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A special issue of Forests (ISSN 1999-4907). This special issue belongs to the section "Forest Ecology and Management".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2021) | Viewed by 33281

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Dr. Stacy L. Clark

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Guest Editor

USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, 274 Ellington Plant Sci, Knoxville, TN 37996, USA
Interests: American chestnut; artificial regeneration; nursery production; oak regeneration; seedling quality; silviculture

Dr. Daniel C. Dey

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Co-Guest Editor

USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station, Columbia, MO 65211, USA
Interests: fire effects; oak; pine; prescribed fire; regeneration; restoration; silviculture; wildlife interactions
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Planned silvicultural disturbances such as harvesting, prescribed fire, and herbicide application alter successional pathways to achieve restoration and regeneration goals. Restoration is the process of recovering degraded ecosystems often within the context of an historical condition as a reference point for the desired future condition. Poor land-use practices, invasive non-native species, and climate change have all contributed to degrade and damage forest ecosystems that are now in need of restoration. Regeneration can be an important goal when applying silvicultural treatments for ecological restoration, such as maintaining or transitioning towards a specific species composition or increasing biodiversity. Experiments designed to quantify and model outcomes of planned disturbance events are lacking, particularly studies that are replicated at the stand level.

This Special Issue of Forests is focused on how silvicultural practices can achieve ecological restoration or regeneration goals. Research articles may focus on stand-level silvicultural treatments and their effects on restoration parameters such as vegetation composition, stand structure, tree growth, or wildlife species populations or use. Articles can focus on how silvicultural treatments affect forest health or mitigate the effects of climate change in degraded or damaged stands. Articles evaluating silvicultural treatment impacts on regeneration, either natural or artificial, are welcome. Articles can address basic questions, such as effects on water uptake or physiological conditions of regeneration. Applied research, such as how economic outcomes and timber quality are affected by restoration or regeneration treatments, are also welcome.

Dr. Stacy L. Clark
Dr. Daniel C. Dey
Guest Editors

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Keywords

Degradation
Desired future condition
Disturbance
Ecological restoration
Regeneration harvesting
Silvicultural treatments

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Published Papers (9 papers)

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Research

Jump to: Review

16 pages, 2823 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Early Selection of Tree Species for Regeneration in Degraded Woodland of Southeastern Congo Basin

by Jean Marc Kaumbu Kyalamakasa, Michel Mpundu Mubemba Mulambi, Emery Kasongo Lenge Mukonzo, Mylor Ngoy Shutcha, Honoré Tekeu, Alphonse Kalambulwa Nkombe and Damase Khasa

Forests 2021, 12(2), 117; https://doi.org/10.3390/f12020117 - 21 Jan 2021

Cited by 8 | Viewed by 3032

Abstract

Miombo woodland (MW) has several multi-purpose forest species, which are over-exploited for agriculture, charcoal and logging. Industrial plantations are among the promising solutions for sustainable management of MW, but high-yielding MW species are still lacking in the forestry sector. In this context, the present study assessed the growth of MW species, with respect to their early (ES) or late (LS) successional status. Seedling development was assessed for eight tree species, which were ES (Combretum collinum, Pterocarpus tinctorius) and LS (Brachystegia boehmii, B. longifolia, B. spiciformis, B. wangermeana, Julbernardia globiflora, J. paniculata), 1, 2 and 4 years after planting. Germination and survival varied in relation to ontogenetic traits of the species, but not the successional status, as was the case for growth and productivity. Seed germination was 60% to 88% for all species (except C. collinum). Seedling survivorship was greater than 70% for most species, except for J. paniculata (36%). ES species have greater growth compared to LS, due to the allocation of biomass to diameter and the length of the root, respectively, from the early stage of seedling development. These two strategies of biomass allocation are positively correlated with height. We further observed two distinct phases of seedling development (0–2 and 2–4 years) for all species. Growth differences among LS species were identified 4 years after planting. Based on seedling biomass, B. spiciformis, C. collinum and P. tinctorius are the most productive potential candidates for reforestation of degraded MW. We concluded that seedling growth and productivity varied according to strategies of biomass allocation that were related to successional status (ES (Chipya group) versus LS (Miombo group)) and to age following planting. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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35 pages, 3520 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Vegetative and Edaphic Responses in a Northern Mixed Conifer Forest Three Decades after Harvest and Fire: Implications for Managing Regeneration and Carbon and Nitrogen Pools

by R. Kasten Dumroese, Martin F. Jurgensen and Deborah S. Page-Dumroese

Forests 2020, 11(10), 1040; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11101040 - 25 Sep 2020

