The 10-year response of natural northern red oak reproduction to strip clearcutting an Appalachian hardwood stand

There are well-known difficulties associated with regenerating oak stands throughout the Central Hardwoods region. To successfully regenerate oak, competitive sources of advance reproduction are required ahead of harvesting—a condition that is rarely present, especially on productive sites. While treatments that enhance seedling competitiveness (e.g., midstory removals, burning, competing vegetation control) are available, in practice, these are rarely implemented and/or effective because of high treatment costs and/or because they require delaying harvest.

As a potential alternative practice, we report the 10-yr results of a strip clearcut reproduction method that removes alternating 45.7 m wide strips across a mixed Appalachian hardwood forest, where the initial harvested strips provide timber revenue while simultaneously elevating understory light levels to increase oak seedling size within the residual strips to increase oak presence in a future harvest.

After 10 yr, we found that strip clearcutting facilitated the development of competitive northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) advance reproduction within the residual strips. Northern red oak seedling densities (>10,000 stems/ha) were greater than any other species. Northern red oak seedlings were most competitive within the interior 11.4 m positions in the residual strips, while the high densities of competitive northern red oak seedlings along the edges of the residual strips were also associated with competitive black birch (Betula lenta L.) and black cherry (Prunus serotina Ehrh.) reproduction. By contrast, in the cut strips, black birch and yellow-poplar (Liriodendron tulipifera L.) were the dominant stems and oaks were almost nonexistent.