Theses and Dissertations
Issuing Body
Mississippi State University
Advisor
Roberts, Scott D.
Committee Member
Fan, Zhaofei (Joseph)
Committee Member
Frey, Brent R.
Date of Degree
12-9-2016
Document Type
Graduate Thesis - Open Access
Major
Forestry
Degree Name
Master of Science (M.S.)
College
College of Forest Resources
Department
Department of Forestry
Abstract
With a growing desire to generate structural characteristics of late-successional conifer forests, managers are commonly seeking an approach to increase structural heterogeneity in otherwise simple second-growth stands. This study examined understory response to experimental thinning on the Olympic Peninsula of Western Washington. Variable-density thinning within the Olympic Habitat Development Study was found to have significant effects on both the density of seedling recruitment as well as early growth of western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla (Raf.) Sarg.). In additional analysis, pre-commercial understory thinning, implemented by the Olympic National Forest, produced no observable acceleration in basal area growth. Results suggest that understory development is sensitive to previous management history as well as post-treatment stand structure. Better understanding the sources of variability in understory tree response to non-uniform thinning and understory density management will be principle in evaluating the efficacy of these treatments relative to traditional methods.
URI
https://hdl.handle.net/11668/18631
Recommended Citation
James, Carson, "Dynamics of Understory Tree Seedling Recruitment and Growth of Advance Regeneration Following Variable-Density Thinning of Second-Growth Conifer Stands in the Pacific Northwest" (2016). Theses and Dissertations. 1596.
https://scholarsjunction.msstate.edu/td/1596