Natural Regeneration of Southern Bottomland Hardwoods

Abstract

Many mixed hardwood stands found in bottomlands have been degraded by past harvesting practices that resulted in high grading the stand, thereby leaving the forester few options other than regeneration. Economic considerations usually constrain the choices to some form of complete overstory removal if adequate advance regeneration or sprouting potential is available. Success, in terms of numbers of stems and species composition, requires full release of the regeneration, meaning that trees greater than 2 inches in dbh must be brought back to the ground or deadened. Where regeneration or coppice potential is not adequate, we lack proven methods of establishing natural stands of desirable oaks. A prediction model has been published and can be used to guide decisions on whether regeneration potential is adequate. Experience in other oak types suggests that it is unwise to rely on new germinants to maintain an oak component. If partial cuts are increasingly prescribed for promoting oak regeneration by shelterwood and for uneven-aged management of bottomland hardwoods, then great care must be taken to avoid logging damage to residual stems.

Citation

Stanturf, John A.; Meadows, J. Steven. 1994. Natural Regeneration of Southern Bottomland Hardwoods. In: Egan, Andrew F., ed. Proceedings: southern regional council on forest engineering annual meeting; 1994 March 15-17; Vicksburg, MS. Mississippi State, MS: Mississippi State University, Office of Agricultural Communications: 6-11