Ground-layer plant community responses to even-age and uneven-age silvicultural treatments in Wisconsin northern hardwood forests

Kern, Christel C.; Palik, Brian J.; Strong, Terry F.

doi:10.1016/j.foreco.2006.03.034

Cited by 47 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…Our results are supported by other LTR thinning trials in both conifer and hardwood stands (Metzger & Schultz 1984, Kern et al 2006, He & Barclay 2000. We sampled at a single point in time 4 decades after thinning and found no differences in the floristic diversity between our unthinned controls and nominal thinning spacings between 1.2 and 2.4 m. However, we cannot discount the possibility of earlier (< 20years) differences among these treatments, which could be consistent with the findings at other thinning trials (Gil liam et al 1995, Halpern & Spies 1995.…”

Section: Explanation For Effects Observed At Green Riversupporting

confidence: 89%

“…The results are contradictory, ranging from no differences (Moola & Vasseur 2004, Kern et al 2006, He & Barclay 2000, Berger & Puettmann 2000, Thomas et al 2001, to di versity going significantly higher (Lindgren et al 2006, Decocq et al 2004, Bailey et al 1998, Thysell & Carey 2000, Battles et al 2001, or lower (Thomas et al 1999, Jobidon et al 2004, Hansen et al 1991, Elliott et al 1997) following canopy thinning. Jobidon et al (2004) investigated the influence of thin ning and found that large increases in hard wood productivity occurred at the expense of species richness and diversity of the under story stratum, which could not be explained by variability in canopy light.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Other stud ies have recorded the effects at longer times since thinning, suggesting that recovery of understory species requires at least 50 years according to Metzger & Schultz (1984) and at least 80 years according to Duffy & Meier (1992). Kern et al (2006) reported that ground-layer plant communities in northern ecosystems are either resistant to change, or have recovered within the 40 years since dis turbance in the even-age treatments, and within 10 years since disturbance in the un even-age treatments. Unfortunately, none of these studies have recorded vegetation in regular intervals beyond 20 years; they only provide a single long term (usually > 40 years) assessment of recovery.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Contemporary silvicultural systems have been moving in this direction for a wide variety of forest ecosystems (e.g., Muir et al 2002, Seymour et al 2002, Palik & Za sada 2003, Aubry et al 2004, Kern et al 2006. Goals need to sustain the plant spe cies that coexist in different forest ecosys tems along site quality gradients (Roberts & Gilliam 1995, Lindenmayer et al 2000, Au bert et al 2003.…”

Section: Forest Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In general, responses of species diversity to forest management are often assumed to be negative (Gilliam & Roberts 1995). Specific responses to PCT treatments are inconsistent, and range from increased diversity (Lindgren et al 2006, Thysell & Carey 2000 to decreased di versity (Thomas et al 1999, Jobidon et al 2004, Hansen et al 1991, Elliott et al 1997, to similar levels of diversity (Moola & Vas seur 2004, Kern et al 2006, He & Barclay 2000, Berger & Puettmann 2000, Thomas et al 2001), compared with unmanaged stands. Many of these studies are based on relatively short-term observations (e.g., < 20 years after thinning), or larger than typically ap plied spacings (Newmaster et al 2006).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Long-term outcome of precommercial thinning on floristic diversity in north western New Brunswick, Canada

Cole¹,

Newmaster²,

Lanteigne³

et al. 2008

iForest

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The Green River spacing trials were established between 1959 and 1961 to study the long-term growth and development of balsam fir (Abies balsamea (L.) Mill.) and red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) in response to precommercial thinning (PCT). Three nominal spacings (1.2 m, 1.8 m, 2.4 m) and an unthinned control were applied in a randomized complete block design with 5 replicates to regenerating stands, an average of 8 years after harvest. Our study examines floristic diversity associated with these treatments approximately four decades later. Floristic diversity was assessed with several alpha diversity indices as well as multivariate analysis to compare community composition. Specific a-priori contrasts compared plant diversity among a) control and average of the wider spacings (1.8 m and 2.4 m), b) control and the narrowest spacing (1.2 m), and c) the narrowest spacing and the widest spacing. Our results indicate that there were no appreciable differences among the treatments across all measures of plant diversity investigated. As such, we conclude that the forest understory, as represented by the unthinned plots, was analogous in the thinned plots at time of stand maturity. Vegetation response to PCT treatments is inconsistent in the published literature, but this can be attributed to differences in thinning intensities, recovery age or the type of forest ecosystem studied. We conclude that PCT is a variable silvicultural tool that could be used to attain both economic productivity and biodiversity conservation goals

