Guiding the Regeneration of Hardwood Forests: Today

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Guiding the Regeneration of Hardwood
ForestsTodays Actions for Tomorrows Forests

• Peter J. Smallidge and Gary R. Goff
• www.ForestConnect.info

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Northeastern ForestsSituation Issues

• Diverse forests provide multiple benefits.
• Society depends on sustaining (regenerating) the
  types of forests that currently exist.
• We can control most of the factors that influence
  future options and forest health.
• Successful regeneration of commercially valuable
  species is central to sustaining forest resources.

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Outline

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Current Forest Conditions
• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Threats and Strategies for Hardwood Forests

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NY Farm and Forest
Number or Acres
Year
Stanton and Bills, 1996, Cornell Alerich and
Drake, 1995 USFS
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What Influences Forest Establishment, Growth
Development?
Sunlight
Time Since Disturbance
Seed or Sprouts
Insects and Disease
Soil Condition
Climatic Variation
Wildlife
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The Point.

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Northeast historically heavily forested
• Current forests developed from open ground
• Regeneration developed without much overhead
  shade
• Small deer herd at turn of century
• Many factors influence forest growth

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Outline

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Current Forest Conditions
• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Threats and Strategies for Hardwood Forests
• In your state, consider the following
• Percent of state forested?
• Percent of forest land that is private forest?
• Percent of forest that is mature?
• Change in timber prices?

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Land Use in New York
37 of 57 counties with gt50 forest land
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Land Ownership in New York
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NY Timberland by Stand Size Class

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Changes in Timber Prices Reflect Markets and
Availability
/ MBF (Doyle)
Year
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Percent of Basal Area Removed 1981 - 1994
Percent of Timberland
Percent of Basal Area Removed
McWilliams et al., 1996 SUNY ESF
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87
242
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The Impact of Deer

• Deer eat 6 to 8 lbs, fresh weight per day
• 600 tree seedlings per pound
• 4200 seedlings per deer per day (if exclusively
  forest fed)
• November through May (7 months)
• 882,000 seedlings per deer

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The Point ...

• Current Forest Conditions
• Mature and valuable forests
• Can and should be harvested and regenerated
• Predominately family owned, managed without a
  forester
• Low intensity dispersed cutting, selective
  removal
• Deer herd size has increased and can impact the
  forest

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Outline

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Current Forest Conditions
• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Threats and Strategies for Hardwood Forests

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Natural Regeneration

• Seed source
• Establishment
• Survival
• Growth
• Development

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Profile of Two Species

• Northern Red Oak
• shade intermediate to intolerant
• high browse preference
• no seed bank, irregular seed crop
• seed good at 16 and at gt50 years old
• stump sprouts
• no root sprouts

• Striped Maple
• shade tolerant
• low browse preference
• seed bank?, annual seed, seedling bank
• seed at 7 years and 2 (sex changes)
• stump sprouts
• no root suckers

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The Point.

• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Commercial species (sm, wa, blc, ro, yb, rm)
• Mostly shade intolerant or intermediate
• Preferentially browsed
• No seed bank, limited seedling bank, no root
  suckers
• Non-commercial species (bee, stm, bb, etc.)
• Mostly shade tolerant
• Seldom browsed
• Multiple reproductive strategies seed bank,
  seedling bank, root sucker
• Early seed production
• Many characteristics of the invasives

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Outline

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Current Forest Conditions
• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Threats and Strategies for Hardwood Forests
• 1.
• 2.
• 3.

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Have You Heard This?

• Ill just cut the big ones so the little ones
  can grow
• Cutting trees is good for wildlife, and Ill
  leave the hollow ones which make good den trees
• I wont clear cut, Ill just selectively cut
• Big trees are only growing at 2, they should be
  cut to favor the smaller faster growing trees

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X
X
X
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Threat 1. High-Grading

• Diameter limit cutting
• Selective cutting (vs. selection system)
• Breeding race horses
• Garage sale

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Strategies to Avoid High-Grading

• Know it when you see it and just say NO
• Work with a competent, professional forester
  youve carefully selected
• Have a contract
• Explicit strategies to balance economics with
  sustainability
• Have a written management plan
• Learn as much as you can about your forest

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Outline

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Current Forest Conditions
• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Threats and Strategies for Hardwood Forests
• 1. High-grading
• 2.
• 3.

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• Interfering Vegetation
• Low shade
• Root competition
• Favors some herbivores

Ferns
striped maple hophornbeam grasses black birch
Beech brush
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Threat 2. Interfering Vegetation

• Low-shade inhibits intolerant species
• Interfering vegetation must be controlled before
  you will be able to regenerate
• Responds well to partial cutting, be wary of even
  small openings
• Manual or physical control
• Chemical control

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Outline

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Current Forest Conditions
• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Threats and Strategies for Hardwood Forests
• 1. High-grading
• 2. Interfering vegetation
• 3.

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How to Control Deer Damage
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Outline

• History of Forest Development and Use
• Current Forest Conditions
• Factors Influencing Forest Regeneration
• Threats and Strategies for Hardwood Forests
• 1. High-grading
• 2. Interfering vegetation
• 3. Excessive Deer Damage

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Summary of Issues

• Current forests developed following widespread
  disturbance
• Since 1900, differences in markets, deer herd
  size, forest practices
• Three significant threats high-grading,
  interfering vegetation, deer

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Summary of Solutions

• Accept responsibility
• Just Say No to High-Grading
• Control interfering vegetation before losing your
  seed source
• Secure regen before losing your seed source
• Minimize deer impact on forests
• Work with a professional forester whos as
  concerned about the next forest as the next
  paycheck