Long-term response of yellow-poplar to thinning in the southern Appalachian Mountains

Abstract

As the focus of forest management on many public lands shifts away from timber production and extraction to habitat, restoration, and diversity-related objectives, it is important to understand the long-term effects that previous management activities have on structure and composition to better inform current management decisions. In this paper, we analyzed 40 years of growth data to quantify (1) the long-term response of yellow-poplar to thinning across an age and site quality gradient, and (2) the longevity of any growth response yellow-poplar may have to thinning throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains. Between 1960 and 1963, 134–0.1 ha plots were established across an age and site quality gradient in yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) stands throughout the southern Appalachian Mountains. All plots were thinned from below, with post-thinning relative density categorized into three classes: low (relative density

Citation

Keyser, Tara L.; Brown, Peter M. 2014. Long-term response of yellow-poplar to thinning in the southern Appalachian Mountains. Forest Ecology and Management 312:148–153.