Growth of Appalachian hardwoods kept free to grow from 2 to 12 years after clearcutting

Abstract

Free-to-grow sapling-size, yellow-poplars of seedling origin outgrew similar black cherry and red oak in both dbh and total height (especially on good sites). Yellow-poplar consistently grew faster in dbh throughout the study, particularly on the better oak sites. Black cherry had an edge over yellow-poplar in total height during the early years of the study, but yellow-poplar began to outgrow black cherry about 5 and 10 years after clearcutting on the good and fair sites, respectively. Sugar maple did not respond to the annual release treatment. With the annual release techniques used in this study, free-to-grow yellow-poplar grew faster than black cherry in height and dbh, with red oak a distant third during the first 10 to 12 years after clearcutting; however, red oak is more competitive with these intolerants on fairer sites.

Citation

Smith, H. Clay. 1983. Growth of Appalachian hardwoods kept free to grow from 2 to 12 years after clearcutting. Res. Pap. NE-528. Broomall, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northeastern Forest Experiement Station. 6p.