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Roth, Amber
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Seeing past the green: Structure, composition, and biomass differences in high graded and silviculture-managed forests of similar stand density
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Forests of the eastern United States (US) mostly comprise a mix of stands managed following silvicultural
principles and stands managed with exploitative timber harvesting practices. These stands can have similar stand
densities (e.g., basal area per hectare) but vary vastly in structure, composition, and biomass and carbon storage.
High grading, a prevalent exploitative timber harvesting practice in the eastern US, is of particular concern
because it can negatively affect future forest health and productivity. This study quantifies differences in forest
structure, composition, and biomass and carbon storage between high graded stands and stands that received a
seed/establishment cut of a uniform shelterwood regeneration sequence treatment, which is a comparable and
well-established silvicultural method used to regenerate mixed-oak forests. It focuses on mixed-oak forests
(mixed-Quercus), where the effects of high grading have been understudied, and uses a sample with broader
spatial coverage than previous studies. The sample comprised nine stands that were known to have been high
graded 8–15 years ago and nine stands that received the seed/establishment cut of a uniform shelterwood
regeneration sequence. Stand were systematically sampled using fixed-area plots. Field measurements were
collected and used to calculate metrics describing forest structure and function. The structure of high graded
stands was characterized by a higher proportion of trees with poor health and/or form compared to shelterwood
stands, with 18.3 % less acceptable growing stock and trees with lower crown compaction. Diameter distributions
of high graded stands were characterized by numerous small trees and few large-diameter trees. Spatial
variability of overstory trees was contingent on the tree size range evaluated, with a larger variability of
sawtimber-sized trees (trees ≥ 29.2 cm in diameter at breast height) in high graded stands. High graded stands
also had 2.2 times fewer oak trees (Quercus spp.) in the overstory canopy, 17,897 fewer seedlings per hectare
(ha), and 45 Mg/ha less biomass than shelterwood stands. These results indicate that high grading generally
degrades mixed-oak forests and impairs their long-term capacity to supply vital ecosystem services such as
habitat for specific wildlife species, carbon storage, and high-quality wood products.
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WLFW Outcomes: Funded Research
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The Habitat Matrix - Stepping Down Bird Management From Landscape to Stand
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Part 5 of a 12-part monthly lecture series, Forests for the Birds: Conserving America’s Forest Birds. July 20, 2021.
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Webinars and Instructional Videos
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The Literature Gateway
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A Systematic Map of Bird-Vegetation Relationships in Eastern and Boreal Forests
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Thinning Forests to Save the Birds
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An interesting and informative 8-minute video that explains how tree harvests are critical to saving a host of bird species that rely on young forest habitat for part of their annual life cycle.
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Multimedia
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service
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The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is a bureau within the Department of the Interior. Our mission is to work with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife and plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. The Service manages the 150 million-acre National Wildlife Refuge System of more than 551 National Wildlife Refuges and thousands of small wetlands and other special management areas. Under the Fisheries program we also operate 70 National Fish Hatcheries, 65 fishery resource offices and 86 ecological services field stations.
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U.S. Forest Service
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Established in 1905, the Forest Service is an agency of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and manages public lands in national forests and grasslands. It is the largest forestry research organization in the world and provides technical and financial assistance to state and private forestry agencies. The job of Forest Service managers is to help people share and enjoy the forest, while conserving the environment for generations yet to come.
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U.S. Geological Survey
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The U. S Geological Survey (USGS) is a science organization that provides impartial information on the health of our ecosystems and environment, the natural hazards that threaten us, the natural resources we rely on, the impacts of climate and land-use change, and the core science systems that help us provide timely, relevant, and useable information. As the Nation's largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, the USGS collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides scientific understanding about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems.
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University of Kentucky
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The University of Kentucky is a public, land grant university dedicated to improving people's lives through excellence in education, research and creative work, service, and health care. As Kentucky's flagship institution, the University plays a critical leadership role by promoting diversity, inclusion, economic development, and human well-being.
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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS)
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NRCS helps America’s farmers, ranchers and forest landowners conserve the nation’s soil, water, air and other natural resources. All programs are voluntary and offer science-based solutions that benefit both the landowner and the environment.
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