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Forest Sciences Commons

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The University of Maine

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Forest dynamics

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Full-Text Articles in Forest Sciences

Dynamics Of Forest Structure Under Different Silvicultural Regimes In The Acadian Forest, Michael R. Saunders May 2006

Dynamics Of Forest Structure Under Different Silvicultural Regimes In The Acadian Forest, Michael R. Saunders

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Research plots in many long-term studies of forest ecosystems often cannot be used for spatial modeling because of their small scale and nested inventory design. This has been unfortunate as these plots represent some of the best records of structural development as affected by forest management. I developed methodologies to reconstruct both tree height growth and spatial pattern in these types of plots from historical inventory records and stem-mapped data, and then retrospectively investigated 3-dimensional structural development as affected by five silvicultural and harvesting treatments (unmanaged natural area, commercial clearcut, fixed-diameter limit, 5-year selection, and 3-stage shelterwood— with and without …


Vegetation Dynamics And Tree Radial Growth Response In Harvest Gaps, Natural Gaps, And Closed Canopy Conditions In Maine's Acadian Forest, Darci A. Schofield Jan 2003

Vegetation Dynamics And Tree Radial Growth Response In Harvest Gaps, Natural Gaps, And Closed Canopy Conditions In Maine's Acadian Forest, Darci A. Schofield

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The creation of natural canopy gaps is an important ecological process in the Acadian forest. Designing harvest gaps that emulate natural gap dynamics may be important for maintaining structural and biological diversity, as well as naturally regenerating desired tree species. We used a controlled study to 1) compare vegetation dynamics among and within harvested gaps, natural gaps, and under a closed canopy, and 2) examine the growth response of mature overstory edge trees of harvests gap and saplings inside of gaps as possible methods for dating natural gaps in the Acadian forest. For the vegetation dynamics study (objective I), we …