Preliminary Tree Regeneration and Browsing Patterns Following Various Silvicultural Treatments in Northern Hardwood Forests

Abstract

Many managed northern hardwood forests in northern Michigan contain low densities of desirable tree regeneration, while often simultaneously containing relatively high densities of undesirable tree species (e.g., Fagus grandifolia Ehrh., Ostrya virginiana Mill. K. Koch). Limited light availability that favors shade-tolerant species and a lack of viable germination substrate for many desirable tree species following harvest—as well as selective deer-browsing effects—likely contribute to this pattern. As a result, managers and researchers alike have been interested in testing alternative silvicultural practices that may achieve more sustainable regeneration layers. In 2017, a long-term, landscape-scale research project was established to examine how a wide range of silvicultural prescriptions (and site-level factors such as deer usage) may affect tree seedling regeneration and recruitment. Selective browsing patterns, particularly in the first few years following harvest, may play an outsized role in future tree species composition.

Parent Publication

• Proceedings of the first biennial Northern Hardwood Conference 2021: bridging science and management for the future

Citation

Farinosi, Evan J.; Walters, Michael B. 2023. Preliminary Tree Regeneration and Browsing Patterns Following Various Silvicultural Treatments in Northern Hardwood Forests. In: Kern, Christel C.; Dickinson, Yvette L., eds. Proceedings of the first biennial Northern Hardwood Conference 2021: Bridging science and management for the future. Gen. Tech. Rep. NRS-P-211. Madison, WI: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Northern Research Station: 58–60. https://doi.org/10.2737/NRS-GTR-P-211-paper14.