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2553

Abstract

Research Highlights: This experiment compares a range of combinations of harvest, prescribed fire, and wildfire. Leveraging a 30-year-old forest management-driven experiment, we explored the recovery of woody species composition, regeneration of the charismatic forest tree species Larix occidentalis Nutt., and vegetation and soil carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) pools. Background and Objectives: Initiated in 1967, this experiment intended to explore combinations of habitat type phases and prescribed fire severity toward supporting regeneration of L. occidentalis. At onset of the experiment, a wildfire affected a portion of the 60 research plots, allowing for additional study. Our objective was to better understand silvicultural practices to support L. occidentalis regeneration and to better understand the subsequent impacts of silvicultural practices on C and N pools within the vegetation and soil. Materials and Methods: We categorized disturbance severity based on loss of forest floor depth; 11 categories were defined, including controls for the two habitat type phases involved. We collected abundance, biomass, and C and N concentrations for the herbaceous layer, shrubs, and trees using nested quadrats and 6 to 10 experimental units per disturbance category plot. Moreover, we systematically sampled woody residue from transects, and forest floor, soil wood, and mineral soil with a systematic grid of 16 soil cores per disturbance category plot. Results: We found that (1) disturbance severity affected shrub species richness, diversity, and evenness within habitat type phases; (2) L. occidentalis regenerates when fire is part of the disturbance; (3) N-fixing shrub species were more diverse in the hotter, drier plots; (4) recovery levels of C and N pools within the soil had surpassed or were closer to pre-disturbance levels than pools within the vegetation. Conclusions: We confirm that L. occidentalis regeneration and a diverse suite of understory shrub species can be supported by harvest and prescribed fire, particularly in southern and western aspects. We also conclude that these methods can regenerate L. occidentalis in cooler, moister sites, which may be important as this species’ climate niche shifts with climate change. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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34 pages, 2913 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Assessing Restoration Potential of Fragmented and Degraded Fagaceae Forests in Meghalaya, North-East India

by Prem Prakash Singh, Tamalika Chakraborty, Anna Dermann, Florian Dermann, Dibyendu Adhikari, Purna B. Gurung, Saroj Kanta Barik, Jürgen Bauhus, Fabian Ewald Fassnacht, Daniel C. Dey, Christine Rösch and Somidh Saha

Forests 2020, 11(9), 1008; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11091008 - 19 Sep 2020

Cited by 12 | Viewed by 4286

Abstract

The montane subtropical broad-leaved humid forests of Meghalaya (Northeast India) are highly diverse and situated at the transition zone between the Eastern Himalayas and Indo-Burma biodiversity hotspots. In this study, we have used inventory data from seedlings to canopy level to assess the impact of both biotic and abiotic disturbances on structure, composition, and regeneration potential of the Fagaceae trees of these forests. Fagaceae trees are considered as the keystone species in these forests due to their regional dominance and their importance as a fuel wood source, and also because they form an important component of climax community in these forests. Unfortunately, these forests are highly degraded and fragmented due to anthropogenic disturbances. We have assessed, for the first time, the restoration potential (i.e., capacity to naturally regenerate and sustain desired forest structure) of Fagaceae species in the genera Lithocarpus Blume, Castanopsis (D. Don) Spach, and Quercus Linn. We also evaluated how biotic and abiotic factors, as well as anthropogenic disturbances, influence the restoration potential of these species in six fragmented forest patches located along an elevational gradient on south-facing slopes in the Khasi Hills, Meghalaya. Fagaceae was the most dominant family at all sites except one site (Laitkynsew), where it was co-dominant with Lauraceae. Fagaceae forests have shown high diversity and community assemblages. Fagaceae species had high levels of natural regeneration (i.e., seedlings and saplings) but low recruitment to large trees (diameter at breast height or DBH ≥ 10 cm) at all sites. The ability to sprout was higher in Fagaceae tree species than non-Fagaceae tree species. We have shown that human disturbance and structural diversity were positively related to regeneration of Fagaceae tree species due to high sprouting. However, with increasing human disturbance, recruitment of saplings and pole-sized trees to mature trees hampered the resulting proportion of mature Fagaceae tree species. This study provides a means for assessing regeneration and a basis for forest management strategies in degraded and fragmented forests of Meghalaya. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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19 pages, 4037 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Microsite Influence on Woody Plant Regeneration in a Pinus palustris Woodland Following Catastrophic Disturbance

