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Abstract
Anecdotally, higher retention levels after harvest are believed to have a negative impact on oak (
Quercus) regeneration accumulation. For this study, harvests with four retention levels of 0, 15, 30, and 45 percent were established to determine the impact of overstory retention on the success of oak regeneration after harvest. Previous research has shown that an increase in reserve trees can increase the accumulation of the intermediate shade-tolerant oak and of other species with similar shade tolerance and reduce the abundance of more intolerant species such as aspen. Seven to eight years after harvest, the regeneration levels in all plots met the requirements for adequate stocking based on standards set by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. There were no significant differences in oak regeneration between retention levels. At this stage of regeneration, oak can apparently persist under higher retention levels, but further study will be necessary to determine recruitment into the canopy.
Parent Publication
Citation
Demchik, Michael C.; Schwartz, Kevin M.; Mujuri, Elijah; Demchik, Emily E. 2017. Effect of reserve trees on regeneration in central Wisconsin oak sites. In: Kabrick, John M.; Dey, Daniel C.; Knapp, Benjamin O.; Larsen, David R.; Shifley, Stephen R.; Stelzer, Henry E., eds. Proceedings of the 20th Central Hardwood Forest Conference; 2016 March 28-April 1; Columbia, MO. General Technical Report NRS-P-167. Newtown Square, PA: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 27-34.
