood establishment cutting and greater white oak seedling establishment when midstory removal preceded the shelterwood treatment.

Effects of species biological traits and environmental heterogeneity on simulated tree species distribution shifts under climate change

Demographic processes (fecundity, dispersal, colonization, growth, and mortality) and their interactions with environmental changes are not well represented in current climate-distribution models (e.g., niche and biophysical process models) and constitute a large uncertainty in projections of future tree species distribution shifts. We investigate how species biological traits and environmental heterogeneity affect species distribution shifts. We used a species-specific, spatially explicit forest dynamic model LANDIS PRO, which incorporates site-scale tree species demography and competition, landscape-scale dispersal and disturbances, and regional-scale abiotic controls, to simulate the distribution shifts of four representative tree species with distinct biological traits in the central hardwood forest region of United States. Our results suggested that biological traits (e.g., dispersal capacity, maturation age) were important for determining tree species distribution shifts. Environmental heterogeneity, on average, reduced shift rates by 8% compared to perfect environmental conditions. The average distribution shift rates ranged from 24 to 200myear−1 under climate change scenarios, implying that many tree species may not able to keep up with climate change because of limited dispersal capacity, long generation time, and environmental heterogeneity. We suggest that climate-distribution models should include species demographic processes (e.g., fecundity, dispersal, colonization), biological traits (e.g., dispersal capacity, maturation age), and environmental heterogeneity (e.g., habitat fragmentation) to improve future predictions of species distribution shifts in response to changing climates.

Reconstructing a cultural fire regime in the Pennsylvania Anthracite Region

Fire history reconstructions provide fire managers with valuable information regarding historical fire regime dynamics. Yet, in the Central Hardwood Forest Region (CHF), there is an absence of dendroecological studies where frequent wildfires have persisted into the twenty-first century. This study presents the first documented tree-ring reconstruction of fire history in the Pennsylvania anthracite coal-producing region. An approximately 150-year fire chronology was developed from fire-scarred pitch pine (Pinus rigida) and sassafras (Sassafras albidum) collected on Spring Mountain in Schuylkill County. Principal component analysis and k-means cluster analysis were used to identify four fire regime clusters based on interacting fire and non-fire parameters. Results indicate that fires occurred under a variety of moisture conditions and that a mid-twentieth century increase in fire activity on Spring Mountain was associated with the collapse of the regional anthracite industry and possibly amplified by the 1960s drought. Fires continue to burn on Spring Mountain in the twenty-first century, contrary to the dominant pattern of fire exclusion across the CHF. Future research needs are highlighted regarding historical fire regime dynamics and cultural ties to landscape burning in the Pennsylvania Anthracite Region.

Examining growth relationships in Quercus stands: An application of individual-tree models developed from long-term thinning experiments

This manuscript seeks to further the understanding of growth patterns in Quercus forests, thereby informing the development of appropriate thinning practice. The author leveraged a network of thinning experiments established by the US Forest Service more than 50years ago. Individual-tree diameter growth and survival models were developed along with a simulation framework to evaluate the relationship between stand stocking and 20-year basal area and volume growth. Models predicting five-year diameter growth and survival of individual trees included variables representing tree size, competitive position, stand density, and/or site quality. Model evaluation focused on the collective accuracy and cumulative error propagation of the individual-tree models through four, five-year growth cycles. Through a series of stand density simulations in white oak (Quercus alba L.) dominated forest structures representing four mid-rotation age conditions, it was found that stand basal area and total volume growth followed a unimodal pattern culminating at 50–60% stocking. Sawtimber volume growth was more sensitive to initial stand age, and the stocking level where it peaked increased with increasing age. The study not only helps to define relationships for Quercus stands of the Central Hardwood Forest Region, USA, but it also adds to the limited body of research quantifying individual-tree and stand growth relationships within mixed species broadleaf forest types.

Timber harvest and drought interact to impact oak seedling growth and survival in the Central Hardwood Forest