by Alexandra T. Logan, Jonathan D. Goode, David J. Keellings and Justin L. Hart

Forests 2020, 11(5), 588; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11050588 - 23 May 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3276

Abstract

Information and material biological legacies that persist after catastrophic forest disturbance collectively constitute the ecological memory of the system and may strongly influence future stand development. Catastrophic disturbances often result in an influx of coarse woody debris (CWD), and this material legacy may provide beneficial microsites that affect successional and structural developmental pathways. We examined how microenvironmental characteristics influence the regeneration of woody plants in a subtropical woodland that experienced a large influx of CWD from a catastrophic wind disturbance. Specifically, we asked (1) what microenvironmental factors best explain woody plant density, richness, and height in the regeneration layer and (2) does woody plant density, richness, and height benefit from the large influx of CWD to a degree that competition dynamics and succession may be modified? Data were collected in a Pinus palustris woodland that had experienced an EF3 tornado and was subjected to a four-year prescribed fire rotation. We documented live woody plants <5 cm diameter at breast height, soil, and site characteristics and tested for differences in seedling and sapling density, species richness, and height in relation to CWD proximity. We used a random forest machine learning algorithm to examine the influence of microenvironmental conditions on the characteristics of woody plants in the regeneration layer. Woody plant density and species richness were not significantly different by proximity to CWD, but plants near CWD were slightly taller than plants away from CWD. The best predictors of woody plant density, richness, and height were abiotic site characteristics including slope gradient and azimuth, organic matter depth and weight, and soil water content. Results indicated that the regeneration of woody plants in this P. palustris woodland was not strongly influenced by the influx of CWD, but by other biological legacies such as existing root networks and soil characteristics. Our study highlights the need to consider ecological memory in forest management decision-making after catastrophic disturbance. Information and material legacies shape recovery patterns, but, depending on the system, some legacies will be more influential on successional and developmental pathways than others. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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18 pages, 1395 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Restoration of Shortleaf Pine (Pinus echinata)-Hardwood Mixtures in Low Quality Mixed Upland Hardwood Stands Using Cluster Planting and Natural Regeneration

by David Clabo and Wayne Clatterbuck

Forests 2020, 11(4), 457; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11040457 - 17 Apr 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2646

Abstract

Cluster planting of shortleaf pine, along with various site preparation and release treatments, were tested to restore mixed shortleaf pine (Pinus echinata Mill.)–hardwood stands in areas where the shortleaf pine has diminished in recent years. Shortleaf pine–hardwood mixtures were once a common forest type throughout the Cumberland Mountains and Plateau physiographic regions of the southeastern United States. Knowledge of how to restore shortleaf pine–hardwood mixtures is limited throughout shortleaf pine’s large native range. The objectives of this study were to compare planted shortleaf pine and natural hardwood regeneration survival, growth, and composition following various site preparation and early release treatments. Cluster planting and partial timber harvesting were used to reintroduce shortleaf pine and create two-aged stands in the Cumberland Mountains of Tennessee, USA. Results indicated that shortleaf pine survival, basal diameter, and height growth did not differ following four growing seasons among treatments. Natural regeneration stem densities and heights within shortleaf pine clusters did not differ significantly by treatment. Natural regeneration stem densities differed by species group and height class across the site, while the treatment × species interaction term was also significant. At this early stage of stand development, the brown-and-burn treatment appears poised for greater shortleaf pine growth rates than the other treatments. The herbicide treatment had the fewest regenerating hardwoods per hectare and the most desirable hardwood species composition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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13 pages, 1750 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Differential Early Performance of Two Underplanted Hardwood Tree Species Following Restoration Treatments in High-Graded Temperate Rainforests

