Intermediate oak stand management in the Boston Mountains
| Authors: | David L. Graney |
| Year: | 1983 |
| Type: | Paper |
| Station: | Southern Research Station |
| Source: | Proceedings of the eleventh annual hardwood symposium of the Hardwood Research Council: The hardwood resource and Its utilization, where are we going? |
Abstract
Several hundred thousand acres of forest land in the Boston Mountains support overstocked, even-aged stands of oaks and associated species. Although many stands are on medium to good sites (site index of 60 to 70 feet at 50 years), diameter growth of crop trees averages only about 1 inch in 10 years. Limited outlets for small diameter hardwoods in this area have discouraged intermediate cutting inthese stands at younger ages. But, because demands for hardwood sawtimber are increasing and inventories of large poletimber and immature sawtimber are small, some land managers are considering initiation of noncommercial thinning and fertilization programs to accelerate growth of potential crop trees. In 1974, we began installation of a series of research studies in upland oak stands to evaluate the short- and long-term effects of overstory thinning and fertilization on overstory growth and yield, wildlife forage production, and development of oak advance reproduction. This paper summarizes 5- and 7-year growth responses of upland oak stands and individual crop trees in the Boston Mountains in Arkansas.