The development of bio-fuel synthesis technologies has led to increased interest in woody crops g... more The development of bio-fuel synthesis technologies has led to increased interest in woody crops grown specifically for energy production. These woody feedstocks typically involve fast-growing species (e.g., Salix spp., Populus spp.) planted at high densities using short rotations and intensive cultural practices like weed control and fertilization. Under ideal conditions, this type of system can produce 20 dry Mg/ha/yr, which is substantially higher than the 2.5-4 dry Mg/ha/yr produced by pine plantations in the southern U.S. Many of these plantings are projected to be established on lower quality agricultural lands. Recent attempts at establishing these plantations have highlighted some of the challenges that landowners will need to overcome to achieve levels of production that are financially attractive. This paper will address some of the pitfalls and hurdles that need to be overcome before woody bio-fuel plantations will become widespread.
In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to f... more In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to form a fully stocked oak stand in the future. Unfortunately, many stands will not reach full stocking of oak due to intense competition from other non-oak reproduction. There are few feasible options to release established oak reproduction from other broadleaf woody or non-woody vegetation. This study assessed the year 1 results of an over-the-top application of the herbicide Oust (0.2 kg/ha) during the growing season to reduce the competitiveness of non-oak species. The fi rst year after treatment, Oust reduced the total height and diameter of non-oak species by about 20 percent without affecting mortality or growth of red oak stems. The application of Oust over the top of actively growing mixed oak stand, while not a labeled use, does show promise as an effective and operationally feasible release treatment.
Individual naturally regenerated trees of red oak, white oak, and yellow poplar in upland North C... more Individual naturally regenerated trees of red oak, white oak, and yellow poplar in upland North Carolina Piedmont hardwood stands aged 1 to 13 were treated with mechanical clearing, herbicide of competition, and fertilization. These treatments produced significant changes in height and diameter growth 2 to 3 years posttreatment. Generally, height growth was negatively impacted by mechanical release alone, but diameter growth was enhanced by most treatments. Height growth partly compensated when mechanical release was coupled with herbicides or fertilization or both. On similar sites, with stands at age 1, red and white oak 1-0 bareroot seedlings were enrichment planted with weed mats and fertilization, and height and basal-diameter increment studied after 3 years. These seedlings planted into natural regeneration survived well and responded positively in height and basal-diameter increment growth. Implications of the findings for promoting desirable stocking of preferred species in even-aged natural hardwood systems are discussed.
First, I am indebted to my major professor, Dan Robison, for giving me the opportunity to study a... more First, I am indebted to my major professor, Dan Robison, for giving me the opportunity to study at NCSU. His patience, encouragement and enlightenment made this dissertation possible. I am especially thankful for his willingness to give me the freedom to explore other areas of personal interest, and for employing this naive graduate student. I also thank Drs. H.L. Allen, C.B. Davey and D.J. Frederick for their great help in steering my research. Their comments and suggestions improved my dissertation substantially.
Nitrogen (N)-fixing plants play an important role in stimulating soil nitrogen supply, but the ef... more Nitrogen (N)-fixing plants play an important role in stimulating soil nitrogen supply, but the effect of N-fixing plants on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration has not been well documented. In this study, we measured rhizospheric carbon components and N content of first to second (1–2)-order and third to fifth (3–5)-order roots of N-fixing and non-N-fixing plants in a montane tropical rainforest in Hainan Island, China, to examine the effects of N-fixing plants on SOC and soil heavy fraction carbon (HFC), and to ascertain the main regulating factors. The results showed that rhizospheric SOC between (1–2) and (3–5)-order roots was 14.2% and 10.5% greater, respectively, for N-fixing plants compared with non-N-fixing plants. Similarly, the HFC was 0.9% (1–2) and 3.6% (3–5) greater for N-fixing plants than non-N-fixing plants. Redundancy analysis showed that spatial variance in rhizospheric SOC and HFC associated with 1–2-order roots was explained by specific root length (SRL) of se...
Typical of soils in humid climates, soils in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virgin... more Typical of soils in humid climates, soils in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virginia are acidic because of leaching of base cations, uptake of Ca and Mg by vegetation, and release of organic acids by organic matter (OM) decomposition. Soil acidity has increased because of anthropogenic acid deposition causing declines in forest health. In anticipation of a large‐scale liming project in the MNF, soils at 10 sites were sampled and analyzed in 2009. In 2018, lime was applied by helicopter to a total of 323 ha at a rate of 10 Mg ha−1. One year after liming, soils were resampled and analyzed in 2019 representing five limed and five unlimed areas using the same procedures. The objectives were to determine whether unlimed soils had changed between 2009 and 2019 and to evaluate changes in soils resulting from liming in 2019 for pH, acidity, and Al and Ca concentrations. In O and A horizons, unlimed soils had changed only slightly in the 10‐yr interval. Liming increased soil p...
