Effects of the forest floor and acorn placement on establishment and early development of water oak seedlings

Abstract

Effects of the forest floor (0, 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 Mg/ha) and acorn placement (buried 1.5 em below the soil surface, pressed into the soil surface, and placed within the forest floor) on establishment and early development of water oak (Quercus nigra L.) seedlings were tested in a 6 x 3 factorial study in southeastern Arkansas. Increasing forest floor weight increased the number of seedlings established, but placing acorns within the forest floor drastically reduced establishment. Increasing forest floor weight significantly increased seedling height and root-collar diameter. When a forest floor was present, seedlings were much larger than those without a forest floor. Seedling developmental stage was also influenced by forest floor weight and acorn placement. At the termination of the study, seedlings with forest floors of 10 and 20 Mg/ha had more growth flushes than those without a forest floor and those with the heaviest forest floor. Root-collar diameter was significantly related to the dry weight of herbaceous plants and forest floor weight (R2 = 0.73). Results of the study show that the forest floor affects establishment of water oak seedlings directly by modifying the acorn's microenvironment, and indirectly by suppressing the growth of herbaceous vegetation.  

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the tenth biennial southern silvicultural research conference

Citation

Guo, Yanfei; Shelton, Michael G.; Lockhart, B.R. 1999. Effects of the forest floor and acorn placement on establishment and early development of water oak seedlings. In: Proceedings of the tenth biennial southern silvicultural research conference. Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-30. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research Station. p.127 131. 5p.