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Release of Suppressed Red Spruce Using Canopy Gap Creation-Ecological Restoration in the Central Appalachians

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dc.contributor.authorRentch, J. S.en
dc.contributor.authorFord, W. Marken
dc.contributor.authorSchuler, T. S.en
dc.contributor.authorPalmer, J.en
dc.contributor.authorDiggins, Corinne A.en
dc.contributor.departmentFish and Wildlife Conservationen
dc.date.accessioned2020-04-28T13:31:16Zen
dc.date.available2020-04-28T13:31:16Zen
dc.date.issued2016-01en
dc.description.abstractRed spruce (Picea rubens) and red spruce-northern hardwood mixed stands once covered as much as 300,000 ha in the Central Appalachians, but now comprise no more than 21,000 ha. Recently, interest in restoration of this forest type has increased because red spruce forests provide habitat for a number of rare animal species. Our study reports the results of an understory red spruce release experiment in hardwood-dominated stands that have a small component of understory red spruce. In 2005, 188 target spruce were identified in sample plots at six locations in central West Virginia. We projected a vertical cylinder above the crown of all target spruces, and in 2007, we performed a release treatment whereby overtopping hardwoods were treated with herbicide using a stem injection technique. Release treatments removed 0-10% (Control), 11-50% (Low), 51-89% (Medium), and >= 90% (High) of the basal area of overtopping trees. We also took canopy photographs at the time of each remeasurement in 2007, 2010, and 2013, and compared basal removal treatments and resulting 2010 canopy openness and understory light values. The high treatment level provided significantly greater six-year dbh and height growth than the other treatment levels. Based on these results, we propose that a tree-centered release approach utilizing small canopy gaps that emulate the historical, gap-phase disturbance regime provides a good strategy for red spruce restoration in hardwood forests where overstory spruce are virtually absent, and where red spruce is largely relegated to the understory.en
dc.description.adminPublic domain – authored by a U.S. government employeeen
dc.description.notesInitial funding was provided by the USDA Forest Service and the Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University, with additional support from the US Geological Survey and the West Virginia Division of Highways. Adele Fenwick produced the map. Kent Karriker, Shane Jones, and Nathan Beane provided helpful initial reviews of this manuscript. This is scientific article No. 3223 of the West Virginia Agriculture and Forestry Experiment Station.en
dc.description.sponsorshipUSDA Forest ServiceUnited States Department of Agriculture (USDA)United States Forest Service; Division of Forestry and Natural Resources, West Virginia University; US Geological SurveyUnited States Geological Survey; West Virginia Division of Highwaysen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.doihttps://doi.org/10.3375/043.036.0108en
dc.identifier.eissn2162-4399en
dc.identifier.issn0885-8608en
dc.identifier.issue1en
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/97922en
dc.identifier.volume36en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.rightsCreative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedicationen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/en
dc.subjectcanopy gapsen
dc.subjectCentral Appalachiansen
dc.subjectforest restorationen
dc.subjectgap-phase disturbanceen
dc.subjectred spruceen
dc.subjectregimeen
dc.titleRelease of Suppressed Red Spruce Using Canopy Gap Creation-Ecological Restoration in the Central Appalachiansen
dc.title.serialNatural Areas Journalen
dc.typeArticle - Refereeden
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
dc.type.dcmitypeStillImageen

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