AbstractOak (Quercus) is a dominant component of the overstory in the Central Hardwood Forest region, but is currently failing to regenerate throughout much of its range. Loss of oak as a canopy dominant species would be devastating to the numerous species of wildlife that rely on acorns as a food resource. Intolerance to shade, competitive interactions, and herbivory (especially by deer) all contribute to oak regeneration failure by suppressing oak seedling growth and reducing survival. Timber harvest is one way to create light conditions favorable for shade‐intolerant oak seedlings, but other biotic factors, especially competition and herbivory, continue to play a role in oak seedling growth and survival following harvest. We experimentally planted oak seedlings in several timber harvesting treatments and under varying conditions of herbivory and interspecific competition to assess the relative importance of these drivers of early oak life history and their interaction with timber harvest. Overall, seedling survival over the 4‐yr study was negatively related to competition but not herbivory, and growth was negatively related to herbivory but not competition. Herbivore pressure was generally mild across the study area. Abiotic factors also played an important role: Severe drought during the first two growing seasons (2011–2012) had a negative effect on both growth and survival, especially for seedlings in harvest openings and on southwestern‐facing slopes (sites that should normally favor shade‐intolerant oak). Meanwhile, a partial harvesting technique (shelterwood harvest) increased available light for oak regeneration while appearing to buffer against the effects of the drought. More extreme weather conditions, brought on by climate change, will likely present challenges for forest managers seeking to regenerate oak via timber harvest. Phased harvesting systems like shelterwoods, in addition to their other advantages, may mitigate the impacts of drought while still encouraging oak seedling growth.

Midstory removal reduces effectiveness of oak (Quercus) acorn dispersal by small mammals in the Central Hardwood Forest region

Timber harvests that aim to promote oak (Quercus) regeneration may have indirect impacts on seedling recruitment by altering trophic interactions between oak and animals. For example, changes in habitat structure following harvest may alter the conditionally mutualistic relationship between oak and small mammal granivores like the gray squirrel (Sciurus carolinensis), eastern chipmunk (Tamias striatus) and white-footed mouse (Peromyscus leucopus) that act both as acorn predators and as dispersers. Over 4years (2010–2013), we tracked the fate of a total of 8000 tagged acorns placed beneath black (Quercus velutina) and white oaks (Quercus alba) at 5 control (unharvested) sites and 5 sites where the midstory was removed as part of a three-phase shelterwood harvest in an oak-dominated forest in southern Indiana, USA. We found that acorns in harvested sites were more likely to be taken by granivores and were less likely to survive the winter, resulting in an overall 67% reduction in seed dispersal effectiveness (SDE). Harvested sites had more vegetative cover and coarse woody debris in the understory, providing increased cover from aerial predators and potentially facilitating greater acorn removal and a higher probability of cache recovery. Reduced seed dispersal effectiveness following midstory removal has potential to slow accumulation of oak regeneration prior to overstory removal and therefore to reduce the effectiveness of shelterwood treatments in promoting future oak dominance in harvested stands. Augmentation of shelterwoods with prescribed fire or other treatments to reduce understory density may counter this effect.

Importance of succession, harvest, and climate change in determining future composition in U.S. Central Hardwood Forests

Most temperate forests in U.S. are recovering from heavy exploitation and are in intermediate successional stages where partial tree harvest is the primary disturbance. Changes in regional forest composition in response to climate change are often predicted for plant functional types using biophysical process models. These models usually simplify the simulation of succession and harvest and may not consider important species‐specific demographic processes driving forests changes. We determined the relative importance of succession, harvest, and climate change to forest composition changes in a 125‐million ha area of the Central Hardwood Forest Region of U.S. We used a forest landscape modeling approach to project changes in density and basal area of 23 tree species due to succession, harvest, and four climate scenarios from 2000 to 2300. On average, succession, harvest, and climate change explained 78, 17, and 1% of the variation in species importance values (IV) at 2050, respectively, but their contribution changed to 46, 26, and 20% by 2300. Climate change led to substantial increases in the importance of red maple and southern species (e.g., yellow‐poplar) and decreases in northern species (e.g., sugar maple) and most of widely distributed species (e.g., white oak). Harvest interacted with climate change and accelerated changes in some species (e.g., increasing southern red oak and decreasing American beech) while ameliorated the changes for others (e.g., increasing red maple and decreasing white ash). Succession was the primary driver of forest composition change over the next 300 years. The effects of harvest on composition were more important than climate change in the short term but climate change became more important than harvest in the long term. Our results show that it is important to model species‐specific responses when predicting changes in forest composition and structure in response to succession, harvest, and climate change.

Economic and Life-Cycle Analysis of Forest Carbon Sequestration and Wood-Based Bioenergy Offsets in the Central Hardwood Forest Region of United States

This study investigates the combined impact of carbon and bioenergy markets on upland oak dominated mixed hardwood forests in the Central Hardwood Forest Region (CHFR) of the United States. A modification of the Hartman model was used for the economic analysis of carbon sequestration and using wood-based biomass for bioenergy. A life-cycle assessment was used to determine the amount of carbon sequestered due to stand growth and emitted during harvesting and decay of wood products. Two scenarios were taken, one where additionality of carbon is considered and the other where it is not. Sensitivity analysis was done with the range of carbon and bioenergy prices. The results show that net carbon payments have more impact on land expectation value (LEV) when additionality is not considered; in contrast, bioenergy payments have more impact on LEV when additionality is considered. Carbon and bioenergy prices also influenced the amount of stand level supply of forest products and carbon in both scenarios. In general, sawtimber, wood bioenergy, and carbon supply increased with an increase in carbon prices, whereas, pulpwood supply decreased. With few exceptions at higher carbon prices, bioenergy supply decreased with the increase in wood bioenergy prices, showing a backward bending supply curve in both scenarios.