In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to f... more In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to form a fully stocked oak stand in the future. Unfortunately, many stands will not reach full stocking of oak due to intense competition from other non-oak reproduction. There are few feasible options to release established oak reproduction from other broadleaf woody or non-woody vegetation. This study assessed the year 1 results of an over-the-top application of the herbicide Oust (0.2 kg/ha) during the growing season to reduce the competitiveness of non-oak species. The first year after treatment, Oust reduced the total height and diameter of non-oak species by about 20 percent without affecting mortality or growth of red oak stems. The application of Oust over the top of actively growing mixed oak stand, while not a labeled use, does show promise as an effective and operationally feasible release treatment.
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Shrub willow (Salix spp.) has been a focus of international efforts to develop renewable alternat... more Shrub willow (Salix spp.) has been a focus of international efforts to develop renewable alternatives for fossil fuels and to sequester carbon from earth’s atmosphere. In the central Appalachian region of the eastern U.S., short rotation willow could be grown on the significant amount of reclaimed mine land, which would promote economic opportunities for these lands. The objective of this study was to examine various establishment treatments designed to overcome common properties of mine soils: high rock fragment content that causes planting difficulties and reduced water- and nutrient-availability. Three shrub willow clones (Fish Creek, Preble, and SX61) were planted using six planting/fertilizer treatments. The planting treatments compared a horizontal planting method to traditional vertical planting of cuttings. Fertilizer treatments compared no fertilization to controlled release and traditional fertilizer at a rate of 140 kg N ha−1. After two growing seasons, Preble outperformed the others in both survival and production but the influence of fertilizer treatments was inconsistent and varied by clone. Survival and growth for horizontally-planted cuttings was 46% relative to vertically planted cuttings at 83%. Results of this study will be used to direct future establishment practices for willow on reclaimed mine soils in West Virginia.
Three 21-year-old Appalachian hardwood stands were strip cut using three cutting widths (2.4-m, 3... more Three 21-year-old Appalachian hardwood stands were strip cut using three cutting widths (2.4-m, 3.7-m, and 4.9-m) and allowed to resprout. One year after strip cutting, we examined the vegetation response within the harvested strips relative to non-treated control areas, focusing on the sprouting ability of young hardwood stems and the herbaceous component for wildlife habitat. Results indicate the width of the strip cutting significantly affected the amount of biomass produced from stump sprouts (p = 0.042) and influenced species composition. Shade-intolerant species accounted for more of the biomass production within the wider cut strip widths, while shade-tolerant and shade-intermediate species were more prominent within the narrower cut strips. Cut strip width did not have a significant effect on the biomass of new seedlings germinating after the cuttings. Herbaceous vegetation was greater within the 4.9-m cut strips than in the control plots (p = 0.046); however, the amount of herbaceous biomass produced did not vary among months during the first growing season. Overall, our initial results suggest that strip cutting can provide benefits to wildlife and can possibly provide for additional biomass as the regrowth is harvested in the future.
Hardwood stands in the southern U.S. are often regenerated naturally following clearcutting, with... more Hardwood stands in the southern U.S. are often regenerated naturally following clearcutting, with little or no silvicultural intervention in the early stages of stand development. Fertilizer was applied to a young naturally regenerating stand in order to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient addition as a silvicultural tool in recently clearcut stands and to better understand the ecological relationships between site
Intense competition for growth resources between herbaceous and woody vegetation is considered a ... more Intense competition for growth resources between herbaceous and woody vegetation is considered a major constraint to the growth and development of newly regenerated forest stands. However, very few studies have explored silvicultural opportunities to manage these constraints. In this study, the effects of fertilization, density and vegetation control on rising 1-and 3-year-old upland mixed species NC Piedmont stands were monitored for 3 years following the imposition of treatments. Broadcast fertilization proved very beneficial in accelerating stem growth and promoting self-thinning at both sites. Weeding (non-arborescent vegetation) treatments without thinning had no effect on stem height. At both sites, substantial increases in tree size were noted for yellow-poplar and oaks when thinning and weeding treatments were combined. A significant fertilization effect on thinned plots was also noted for oaks. These results demonstrate that stem growth and stand development are constrained by the availability of site growth resources, and can be silviculturally managed to promote stand development.
