Modeling tree regeneration height growth after an experimental hurricane

Abstract

Annual height growth rates for six species of tree seedlings were modeled during the first 10 years of cohort initiation following an experimental hurricane in central Massachusetts. Selected canopy trees in a second-growth, transition oak – northern hardwoods forest were pulled over with a winch in a 50 m × 160 m area. Regeneration height growth did not follow the species-specific patterns anticipated if the disturbance had been stand replacing. Instead, the temporal increase in shade from crown expansion and sprouting of residual trees slowed cohort development and resulted in a variety of annual height growth patterns among species. Height development was followed separately for advance regeneration and new seedlings of red maple white ash, black cherry, black and yellow birch, paper birch, and red oak. All species had increasing height growth rates for 3 years followed by either decreasing or unchanged (flat) rates except red maple and ash advance regeneration, which had increasing rates throughout the measurement period. After 10 years, black and yellow birch, and red maple are the most numerous species and compose the majority of the tallest regeneration. Red oaks, which dominated the original stand, are few and unlikely to emerge to the canopy of the new cohort.