by Daniel P. Soto, Pablo J. Donoso, Angélica Vásquez-Grandón, Mauricio González-Chang and Christian Salas-Eljatib

Forests 2020, 11(4), 401; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11040401 - 3 Apr 2020

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 3681

Abstract

Raulí (Nothofagus alpina (Poepp. & Endl.)) and Ulmo (Eucryphia cordifolia Cav.) are mid-tolerant tree species in the Coihue-Raulí-Tepa (ca. 0.55 mill ha) and Evergreen (ca. 4.1 mill ha) forest types in south-central Chile, respectively. These species have been selectively logged in old-growth forests especially during the 20th century, Raulí mostly for its highly valuable timber, and Ulmo for its highly demanded firewood and bark for the tannery industry. Natural regeneration of these species occurs mostly through canopy gaps, but it can be retarded, or even inhibited, when the cover of the understory vegetation becomes unusually dense, such as in high-graded forests. Although underplanting is possible for these species, the knowledge about their growth in forest understories is scarce, and necessary to inform restoration programs. Therefore, we evaluated short-term responses (two years) of underplanted containerized seedlings in root-collar diameter, height, stem volume, and in the slenderness index, as a function of canopy openness (%, continuous variable) and three restoration treatments (categorical variables, plus one control treatment) at two different sites with high-graded old-growth forests for each forest type. By using generalized linear mixed-effects models (GLMMs) we determined that Raulí was more sensitive to the influence of both canopy openness and restoration treatments, while Ulmo was mostly influenced by canopy openness. Specifically, Raulí was positively influenced by canopy openness and restoration treatments in all response variables except for the slenderness index. Conversely, Ulmo was influenced by canopy openness in all response variables except the slenderness index, which was influenced by both predictor variables (canopy openness and restoration treatments). Thus, prospects for restoration with these species are discussed, including possible ontogenetic changes in their responses to light that may demand continuous silvicultural operations to recover the productive and functional roles of these species in these forest ecosystems. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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15 pages, 2325 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Strategies for Modeling Regeneration Density in Relation to Distance from Adult Trees

by Daniel Moreno-Fernández, Alicia Ledo, Isabel Cañellas and Fernando Montes

Forests 2020, 11(1), 120; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010120 - 19 Jan 2020

Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3513

Abstract

Research Highlights: We proposed new methodologies for the spatial analysis of regeneration processes and compared with existing approaches. Background and Objectives: Identifying the spatial relationship between adult trees and new cohorts is fundamental to understanding the dynamics of regeneration and therefore helps us to optimize the stand density and natural regeneration when undertaking regeneration fellings. Most of the statistical approaches analyzing the spatial dependence between adult trees and new individuals (seedlings or saplings) require a complete census and mapping of all individuals. However, approaches considering individuals grouped into sampling points or subplots (i.e., density data) are limited. In this study, we reviewed and compared approaches (intertype point pattern analyses and a generalized additive model) to describe the spatial relationship between adult trees and density regeneration in a Pinus sylvestris L. monospecific stand in Spain. We also proposed a new approach (intertype mark variance function) to disentangle the effect of the tree-size on sapling density and the effect of the spatial pattern. Materials and Methods: To this end, we used a half-hectare plot in which all the individuals of P. sylvestris have been mapped and measured. Results: Our results indicated that sapling distribution was related to distance from the adult trees, thus displaying distance-dependence patterns, but it was not related to the size of the adult trees. The intertype mark correlation function was an useful tool to distinguish the effect of the marks (sapling density and tree size) from the effect of the spatial pattern of the classes (trees cohorts in our case). Conclusions: The largest number of saplings was found with increased distance between adult trees (>11 m), and the generalized additive model may be useful to explain spatial relationships between adult trees and regenerating cohorts when other measured biotic variables (e.g., soil stoniness, etc.) and repeated measurements are available. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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16 pages, 2130 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Hardwood Species Show Wide Variability in Response to Silviculture during Reclamation of Coal Mine Sites

by Weston M. Schempf and Douglass F. Jacobs

Forests 2020, 11(1), 72; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11010072 - 7 Jan 2020

