Vegetational change resulting from forest conversion in the central Piedmont of Virginia and their implications for wildlife

Conversion of natural forest to loblolly pine plantations has become a common practice on commercial forest land in the central Piedmont of Virginia. To gain insight as to bow habitat conditions for wildlife vary over time, vegetation composition and structure were quantified in 21 converted stands at two state forests. The stands represented three replications of seven developmental stages ranging in age from 1 to 22 years. Six natural forest stands Which typify sites presently being converted were selected for comparison.

The seral process can be exemplified by comparing vegetative changes in species richness, evenness, and vegetative coverage in the ground stratum (<1m). Richness and vegetative coverage showed the same trends: high values in stands 1 to 5 years of age followed by a decline from 5 to 15 years, at Which point canopy closure was complete and these variables were relatively stable for the next seven years. Evenness over time was fairly constant, except for three-rear-old stands where a decline occurred due to predominance by Andropogon virginicus. Trends in richness and evenness differed from the old-field successional model due to a diverse reservoir of propagative units at the initiation of succession and the rapid closure of the canopy by co-developing pines and sprout hardwoods.

From an analysis of habitat variables, it appeared that one-year-old stands satisfied requirements of bobwhite quail and wild turkey; stands aged three years were deficient in food plants and probably too densely vegetated. Nine-year-old stands still provided browse for white-tailed deer. Post-canopy closure stands (15 to 22 yrs) were of little value to wildlife. In native forest stands (72 yrs), understory forage production was comparable to the post-canopy closure stands, while mast production, as estimated by Oak basal area and density, was more than adequate for good deer and turkey habitat.

The present value of converted stands to wildlife depends on their size and interspersion with native forest and other cover types. Their future value could vary significantly depending on the silvicultural treatments applied.