Treesearch

Poster abstracts from proceedings, 18th Central Hardwood Forest Conference.

Inexpensive temperature sensors are widely used in agricultural and forestry research. This paper describes a low-cost (~3 USD) radiation shield (radshield) designed for monitoring surface air temperatures in harsh outdoor environments. We compared the performance of the radshield paired with low-cost temperature sensors at three sites in western Montana to several types of commercially available instruments. Comparisons included observations made under a tree canopy and in full sun with both passive and mechanically aspirated radiation shields. Beneath a forest canopy, temperature sensors...

Uncertainty surrounding the future supply of timber in the southern United States prompted the question, “Where is all the wood?” (Cubbage et al. 1995). We ask a similar question about the potential of southern forests to mitigate greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by sequestering carbon. Because significant carbon sequestration potential occurs on individual nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) lands owned by individuals, the accuracy of projections depends on how NIPF landowners respond to prices and their ability and willingness to participate in carbon offset programs. Striving to produce a...

Historically, the abundance of red maple and shade-tolerant understory species was limited by fire and other disturbances. In the absence of periodic disturbance, regeneration of oaks with intermediate shade tolerance has been hindered due to inadequate light conditions created by shade-tolerant midstory trees. Research suggests that midstory removal in oak-dominated forests can create light conditions that enhance the growth of oak advance reproduction. The purpose of this study is to compare the competitive ability of underplanted versus naturally regenerated white oak seedlings under a...

Our objective was to quantify the cumulative effects of prescribed burning and thinning on forest stocking and species composition at a woodland restoration experiment site in the Ozark Highlands of Missouri. Our study used four treatments (burn, harvest, harvest and burn, control) on three slope position and aspect combinations (south, north, ridge) replicated in three complete blocks. Harvested stands were thinned from below to 40 percent residual stocking. Two prescribed fires were applied to both burn and harvest-burn treatment units in a 5-year period. Results reflect changes that...

A prominent difficulty during bottomland hardwood afforestation in the southeastern United States is that sites are often flooded during the preferred months of planting (January - March), which results in delayed planting (April - June) and reduced survival. We monitored growth and survival of Nuttall oak (Quercus texana Buckley) seedlings planted in 11 months (February through December) after varying periods of humidified cold storage to investigate the hypothesis that seedlings held over the summer months in humidified cold storage and planted in autumn months would fare better than...

Timber harvests conducted on 90 nonindustrial private forest properties in West Virginia were investigated to determine the effects that professional foresters have on harvest and residual stand attributes. Harvests were classified based on the type of forester involved: (1) consulting/state service foresters representing landowners, (2) industry foresters representing forest products firms, and (3) no involvement by a professional forester.

Despite the well-documented need for midstory control in bottomland hardwood regeneration, little research has documented the efficacy of such efforts, or the potential negative effects on nontarget stems. More than 72,000 midstory stems located on 90 acres of northern Mississippi bottomland hardwood forest were injected with an imazapyr solution during August 2009. Crown reduction in injected stems was 96.8 percent at 1 year after treatment, with a range of 91.8 to 100 percent by species. Nontarget impact attributed to improper injection technique was observed in one location, but the...

Foresters in the Central Hardwoods Region commonly fell or girdle interfering trees and apply herbicide to the cut surface when performing intermediate silvicultural treatments. The objective of this study was to compare the use of single and double chainsaw girdle methods in combination with a herbicide treatment and, within the double girdle method, compare herbicide placement in upper, lower, or both cuts. Triclopyr amine (Garlon® 3A) was applied to girdle cuts to blackgum (Nyssa sylvatica Marsh.), hickory (Carya spp.), and sugar maple (Acer saccharum Marsh.) trees. After three growing...

Over the last century, the range of oak woodland ecosystems has diminished as woodlands have become more closed-canopy forests. A century of fire suppression efforts has all but eliminated the frequent ground fires necessary to maintain the open canopy characteristics of oak woodland ecosystems. Restoration efforts are underway to return some of the closed-canopy forests to a more open woodland condition. A combination of two prescribed burns followed by a noncommercial thinning treatment (largely thin-to-waste) was used on three sites in the Boston Mountains of Arkansas within the Ozark...