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Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences
The Role Of Fire And A Fire-Free Interval In The Restoration Of Upland Oak Communities On The Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky, Jordan Winkenbach
The Role Of Fire And A Fire-Free Interval In The Restoration Of Upland Oak Communities On The Cumberland Plateau, Kentucky, Jordan Winkenbach
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
The decline of upland oak (Quercus spp.) communities in our eastern forests has been attributed to the loss of periodic disturbance after decades of fire suppression. As land managers have begun to reintroduce fire, effects on oak regeneration and species composition have varied widely, making it apparent that our understanding of how fire can aid in oak forest management needs refinement. Restoring upland oak communities requires decreasing stand density and opening of the canopy to release shade-intolerant oaks in the understory. This necessitates an extended fire-free interval to allow these oaks to be recruited into larger size classes and …
Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Invasive Exotic Plant Species In Response To Timber Harvesting In A Mixed Mesophytic Forest Of Eastern Kentucky, Benjamin Christopher Rasp
Spatial And Temporal Patterns Of Invasive Exotic Plant Species In Response To Timber Harvesting In A Mixed Mesophytic Forest Of Eastern Kentucky, Benjamin Christopher Rasp
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
Invasive exotic species (IES) responses to silvicultural treatments eight years after timber harvesting were examined and compared to one-year post-harvest IES survey in University of Kentucky’s Robinson Forest. The temporal effects of harvesting were further compared between harvested and non-harvested watersheds. Analyses were performed to identify IES spatial distribution and determine the relationships between IES presence and disturbance effects, biological, and environmental characteristics. IES prevalence was higher in the harvested watersheds and was influenced by canopy cover, shrub cover and disturbance proximity. Ailanthus altissima and Microstegium vimineum presence in the study area has decreased over time. Comparing to the 1-yr …
Managing Upland Oak Forests With Disturbance And The Implications For Non-Native Species Invasions, Devin E. Black
Managing Upland Oak Forests With Disturbance And The Implications For Non-Native Species Invasions, Devin E. Black
Theses and Dissertations--Forestry and Natural Resources
Natural and anthropogenic disturbances have influenced forest stand structure and affected species compositions within forests for millennia. Disturbances such as fire, severe weather events, and forest management practices may result in significantly reduced tree biomass. Thus, these disturbances may lower canopy closure and stem density in support of forest management goals, such as open oak woodland restoration, or promote an increase in species richness within the forest understory. However, these types of disturbance may also produce the unwanted consequence of opening pathways for the invasion of non-native species. Once established, these non-native species may threaten native plant communities and biodiversity. …