Thomas M. Schuler

Closure of logging wounds after 10 years

Closure of logging wounds on 96 sample trees was evaluated after 2, 5, and 10 years for Appalachian hardwood trees in north-central West Virginia. For yellow-poplar, northern red oak, black cherry, and white oak, many small wounds, 1 to 50 square inches in size, closed between 5 and 10 years after logging. For larger wounds, 50 to 200 square inches, it appears that many of these wounds may not close for at least 15 or perhaps 20 years after logging. Recommendations are provided to minimize logging wounds on residual trees in partially cut stands.

A method for applying group selection in central Appalachian hardwoods

Public concern over the adverse visual impact of clearcutting has heightened interest in developing and testing alternative regeneration practices for central Appalachian hardwoods. Group selection can meet aesthetic goals while providing suitable light conditions to reproduce shade-intolerant species. Volume control and residual stand density are used to reg8ulate periodic cuts. In central Appalachian hardwoods, openings must have a minimum size of 0.4 acre; all stems 1.0 inch d.b.h. and larger are cut to reproduce desirable shade-intollerant species. Openings should be located using the worst first approach to give the growing space occupied by mature trees or risky trees to faster growing, desirable regeneration.

Seed bank response to prescribed fire in the central Appalachians.

Pre- and post-treatment seed-bank characteristics of woody species were compared after two prescribed fires in a mesic mixed-oak forest in the central Appalachians. Nineteen woody species were identified from soil samples. Mean species richness declined but evenness did not after prescribed burning. The seed bank was dominated by black birch, yellow-poplar, blackberry, grapevine and Hercules club before burning. Following burning, the median density of seed bank propagules declined by 45 percent. Black birch, yellow-poplar, and grapevine declined by 69, 56, and 40 percent, respectively. The results illustrate the importance of the seed bank as a robust source of non-oak regeneration in mixed-oak forests and of the potential effect of fire in altering it.

Biotic and abiotic mechanisms in the establishment of northern red oak seedlings: a review

This review of literature pertaining to the biotic and abiotic mechanisms in the establishment of northern red oak seedlings is designed to aid forest managers and researchers interested in sustaining the oak component of the eastern and central hardwood forest regions. Recommendations for future research are presented.

Effects of development of a natural gas well and associated pipeline on the natural and scientific resources of the Fernow Experimental Forest

Development of a natural gas well and pipeline on the Fernow Experimental Forest, WV, raised concerns about the effects on the natural and scientifi c resources of the Fernow, set aside in 1934 for long-term research. A case study approach was used to evaluate effects of the development. This report includes results of monitoring projects as well as observations related to unexpected impacts on the resources of the Fernow. Two points are obvious: that some effects can be predicted and mitigated through cooperation between landowner and energy developer, and that unexpected impacts will occur. These unexpected impacts may be most problematic.

Rule-based mapping of fire-adapted vegetation and fire regimes for the Monongahela National Forest

A rule-based approach was employed in GIS to map fire-adapted vegetation and fire regimes within the proclamation boundary of the Monongahela National Forest. Spatial analyses and maps were generated using ArcMap 9.1. The resulting fireadaptation scores were then categorized into standard fire regime groups. Fire regime group V (200+ yrs) was the most common, assigned to more than 510,000 ha, primarily in the Allegheny Mountains Section. Fire regime group I (low & mixed severity, 0-35 years) and fire regime group III (low & mixed severity, 35-200 yrs) were assigned to almost 198,000 ha, primarily in the Ridge and Valley Section and one subsection of the Allegheny Mountains Section. These systems will likely require active silviculture using fire and/or fire surrogates for their maintenance or restoration. The transparent rule-based procedure can be easily modified and, as such, possesses the flexibility for universal application to other ecosystems with similar spatial databases.

Residual overstory density affects survival and growth of sheltered oak seedlings on the Allegheny Plateau

When unplanned major disturbances affect desirable mixed-oak forests, both the amount of time and viable options available for influencing the composition of postdisturbance regeneration are reduced greatly. We evaluated the use of tree shelters to protect planted northern red oak seedlings following salvage logging that resulted in a range of residual stand densities. This practice was common on the Allegheny National Forest in the early 1990?s following widespread gypsy moth defoliation and subsequent mortality. A better understanding of this practice will enhance efforts to implement artificial regeneration of oak after unplanned major disturbance due to insects and diseases or factors such as storm damage.

Using maximum entropy modeling to identify and prioritize red spruce forest habitat in West Virginia

Red spruce forests in West Virginia are found in island-like distributions at high elevations and provide essential habitat for the endangered Cheat Mountain salamander and the recently delisted Virginia northern flying squirrel. Therefore, it is important to identify restoration priorities of red spruce forests. Maximum entropy modeling was used to identify areas of suitable red spruce habitat, with a total of 32 variables analyzed. Maximum temperature of the warmest month and minimum temperature of the coldest month were identified as variables explaining the most information about red spruce forest habitat. In addition, habitat maps identifying areas of high, medium, and low suitability were created and quantified at the county level. These results will benefit current and future conservation and restoration management activities as they identify core areas that possess the necessary environmental conditions for supporting future complex red spruce communities. Restoration efforts focused in areas possessing high suitability ensure peak potential of success and will ultimately give red spruce forests in West Virginia the greatest resilience to future climatic conditions by establishing connectivity between red spruce forests and increasing genetic diversity.

Influence of White-tailed Deer Digestion on Running Buffalo Clover (Trifolium stoloniferum: Fabaceae Muhl. ex A. Eaton) Germination

Abstract We compared the germination rates of running buffalo clover (Trifolium stoloniferum) seeds that had been passed through the digestive tract of a captive white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) with those that had not. We found no significant difference among germination rates of seeds passed through deer and those not, nor with seeds that were cold-stratified prior to planting and those that were not. Although white-tailed deer are viable vectors for running buffalo clover seed, our data suggest that the rates of ingested seed germination and survival are low. Dispersal and establishment of new populations by white-tailed deer herbivory may not contribute quickly or significantly to the recovery of running buffalo clover at present.

Release of Suppressed Red Spruce Using Canopy Gap Creation—Ecological Restoration in the Central Appalachians

ABSTRACT: Red spruce (Picea rubens) and red spruce-northern hardwood mixed stands once covered as much as 300,000 ha in the Central Appalachians, but now comprise no more than 21,000 ha. Recently, interest in restoration of this forest type has increased because red spruce forests provide habitat for a number of rare animal species. Our study reports the results of an understory red spruce release experiment in hardwood-dominated stands that have a small component of understory red spruce. In 2005, 188 target spruce were identified in sample plots at six locations in central West Virginia. We projected a vertical cylinder above the crown of all target spruces, and in 2007, we performed a release treatment whereby overtopping hardwoods were treated with herbicide using a stem injection technique. Release treatments removed 0–10% (Control), 11–50% (Low), 51–89% (Medium), and ≤90% (High) of the basal area of overtopping trees. We also took canopy photographs at the time of each remeasurement in 2007, 2010, and 2013, and compared basal removal treatments and resulting 2010 canopy openness and understory light values. The high treatment level provided significantly greater six-year dbh and height growth than the other treatment levels. Based on these results, we propose that a tree-centered release approach utilizing small canopy gaps that emulate the historical, gap-phase disturbance regime provides a good strategy for red spruce restoration in hardwood forests where overstory spruce are virtually absent, and where red spruce is largely relegated to the understory.