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Performance of northern red oak enrichment plantings in naturally regenerating Southern Appalachian hardwood stands

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Abstract

The limited success of methods to naturally regenerate northern red oak (Quercus rubra L.) has increased the use of artificial techniques to improve overall oak composition. Enrichment plantings are often recommended as a means to supplement species composition within the existing natural reproduction. Previous enrichment efforts have often resulted in low survival and poor growth, generally due to poor planting stock quality and a lack of competition control. In this study, high quality northern red oak seedlings were established on four recently harvested sites in western North Carolina using one of four competition control treatments (untreated, year 1 control, year 2 control or a weed mat) in a 1.2 × 1.2 m area around each seedling with or without a soil fertility amendment. The 3 year results show that competition control and fertilization treatments had few positive impacts on survival and growth of the planted seedlings. These results suggest that either the treatment area was insufficient to adequately release the seedlings, or other factors like belowground competition from existing advance reproduction and/or stump sprouts may be important determinants of the overall success of northern red oak enrichment plantings on recently harvested sites.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Matthew Gocke, Emrys Treasure and BJ Berenguer of NC State University, and John Blanton of the US Forest Service, for their assistance throughout this project. We also acknowledge the generous support provided by Leo Brevard and Clifford Farthing who made available their properties for this study, and the US Forest Service for providing access to sites on the Pisgah National Forest. We also acknowledge the statistical assistance provided by Edward Gbur. Funding for this project was provided by USDA CSREES, and the NC State Hardwood Research Cooperative.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Forest Resources, University of Arkansas-Monticello, P.O. Box 3468, Monticello, AR, 71656, USA

    Jamie L. Schuler

  2. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, 3118 Jordan Hall, Raleigh, NC, 27695-8008, USA

    Daniel J. Robison

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  1. Jamie L. Schuler
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  2. Daniel J. Robison
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Correspondence to Jamie L. Schuler.

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Schuler, J.L., Robison, D.J. Performance of northern red oak enrichment plantings in naturally regenerating Southern Appalachian hardwood stands. New Forests 40, 119–130 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11056-009-9187-y

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