Recipient Organization
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY
886 CHESTNUT RIDGE RD RM 202
MORGANTOWN,WV 26505-2742
Performing Department
Forestry
Non Technical Summary
Forests in the central Appalachians are greatly influenced by disturbances such as timber harvesting and insects. The purpose of the project is to quantify how disturbances are changing forests in the region.
Animal Health Component
(N/A)
Research Effort Categories
Basic
(N/A)
Applied
(N/A)
Developmental
(N/A)
Goals / Objectives
Central Appalachian forests extend from southern Pennsylvania through West Virginia, Maryland, Virginia, and Tennessee. They are part of the largest contiguous, temperate hardwood forest in the world. Oaks are the dominant species group in the region, but a number of other hardwood species are common associates. In fact, central Appalachian forests often include 20 or more tree species. This rich diversity distinguishes these forests from others in North America. Over the past several hundred years, Appalachian forests have been frequently disturbed by a variety of factors. Prior to European settlement, forests were periodically burned by Native Americans. Indeed, there is increasing evidence that fire plays an essential role in maintaining oaks as the dominant taxa. From the mid-1800s through the early 1900s, settlers of European descent logged much of the region. Harvesting was exploitive and was often followed by accidental or deliberate slash fires. These fires
resulted in increased sedimentation, erosion, and smoke pollution. Gradually, the public came to see forest fires as a menace to society. Beginning in the 1930s, effective fire control was implemented in many parts of the Appalachians. This policy of fire exclusion created ecosystems different from those fire-adapted ecosystems that had existed previously. Timber harvesting continued through the 20th century, with a peak during World War II. Currently, partial cutting is the dominant form of timber harvesting in central Appalachian forests, with a narrow focus on removing larger, more valuable trees. In addition, forests in the region have been subjected to a number of destructive pests over the last century, including chestnut blight, gypsy moth, and, more recently, the hemlock wooly adelgid. Together, these examples of forest disturbances offer compelling evidence that central Appalachian forests have been, and will continue to be, extremely dynamic ecosystems. The structure and
species composition of forest vegetation is a function of past disturbance, gradients in environmental factors (e.g., elevation, soils, precipitation), and life history strategies of tree species. I am interested in studying how and why forests in the central Appalachians change in the presence or absence of disturbances. More specifically, the objectives of my research are to describe : 1. how contemporary disturbances (mainly timber harvesting and forest pests) affect the structure and species composition of current and future forests, and 2. how these effects are influenced by environmental factors and silvical characteristics of trees. I propose to begin my investigations by establishing three studies, all of which will be based in West Virginia.
Project Methods
Study 1: Alternatives to diameter limit cutting Diameter limit cutting is a type of harvesting that removes only trees larger than a specified diameter without concern for the character of a residual stand. An alternative to diameter limit cutting that may be financially attractive to private landowners is flexible diameter limit cutting. It represents a compromise between traditional single tree selection and diameter limit cutting. Financially mature trees above a certain diameter (usually 16 inches dbh) are harvested. In addition, merchantable immature growing stock receives an improvement cut at each periodic harvest. Five study sites will be located throughout West Virginia. At each site, three replicated treatments will be installed: 12 inch dbh diameter limit cut, 16 inch dbh diameter limit cut, and 16 inch dbh limit cut with improvement cutting among smaller trees (i.e., flexible diameter limit cutting). Permanent plots will be remeasured at 3-5 year intervals.
Study 2: Evaluating forestry technical assistance on timber harvests in West Virginia: ecological and financial impacts When private individuals owning forestland in West Virginia sell timber, they generally do not seek the advice of a professional forester. However, technical forestry expertise is available from a number of sources, including state, industry, and consulting foresters. Included in the array of services offered by professional foresters is assistance in carrying out timber sales. Foresters have long argued that timber harvesting supervised by a forester will leave the woods in better condition than harvesting supervised by a non-forester. Is this assumption about foresters valid? This study will compare 30 recently harvested private forestlands in West Virginia on which foresters were involved with 30 forestlands on which foresters were not involved to test whether foresters decrease the volume of the harvested trees and increase the volume and value of the unharvested
trees. Study 3: Stand dynamics in an old-growth hemlock-hardwood forest The West Virginia Division of Natural Resources has set aside Cathedral State Park (CSP) from future timber harvests. CSP is a 133-acre old-growth hemlock-hardwood forest located in eastern West Virginia. Yet there is concern about the potential impact on CSP by the hemlock wooly adelgid, an exotic, aphid-like insect that poses a significant threat to hemlock forests in the eastern United States. In anticipation of impending mortality, scientists with the U.S. Forest Service established a network of field plots in CSP to document the pre-adelgid forest conditions. Plots established by the Forest Service will be remeasured to describe the recent adelgid-induced changes in stand structure. Vegetation within and outside of canopy gaps will be analyzed to quantify how plant composition varies under different light regimes. Finally, dendrochronology (i.e., analysis of tree age and radial growth increment) will be used
to reconstruct the origin and historical development of the forest.