... Permissions & Reprints. The effects of intensive management on the leaf characteristics a... more ... Permissions & Reprints. The effects of intensive management on the leaf characteristics and growth phenology of young yellow-poplar stems. Jamie L. Schuler a , Corresponding Author Contact Information , E-mail The Corresponding Author and Daniel J. Robison b. ...
Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 2013
Fine-root production was studied in recently established loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), silver mapl... more Fine-root production was studied in recently established loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), and cottonwood (Populus deltoides) biomass plantations. Dry weights of fine roots produced in ingrowth cores were recorded from April 2008 to March 2009 to quantify the temporal variation of fine-root production among the species. Similarly, fine-root production was compared to the monthly height and diameter increments, soil temperature, and moisture content. Species showed no significant difference in fine-root production; however, fine-root production varied by month. Fine-root production in September was significantly different from that of December and January combined, February, and May. Loblolly pine produced 49 g m −2 , whereas silver maple and cottonwood produced 37 g m −2 and 35 g m −2 of fine roots, respectively, during the study period. Fine-root production was not correlated with height increment, diameter increment, soil temperature, and soil moisture.
Successful establishment of hardwood plantations requires effective weed management. Mechanical w... more Successful establishment of hardwood plantations requires effective weed management. Mechanical weed control is inefficient, and few herbicides are available for use in hardwood plantations. In an effort to identify new chemical control options, the potential of imazapyr (Chopper herbicide) for site preparation prior to planting three common southern hardwood species was assessed. Twelve site preparation treatments were tested using Chopper applied at four rates and three timings prior to planting. Each site preparation rate and time pairing was repeated under two postplant herbicide regimes—directed glyphosate (Accord herbicide) sprays designed to maintain weed-free conditions and a single broadcast sulfometuron methyl (Oust herbicide) treatment designed to test a potential operational sequencing of Chopper site preparation followed by herbaceous weed control. Although results must be evaluated in the context of a single site and set of environmental conditions, they demonstrate th...
Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) was a prized timber species in West Virginia during the era of re... more Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) was a prized timber species in West Virginia during the era of resource exploitation in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As a result, central Appalachian red spruce comprise a much smaller component of high-elevation stand composition and a greatly constricted presence across the region. Widespread restoration efforts are underway to re-establish red spruce across this landscape. However, without benchmarks to gauge growth rates and stand developmental patterns, it is unclear whether these efforts are successful. Our goal was to develop reference curves predicting centile height growth for understory red spruce (≤7.6 m) across the region. We reconstructed the height growth patterns of over 250 randomly selected red spruce seedlings and saplings from 22 high-elevation stands in West Virginia. We also harvested 24 mature red spruce from the same stands to develop juvenile growth curves up to 7.6 m to compare understory growth rates of historical to conte...
Treated at age 6 7 th -12 th growing seasons RO WO YP SPP x TRMT: P = 0.045 Diameter growth (in.)... more Treated at age 6 7 th -12 th growing seasons RO WO YP SPP x TRMT: P = 0.045 Diameter growth (in.) Treated at age 8 9 th -14 th growing seasons RO WO YP SPP x TRMT: P = 0.070 Treated at age 14 15 th -20 th growing seasons Diameter growth (in.
Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia L.) is a frequent invader in bottomland hardwood plantat... more Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia L.) is a frequent invader in bottomland hardwood plantations established in southeastern Arkansas. This dioecious shrub can affect the survival and growth of newly planted stems. This study evaluated the utility of various herbicides and mechanical control treatments to manage eastern baccharis in an established hardwood plantation. Of the four herbicide treatments used, a dormant season application of triclopyr was the most effective treatment. As a non-chemical treatment option, two annual dormant and growing season cuttings resulted in 43 and 26 percent mortality, respectively, of the eastern baccharis rootstock. No damage was visible to any of the planted hardwood stems after two growing season for any of the management options tested.
