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A Comparison Of Clearcut And Shelterwood Harvesting Effects On Understory Vegetation In Central Virginia Piedmont Forests, Lorelei J. Hartman

Theses & Honors Papers

I compared clearcutting and shelterwood harvesting effects on all understory vegetation (woody and nonwoody) in Piedmont hardwood forests. Clearcutting and shelterwood harvesting are both even.-aged management practices, put in contrast to clearcutting, the shelterwood method retains selected trees as partial canopy. The retained canopy is reported to be beneficial to desired tree species and restrict competition of undesired tree species, grasses and shrubs.·Research comparing the shelterwood method to clearcutting has been limited , particularly in hardwood forests. We collected data on understory plant communities in clearcut, low-leave shelterwood, and mature forest sites (not harvested in

at least 100 years). Percent …

Effects Of Shelterwood Timber Harvesting On Understory Vegetation, Soil Nutrients, And Environmental Factors In A Virginia Piedmont Forest 3-5 Years Post-Harvest, Lisa B. Wilkins

Theses & Honors Papers

Shelterwood timber management methods impose moderate ground disturbance and allow increased light penetration to the understory after partial canopy removal. This study is a two-year segment of a long-term project analyzing understory vegetation patterns over time on shelterwood sites harvested in 1997 (n=4) and 1998 (n=2), and on mature, secondary-growth control sites (n=2). The sites were predominantly oak-hickory stands located in Appomattox and Buckingham counties, Virginia. Data were collected May - June of 2001 and 2002.Ten fixed plots were established on each of eight study sites and all plant species within the plots were identified. Coverage estimates were made for …