Changes in Small Mammal Microhabitat Use Following Silvicultural Disturbance

Abstract Silvicultural disturbance can lead to major shifts in biotic and abiotic characteristics of forests, with significant implications for wildlife. Many studies have demonstrated site occupancy and abundance of small mammals changes following silviculture, but few have identified the habitat characteristics associated with small mammal responses. We conducted a study in the central hardwood forest region of the U.S. to examine the relationship between small mammal habitat use and habitat variables at the microsite scale, before and after silvicultural disturbance, while explicitly accounting for imperfect detection. Following the creation of harvest openings, vegetation cover and coarse woody debris increased, and leaf litter depth decreased. Fewer changes occurred following the midstory removal stage of a shelterwood harvest. Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) and white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) were positively correlated with woody vegetation cover and coarse woody debris, and short-taile...

Effects of silvicultural disturbance on acorn infestation and removal

Oak (Quercus spp.) regeneration is an important forest management goal in the central hardwood forest region of the United States. Silvicultural methods that target oak regeneration, such as the creation of canopy openings and removal of shade-tolerant midstory trees, are complicated by the impact of pre- and post-dispersal predators of oak acorns like acorn weevils (Curculio spp.) and granivorous small mammals. Understanding the effects of forest disturbance created by silviculture on these predators is important to promote successful oak regeneration. We conducted a 6-year study of acorn production, weevil infestation, and acorn removal at 113 black (Q. velutina) and white oak (Q. alba) trees impacted by three types of silvicultural treatments: adjacent to harvest openings, midstory removal (first-stage shelterwood harvest), and control (no harvest) in south-central Indiana, USA. We observed highly variable acorn production across years, but minimal impact of silvicultural treatments. Levels of weevil infestation and acorn removal by small mammal seed predators also varied greatly, and predation pressure was highest in years when acorns were scarce. Weevil infestation was reduced following midstory removal in shelterwood harvests, but probability of acorn removal by small mammals was unchanged following harvest. Damaged, germinated, and weevil-infested acorns were less likely to be removed by seed predators, suggesting additive effects of pre- and post-dispersal predators. This study emphasizes the importance of considering acorn predators in oak regeneration silviculture, and timing harvests to follow large acorn crops in order to reduce predation pressure and generate a high number of seedlings.

LANDIS PRO: a landscape model that predicts forest composition and structure changes at regional scales

LANDIS PRO predicts forest composition and structure changes incorporating species‐, stand‐, and landscape‐scales processes at regional scales. Species‐scale processes include tree growth, establishment, and mortality. Stand‐scale processes contain density‐ and size‐related resource competition that regulates self‐thinning and seedling establishment. Landscape‐scale processes include seed dispersal and disturbances. LANDIS PRO is designed to be compatible with forest inventory data, thus extensive inventory data can be directly utilized to initialize and calibrate model parameters before predicting future forest changes. LANDIS PRO allows for exploring the effects of disturbances, management, climate change, and modeling the spread of invasive species. We demonstrate that LANDIS PRO successfully predicts forest successional trajectories and stand development patterns in the Central Hardwood Forest region in U.S.

Financial and Management Implications of Producing Bioenergy in Upland Oak Stands in Kentucky

Wood-based bioenergy or energywood has been suggested as an alternative to various fossil-fuel-based energy sources. While a variety of studies have investigated some economic aspects of forest-based bioenergy throughout the United States, none have yet examined the profitability of forest-based bioenergy from a landowner perspective in the Central Hardwood Forest Region. This study assesses how a forest-based bioenergy market would impact the optimal rotation age, the mix of forest products produced, and the potential financial return from typical mixed hardwood nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) lands in Kentucky. Results indicate that producing woody biomass for energy alongside other traditional forest products substantially decreases rotation age and increases the financial returns to the landowner. The reduction in rotation age is substantial enough that there could be fairly large changes in the product mix obtained from a typical mixed hardwood stand in the region. This result indicates that policies aimed at regulating the forest-based bioenergy market should take the potential for significant changes in forest management into account.