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Section: Explanation For Effects Observed At Green Riversupporting

confidence: 89%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Forest Diversitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 3 more Smart Citations

Long-term outcome of precommercial thinning on floristic diversity in north western New Brunswick, Canada

Cole¹,

Newmaster²,

Lanteigne³

et al. 2008

iForest

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Comparing the effects of even‐ and uneven‐aged silviculture on ecological diversity and processes: A review

Nolet

Kneeshaw

Messier

et al. 2017

Ecology and Evolution

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With an increasing pressure on forested landscapes, conservation areas may fail to maintain biodiversity if they are not supported by the surrounding managed forest matrix. Worldwide, forests are managed by one of two broad approaches—even‐ and uneven‐aged silviculture. In recent decades, there has been rising public pressure against the systematic use of even‐aged silviculture (especially clear‐cutting) because of its perceived negative esthetic and ecological impacts. This led to an increased interest for uneven‐aged silviculture. However, to date, there has been no worldwide ecological comparison of the two approaches, based on multiple indicators. Overall, for the 99 combinations of properties or processes verified (one study may have evaluated more than one property or process), we found nineteen (23) combinations that clearly showed uneven‐aged silviculture improved the evaluated metrics compared to even‐aged silviculture, eleven (16) combinations that showed the opposite, and 60 combinations that were equivocal. Furthermore, many studies were based on a limited study design without either a timescale (44 of the 76) or spatial (54 of the 76) scale consideration. Current views that uneven‐aged silviculture is better suited than even‐aged silviculture for maintaining ecological diversity and processes are not substantiated by our analyses. Our review, by studying a large range of indicators and many different taxonomic groups, also clearly demonstrates that no single approach can be relied on and that both approaches are needed to ensure a greater number of positive impacts. Moreover, the review clearly highlights the importance of maintaining protected areas as some taxonomic groups were found to be negatively affected no matter the management approach used. Finally, our review points to a lack of knowledge for determining the use of even‐ or uneven‐aged silviculture in terms of both their respective proportion in the landscape and their spatial agency.

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Canopy gaps facilitate establishment, growth, and reproduction of invasive Frangula alnus in a Tsuga canadensis dominated forest

Burnham

Lee

2009

Biol Invasions

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The primary objective of this study was to determine whether the exotic, invasive shrub, glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus), is more abundant in canopy gaps created by logging than in uncut forests. Secondary objectives were to determine whether buckthorn abundance in gaps is related to gap size, and whether or not buckthorn exhibits advanced regeneration. The abundance of glossy buckthorn was estimated in five patch cuts and three single-tree cuts in a 90 year old eastern hemlock-eastern white pine-sweet birch forest at the Woodman Horticultural Farm in Durham, NH, USA. Glossy buckthorn was 96 times more abundant in logged areas than in uncut control plots. The three largest but youngest gaps ([0.08 ha; 5 years old) had the greatest proportion of tall ([2 m), reproductively mature glossy buckthorn individuals, with 18.4% fruiting. The older, medium-sized gaps (ca. 0.03 ha; 10 years old) contained the highest overall densities of glossy buckthorn, but few stems were flowering (*2%) and none were fruiting at the time of sampling. Small gaps (\0.01 ha; 10 years old) appeared to be sinks for glossy buckthorn, as all individuals were \0.5 m tall and none were [4 years old. As age and size of gaps were correlated, it was difficult to determine which factor played a larger role in the establishment and persistence of glossy buckthorn. However, the greater proportion of individuals[2 m tall and greater reproductive vigor of glossy buckthorn in large gaps relative to small gaps-despite fewer years available for growth-suggest that larger disturbances lead to more resources available for buckthorn growth, survival, and reproduction. Individuals \0.5 m tall were observed in uncut control plots at low density (\30 stems/ha) and 5% of stems in large gaps were older than the gaps themselves, suggesting that gap formation released previously established glossy buckthorn individuals (i.e., advanced regeneration).

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Ground-layer plant community responses to even-age and uneven-age silvicultural treatments in Wisconsin northern hardwood forests

Cited by 47 publications

References 29 publications

Long-term outcome of precommercial thinning on floristic diversity in north western New Brunswick, Canada

Long-term outcome of precommercial thinning on floristic diversity in north western New Brunswick, Canada

Comparing the effects of even‐ and uneven‐aged silviculture on ecological diversity and processes: A review

Canopy gaps facilitate establishment, growth, and reproduction of invasive Frangula alnus in a Tsuga canadensis dominated forest

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