The development of bio-fuel synthesis technologies has led to increased interest in woody crops g... more The development of bio-fuel synthesis technologies has led to increased interest in woody crops grown specifically for energy production. These woody feedstocks typically involve fast-growing species (e.g., Salix spp., Populus spp.) planted at high densities using short rotations and intensive cultural practices like weed control and fertilization. Under ideal conditions, this type of system can produce 20 dry Mg/ha/yr, which is substantially higher than the 2.5-4 dry Mg/ha/yr produced by pine plantations in the southern U.S. Many of these plantings are projected to be established on lower quality agricultural lands. Recent attempts at establishing these plantations have highlighted some of the challenges that landowners will need to overcome to achieve levels of production that are financially attractive. This paper will address some of the pitfalls and hurdles that need to be overcome before woody bio-fuel plantations will become widespread.
In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to f... more In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to form a fully stocked oak stand in the future. Unfortunately, many stands will not reach full stocking of oak due to intense competition from other non-oak reproduction. There are few feasible options to release established oak reproduction from other broadleaf woody or non-woody vegetation. This study assessed the year 1 results of an over-the-top application of the herbicide Oust (0.2 kg/ha) during the growing season to reduce the competitiveness of non-oak species. The fi rst year after treatment, Oust reduced the total height and diameter of non-oak species by about 20 percent without affecting mortality or growth of red oak stems. The application of Oust over the top of actively growing mixed oak stand, while not a labeled use, does show promise as an effective and operationally feasible release treatment.
Individual naturally regenerated trees of red oak, white oak, and yellow poplar in upland North C... more Individual naturally regenerated trees of red oak, white oak, and yellow poplar in upland North Carolina Piedmont hardwood stands aged 1 to 13 were treated with mechanical clearing, herbicide of competition, and fertilization. These treatments produced significant changes in height and diameter growth 2 to 3 years posttreatment. Generally, height growth was negatively impacted by mechanical release alone, but diameter growth was enhanced by most treatments. Height growth partly compensated when mechanical release was coupled with herbicides or fertilization or both. On similar sites, with stands at age 1, red and white oak 1-0 bareroot seedlings were enrichment planted with weed mats and fertilization, and height and basal-diameter increment studied after 3 years. These seedlings planted into natural regeneration survived well and responded positively in height and basal-diameter increment growth. Implications of the findings for promoting desirable stocking of preferred species in even-aged natural hardwood systems are discussed.
First, I am indebted to my major professor, Dan Robison, for giving me the opportunity to study a... more First, I am indebted to my major professor, Dan Robison, for giving me the opportunity to study at NCSU. His patience, encouragement and enlightenment made this dissertation possible. I am especially thankful for his willingness to give me the freedom to explore other areas of personal interest, and for employing this naive graduate student. I also thank Drs. H.L. Allen, C.B. Davey and D.J. Frederick for their great help in steering my research. Their comments and suggestions improved my dissertation substantially.
Nitrogen (N)-fixing plants play an important role in stimulating soil nitrogen supply, but the ef... more Nitrogen (N)-fixing plants play an important role in stimulating soil nitrogen supply, but the effect of N-fixing plants on soil organic carbon (SOC) sequestration has not been well documented. In this study, we measured rhizospheric carbon components and N content of first to second (1–2)-order and third to fifth (3–5)-order roots of N-fixing and non-N-fixing plants in a montane tropical rainforest in Hainan Island, China, to examine the effects of N-fixing plants on SOC and soil heavy fraction carbon (HFC), and to ascertain the main regulating factors. The results showed that rhizospheric SOC between (1–2) and (3–5)-order roots was 14.2% and 10.5% greater, respectively, for N-fixing plants compared with non-N-fixing plants. Similarly, the HFC was 0.9% (1–2) and 3.6% (3–5) greater for N-fixing plants than non-N-fixing plants. Redundancy analysis showed that spatial variance in rhizospheric SOC and HFC associated with 1–2-order roots was explained by specific root length (SRL) of se...
Typical of soils in humid climates, soils in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virgin... more Typical of soils in humid climates, soils in the Monongahela National Forest (MNF) in West Virginia are acidic because of leaching of base cations, uptake of Ca and Mg by vegetation, and release of organic acids by organic matter (OM) decomposition. Soil acidity has increased because of anthropogenic acid deposition causing declines in forest health. In anticipation of a large‐scale liming project in the MNF, soils at 10 sites were sampled and analyzed in 2009. In 2018, lime was applied by helicopter to a total of 323 ha at a rate of 10 Mg ha−1. One year after liming, soils were resampled and analyzed in 2019 representing five limed and five unlimed areas using the same procedures. The objectives were to determine whether unlimed soils had changed between 2009 and 2019 and to evaluate changes in soils resulting from liming in 2019 for pH, acidity, and Al and Ca concentrations. In O and A horizons, unlimed soils had changed only slightly in the 10‐yr interval. Liming increased soil p...
