Tree shelters fail to enhance height growth of northern red oak in the upper peninsula of Michigan

Abstract

Tree shelters have been shown to be a questionable establishment practice in shelterwood stands. Experiences with low seedling survival and growth may be due to an apparent deficiency of light. In other situations, tree shelters have generally been found to be beneficial in enhancing survival and growth of hardwood plantings. This poster will describe the poor survival and growth results of a 3 year old tree shelter study with northern red oak in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. The study was established to test the effectiveness of tree shelters in protecting northern red oak seedlings from deer browse in a heavily used deer area. After 3 years, the northern red oak have not responded favorably to tree shelters. Planted seedlings outside of tree shelters have a higher rate of survival rate and have shown better height growth than sheltered seedlings. It appears that tree shelters on this site were detrimental to the establishment of northern red oak.

Citation

Lantagne, Douglas O.; Miller, Raymond. 1997. Tree shelters fail to enhance height growth of northern red oak in the upper peninsula of Michigan. In: Pallardy, Stephen G.; Cecich, Robert A.; Garrett, H. Gene; Johnson, Paul S., eds. Proceedings of the 11th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; Gen. Tech. Rep. NC-188. St. Paul, MN: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station: 351