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2612

Abstract

Coal is a significant energy source for the United States, and reclamation of surface mined lands is required under the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977. Reforestation of mined lands is challenging due to soil substrate properties including soil compaction, herbaceous competition, and animal browse, necessitating silvicultural treatments to help overcome such limiting factors. We investigated the field performance of black walnut (Juglans nigra L.), northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.), and swamp white oak (Quercus bicolor Willd.) planted on two mine reclamation sites in southern Indiana, USA, and evaluated the interactions of nursery stocktypes (container and bareroot), herbicide application, and tree shelters. Two-year survival averaged 80% across all species and stocktypes. Container stocktype had greater relative height and diameter growth (i.e., relative to initial size at planting), whereas bareroot had greater absolute height and diameter growth corresponding to initial stocktype differences. Shelter use increased height growth and reduced diameter growth across both stocktypes. Swamp white oak (Q. bicolor) had the highest survival rate and field performance regardless of silvicultural treatment, whereas red oak (Q. rubra) and black walnut (J. nigra) showed strong early regeneration responses to silvicultural treatments. Container seedlings showed promise as an alternative to bareroot seedlings to promote early growth on mine reclamation sites. Species-specific responses documented here indicate the need to consider the ecology and stress resistance of target species in developing cost-effective silvicultural prescriptions. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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Review

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16 pages, 2204 KiB

Open AccessReview

Mitigation of Deer Herbivory in Temperate Hardwood Forest Regeneration: A Meta-Analysis of Research Literature

by Caleb H. Redick and Douglass F. Jacobs

Forests 2020, 11(11), 1220; https://doi.org/10.3390/f11111220 - 19 Nov 2020

Cited by 27 | Viewed by 5970

Abstract

Ungulate herbivory poses global challenges to forest regeneration. Deer, in combination with other biotic and abiotic factors, threaten to shift forest composition away from palatable hardwoods, such as oaks (Quercus spp.), and cause regeneration failure in some cases. Many studies have assessed methods to reduce or manage browse, but comprehensive analyses of the relative effectiveness of these techniques among published experiments are lacking. We synthesized the literature describing the results of methods to reduce deer browsing impacts, and assessed the effectiveness of deer browse management methods in controlling damage to hardwood forest regeneration. Specifically, we systematically analyzed results from 99 studies that used repellents, physical barriers, lethal population control, timber harvests, facilitation by neighboring plants, or fertilizer to affect browse, survival, or height growth of hardwood seedlings. Across studies, browse was reduced (mean effect size and confidence intervals) with the following: Fencing −3.17 (CI: −4.00–−1.31), shelters −1.28 (CI: −2.02–−0.67), cages −1.48 (CI: −3.14–−0.62), facilitation from neighboring plants −0.58 (CI: −1.11–−0.13), repellents −0.45 (CI: −0.56–−0.21), hunting −0.99 (CI: −1.51–−0.26). These methods each had positive effects on seedling height growth (except for repellents), and cages, timber harvests, fences, and mesh sleeves had positive effects on survival. Logging slash had no effect on browse incidence (−0.05, CI: −0.97–0.19). Fertilizer applied during seedling establishment increased browse (0.13, CI: 0.11–0.21), and did not affect height growth. We conclude that fences or other physical barriers best control for the effects of deer, but facilitation by surrounding vegetation, logging slash, hunting, habitat management through timber harvest, and certain repellents may also be moderately effective. Discrepancies between browse effectiveness and relative costs suggest that economic analyses should be developed to help to guide prescriptions for management. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Silviculture for Restoration and Regeneration)

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