In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to f... more In most cases, newly harvested upland oak stands contain sufficient numbers of red oak stems to form a fully stocked oak stand in the future. Unfortunately, many stands will not reach full stocking of oak due to intense competition from other non-oak reproduction. There are few feasible options to release established oak reproduction from other broadleaf woody or non-woody vegetation. This study assessed the year 1 results of an over-the-top application of the herbicide Oust (0.2 kg/ha) during the growing season to reduce the competitiveness of non-oak species. The first year after treatment, Oust reduced the total height and diameter of non-oak species by about 20 percent without affecting mortality or growth of red oak stems. The application of Oust over the top of actively growing mixed oak stand, while not a labeled use, does show promise as an effective and operationally feasible release treatment.
This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the ad... more This is a PDF file of an article that has undergone enhancements after acceptance, such as the addition of a cover page and metadata, and formatting for readability, but it is not yet the definitive version of record. This version will undergo additional copyediting, typesetting and review before it is published in its final form, but we are providing this version to give early visibility of the article. Please note that, during the production process, errors may be discovered which could affect the content, and all legal disclaimers that apply to the journal pertain.
Shrub willow (Salix spp.) has been a focus of international efforts to develop renewable alternat... more Shrub willow (Salix spp.) has been a focus of international efforts to develop renewable alternatives for fossil fuels and to sequester carbon from earth’s atmosphere. In the central Appalachian region of the eastern U.S., short rotation willow could be grown on the significant amount of reclaimed mine land, which would promote economic opportunities for these lands. The objective of this study was to examine various establishment treatments designed to overcome common properties of mine soils: high rock fragment content that causes planting difficulties and reduced water- and nutrient-availability. Three shrub willow clones (Fish Creek, Preble, and SX61) were planted using six planting/fertilizer treatments. The planting treatments compared a horizontal planting method to traditional vertical planting of cuttings. Fertilizer treatments compared no fertilization to controlled release and traditional fertilizer at a rate of 140 kg N ha−1. After two growing seasons, Preble outperformed the others in both survival and production but the influence of fertilizer treatments was inconsistent and varied by clone. Survival and growth for horizontally-planted cuttings was 46% relative to vertically planted cuttings at 83%. Results of this study will be used to direct future establishment practices for willow on reclaimed mine soils in West Virginia.
Three 21-year-old Appalachian hardwood stands were strip cut using three cutting widths (2.4-m, 3... more Three 21-year-old Appalachian hardwood stands were strip cut using three cutting widths (2.4-m, 3.7-m, and 4.9-m) and allowed to resprout. One year after strip cutting, we examined the vegetation response within the harvested strips relative to non-treated control areas, focusing on the sprouting ability of young hardwood stems and the herbaceous component for wildlife habitat. Results indicate the width of the strip cutting significantly affected the amount of biomass produced from stump sprouts (p = 0.042) and influenced species composition. Shade-intolerant species accounted for more of the biomass production within the wider cut strip widths, while shade-tolerant and shade-intermediate species were more prominent within the narrower cut strips. Cut strip width did not have a significant effect on the biomass of new seedlings germinating after the cuttings. Herbaceous vegetation was greater within the 4.9-m cut strips than in the control plots (p = 0.046); however, the amount of herbaceous biomass produced did not vary among months during the first growing season. Overall, our initial results suggest that strip cutting can provide benefits to wildlife and can possibly provide for additional biomass as the regrowth is harvested in the future.
Hardwood stands in the southern U.S. are often regenerated naturally following clearcutting, with... more Hardwood stands in the southern U.S. are often regenerated naturally following clearcutting, with little or no silvicultural intervention in the early stages of stand development. Fertilizer was applied to a young naturally regenerating stand in order to evaluate the effectiveness of nutrient addition as a silvicultural tool in recently clearcut stands and to better understand the ecological relationships between site
Intense competition for growth resources between herbaceous and woody vegetation is considered a ... more Intense competition for growth resources between herbaceous and woody vegetation is considered a major constraint to the growth and development of newly regenerated forest stands. However, very few studies have explored silvicultural opportunities to manage these constraints. In this study, the effects of fertilization, density and vegetation control on rising 1-and 3-year-old upland mixed species NC Piedmont stands were monitored for 3 years following the imposition of treatments. Broadcast fertilization proved very beneficial in accelerating stem growth and promoting self-thinning at both sites. Weeding (non-arborescent vegetation) treatments without thinning had no effect on stem height. At both sites, substantial increases in tree size were noted for yellow-poplar and oaks when thinning and weeding treatments were combined. A significant fertilization effect on thinned plots was also noted for oaks. These results demonstrate that stem growth and stand development are constrained by the availability of site growth resources, and can be silviculturally managed to promote stand development.