Short-term responses of small mammals to timber harvest in the United States Central Hardwood Forest Region

Identifying the effect of timber harvest on plant and animal communities is important for managers seeking to conserve ecosystem function. Timber harvest affects many forest species, including small mammals, a key component of forest food webs. We studied short-term responses of several common small-mammal species to clearcutting and shelterwood harvest in hardwood forests of southern Indiana. We trapped small mammals at 32 forest stands for 2 years before harvest. Each stand then received a timber harvest treatment: either the creation of a 0.4-, 2-, or 4-ha clearcut opening, shelterwood harvest, or no harvest. Following harvest, we trapped small mammals for 3 additional years. We estimated abundance from capture data and compared estimates before and after harvests using an N-mixture model fit in a Bayesian framework. Small mammals in our study differed in their responses to timber harvest. Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus) increased in all clearcut opening sizes, whereas white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus) and short-tailed shrews (Blarina brevicauda) were less abundant in larger clearcuts. The first stage (midstory removal) of a 3-stage shelterwood harvest had no impact on the small-mammal community. Mast production influenced small-mammal populations independent of silvicultural treatments. In the years immediately following harvest, managers can expect populations of common small-mammal species to increase or remain unchanged in small clearcut openings, but some species decline in larger openings that reduce the edge to interior ratio of habitat created. The phased shelterwood harvest system in which habitat is altered over a longer period may be ideal for maintaining existing small-mammal populations. © 2013 The Wildlife Society.

Coupling of vegetation layers and environmental influences in a mature, second-growth Central Hardwood forest landscape

Forest communities across the landscape of the Central Hardwood Forest Region are experiencing a transition from dominance by oak (Quercus) and hickory (Carya) to maple (Acer) driven largely by a prolonged period of fire suppression. In many cases, this shift in community composition, structure, and function is considered undesirable as oak–hickory forests are valued for timber, wildlife habitat, and natural heritage. Considerable management and restoration efforts target the restoration of oak–hickory forest communities, yet treatments have yielded varying degrees of success. In some cases, difficulties in meeting targets may be due to ecological thresholds created by complex vegetation–environment interactions that maintain the maple-dominated community state. We examined direct and indirect interactions among vegetation layers and environmental gradients for the mature, second-growth forest communities of the Ironton Unit of the Wayne National Forest (WNF) in southeastern Ohio. Using a stratified random approach, we identified 72 study communities with trees at least 70 years old and without evidence of recent disturbance. Within these communities, we sampled all overstory vegetation on two–four 500m2 plots and recorded saplings and ground-flora species in nested sub-plots. At each plot, we also collected soil samples for physical and chemical analyses and recorded physiographic variables. Our first objective was to describe the Ironton forest landscape, where communities were likely transitioning from oak to maple. To identify such patterns, we used ordination analyses that relate species occurrence to implied environmental gradients. Our second objective was to use the relationships to develop a structural equation model (SEM) to quantify the strength of pathways among the canopy, sapling, and ground-flora vegetation layers and environmental factors (e.g., soil chemistry and physiographic position). Our results indicate that the forest landscape of the Ironton Unit of the WNF is at a transition point with communities dominated by either oak or maple, and a sapling layer dominated by maple. Maple may be most likely to replace oak and hickory in the canopies of communities at mid- and lower-slope positions with intermediate soil moisture. This transition will likely have cascading effects throughout the sapling and ground-flora layers, which SEM demonstrates are directly influenced by the canopy. We believe the simultaneous consideration of direct and indirect interactions shaping vegetation structure and composition using techniques such as SEM will advance understanding of the current transition from an oak–hickory to a maple-dominated forest landscape. This information will contribute to the continued improvement of appropriate forest management and ecosystem restoration techniques for the Central Hardwood Forest Region, including those designed to shift the dominance of forest communities from maple to oak.

Influence of seasonal planting date on field performance of six temperate deciduous forest tree species

Most afforestation hardwood plantations in the Central Hardwood Forest Region, USA, are established with bareroot seedlings planted in late winter or early spring. This brief planting season is preferred for several logistical and physiological reasons, yet interest in fall planting has increased as a means to extend the planting season. We evaluated effects of a wide range of planting dates on 2-year survival and growth for six different temperate deciduous forest tree species grown as 1 + 0 bareroot stock at a southern Indiana, USA, nursery and outplanted onto an afforestation site in southeastern Indiana. In 2001–2002 and again in 2002–2003, seedlings were planted on 10 and 9 different planting dates, respectively, between November and July. Planting date only affected survival of Prunus serotina Ehrh. and Juglans nigra L. in 2001–2002, and Liriodendron tulipifera L. in 2002–2003. Planting date did not consistently affect seedling growth of any species; however, low precipitation in summer of 2002 apparently limited growth of late season plantings. These results suggest that the planting season could effectively be extended given adequate soil moisture.