Effects of gap size on natural regeneration in a pine-hardwood stand a quarter century after harvest
This article is part of a larger document. View the larger document here.Abstract
In 1992, an experiment to assess the effect of harvest gap size on natural regeneration of coastal plain mixedwoods was installed in a mature stand on the Crossett Experimental Forest in southeastern Arkansas. Three levels of a gap-size treatment (0.25 acre, 0.625 acre, and 1 acre) were installed in a randomized complete block design with three replications. Gaps were revisited in 2016 to evaluate the effect of gap size on natural regeneration. Gap size significantly (p <0.05) explained variation in pine density (diameter at breast height [d.b.h.] ≥3.5 inches), but not the densities of hardwood species groups. Gap size was also significant in a model for pine importance value. Mean separation revealed that pine density and importance value were highest in 1-acre gaps, lowest in 0.25-acre gaps, and intermediate in 0.625-acre gaps. These results provide further support for research indicating gap size plays an important role in natural pine regeneration.