... Permissions & Reprints. The effects of intensive management on the leaf characteristics a... more ... Permissions & Reprints. The effects of intensive management on the leaf characteristics and growth phenology of young yellow-poplar stems. Jamie L. Schuler a , Corresponding Author Contact Information , E-mail The Corresponding Author and Daniel J. Robison b. ...
Communications in Soil Science and Plant Analysis, 2013
Fine-root production was studied in recently established loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), silver mapl... more Fine-root production was studied in recently established loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), silver maple (Acer saccharinum), and cottonwood (Populus deltoides) biomass plantations. Dry weights of fine roots produced in ingrowth cores were recorded from April 2008 to March 2009 to quantify the temporal variation of fine-root production among the species. Similarly, fine-root production was compared to the monthly height and diameter increments, soil temperature, and moisture content. Species showed no significant difference in fine-root production; however, fine-root production varied by month. Fine-root production in September was significantly different from that of December and January combined, February, and May. Loblolly pine produced 49 g m −2 , whereas silver maple and cottonwood produced 37 g m −2 and 35 g m −2 of fine roots, respectively, during the study period. Fine-root production was not correlated with height increment, diameter increment, soil temperature, and soil moisture.
Successful establishment of hardwood plantations requires effective weed management. Mechanical w... more Successful establishment of hardwood plantations requires effective weed management. Mechanical weed control is inefficient, and few herbicides are available for use in hardwood plantations. In an effort to identify new chemical control options, the potential of imazapyr (Chopper herbicide) for site preparation prior to planting three common southern hardwood species was assessed. Twelve site preparation treatments were tested using Chopper applied at four rates and three timings prior to planting. Each site preparation rate and time pairing was repeated under two postplant herbicide regimes—directed glyphosate (Accord herbicide) sprays designed to maintain weed-free conditions and a single broadcast sulfometuron methyl (Oust herbicide) treatment designed to test a potential operational sequencing of Chopper site preparation followed by herbaceous weed control. Although results must be evaluated in the context of a single site and set of environmental conditions, they demonstrate th...
Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) was a prized timber species in West Virginia during the era of re... more Red spruce (Picea rubens Sarg.) was a prized timber species in West Virginia during the era of resource exploitation in the late 1800s and early 1900s. As a result, central Appalachian red spruce comprise a much smaller component of high-elevation stand composition and a greatly constricted presence across the region. Widespread restoration efforts are underway to re-establish red spruce across this landscape. However, without benchmarks to gauge growth rates and stand developmental patterns, it is unclear whether these efforts are successful. Our goal was to develop reference curves predicting centile height growth for understory red spruce (≤7.6 m) across the region. We reconstructed the height growth patterns of over 250 randomly selected red spruce seedlings and saplings from 22 high-elevation stands in West Virginia. We also harvested 24 mature red spruce from the same stands to develop juvenile growth curves up to 7.6 m to compare understory growth rates of historical to conte...
Treated at age 6 7 th -12 th growing seasons RO WO YP SPP x TRMT: P = 0.045 Diameter growth (in.)... more Treated at age 6 7 th -12 th growing seasons RO WO YP SPP x TRMT: P = 0.045 Diameter growth (in.) Treated at age 8 9 th -14 th growing seasons RO WO YP SPP x TRMT: P = 0.070 Treated at age 14 15 th -20 th growing seasons Diameter growth (in.
Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia L.) is a frequent invader in bottomland hardwood plantat... more Eastern baccharis (Baccharis halimifolia L.) is a frequent invader in bottomland hardwood plantations established in southeastern Arkansas. This dioecious shrub can affect the survival and growth of newly planted stems. This study evaluated the utility of various herbicides and mechanical control treatments to manage eastern baccharis in an established hardwood plantation. Of the four herbicide treatments used, a dormant season application of triclopyr was the most effective treatment. As a non-chemical treatment option, two annual dormant and growing season cuttings resulted in 43 and 26 percent mortality, respectively, of the eastern baccharis rootstock. No damage was visible to any of the planted hardwood stems after two growing season for any of the management options tested.
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